'Some of you don’t enjoy espresso; you just enjoy expensive equipment’: I'm an ex-barista and I agree wholeheartedly with this Reddit take
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Erin Bashford is a senior reviews writer at Tom’s Guide. She has a Master’s in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia and 7 years of experience reviewing music and events for various publications. She has edited publications such as Outline Magazine’s Guide to Norwich, and she has written for a number of music magazines and websites such as Clash Magazine, Outline Magazine and Dork Magazine. She has a strong interest in audio gear and the music world. As an ex-barista, Erin is passionate about coffee tech. She also loves finding the best cooking hacks and kitchen appliances, including her beloved Instant Pot. In her spare time, you can find her reading, practising yoga, hiking, writing fantasy novels, or stressing over NYT Games.
Earlier this week, I was doomscrolling on Reddit — as one does — when a post on r/espresso caught my eye. I'm often seen lurking on r/espressocirclejerk, but I don't need to frequent the source, r/espresso, for a few reasons. So if I do dip my toe into the main Subreddit, it must be for a special occasion.
And then I saw this post: " My controversial take is that some of you dont[sic] enjoy espresso, you just enjoy buying expensive equipment ". Thank you, Reddit user mindlesspointer. Thank you.
I don't think this should be a controversial take. I think this is entirely the truth. Don't let the Internet tell you to spend thousands on gear to prove you like espresso. I'm an ex-professional barista — one independent specialty coffee shop and two chains — and now a professional coffee machine tester and director of The Coffee Lab , so I feel uniquely positioned to comment on this.
The Reddit room was split. Half of the commenters agreed, while half disagreed. Some users defended their commitment to progression and the journey: "People like the feeling of progression in a hobby. Same way in a video game people like building out their character, finding fancier guns, etc.," wrote user Noah_Joseph.
Others pointed out that their "basic" espresso machines did the trick. PlsNoOlives (love that name, even though olives are one of my favorite foods) added: "The day I realized making a yummy latte for myself and a friend was my peak satisfaction and now I just want to pour a swan on top. I don't even dial in new beans anymore, I eyeball it. Breville Bambino Plus, we ride for life. (Please don't break.)".
As a fellow Breville Bambino Plus owner, I have to say this comment spoke to me. Not once have I felt the urge to upgrade from my Bambino Plus
And no, I'm not saying you can't spend an ungodly amount of money on gear. Do whatever you want — it's your money. Maybe I'm just bitter because I don't have enough money to buy anything over $500 (and even that's a Black Friday, saved-up-all-year purchase). Who knows!
But I know I'm in the majority here. Most people can't afford a Lelit Bianca ($2,999), Rocket Espresso R Nine One ($6,990), or La Marzocco Linea Mini ($4,980). Would I buy one if I had the money? I don't know. Depends on how much money we're talking. Do I have $10k spare? Sure, I'd grab a cheeky Linea Mini and then go on a cruise.
However, that's not my reality, and I'm 99.9% sure it's not yours. Please, please listen when I say this: You can get excellent, barista-quality coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. My entire dream espresso setup is just $650 — Breville Bambino Plus, Comandante C40 MK4 , and the Wacaco Exagram Pro scale .
I've tested well over fifty coffee makers at this point. Some manuals, such as the AeroPress ; some drip machines, such as the Moccamaster KBGV Select ; some espresso machines, such as the Lelit MaraX3 ; some automated pour-overs, such as the Ratio Four . If it exists, I've got my caffeine-jittery mitts on it.
The flat white in this article's main image? Made it on the $349 Casabrews Marenza . I mean, I probably wouldn't recommend this machine for espresso enthusiasts for other reasons, but it's proof you don't need to spend $$$$($) on an espresso machine to get truly impressive results.
You know what the most important variable is? You . You are the barista. You are the Don of that kitchen. Show the espresso machine who's boss. You will get a perfect espresso. You will achieve flawless microfoam. Your latte art will be worthy of the Louvre. Let's manifest.
Let's do a little game. Take a look at these espresso shots. Can you guess which were made on a cheap machine and which came from a prosumer model?
The answers are thus: cheap, cheap, expensive, cheap, cheap, cheap, expensive, cheap (lever!), cheap, cheap.
I feel like that scene in The Simpsons Movie where the EPA guy is saying " tough, soft, tough, tough, tough, soft ".
Anyway, back to coffee. Did you get them all right? Sure, I admit some look cheap, but some could go either way. Taste-wise, if you're using high-quality beans and a high-quality grinder (that does not need to be over $300), you can get $2,000+-beating espresso. Number 8 (and the espresso I'm holding in the main image) was made on the Flair 49 Pro — no electricity involved at all!
And I've got even more proof.
This year, I've run two blind taste tests: one between the $299 Baratza Encore ESP Pro vs the $1,500 Mazzer Philos , and one between the $299 Breville Bambino vs the $1,999 Lelit MaraX3 .
You know which product won? The cheaper one. Both times .
I've linked the articles so you can read them, but the TL;DR is this: I made two lattes with coffee ground on a cheap and expensive grinder and asked people to choose their favorite. Then, I made Americanos and flat whites made on a cheap and expensive espresso machine and asked people to choose their favorite. The cheap machines won both taste tests.
Naturally, this didn't take things like longevity, quality of materials, and machine appearance into account. This was purely taste-based.
Again, I'm not poo-pooing those who have money to spend on premium, prosumer gear. I'm saying that you don't need to spend thousands to prove you like espresso . Do not let people on the Internet trick you into thinking otherwise.
If you see someone with a $10,000+ setup and you're wondering if your espresso will always taste inferior because you can't afford the same gear, please stop wondering. They just have loads of money (or irresponsible spending habits). It doesn't automatically mean they care more about coffee as a hobby than you.
You are the most important variable. With practice, good beans, and passion, you can make prosumer-level coffee without spending a fortune.
Trust me. I've tested enough espresso machines, grinders, and beans to know. Fellow Tom's Guide readers are on your side — I asked my readers their favorite espresso machine, and the Bambino Plus won by a huge margin .
We've got this, fellow poor espresso enthusiast.