Best Espresso Machines Under $200 - What To Know
Many coffee aficionados scoffed when I mentioned I was trying to locate the best espresso machines under 200 dollars.
Impossible, they say! There is no way you can find a decent espresso maker for that amount!
Well, I'd like to respond by saying that it is possible to find the best espresso machines under $200, you just have to know where to look, and what to look for. And that's why I wrote this article: to share with readers crucial information they should know as they look through all the different budget priced machines.
The first thing you must know right off the bat is what to avoid.
Definitely avoid machines which are primarily constructed from plastic. Not only do they tend to break easily, but the quality of the espresso they produce is not good. Plastic is not something that was designed to sustain the amount of pressure required to produce a decent shot of espresso.
Furthermore, every shot of espresso that I have tried from a plastic machine has tasted like... well, plastic. It doesn't seem to matter how many espresso cycles you run through the machine, some of the plastic taste makes its way into the espresso in some form or another.
So when you're looking for the best espresso machines under $200, avoid plastic. Check.
Try to find espresso machines that are made mostly from stainless steel. This includes the portafilter and steam wand. Just because the exterior is made from stainless steel, doesn't mean the rest of the machine is. So look for this when you're searching for the best espresso machines under $200.
The second thing to look for is what powers the brewing process in the espresso maker.
The two main types of espresso makers are steam driven machines and pump driven machines.
Steam driven espresso machines use stream pressure to force hot water through the coffee. Although the very first espresso machines were steam driven, steam powered machines are no longer considered ideal to produce adequate espresso. This is mostly because steam powered machines do not apply enough pressure to brew a full-bodied shot of espresso. The espresso they produce is significantly weaker than regular espresso, and therefore unacceptable for regular espresso drinkers.
On the other hand, pump machines use a motorized pump to apply enough pressure to force the hot water through the coffee. The pump mechanism is specifically designed to produce higher levels of pressure than steam machines, and therefore produces comparatively better espresso.
If at all possible, try to select a pump driven machine, because these are the only ones which can come close to producing great espresso. While the most expensive home pump machines can be as high as $1000, there are some lower end ones that produce good espresso as well. However, these lower end machines do not possess any high tech gadgets that you would find on the higher end ones.
Well hopefully that's some helpful information to get you started on your search for the best espresso machines under 200 dollars.
The only other piece of advise I would offer at this stage (without getting into the specifics of particular machines) is to look online for good deals. Often online stores can sell machines for less than you would find locally because they have lower operating costs and a bigger potential market.
Impossible, they say! There is no way you can find a decent espresso maker for that amount!
Well, I'd like to respond by saying that it is possible to find the best espresso machines under $200, you just have to know where to look, and what to look for. And that's why I wrote this article: to share with readers crucial information they should know as they look through all the different budget priced machines.
The first thing you must know right off the bat is what to avoid.
Definitely avoid machines which are primarily constructed from plastic. Not only do they tend to break easily, but the quality of the espresso they produce is not good. Plastic is not something that was designed to sustain the amount of pressure required to produce a decent shot of espresso.
Furthermore, every shot of espresso that I have tried from a plastic machine has tasted like... well, plastic. It doesn't seem to matter how many espresso cycles you run through the machine, some of the plastic taste makes its way into the espresso in some form or another.
So when you're looking for the best espresso machines under $200, avoid plastic. Check.
Try to find espresso machines that are made mostly from stainless steel. This includes the portafilter and steam wand. Just because the exterior is made from stainless steel, doesn't mean the rest of the machine is. So look for this when you're searching for the best espresso machines under $200.
The second thing to look for is what powers the brewing process in the espresso maker.
The two main types of espresso makers are steam driven machines and pump driven machines.
Steam driven espresso machines use stream pressure to force hot water through the coffee. Although the very first espresso machines were steam driven, steam powered machines are no longer considered ideal to produce adequate espresso. This is mostly because steam powered machines do not apply enough pressure to brew a full-bodied shot of espresso. The espresso they produce is significantly weaker than regular espresso, and therefore unacceptable for regular espresso drinkers.
On the other hand, pump machines use a motorized pump to apply enough pressure to force the hot water through the coffee. The pump mechanism is specifically designed to produce higher levels of pressure than steam machines, and therefore produces comparatively better espresso.
If at all possible, try to select a pump driven machine, because these are the only ones which can come close to producing great espresso. While the most expensive home pump machines can be as high as $1000, there are some lower end ones that produce good espresso as well. However, these lower end machines do not possess any high tech gadgets that you would find on the higher end ones.
Well hopefully that's some helpful information to get you started on your search for the best espresso machines under 200 dollars.
The only other piece of advise I would offer at this stage (without getting into the specifics of particular machines) is to look online for good deals. Often online stores can sell machines for less than you would find locally because they have lower operating costs and a bigger potential market.
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