So, totally out of the loop on coffee makers and the market is packed.
Any recommendations for a small-ish coffee machine that doesn't use pods? At least so I know where to start researching
Best Non-Pod Coffee Machines?
LHedgewizard on 10/08/2018 - 10:36
Comments
Ah yes. Up to around $400.
UP TO lol
Haha okay, next question - are you getting ground coffee or coffee beans (which will need a grinder)? Also - are you going to have a separate milk steamer/frother (if so, set aside maybe $50(?) from your budget) or do you want that integrated with your coffee machine?
And how many people/coffees are you going to be making a week on average?
(Coffee machines are complicated lol) I looked into it a while back for myself and after a while just said F it and settled on a pod machine - because the cleaning and maintenance an actual coffee machine needs was just not worth the ~5-10 cups a week I was gonna be making.
Ground coffee for convenience
Integrated frother
Making about 30 cups per week (assuming a standard cafe cup size)
Ah, other than the volume, pretty much what I was looking to get as well. My budget wasn't enough for this, but I would've gotten this one (uses grounds, has milk frother, is by Smeg); the design is… subjective though. I was looking at the black one but couldn't find that for <$400:
https://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/Smeg-50s-Retro-…
Have no first-hand experience though, but I remember it being well-reviewed when I was doing research.
@Hedgewizard: I know! I personally love the aesthetic (despite it being very cutesy) but it may not suit every kitchen style. Argh, I really really don't need a coffee machine but I'm so tempted (again).
$40 aeropress
or $800 BES920
saw this (and got it for my partner) from a ozbargain link by delonghi the other day
https://www.delonghi.com/en-au/products/coffee/coffee-makers…
67% off.. rrp 9hundo down to 300. but size might b a bit/lot bigger than a coffee pod one tho
Hey that's a great deal.
Can strongly recommend these delonghi machines, they run forever. Any of the ESAM models have got great internals and are easy to use and clean. We've had a lot through our work coffee club and they last a lot longer than both dura and saeco.
I used to have an old aldi espresso machine, not the pods. cost about $80, still on sale now and then. It was pretty manual, you had to load the coffee yourself, turn the water on and off. But I really liked it. Coffee came out nice, and I could let it run slightly long if I didn't want it too strong.
Replaced it with a $200 Breville after a few years. Similar kind of machine, but the coffee didn't taste as good as the Aldi. Still enjoyed using the machine though, it was pretty nice to be a bit involved in actually making the coffee and was part of the morning routine. Bought a separate grinder later, but that's optional.
More expensive machines (like jaedee posted) can be one button, that automatically grinds beans and pours out a measured shot. Convenient and simple if you'd rather not wrangle a machine every morning and don't mind spending a bit more, and can make a decent cup. For the price, jaedees looks good.
Cheers. It gets mixed reviews, but the price is hard to go past.
Bump up the budget a bit and get a Rancilio Silvia with a Breville BCG820BSS grinder.
$850! Ouch.
Short term pain… long term gain. :D
Doesn't have to be this expensive. Get a second hand silva and it will last you forever. I've had one for ten years and it's still going strong, it's a super simple machine with exceptional build quality. It's also one of the most common machines or there so if you want to tinker with it down the track there are lots of aftermarket options to add digital temperature control etc. Slightly steeper learning curve than modern machines but you get out what you put in.
I'd highly recommended grinding your own beans if you can, as preground goes stale in a matter of days. Don't skimp on the grinder, the rule is thumb is to spend the same on the grinder as the machine (e.g a $400 grinder and a $400 machine makes better coffee than a $50 grinder and a $750 machine). So $200 on a second hand silvia and $200 on a refurbished breville smart grinder.
Source: barista for a long time.
I got the delonghi icona coffee machine. Don't trust the reviews, people don't know how the lights work because they don't read the manual. Overall i'm happy with it & for $150 from costco I can't ask for much more. You'll need to match it with a sumbeam/breville grinder for around $30 if you want to use whole beans
Just getting into the coffee stuff too.
I'm going the manual plunger route, coffee beans with a burr grinder.
I may upgrade to a coffee machine in the future.Could someone recommend a decent burr grinder for a tight arse?
Around $100, don't want to spend more than $150.Sorry to hijack your thread op.
Have the Breville Duo Temp Pro. Can be had for about $300. Works a treat for me. Use pre ground coffee, has integrated milk frother.
Good entry point.
Strongly agree. That's a great device for daily usage, especially if you're just starting. And it does have good feedback and reviews. Beginner-friendly (even my mother can handle it) and pretty easy to maintain. Using mine for two years without any issues and we drink up to 3 cups per person a day.
I have two Breville The Barista Express machines (one in my home, one in my office) and I've been very happy with them. So far they've lasted around five years with no problems, however I take care of my coffee machines as I know what happens when you don't descale every few months (they stop working!). I think they're around $700. I didn't buy the digital version intentionally as I like the manual process of making coffee the old fashioned way, with observing the pressure gauge (and it's cheaper by several hundred dollars). In built grinder in these machines is very good also.
Elcheapo Sunbeam/Breville or any basic machine until you know 'real' coffee is your thing! In saying that my first machine was an EM6900(Sunbeam Cafe series) which lasted over 10 years & I bought my friend a cheap Breville at the time & he downgraded to the BES960 (or whatever/they kept dying after about a year) now we both have Expobar office control!
*Note, if you only use Rainwater, cleaning/scale is much, much less of a problem!
Good you are not into pods. I highly dislike them due to the waste and cost.
Non-pod optionL I have one of this "BREVILLE drip coffee maker"
Some call it filter machine?
Under $100. Cost more for beans. Love it!https://www.myer.com.au/shop/mystore/10470?gclid=Cj0KCQjw77T…
Thanks for the link, but I have sold our machine, no more pods or fake-pods.
Bought some over eBay, Groupon, Woolies and it wont fit properly, and hubby hates the taste….
Nobody wins, it's a loss-loss situation so out the door!
Coffee is one of those things for which everyone has a favourite method, place etc.
My recommendation is a stove top espresso pot. If you want a cafe style coffee, go to a cafe. My experience has been that home coffee machines don't match a cafe with good coffee and barista.
With a stove top pot, you can make a nice coffee which you can adjust to your tastes.
I also recommend a stainless steel pot rather than aluminum. A good pot is between $50 and $150. For one person, a 3 cup pot is good.
Uh……… budget? Because non-pod coffee machines run from $20 Coffee Presses like these, to $500 - $2,000 commercial grade coffee machines.