I have the Dedica ec685.M
And Picopresso.
They both need a few adjustments to make them extract a better shot. But when I adjust Picopresso properly, it makes crazy extractions.
My hand grinder is Kingrinder K6, the best grinder for its price.
I have definitely tried several. The Picopresso made great espresso but I found it messy to use and too fussy for travel, plus I did not at all enjoy what was required to generate pressure. The Staresso made adequately drinkable shots, but again I did not enjoy the experience of doing what was necessary to create pressure. Most recently I bought the Trekbrew from Turin and it seems to me to be the most promising of all. It’s is electric, and it can be used with either pre-boiled water or room temperature water. I have been very pleased with the quality of the shots it produces.
Idk, I kinda feel his pain. I have eureka mignon specialita which seems like a great grinder and my portable pico makes FAR better tasting espresso than bambino with same grind settings/same coffee beans.
Bambino shots are always bitter to me, and I've tried so many things - the puck prep is great, no channeling no nothing, the shot is extracted in 20/25/30/35/40 seconds (tried all combinations), yet, it never tastes great. It's good for milk based drinks and I truly love my cappuccinos which are far better than anything I can get from a coffee shop. But my espressos are just very mediocre...
If you want a low tech alternative to a machine, picopresso is the answer.
It's cheap, easy to use, doesn't take long to use. The 9Barista is something to get if you like what it is. Dialing in in a 9 barista is going to be time consuming, you'll get several shots out of a picopresso in the same time.
consider manual options. The J Ultra from 1Zpresso combined with something like the Picopresso will give you better espresso than budget electric machines at the cost of a little more work.
Wacaco Picopresso ($140 hand-pump espresso machine)
Lagom Mini 2 ($300 grinder, plus a $60 power supply; they recommend several)
A single-serve French press (for foaming milk)
A small scale (the Wacaco exagram is decent and like $45 and fits under the Cafelat robot that you'll eventually upgrade to)
And a kettle: I like my Oxo pouring kettle, because the click wheel is great, but any kettle will do.
You could go cheaper. But every bit of that kit is solid, and will serve for years. The picopresso workflow is a bit of a pfaff for every day, but it's a good little machine and easily the best machine under $200, allowing you to spend more on your grinder, which is where money spent translates into a better cup most directly.
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.
azooz215
