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Want to try real espresso at home — is the cheap grinder + machine route a waste of money?
samhustles asked
I’ve been doing pour-over for a year and I’m curious about espresso. My budget is tight — like $150-200 total tight. I see combo deals with a $99 machine and a cheap grinder, but some people say you’ll hate it and should save for a $500 setup. Is the budget route genuinely bad, or is that just snobbery? I’d rather have okay espresso now than wait a year.
1 answer
- Hand grinder + used machine, skip the combo deals
The $99 combo machines are genuinely bad — inconsistent grind and weak pressure, and you’ll spend more replacing them in a year. Get a decent manual grinder ($50-60) and a used Gaggia Classic or Breville off Marketplace ($100-120). It’s more work but it’s actual espresso. Don’t cheap out on the grinder, it’s 70% of the result.
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