Have a Delonghi ESAM3200- Looking to upgrade? Nicer machine? Commercial?

[drobins9]

Hi, I have a Delonghi ESAM3200 that has worked great (I had to open it up and replace a couple o-rings once) for about 4 years. It is starting to leak a little again, but I'm thinking about upgrading. We use the machine to make at least two drinks a day, often more, so we get our money out of it. I am wondering if there is a better home option that meets my needs, or even if I should consider looking for a used commercial one. Although, I'm not looking to upgrade my wiring, plumb it in, or anything like that. Here is what I would like, in addition to the obvious:

• Bean hopper and grinder built in like the Delonghi has. Bigger is better, but I can live with what the Delonghi holds, whcih isn't a ton.
• I would love to find one that I can put a 20-ounce paper cup under. Most of them aren't high enough for that.
• I would love one that I can put milk under and let it froth, rather than hold the can under it and worry about stopping it when it overflows. That probably involves room under it for a larger can/beaker/whatever than the Delonghi allows, and a timer or something similar. I would be open to the ones that slide in a milk canister if (1) it can be removed and stored in the refrigerator, (2) it can make steamed or frothed milk, and (3) it gets hot (I steam to 160).

I have looked around a lot, but most of the home machines I see have a low cup clearance, and it's not clear to me how or how well the steaming function works on them- especially whether I can put something under and have it stop automatically, like the baristas do at Starbucks.

I don't have a set budget. I'm willing to spend some money on it, but not $10k-$20k I am sure the Starbucks-type machines cost.

Any suggests or help you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Melissa.Faulk]

If you're looking for something more "commercial" I suggest you look at the Nuova Simonelli Appia 1 group which retails at roughly $4200 on Amazon. If you're looking for something which would fit more in the "home" type of espresso machine, take a look at the Delonghi America ECAM28465B who is about half of the price of the Nuova (and half the weight) but works great as well.

I personally reviewed 22 espresso machines on my blog. If none of the aforementioned interest you, maybe one of the espresso machines I reviewed will.