# Are latte/cappuccino machines worth the money?



## agp (Dec 28, 2013)

Are latte/cappuccino machines worth the money? I really want one. I have been eyeing this one for a few days, and it looks pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007K9OIMU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

My only concern is that having to clean it every day after I make coffee is going to be a pain. Can I pull out the milk tray and toss it in the fridge after I make my latte? Or does the machine heat up all the milk in the container?


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## TheDispossessed (Dec 28, 2013)

i don't know everything about this, but what i've heard is this. espresso machines are only good once you go into a very expensive price range. for professional use, they basically start at $10,000. i'm pretty sure home use machines that are any less than $600 may not be worth it, but maybe i'm wrong!


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## cord_steele (Dec 28, 2013)

You can get excellent espresso and milk drinks with minimal fuss and cleanup from a Breville double boiler (on the consumer side) or a Quickmill Silveano (on the prosumer side), both about $1,000. I wouldn't want to spend much less.


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## agp (Dec 28, 2013)

That's a lot more than I wanted to spend... What is the main difference between those $1000+ machines versus the one I posted?


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## rahimlee54 (Dec 28, 2013)

Temperature consistency. You also probably wont be able to steam very well with that small machine. There are cheaper models but they all have tradeoffs. For my 1k I got a Quickmill silvano. Spend a little time over at this site before deciding.  Home Barista Guide

That is the short answer others may be along with a more complete answer in a bit. What you need to know is at that link, a good video with a ton of info. The drinks from the 1k machine were just short of my local cafe using a very expensive La Marzocco, but still were great.


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## Talim (Dec 28, 2013)

I've always wanted an espresso machine also but just to get in you'll have to spend around $1000, then at least triple that if you really want to get the good stuff. First you really need a good grinder. That's around $300 and up. Then entry level espresso machines are around $400-500 like this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001KOA4Q/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. The difference between the higher end and the one you posted is that they hold more consistent temperatures. Wholelattelove on youtube has some good videos if you just want to learn about machines and grinders.


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## daveb (Dec 28, 2013)

Theres a coffee thread on here where some of the members talk about spending way to much for a cup of joe. The machines, the beans, the perfect cup, etc, etc. Not like normal people who only spend way to much on knives. http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/752-Coffee-gear-and-discussion-thread


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## Pensacola Tiger (Dec 28, 2013)

I have an aversion to anything called "Mr Coffee", so if you want to dip your toe, get a Gaggia Pure from Whole Latte Love (http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/espresso_pure.cfm) a can of Illy ground espresso coffee and try your hand at being a barista.


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## Lefty (Dec 28, 2013)

Funny timing. For Xmas, my in-laws got me an Oster Prima Latte, which is a semi-automatic machine that allows you to load and tamp your own coffee, while giving you the option to make preprogrammed lattes and cappuccinos, and of course espressos. You can also do a manual control, and bump up the concentration of your foam or steam, and duration of your pour for the espresso (long or short). After a couple days of use, and about 15 espresso, and 10 or so lattes, I can say that this thing is very impressive for the price. The espresso is every bit as good as my in-law's Saeco ($1000) machine makes, and the lattes are very good. I love being able to control certain elements, or just touch and drink. It's early, but all signs are pointing to this being a great home machine.


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Dec 29, 2013)

Half a year ago we bough an ~500$ coffee machine http://www.international.melitta.de/en/CAFFEO-LATTEA-413.html?scrolltoindex=4 and couldn't be more happy. Both me and my wife are cappuccino lovers and hardest part was to find good coffee. We tasted like 20 different sorts of coffee and finally found one that we both like. Now with 2 buttons and half a minute I can make myself a cup of best cappuccino in town. 

When I worked for one of the largest IT company in Russia, we had lots of coffee machines all around us (mostly jura and saeco) with some of them cost several thousands of dollars. But they filled it with cheapest beans they could find and I was never satisfied with cappuccino taste. Now at home I'm using much cheaper coffee machine with much better coffee beans and get much better results. 

That Gaggia machine (linked by by Pensacola Tiger) looks good if you don't mind grinding beans yourself.


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