This is a beautiful beast, made in mirrored stainless steel with a real retro, Italian aesthetic. It has a single boiler with a pressure gauge, PID and programmable preinfusion, making a mean espresso with relatively little user effort required. Built from stainless steel, it’s a real looker that will stand out nicely in your kitchen. It produces a range of machines, with the Victoria hitting the sweet spot between functionality and affordability. Lelit has been on the periphery of the espresso hobbyist world for years but has gained in popularity since it was bought by Breville last year. The “Pro” refers to the improved steam wand over the regular Classic, which makes creating good foam a little easier. Similar in many ways to the Silvia, it’s a single-boiler, stainless steel machine with no bells nor whistles (no PID or OPV) that will nevertheless produce a nice espresso with decent crema without too steep a learning curve. The most recognisable of all prosumer espresso machines, it’s a classic for a reason. If this is the start of your journey into home espresso-making and you want to keep your outlay within three digits, this could be the machine for you. It’s a relatively basic unit that does the essentials incredibly well and wastes no money on frills (there’s no PID and you’ll need to open up the machine and rummage about to adjust the pressure, potentially voiding your warranty in the process). This is the entry-level machine most recommended by professional baristas. Avoid these and buy direct from the official UK stockists. One thing to consider is that, with the majority of these machines made in Italy, many are available on the “grey market”, legally exported but not guaranteed by the manufacturer. Would you rather a workhorse that will do the basics brilliantly, or a machine with a “PID” function that regulates the temperature to within a degree?Īnd how much do you value the ability to easily adjust the pressure output through an “OPV”, allowing you to pull your shot for longer without forcing the more sour notes from the coffee? Without splashing out thousands on a professional-grade machine, you’re essentially managing a series of compromises. So what exactly should you be looking for? Pulling the perfect shot of espresso is a fine balance of various factors, including pressure, grind and temperature. Bear in mind this doesn’t include a coffee grinder, which is equally – or even more – important (set aside an additional £300-£700 for this). This article will focus on the £500-£1,000 range, which is reasonable for an entry-level machine.
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