The $400 espresso machine I bought is honestly worse than my old $50 moka pot

I spent $400 on a semi-automatic espresso machine last spring and it's given me nothing but inconsistent pressure and a sink full of bad shots, has anyone else ditched their machine and gone back to something simpler?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_webb1mo ago

Used to be one of those people who swore you needed at least $500 to get a decent shot at home lol. Then my buddy's $80 Gaggia broke and he pulled out his old Bialetti and made me a cup that was honestly better than anything I'd ever pulled from my machine. I ended up selling my Breville and grabbing a $40 moka pot from Target and I'm genuinely not mad about it. The pressure is always perfect and it takes like 5 minutes with zero guesswork.

jade8851mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain so much. I had a similar experience with a mid-range machine, kept pulling sour shots no matter what I did. Ended up getting a basic, like $60 stovetop moka pot and haven't looked back since. The thing makes a strong, consistent coffee every single time, no fuss. Just fill the bottom, screw it on, put it on the stove and walk away for a few minutes. Way less cleaning too, which is my main thing.

paulperry1mo ago

Yeah but cleaning is for suckers anyway right? So you're basically paying extra for a machine that gives you more parts to scrub and a sour cup of coffee as a reward.