Espresso Machines & Grinders - Which Brands are Good to Buy?

[jgirl86]

I been looking on Craigslist to buy a used espresso machine and grinder, and I'm not too sure which brands are good? I'm not looking to buy the top of the line, since I'm new at the coffee business, however I need one that makes a good cup of café for customers. If you guys can maybe give me a list of the top 5 or 10 espresso/grinders you think are good, that'd be awesome! - Thanks!

 

[danielspdx]

Honestly, I'd need a lot more background information before recommending a machine and grinder. There are too many variables to just say: buy brand x. You can spend less than $1000 on a used machine to over $30,000 for a new machine, and anywhere from $300 on a used grinder to $3,000 on a new one.

I'm assuming you'll be serving lattes and the like? How many drinks per hour? Are you offering decaf (need another grinder)? Do you need 110v or will you have access to 220v? Can your machine be plumbed in to water? Can you plumb in the drain? Will you be making the drinks or will you be hiring a barista? Will the machine be stationary or will it need to be moved (on a cart)?

I think you need to find out what your needs are, then look for the equipment to fit that need.

 

[jgirl86]

Okay, my budget is only up to $800 for an espresso machine and like $300 - $500 for a grinder. And I'm looking to make quite a few drinks an hour, and all the different types of lattes, fraps, etc.

Why do I need a separate grinder for decaf? And I'm sorry, but what do you mean by "plumb?"

 

[danielspdx]

Okay, my budget is only up to $800 for an espresso machine and like $300 - $500 for a grinder.

I'm going to assume you will need a 110v machine. $800 may be able to get you a decent prosumer HX model. I recently picked up a used Expobar Office Control for well under $800 for use at my work. Such a machine may struggle in a commercial environment.

Chances are you will have difficulty finding someone local that can service such a machine, as most espresso machine service places tend to work solely on truly commercial machines. At least that's my experience in Portland, OR, which has an incredible espresso/coffee community. Also, at your price, you're likely going to need to spend a little money on replacing some consumable parts (group gasket, group screen, portafilter basket, etc...), which won't be too much.

For a grinder, I'd lean towards a Mazzer Super Jolly or Mini, which are both in your price range, or perhaps a Macap. I know some places use a Baratza Virtuoso or Preciso for decaf because they are smaller and will get used a lot less. If you're going to offer decaf, you'll need a dedicated grinder because you can't reasonably expect to pull the beans out of a hopper, clean the unground beans from the burr area and swap with decaf. Or you simply don't offer decaf!

And I'm looking to make quite a few drinks an hour, and all the different types of lattes, fraps, etc.

so, milk based drinks. If you're going to offer 'fraps' you'll need an ice supply and maybe a blender, or you may offer just iced lattes?

Why do I need a separate grinder for decaf?

see above

And I'm sorry, but what do you mean by "plumb?"

Plumb = plumbing. Machines can have an internal water reservoir, some can be hooked directly to a water supply and some can do both. Most truly commercial machines are plumbed directly to a water supply and have a drain line from the drip tray. These are typically rotary pump machines and can have an external rotary pump. You can have a large reservoir (fed with a flo-jet type pump) to feed these, but those are costly too. You're likely going to be looking at a machine with a reservoir, which while very portable, means you'll have to refill the reservoir often.

Also, don't forget about the tools of the trade: tamper, knockbox, cleaning supplies (cafiza/puro-caff, or some other cleaner), towels, maybe a tamping mat, pitchers, etc... That stuff can run into a decent amount of money before long.

I suspect you may have a challenging time finding what you're looking for because a lot of people are looking for the exact same setup for home. I've had an easier time locally finding commercial machines (220v, rotary pump, direct plumb) for less money than machines that can be used easily at home because there's more of a market for the machines that can be used at home.