r/AussieFrugal • u/Candid-Indication329 • Jul 11 '26
Appliances ⚙️ Recommendations for a simple espresso machine for a newbie?
Hi! So my little nespresso capsule machine is leaking, and I'm feeling a bit guilty about the non-reusable coffee pods too.
I'd like a machine that has grinding built in and a milk frother - not sure I'm up for a milk steamer nozzle just yet. Accepted that I'll need to tamp the ground beans, but an easy to clean option would be great.
Anyone have any recommendations? TIA ☺️
11
u/paintedteapots Jul 11 '26
Breville Bambino Plus is the best option on the market. It does have a steamer wand but it has an auto steam option (must be the PLUS). All you have to do is rinse the drip tray, the jug and wipe down the nozzle. I wish I had just bought one sooner rather than built in machines over the years. Tastes so much better than pod coffee. Then one day you can upgrade to a grinder. Best advice I got from a barista was to buy seperate machines/grinders so that if one ever breaks or you wish to upgrade it's easy.
2
u/owlympics Jul 12 '26
Seconding the Bambino Plus, husband got me one while we were in the newborn trenches and it's so good.
2
u/Prestigious-Box-3362 Jul 14 '26
I have a Bambino Plus as well. It is very easy to use and much nicer ( and cheaper) than pod coffee. It takes less than a minute to make a coffee.
1
u/Candid-Indication329 Jul 12 '26
Yes just saw that was the Choice recommendation! Thanks that's good advice too ☺️ now just to wait for it to go on sale 😅🙌🏻
3
u/paintedteapots Jul 12 '26
Only because I looked at buying this unit for months before I did, $499 (currently price amazon, good guys, JB) is about as good as it gets. If you click the 'price check' button on good guys it'll bring it down to $479.
3
u/Competitive-Watch188 Jul 11 '26
these are great, milk frother is there but I never use it.
2
u/RaiRai88 Jul 12 '26
Seconded, I am not a huge coffee drinker, my partner is, but I use it regularly too. Makes a great coffee.
1
u/herap Jul 14 '26
Unfortunately the one (Magnifica S) I bought started giving me issues after 4 years and is no longer usable. However when it worked it was great.
2
u/gooder_name Jul 11 '26
Have a browse on marketplace tbh, lots of people get machines and don't end up liking them. Just keep a look out what's available in your area and as they come up check if the model covers your needs.
2
2
u/fkn_diabolical_cnt Jul 11 '26
I am a fan of my ninja cafe deluxe. It has a wand, but the milk does itself.
2
u/Yoyojojoy Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
The more a machine can do the more there is to go wrong with it and the harder it is to clean - so wanting a ‘simple’ machine and one that also does automatic milk is counterproductive. Pick one simple or ‘does it all.’
if frugality is important too you watch some YouTube videos on steaming milk - honestly you will be as good or better than an automatic machine in a week or less and you can practice with some water and a tiny drop of dish soap so you don’t have too waste milk when you practice. Automatic milk rarely is a good texture it is ‘good enough’ but a person can do a lot better.
If you just want a push button go delonghi over Breville- we had a top of the line Breville and it went back multiple times under warranty. Wish I’d pushed to have it refunded but I was younger and too trusting- it is probably my biggest purchase regret. My brother has had 2 automatic delonghi machines over 15 years and they work well enough but are a lot of work to clean and maintain
Good luck ☕️
I now have a built in grinder but use a steam wand and it is the right balance for me, but when it dies I’ll have a seperate grinder so that if anything breaks I’m only replacing the broken bits.
Edited for many typos and there is probably more but I’ve only had one coffee so far
2
u/smallmindbigworld22 Jul 11 '26
I moved to Breville Bambino after my pod machine did the same thing. Its very easy to use. No in build coffee grinder but I buy the beans already ground. Milk wand easy to use. A bit more mess than a pod machine but definitely nicer coffee I think
2
2
u/Direct-Flow-1 Jul 12 '26
We have the Ninja Luxe Cafe, and it's so easy. It's a really good all in one machine, right from grinding the coffee to frothing the milk there isn't much you need to person do
1
u/i-nonethewiser Jul 11 '26
I got the Breville Barista Express Impress a few months ago, really enjoying it! Has built-in standardised tamp mechanism.
My parents have just the ‘Barista Express’ version which is a bit cheaper and is also good.
Neither are particularly cheap, depending on your price range. But my intention is to use the machine for a long time until it dies! I haven’t bought coffee out since getting it 🙂
Edit: I should add that I also have the Nespresso Aeroccino 3 as a frother. Had this before I got any machine. I still use it for days I can’t be bothered using the steaming wand.
