Bambino Plus

If your bugget is that low, i would recomend getting a hand grinder now (i hvae kingrinder k6 that seems to be working good, it also barely makes any noise and its about 100 bucks), that is capable to grind for both espresso and french press. Use the grinder for a few months with the french press that you already have to figure out what kind of beans you like. And then when you save up a bit again you can buy an espresso machine a new deloghi can be had for 100 to 140 bucks, or maybe if you find a used breville bambino. But you will most likely need to buy some accesories and a new portafilter as most in this price range come with a pressurised one and you would want an unpressurised one for good espresso

Mine was the Bambino, I wold recommend still running strong. But I would not recommend the Breveille Smart Grinder to pair with it.

At more entry level budgets here are my recommendations: - Do you want a new hobby? Go bambino + grinder but fair warning it's a big learning curve in my experience. - Want less fuss, acceptable espresso? Nespresso - No pods? I've heard good things about outin or picopresso - Less money, less to learn, but no machine and technically not espresso? Aeropress, moka pot, or oxo rapid brewer + grinder For people just wanting a coffee every morning and aren't interested in learning about it, I generally recommend Nespresso. For those wanting a new hobby, I always recommend people start at the aeropress point and grow from there. It can make espresso-like coffee as well as immersion brew coffees so you can explore the different styles while not needing to learn much but also being capable of making pretty high quality coffee. There's a lot of room for growth before investing hundreds of dollars on espresso machines; better coffee beans, dialing in water (yep it's a thing), learning about the fundamentals of brewing coffee through different recipes and even when you upgrade, if you ever do, it's always a good travel brewer. I have a couple thousand dollar espresso setup but most days prefer to use my $40 hario switch.

The big feature that the Bambino Plus has is its automatic steamer, which works really well and is *so* convenient (and is slightly faster than the Bambino's). For someone who likes lattes and cappuccinos, it might be worth the extra cost. Both machines fit well in a small kitchen.

The big feature that the Bambino Plus has is its automatic steamer, which works really well and is *so* convenient (and is slightly faster than the Bambino's). For someone who likes lattes and cappuccinos, it might be worth the extra cost. Both machines fit well in a small kitchen.

You will not beat a Nespresso for ease of use. They even make decent espresso. If you want to up your espresso game, however, within your price range it is easy to do and relatively hassle free and more cost effective than buying pods. An example starter system would be: Breville Bambino Plus DF54 or DF64 Grinder Accessories This can produce some great espresso. But it will require not just cleaning and maintenance, but there is a learning curve in producing quality coffee. That is your real time sink and effort - not cleaning, but learning how to dial in your espresso making rather than popping in a pod. Another route is buying a super automatic that automate most everything for you and have easy cleaning routines for the most part. A Kitchenaid KF7 is a highly rated model in your price range. It will not make nearly as good a cup of espresso as a separate machine and grinder, but it has ease of use, makes milk drinks automatically, and you can use real beans. It might be a reasonable compromise for you, although I doubt many on this forum (for expresso hobbyists mostly) would support the decision.

I personally love hand grinding and you can get a lot better bang for your buck as long as you don't mind putting in the work. There are a few combinations that would work for you and they are suggested over and over here: 1. Machine - either the Bambino/Bambino Pro or the Gaggia Classic. The Gaggia Classic can be modded if you really get into it. 2. Grinder - DF54 if you want electric and J-Ultra if you are willing to hand grind. With any two of these you can learn to make a great cup of espresso and/or espresso based drinks and hit your budget. Good luck.