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My well-used old coffee machine has finally died and I’m a bit bewildered by the choice of options to replace it – step forward STW! The old machine was an espresso maker with a hot plate to warm the milk, which we used with a hand-held frother to make latte/flat white type drinks, and that’s the kind of thing we’d like the replacement to be able to do (generally a couple of drinks, a couple of times a day so not particularly high-use).
From old threads on here, refurbished Gaggias seem to be popular as a good basic machine, but I’m not sure which features are worth having. I’m guessing a dual boiler for the steamer attachment would be useful for the type of drinks we make, but when it comes to baskets and valve types I’m a bit lost. I’ll be using pre-ground coffee at least to start with (entertain thoughts of getting a grinder eventually though). Budget-wise I was originally thinking a couple of hundred quid before I started looking, but could possibly push that if it’s worth it. Any recommendations for particular suppliers would be good too.
One of the older Gaggia Classic machines would be a great choice if you can find a good one. Should be possible to source one under budget and then you could try a fairly low cost burr grinder and freshly roasted beans. I have access to a dual boiler E61 machine and a Mazzer grinder but sometimes use a Gaggia Classic and De'Longhi KG79 grinder. The De'Longhi needed some internal adjustment before it would produce a fine enough grind but the overall results you can achieve from this relatively low priced combo after some experimenting are not far away from the more expensive kit. But you do need to use freshly roasted beans otherwise it's all a bit of a waste of time.
Older used Gaggia is what I bought. Descaled it, bought a blank basket to be able to back flush when needed. The standard nozzle for the steam wand does a perfectly good job.
Makes respectable espresso and milk based drinks. I was bought a Krupps burr grinder this time last year. A bit of experimentation with the grind size, then once settled it has improved my espresso quality. Some fresh roasted beans from a local "artisan, bollocksy, hipster" and it steps up a notch again.
I'll try to find the link, but a Gaggia was available for around £240 new. Your £200 budget will do a used model, grinder, and steel tamper, with enough left over for some nice beans.
Where are you? I've got a Gaggia Classic that I never use that I'd let go for £100, I'm in Cirencester
If you're nearer Leicester than Cirencester I've got a 2007 (last of the proper italian made ones) Gaggia Classic, Graef grinder, tamper, knock box, cups etc that I'd take £200 for.
Better quality grinder is worth the money, I wouldn't recommend getting a better machine without that first really. You can get something like an iberital MC2, or the Graef mentioned above for less than £100 on the bay.
A different option is to find a bigger commercial grinder. These will be better still but do have a big footprint in the kitchen! Again, biding your time and doing some googling something reasonable could be had for about £100. On ebay these will be split between the catering section and the coffee/tea bit.
Gaggia Classic is a good choice, must be a reason why they're so ubiquitous!