I just want to ask your thoughts about getting a new espresso machine. The target machines I have are below:
1. Lelit Mara X
2. Ascaso Uno PID
3. Profitec Go
Target grinder: DF64 Gen 2
A bit of background:
– I've been a Moka pot user for almost 2 years.
– I work from home, and coffee is really the only luxury and hobby I consider in life
– Maximum consumption is 2 cups per day.
– I love milk-based coffee.
This will be my first espresso machine, and I'm hoping for it to be my end game as well. What do you think is the best to buy?
by Big-Highlight-8608
17 Comments
Ive definitely looked at the profitec go and the mara x before. both really solid machines. also heard great stuff about the ascaso. It really all depends on your budget and what youre willing to spend on extra stuff.
if you want to be someone from that small percentage of people who use flow control for light roasts then go for the MaraX. heat exchange is helpful for making multiple milk based drinks.
GO is an absolute beast at temperature stability and additional OPV valve to adjust brew pressure and makes amazing coffee. if you regularly make milk based drinks then it can be a hassle since its a single boiler but not too big of a problem if you just steam first then brew your shots.
i dont know anyone around me with an ascaso so cant say anything about it but i’ve heard only good things
Personally, if you love milk drinks and don’t want to be left wanting something else before long then I strongly recommend just saving up and getting a dual boiler from the get go.
The Lelit Elizabeth or Silvia Pro X aren’t much more than the MaraX but they’re dual boilers and just offer a better overall package than the MaraX imo.
Alternatively, if milk drinks are the focus, just go cheap and get a Bambino plus – it’s excellent for milk drinks, cheap, and extremely convenient.
How much is lelit elizabeth? Never buy ascaso, that device sucks big time, noisiest piece of work ever
OP I won’t name a particular machine, but this may help.
Way I look at it, at the end of the day what a good espresso machine should do is simple enough (especially if you’re starting out)
It should **consistently develop and maintain** a certain **water temperature**, and certain **water pressure** at the group head.
That’s it. That’s the sum of what I learnt over a long time, lol.
From there you can get more complex/ sophisticated and obviously spend more. For example can your machine be programmed to change temperatures at the group head? Can it change pressure? Can it change pressure during the course of a single shot? Can it do pre-infusion? And so on.
Then of course there’s quality of materials. Other variables such as Rotary versus vibration pump? Single boiler, dual boiler or heat exchanger?
That depends on your research and what you want.
But if I were to buy an electric espresso machine as a newbie today, the first two factors would be what I’d look at first and foremost and figure out which machine does it best. And (depending on budget of course) that machine would be top of my list. Go from there.
All three have the ability to steam milk so you’re good there (unless one is much less capable than the others, do your research)
I’ll be following this as I’m also comparing similar machines for an upgrade. Personally leaning towards Ascaso for balance of design/function. But the Profitec I’ve heard only positive things about.
I personally have a Bambino which I think is a decent entry level machine. The Bambino Plus and Dual Boiler are also nice and their main attractive quality is convenience at minimal loss of function.
I own a mara x and its an amazing machine! Plenty of steam pressure, very very stable temperature and overall nice build quality. Can highly recommend
3 good machines and the perfect grinder to match. You’re above and beyond most people’s first set up and can’t go wrong with either choice.
Ascaso, the fact that it doesn’t need any boiler maintenance is a big plus
I have a hibrew H10a and I can’t complain
I personally would get the GO but all great choices. If this is a machine you want long term I (perhaps naively) would avoid thermoblock. I think boilers have a long history of serviceability that would appeal to me personally
I bought a Quick Mill Vetrano 2B Evo from Chris’s Coffee Service several years ago. Not cheap but I have been very happy with it. It is a double boiler machine with a rotary pump (much less noisy) They have great customer service as well. I would also recommend you get something to treat your water so you don’t have problems with scaling.
I like the profitec go simply because it has a retro vibe going on
I have the Mara X. Same as you, milk drinks are our priority. I typically make 2 lattes at a time. And sometimes add in a cortado. If you pull water from the group while prepping your puck the steam pressure is ready to go and you can pull a great shot and steam milk together. Definitely recommend while you get used to it doing these things separately as if you get distracted on your milk you’ll end up with a long shot (did this several times when I first got it)
With the Mara X a good scale with a built in timer is a must. Started with a scale and my phone timer and that was a total shit show.
I was also looking at the ascaso when I decided. Ultimately you can’t steam and pull shots with the uno. Sure it heats up fast but honestly 25 min to heat up isn’t bad. Turn it on before you get ready in the morning and it’ll be set when you’re done.
Lelit Mara X
It will give you close to dual boiler functionality. It has a thermo probe on boiler and on brew group, You set for brew priority, and then you can both get correct temp on shots, and milk steam when you want without waiting
Definitely not the person to answer this question. Just wanted to say I get amazing quality espresso from a $50 delonghi Stilosa I slightly modified. Meaning I changed the shower screen and I use precision baskets. Nothing fancy at all. It’s made better espresso than some of my local cafes and when making milk drinks paired with monin syrups it’s literally some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Better than any coffee shop I’ve tried so far. I refuse to drink outside of my own personal Cafe now. It’s still crazy to me that I pair a eureka grinder with it and it’s such a great combo. A grinder that is a lot of peoples end games or combos they get for their stupid expensive setups. I just got an older model they don’t make anymore for super cheap and a used delonghi espresso machine and it’s amazing. All I gotta say. Espresso is 100% about technique and very little about the machine. Get a well built machine by a well known company using precision equipment paired with a very high quality grinder and perfect your technique. The only upgrade past that for espresso I would suggest is dual boiler. Unless you really want to get in depth. Most other upgrades will confuse you more. I enjoy not having so many variables and not being able to adjust things like pressure and temperature. Doing that would just make pulling a tasty shot that much more complicated. While I do enjoy the process. I don’t want a science lesson to make a good cup of coffee 😂😅
I was in your exact position 2 weeks ago, looked at every option out there and decided to suck it up and buy an SPX. I mainly drink milk based drinks so decided on a dual boiler. Not having to bother temp surfing with a HX machine, having better temp stability and tank like build made the SPX a top pick and it’s fast to heat up.
Be wary of Lelit now they have been taken over by Breville. All 3 shops I want to to eyeball machines all had the same complaints… Noticing more failures due to cheaper parts now being used and very average service from Breville in regards to obtaining parts and authorising warranty claims.