Magnifica ESAM3300

Craigslist is your friend. Buy a 2nd hand espresso machine and grinder (I assume your current one may not grind fine enough)) $300 is not going get anything decent new. I scored a working Silvia for $200 on Craigslist a few weeks back. I suggest a used Delonghi ESAM3300 - all in one - easy, no maintenance, fast (no need to wait for it to heat up), all in one (grinder and coffee all in one). Decent but not great coffee/espresso .

I have the Meraki and I’m loving it so far. That being said I would not put it in an office situation with novice users. A fully automatic reconditioned Delonghi Magnifica 3300 is as close to idiot proof you’re going to find and it makes pretty good coffee. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N2YKQ0

Super automatic. I like the Delonghi Esam - if you can get an old refurbished 3300 even better. It’ll get you to pre school.

Super automatic. I like the Delonghi Esam - if you can get an old refurbished 3300 even better. It’ll get you to pre school.

If I were you, trying to get the best value + desired features, I’d probably go with Philips 5400 LatteGo (if you can find a good deal) or De’Longhi Magnifica Evo. Both give very solid milk‐based drinks, easy interfaces, and pretty good reputations for reliability. If hot chocolate is important, make sure the model either has a “chocolate powder” capability or that the milk system + hot water function are good enough to mix/steam cocoa well. Also De’Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica is nice. It has strong mid‑range super‑automatic, multiple drink types, good build, decent milk frothing ability, but no dedicated hot cocoa mode. And check these brands: Jura, Gaggia, Saeco. Sometimes they have models with either syrup/hot chocolate add‑ons or you can find workaround using the milk / hot water systems.

This. I’d love to eliminate manual steaming, but i doubt there’s a machine that will steam milk to the 160° I prefer. I have yet to see a manufacturer or review list the actual milk temperature so I suspect it would be underwhelming. That being said, I have 3 Delonghi semi auto machines of the ESAM 3XXXX generation and love them. The infuser is more or less the same regardless of what machine you buy. IMO these older made-in-Italy machines are more repairable than what we’re seeing now, but that’s a sign of the times. At some point I’ve replaced the boiler, solenoid, steam valve, water pump or steam generator on these units myself and the parts are cheap. A machine that came with both a steam valve and an auto-milk option would be perfect.

Delonghi is a pretty good choice. If you manage to find the right settings to suit your taste, it will make great coffee. All-in-all, a little advice, if I may. I don't think I need to tell you that DeLonghi has different models, such as Magnifica, Dinamica, Eletta, PrimaDonna, and so on. And there are variations within each model—e.g. the Magnifica S is considered a basic model, but the Magnifica Evo Plus, for example, offers milk frothing and touch controls. But here's the "trick"—inside, both are the same machine. Same water pump, same grinder, same boiler, and so on. Only the Evo Plus is roughly 30% more expensive than the S. Of course, if you want a milk + coffee drink, the S may not be the right choice (although with a little practice, you can steam milk very nicely with the S's steam wand.) So what I'm trying to say is that you always have to consider what you're buying the machine for, because in my experience, most people think that a stylish milk jug and a colorful touchscreen mean that the machine has some kind of advanced technology—but that's not the case. The technical differences are between the different models, almost never within a single model. Oh, and this stands for most of the brands as well... almost.

Delonghi bean to cup with a manual milk frother

We made the same switch and love it too.