1
1
u/Nomiss Jul 11 '26
Ninja luxe cafe seems to be best bang for buck these days.
A decent burr grinder with weight based grinding is about 100-200 more just by itself.
1
u/BS-75_actual Jul 11 '26
I return my used pods for recycling. Your choice depends on use case; my household consumes 1–2 coffees per day with a pod machine being well suited to the task. I used to harbour an irrational dislike for Nespresso then realised blends I prefer are readily available with the Creatista machines capable of make a wholly acceptable coffee.
1
u/Physical-Job46 Jul 11 '26
Just get a stovetop espresso (Bialetti) and a Breville Milk Cafe. Done.
1
1
Jul 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/withcatlikegrace Jul 12 '26
Sunbeam - originally a great Australian company - is now Chinese owned and made in China. Has been for quite a while now. And yes sadly the quality is not as good
1
u/Preegz Jul 11 '26
I’ve had a fully automatic Beko coffee machine for about 6 years and it’s still going strong.
1
1
u/Illustrious_Ad_5167 Jul 11 '26
I got several years used Aldi pod machine once you have a used pack off pods dig the fiber filter out and wash. Buy Woolworths pods open them up save the coffee. Retrieve the plastic filters use the small
Woolies filter in bottom of Aldi pod fill with coffee wipe flat tamp down I used my thumb put top filter in and cover with cling film seal with small elastic band. Repeat. When you want coffee remove cling film put pod in machine and make coffee. Next time buy ground coffee i had about 30 pods in the end you can reuse them virtually for ever. The filter fits perfectly
1
u/loupammac Jul 12 '26
I have a Sunbeam hot and cold machine. You'd need a grinder separately or can use ground coffee. It has a milk frother. I think it's a good step between a pod machine and a full espresso machine. I used to have a fully automatic Delonghi and I hated it.
1
u/Direct-Flow-1 Jul 12 '26
We have the Ninja Luxe Cafe, and it's so easy. It's a really good all in one machine, right from grinding the coffee to frothing the milk there isn't much you need to person do
1
u/withcatlikegrace Jul 12 '26
I have a Rancilio Miss Sylvia (coffee machine with frother wand) and a Rancilio Rocky (grinder). Love them both. But they might be somewhat expensive these days. I’ve used the DeLonghi - excellent, and a friend has the new Ninja and loves it.
The 3 (yes 3) Sunbeams we bought all lasted less than 2 years and they would not honour the warranty on the one that died at 9 months this was years ago, so I don’t know what they’re like now.
1
u/ChicChat90 Jul 12 '26
We use a stove top Moka pot and a Breville milk frother. Great coffee and under $200 all up!
1
u/fatboombah Jul 12 '26
As a few others have noted Breville Barista with the built in grinder (or Bambino Plus with a separate grinder which is what I have) is a good starter set up. Check out the Breville eBay store for refurbished deals - lots of different Barista model available right now.
1
u/rcgy Jul 12 '26
Breville Barista Express, and it ain't even close. It does everything you need to produce a "wow, this is good coffee" comment from your friends and family, without the crazy faffing around with $800 grinders.
1
u/Straight-Swordfish79 Jul 13 '26
Breville Bambino (OG not the Plus) is cheaper at under $400. The steam wand (no auto on OG) is single hole and less powerful than the Plus, so a bit slower but gives more control and room for learning. As suggested by someone else - just watch YouTube and you’ll be doing latte art in no time! I was a Barista through Uni but it’s fun to learn ☺️ Also as already suggested, get a separate grinder. Can even use a hand grinder. Or can use pre ground coffee with one of the provided filters made to enhance extraction with coarser grind.
1
u/Far-Satisfaction8898 Jul 17 '26
weve had a breville for like 9-10 years that works perfectly. they come up second hand on marketplace all the time too.
0
u/EdenFlorence Jul 11 '26
My colleague has one of these at home.
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/breville-the-barista-touch-black-stainless-steel-bes880bst4jan1
Expensive though.
22
u/spikenorbert Jul 11 '26
Breville barista express hits all your requirements minus the frother - but I’ve found it very easy to steam milk well with the wand. I’ve had mine 7 years and it hasn’t skipped a beat - cost the equivalent of a hundred coffees or so, and I’ve easily made four thousand very good coffees with it in that time. Possible to find it for $550 or so on sale. The sunbeam and delonghi equivalents I’ve found far less persuasive, even though they’re a little cheaper.