Talk to 10 different companies and you'll get 10 different answers for which is the best espresso machine for home. People will assume some things for you, based on their own experiences or past experiences with certain brands or what they think are important. Truthfully - the decision to move to an espresso machine is a smart one for most people, letting you make better drinks in the morning than that bland coffee maker and drastically expanding the variety of drinks you can make.
But there's so many more options for features and reputation for espresso machines than a regular coffee maker, and a budget to think about too. Here we've assumed you're looking for a super automatic espresso machine from Saeco, and added details below our choices.
Since features generally increase with price, your budget will be a deciding factor - you'll simply have to spend more to access some features since the cost to implement them is higher. You can make a great quality espresso and other drinks with even the low end machine, but convenience tends to increase as you move up through the models. Here are our recommendations for the best Saeco espresso machine for each category:
- Budget: Moltio Focus
- Best value: Exprelia Evo
- Best overall: Gran Baristo or Gran Baristo Avanti
Best Budget: Moltio Focus
The new Saeco Moltio Focus allows the user to easily customize the coffee strength. So you can make all the espresso drinkers in your family happy. It provides excellent steam capability so you can whip up beautiful milk based drinks like cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites. No knobs to activate the steam in this modern sleek machine, steam is controlled by electronics
It comes with two interchangeable bean hoppers plus pre-ground bypass option. So if you are a coffee aficionado and like to change roast or have a decaf from time to time, the Moltio Focus super automatic makes it "super" easy.
Best Value: Exprelia Evo
The Exprelia Evo offers a ton of features and possibilities yet it is still in the mid price range. The biggest advantage is the fact it provides the richest espresso because of its patented Saeco Brewing System (SBS). This feature allows the user to further control the flow rate of hot water through the coffee grinds allowing to manipulate the amount of crema and intensity.
When it comes to frothing milk, the Saeco Exprelia Evo provides the best of both worlds - a manual frothier and a carafe system. The sleek stainless steel finish and clean lines makes it a show stopper. You will be sure to get many compliments both for the espresso you serve and for the equipment on your counter.
Best Overall: GranBaristo or GranBaristo Avanti
The Saeco GranBaristo espresso machine has the smallest footprint on the market. To say it is sleek and modern is an understatement. Consider that the Avanti version is the only super-automatic that has Bluetooth capability. Could you ever imagine customizing your drink from your phone or tablet? Do you like your milk based drinks hot? The carafe on these models allows the milk to reach the highest temperature of any model that uses a carafe.
The GranBaristo keeps in memory the personal coffee profile for six individuals. It also has an American coffee button pleasing the regular coffee drinker in your midst. Looking to shorten your prep time in the morning then you have to choose the GranBaristo; It is the only Saeco machine that allows you to brew two espressos simultaneously.
Additional Notes
There's a ton of different makes and models for espresso machines, and a super automatic espresso machine is one of the better choices for home use because they:
- are easy to use - espresso is brewed within seconds of pushing a button, no prep work or cleanup required
- grind espresso FRESH - built-in grinders mean you don't have to buy a separate piece of equipment so that you can buy fresh-roasted whole bean coffee
- are customizable - letting you set the amount of coffee grounds used, quantity of water, and allow full control of steaming milk (or milk alternatives) to make any number of specialty espresso drinks
Super automatics are also economical since the cost per drink averages just $0.12 as opposed to single serve machines using pre-ground (eg. stale) capsules where a cup of espresso costs anywhere from $0.75 to a dollar per cup.
While brands like Gaggia and Jura have a good reputation, Saeco is the industry leader and original developer in the space. Saeco's patented removable brew unit makes maintenance a breeze. With a lineup that spans a dozen models and is updated every couple years, deciding which to buy can be a tricky question. There are three basic things to consider: do you base your choice exclusively on price or do consider value of features for the price or do you just go for the best machine available overall, even if it costs a little more.
Now fully armed with an overview of what each machine offers, you can choose the one that will best suit your needs.
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