I know budgets are tight these days. I know everyone is trying to rein in their spending but please–please don’t settle for the first espresso machine you come across nor the cheapest! As we all know all things are NOT made equal, espresso machines included.

Go for quality. Make yourself familiar with the manuals of espresso machines. Pay attention to maintenance and pay attention to specifications, such as what kind of blend that the manufacturer recommends for a specific machine model. If the documentation gets too technical, ask an expert or an acquaintance who may know about espresso machines. Not all manufacturers have warranties. For example, BOSCH, has a “non-recoverable” component that cannot be replaced if it gets damaged under any conditions. BOSCH’s espresso machine could arrive at your doorstep damaged and the only thing that could be done with it is toss it in the dustbin.

You’ll do well to buy from reputable espresso machine manufacturers include Lelit and Ransilio. They’re first rate machines. They aren’t the most expensive ones out there but they’re not the cheapest. Both manufacturers have their own unique charm. Second rate espresso machines from manufacturers such as BOSCH, SIEMENS, ROTEL, KRUP and AEG aren’t such good investments. They may be temptingly cheap or expensive lures for the avaricious amongst us who must simply have the most expensive appliance, but the fact is, they’re all very generic. It’s suspected that these machines are assembled in the same factory but the different locations of production discourage this suspicion. The manufacturing of these espresso machines are similar right down to the uninspired logos. That said, the coffee produced with these espresso machines is acceptable–and by acceptable I mean it can be swallowed with a minimum amount of discomfort.

Now with this knowledge I blessed thee, go forth and make great coffee

I just talked today with one of the nicest and sweetest person I know-and is also one of my favorite customers. He bought a Lelit PL042 LET from me about 5 months ago. He heard of us through a friend that I had talked to a few days earlier prior to his purchase. It was my second local sale; therefore I was able to meet this customer in person-not just exchange emails over the computer. I haven’t seen him for a while, so naturally I ask how the machine is working. “What a toy I got!” he says delightfully, and starts to tell me how well the PL042 LET works and all the different espressos he experiments with.

He starts to talk about his old stand-alone grinder. I stop him in his sentence, wondering why on Earth he is not using the grinder on his $900 machine. After a little investigation, it turns out his grinder was set on #0 setting. This works well with Turkish coffee but not so well for espressos. When he returned home, he set his grinder to #5 and it works like a dream.

He e-mailed me his satisfaction and concluded he couldn’t wait to play around the settings some more. I could sense his happiness and, believe me, I was happy, too. There was no need for any repair- just a little more information on my product was needed. I learned an important lesson from this case: never assume the customer knows how to completely use the espresso machines. I am always here if there is any questions that needs answers. Just let me know.
Happy Grinding!