When coffee shops first started to appear about 15 to 20 years ago I was at first very confused. How could a store that just sells coffee and espresso remotely stay in business? I mean, how much coffee do they have to sell to make the rent, you know! Boy did I miss calculate that one!
Actually it was fairly obvious to me after merely walking past the front door of one and immediately getting sucked in by the thick and rich aromas that were wafting out the door. Up until then I had only ever drank coffee from those round tins of coffee that you buy from grocery stores. I had no idea there was an entire world of gourmet coffee available and I had never even heard of espresso or cappuccino!
It seems like such a long time ago! But in no time at all I became a hopeless espresso addict spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars a year at my favorite coffee shop; just like many of us do today.
Then one day a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that I could make espresso from the comfort of my own home if I just had my own machine. Of course, I didn’t know anything about it at the time and the Internet wasn’t as prolific as it is today so it was much harder to research to find the right espresso maker to fit my specific needs.
I still go to the coffee shop, but not nearly as much. I’ve gone through many espresso makers over the years but the money I saved by not spending five or six dollars for a single drink at Starbucks has more than paid for all of the machines I’ve bought over the years.
If you’re new to the world of home espresso and cappuccino makers, the entire thing can be confusing. There are so many different companies out there selling so many different coffee makers with so many different features that it can make your head spin if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Hopefully we can help you. If you click on the espresso machines link on the right-hand side of the page here you will find articles and reviews on most of the major espresso brands and machines out there that will really help you pin down the machine that’s right for you. You’ll also find guides to help you pick your first machine. We review:
- Saeco Espresso Machines
- Capresso Espresso Machine
- Delonghi Espresso Machine
- Francis Francis Espresso Maker
- Gaggia Titanium Espresso Machine
- Jura Coffee Machines
- Jura Capresso Machines
- and more!
It’s easy to overspend for your first espresso machine because many people don’t realize that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get a quality machine. To this day my favorite machine, and the one I use day after day, cost less than $150. To be honest, I caught it on sale for about $100 and I’ve never had a problem with it breaking down and it makes perfect espresso every time.
But everybody is different. Some people love those huge super automatic espresso machines the do everything from grind your beans with built in coffee grinders to clean up afterwords automatically. Of course, these machines can cost thousands of dollars but if you spend a lot of money in the coffee shop on a regular basis, even these expensive machines can pay for themselves over the years; so it’s not such a big deal.
Once you find a machine that’s right for you (that 5 out of 5 stars machine) the next step is to find the right coffee or espresso beans (or pod) to fit your tastes…buts that’s a whole other article that I will leave for next time (hint: I love Illy beans myself but some people love pods so go figure).
Choosing espresso machines should be a very personal experience. People’s tastes vary for most things and this is no different. So please take your time. Read the reviews and articles we have here and at other web sites. Go to lots of different stores and hold different machines in your hand. Get a feel for them and you can’t help but eventually make the right choice. Before long you’ll brew your own cup of espresso at home at a fraction of the price of the coffee shops. Good luck and happy coffee drinking!
