We have kitchenaid semi automatic with attached burr grinder. Runs $699 but you can usually find it on sale somewhere if you stay vigilant
We’ve had it for 1.5 yrs and really like it. No issues w the grinder being faulty or off. Easyish to use— I think anyway. My husband is the only one who makes the espresso beverages. He took a couple of weeks to tune in to proper grind and ratios and then serves us both a shaken 1 shot latte around 2 if we’re both WFH.
I like it better than the Nescafé espressos I’ve had at a friends house. My other friend has the one everyone has recommended in this thread- breville bambino. and she swears by it. I have not detected a difference in our espresso vs hers. But maybe a really advanced connoisseur could? We get local roasters beans that costco sells
I also like drip coffee. I mostly don’t like burnt flavors or dark roasted flavors. Light to medium roasts please me regardless of if espresso or drip.
The brevilles are reliabel machines that don't really do anything wrong. The grinder is not the best but it is good enough to make good coffee. Not sure about the impress part though, of all things in the workflow tamping is easy, so I would also look at the normal version.
All these other brands try to compete with the Breville but most seem to fail in some way (reliability, worse grinder, etc). Also it might be easier to find spares for breville like water filters and gaskets.
I have a barista express but in hindsight I would have prefered a Bambino with a seperate grinder for about the same money. Makes upgrading easier and you have less of a problem when a compinent dies
I bought a KitchenAid semi automatic during BF from Whirlpool Inside Pass website (see if you have access through your employer).
White it has been only 4 months, I am impressed. Its quiet, grinder is good and produces decent shots 1 minute from start to finish, once you have the workflow down. I don't have experience with Breville, recommend KitchenAid especially if you can pick one on sale.
Kitchenaid 5kes6551 - v similar in features to the sage/breville barister.
£300 on offer. Had it two months and have no complaints. Grinder is fantastic despite some reviews written when the model was first released.
My 2 cents as a complete espresso newbie who also was looking at a Nespresso machine:
I had a Keurig that I used basically every day for coffee with a reusable K Cup to avoid extra waste. I enjoyed getting cappuccinos and lattes from Starbucks and coffeehouses, so I started looking at getting the Nespresso, but the pods are pretty expensive and wasteful (unless you're able to take part in their recycling program, which I'm not due to my location). After doing a fair amount of research, I ended up buying a Kitchenaid KES6551 Semi-Automatic Espresso machine with the burr grinder. I really like it so far, but it's definitely more labour intensive than a Nespresso machine would be where you simply drop in a pod and press a button. I WFH majority of the time, but on the days that I have to go into work, making a drink isn't something that fits into my morning routine due to the time it takes.
Tbh I wouldn't buy your gf the whole setup that you're thinking of without finding out first *why* she wants the Nespresso. Does she value the ease and convenience of a pod-based machine? Is she open to going down the espresso rabbit-hole? It can be a little overwhelming. My husband used to make my coffee for me sometimes when I had my Keurig, but he hasn't touched my espresso machine because it's intimidating.
Top Espresso Machines on Reddit
1
Breville
Bambino Plus
77% positive of 1,081 users
Fast heat-up, easy for beginners; inconsistent shots, annoying cleaning.
Jonnz8
