CASABREWS - CM5418 Pro

Here's some options *besides* the standard Bambino & Encore ESP that might help fit things into your budget better. (And you *absolutely* need a grinder BTW, unless you're OK with pressurized basket espresso.) I'm also not going to get into used/second hand pricing. Very often the cheaper you go, you also need to get accessories, which I have not really considered or factored in here. Cheaper machines tend to only come with pressurized baskets. * Casabrews 5418 Pro ($200). Most similar to Bambino but less $. * Delonghi ECP/Stilosa ($150). Save some money, but definitely need baskets (& willingness to hack to really unlock) * Flair Neo Flex ($100). Totally manual, but saves some more money. No milk frothing. For grinders - this is more complex. The best way to save money is to get a manual hand grinder. A Kin K6 is about $100, for example, which leaves you room to get an even better one. If you want to stick to electric, Encore ESP is unfortunately tough to beat. The DF54 is also widely recommended, but lately people have been commenting about clogging. Mine doesn't do that, but perhaps something in the manufacturing changed. It's unclear. The other newcomer (and less proven) at this point is Shardor's 64mm "professional" grinder, at about $150. The Turin SD40S at closer to $200 is another consistent recommendation from a lot of folks around here. "Why not just get a cheaper grinder" well... your ability to have repeated, consistent success; the quality (or lack thereof) of your workflow; and the espresso you get in the cup is determined more by the grinder than the machine. I didn't want to believe it either when I started many years ago, and wasted a lot of coffee, time, money, and hair. Don't be me. I assume you can also source freshly roasted beans - that will be important too!

Casabrews 5418 pro.  Strong stream wand from what a lot of reviews say. Fast heat up. Will feel similar to a bambino at a way lower price point. Just have to get a grinder.  I'm gonna give a tip as someone who has been a commercial barista for the last 13 years (also an unpopular opinion): If you're adding milk to espresso (which 90 percent+ of people at cafes do), you can fix a lot of mediocre coffee by knowing how to steam milk and integrate it properly. This is especially true if you also plan to sweeten your drink.  I've had plenty of acceptable drinks made with subpar ingredients from giant commercial chains as long as they're steaming and integrating the milk/espresso properly. With that said, if you're drinking espresso straight, you'll definitely notice a huge difference using subpar ingredients. You'll also notice it a lot more in drinks like americanos or long blacks or traditional macchiatos

I have the Casabrew CM5418 Pro, it appears to have the ultra fast heating element that the Bambino has. There isn’t a ton of research or videos on the CM5418 Pro but I think it’s been a great machine and appears to be worth the upgrade from the non pro version. It heats up in literally three seconds.

i’m on the 5418 too, one thing i’d add is grabbing a decent tamper and a simple WDT tool. the stock stuff works, but these two make the puck spreads more evenly without spending much.

I have a Bambino plus and a casabrews cm5418, they make comparable espresso, but the BBP is a bit nicer to use, has a few extra features, has better steam wand and better build quality, but if money is an issue, the CB will still make a decent espresso

Listen, I’m relatively new but I have the casabrews CM5418. I’m also a working college student so I couldn’t really justify anything super high priced. It’s about $130 on Amazon but I got it on sale for $100. I like it a lot, and I think it’s great for beginners! Definitely making good espresso, better than any cafe I’ve gone to! (I also use fresh coffee beans, another big thing!) You do have to get a grinder, but I went ahead and got one of the cheaper ones I found on [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/AMZCHEF-Grinding-Detachable-Anti-static-Settings/dp/B0DPYZSN47). I think it works great for me! Let me know if you have any questions, prime day is coming up so you COULD wait for that :)

It's important to know that you need a good grinder as well as an espresso machine. I have the most basic entry level combo there is and I use it successfully. Casabrews Tornado grinder and Casabrews CM 5418 espresso machine. That'll put you around $250. This allows you some breathing room to get him upgrades like a 51mm bottomless portafilter, 51mm wdt tool, 51mm tamper, 51mm puck screen, and a knock box. You can definitely have better gear but it's the only machines I've owned and I haven't had a reason to upgrade yet.

This is probably a downvotable comment in a sub full of experts but I dipped my toes in the espresso world with a Casabrew CM5418 ($140 USD). I read enough reviews that it does a good job for a beginner and honestly I couldn’t be happier with it. I’ve had plenty of espressos from shops and I can’t tell the difference. Mine come out great every time. It takes a bit to figure out the grind (need a burr grinder) but otherwise it’s easy to use. If I continue to like and use it I’m going to upgrade in a year to a much more expensive machine.

I wasn't ready to go all in on a $500 machine just yet. I have a decent burr grinder though so I decided to dip my toes in the water and bought a Casabrew for $140. I'm impressed at the shots it can pull. I added a bottomless portafilter, had to play around with the grind but they actually come out tasting very good. I know, out of your price range, but if you can save up a bit more, it might be worth it. Hold for Amazon days too, there will be huge deals next week.

temp stability + parts that don’t fall apart are the big ones. as a beginner you just want something that works the same every day.i got the casabrews 5418 for that reason,super straightforward to use when you’re new.

Casabrew is solid with a good grinder like the J ultra.

I consider myself a nerd but I can honestly say that I can pull great shots with a Casabrews CM 5418 and a J- ultra so I would not rule it out.