Who said Casabrews are not recommended?
Do the research on YouTube and make your own decision. I own the Casabrews Ultra and my family does lattes daily. I don’t need another espresso machine unless it’s for my own personal preference. Before I bought this one I looked at other entry level machines and I didn’t like their weight and size. Again personal preference.
Casabrews Ultra is nice. Button machine, quick to temp and no lever dance or heating parts. Once the grind clicked, shots got clean and pretty steady without me babysitting every pull. Had it a bit over a year now, nothing weird on my unit so I'm honestly HAPPY!!!
Casabrew is nice I had the $99 dollar one for a few months and my only complaint was the brew temp was a bit lower than expected at times but overall great machine. Comes with just pressurized baskets,so you’ll have to upgrade to single wall baskets if you’re looking for that kind of brew.
Now I have the Casabrew Ultra $209 on Amazon right now and I can increase the temp on this one and very pleased with this brand, eventually I will probabaly get a prosumer one but I’ll be good for a while with just upgrading the portafilter and grinder (using Timemore manual grinder) comes with single wall and double (pressurized) wall baskets
Edit:words
Grinder is doing most of the heavy lifting for espresso, the machine way less so. With your budget you can push the grinder higher and not worry too much on the machine side. A simple and sturdy machine that doesn't get in the way is enough. For me Casabrews Ultra is an easy partner. Basic 58 mm setup, no weired stuff. My unit's been pulling 1~2 shots every morning for 4 yrs and still chillin.
ok so all of these are really good options but insanely expensive lol. unless you’re like super into fine tuning every shot, you honeslty don’t need to drop that kinda cash. something like this casabrews one (or similar mid range machines) will do the job well enough imo. Its got a 20 bar pump and a pretty solid steam wand so not exactly perfect, but 90% as good for way less money.
biggest tip: don’t sleep on the grinder. a good burr grinder + fresh beans makes way more difference than the logo on the machine. spend a little less on the machine, a little more on the grinder, and you’ll get cafe level results without wrecking your wallet. Trust me on this.
You can always upgrade later on.
A relative gifted me one of those ~$140 Casabrews espresso machines from Amazon a little over a year ago for my birthday. It seems to be on sale for less on Amazon every now and then. Even though it’s not top-tier quality, it still makes espresso that genuinely brings me joy to this day.
When it comes to flavor, the beans and grinder make a much bigger difference anyway. Local roasters often have specials or rewards programs that can help with cost. As for the grinder, that’s where it’s really worth investing. The folks over at r/espresso will tell you: you can’t get good espresso without a good grinder. I spent about $200 on my Baratza Encore ESP, which is considered a popular budget espresso grinder.
But then you also have to consider all the accessories you may want to pick up. As the tamp and portafilter that comes with that espresso machine could be significantly upgraded. You may want a mat, cleaning towels, WDT tool, and all sorts of ceramic mugs. But if you're comfortable as is, all you really have to be concerned about is the reoccurring purchase of beans and some occasional descaling.
Ultimately, espresso is fun hobby to dive into that results into some tasty coffee - but damn you just made me realize how much money I'm throwing into this thing lol. I hope this helps, best of luck.
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imbored3469
