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.

This is the way

I disagree with “but once cry once” in most scenarios where you’re starting a new hobby. You might end up spending a couple thousand on a European machine just to learn you aren’t that seriously into espresso like you thought you’d be. And then you’d drop the machine, in like-new condition, on Facebook marketplace for half of what you spent on it just to free up counter space. Start with a Bambino, learn to use it, learn everything you can about coffee beans, puck prep, tools/accessories, milk steaming, how TIME CONSUMING making espresso can be, etc, and decide if this is a rabbit hole you really want to go down. And equally importantly, the bambino makes GOOD coffee. I recently upgraded from my Bambino after using it for 3 years and I can tell you with confidence the coffee taste has not dramatically changed. My new machine is mainly just more “satisfying” to operate.

I just upgraded my Bambino (non Plus) and it served me quite well for the 3 years I owned it. I learned everything I know about espresso with that machine. And it’s incredibly consistent if you control all your other variables. I say go for it if you want something to simplify your workflow and give you consistent pulls. Sure, the “build quality” isn’t great, mainly because it’s just much lighter than other machines , but mine still functions 100% as well as the day I bought it 3 years ago.

Also curious about this topic. Have a Bambino which works well enough for me but curious what the next step up would be while maintaining semiautomatic function.