is espresso really worth it or its just a meme?

>>7891613
If you're buying everything new, you need around $1000 to get a set-up that will be better than or equivalent to a good cafe/espresso bar.

Your grinder would probably be around the $300 mark, your machine $500-600 and another $100 for a good tamper, a bottomless portafilter and a good basket and other gadgets (I've not even included a roaster). I know this all sounds surprisingly expensive for just coffee, but don't forget that the espresso machines in most good cafes can cost anything from $5,000 to $25,000.

If you don't want to spend so much cash and you live in a big city, or near big cities, you can get really good deals on gumtree from people who got excited and fell for the meme, bought the whole shabang and then realized they're too lazy to be bothered with it and sell little used equipment, often for 1/10th the price. That's the only way it's worth doing, unless you're made of money.

Other than that, yeah, there are few things as good as a great espresso in the morning or after dinner/lunch.

If you ask if a food is a meme you're too stupid to enjoy nice things. Just stick to fast food and places that otherwise don't expect a tip; you'll be happier, and the rest of us wont have to deal with you.

>>7891811
>that feel when I cook breakfast in a 4 star restaurant that is part of a 4 star hotel and can get free super premium espresso whenever i want

>>7891811
>you need around $1000 to get a set-up that will be better than or equivalent to a good cafe/espresso bar.
You'd need a lot more than that son.

>>7891878
Well yeah, to be honest I had your average cafe in mind and you would still only be matching it at best. $1000 is enough for a Gaggia Classic/Rancilio Silvia coupled with a Rancilio Rocky or one of the entry level Baratzas and that combo will give you espresso that is at least comparable to that of a good cafe, especially if you go full-autist and mod the heck out of the machines. To really go for it you need a few grand, but few people will feel the need to go that far.

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>>7891877
That's a good feel. I'm friends with the local cafe owner whose machine alone costs about $21,000 and get free shots left and right. Pic-related

YES ITS A MEME. EVERYTHING POPULAR IS A MEME. THATS THE JOKE

Yes, keep drinking drip coffee or whatever the fuck it is you call that watery motor oil.

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>>7891613
>2016
>not owning makita coffee maker

i bet you live in a city too, faggot

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Post your machines /ck/. I'm interested to see what gear you have.

>>7892495
Is there a Dewalt version?

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>>7891811
Or you could just get a nespresso machine for like $100


It will make consistently average espresso. Never excellent. Never bad.
People who take espresso seriously don't take nespresso seriously, but for people that just want a decent shot directly after rolling out of bed and don't want to fuck with a ton of shit, it's pretty good.

>>7891613
It's fucking delicious
Liking espresso v coffee is like enjoying Liquor v beer

>>7892625
Look, I understand the convenience aspect. There are of course fully automatic, bean-to-cup espresso machines but the good ones cost at least 10 times what a Nespresso machine does.

However, I have to say:
a. I don't like the coffee they make.
b. Half the excitement in making coffee for me is trying new varieties/blends and roasts every couple of weeks.
c. I'm pretty sure that if you compared the price of top-level coffee beans vs. the capsules, the price per gram ratio would be in favour of the coffee beans. I understand it's hard to argue the cost-case though considering how much these machines cost, unless you go for a used rig. I got my set-up for 1/8th it's original price and they had barely been used at all.

>>7892523
Can't find the pic but I got a 'broken' La Pavoni lever machine off my grandfather when he dropped the machine and it broke the cord. He was quitting caffeine anyway. 20 minutes with a soldering iron and 2 hours checking for leaks, he didn't want it back so mine now. Got a Rocky that's 3 years old too, works really well.

>>7892630
No it's not you double faggot

>>7892625
Or a moka pot for $20 and if you learn how to use it properly, it makes an espresso-like cup of coffee.

>>7892689
>La Pavoni
lol that's a $500 machine just there, for free. Wish my folks were more into coffee.

What you did was quite smart, if you have the time and skills (I have the latter not the former), you could scout ebay for amazing deals on "for parts or not working" machines that usually need very minute fixes and sell them on for many hundreds of dollars more than you bought them for.

>>7892704
Yeah, that's what I use when I'm too bored to make a proper espresso. I love that little thing.

>>7892676
I did the math with one of those Keurig machines, and it's about a dollar for a cup with 9g of coffee grounds and a $250 machine.

A 12oz bag of super good coffee where I live is about $15 and is equal to $30 in pods.

If we go and say this 12oz. bag lasts 3.5 weeks vs 18 days for the pods (parents got one of those machines since they didn't want to learn how to use the lever machine), assuming you pay $800 for your equipment ($500 machine, used grinder is 300 or so for a good one on Ebay), then where do you break even? Comparing the cost assuming 26 shots per bag, and 18 per box of pods, to make up the $550 gap we get a daily cost in coffee of $0.58 vs $1.66, beans vs pods- a $1.08 gap. So, about 2 and a half years later the cost will equalize- however the expensive machines are built incredibly well for commercial use or are easily fixable, versus a chinky machine that's delicate and irreparable with about a 5 year lifespan.

>>7892708
La Pavs are super simple machines. No pump, no sensors other than a pressurestat. Just seals and a lever. If you can unclog a toilet, you can build one from just bits.

Don't be scared of screwing up, most errors can easily be fixed and if you break something grab another busted machine, inspect for damage and fix the better condition one.

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>>7892731
I've done the calculation just for my coffee bean cost, using 27g/320ml cups of V60 brew (I know it's not the same as espresso, but that's roughly three espressos and I drink that many in a day) . Where I live the beans are a bit more expensive but it works out as 60-70cents per cup of just in beans. The same cup would cost me $2.5-3 dollars from a cafe.

Now regarding the machines, like you said there are people who keep there machines for 10-15 years and there's no reason not to do so unless you want to try something different. I lucked out and got a Classic for $100 and an MC2 for $80, yes it's an entry-level kit, so that's fucking dirt-cheap, which means it took roughly 3 months for my rig to pay for itself.

>>7892742
That's a cool project actually. I'll see if I can find any schematics.

For anyone who is into Arduino/Raspberry Pi, this stuff is also cool

http://int03.co.uk/blog/project-coffee-espiresso-machine/

http://www.cyberelectronics.org/?p=458

>>7892769
But even the Classic is superior.

>>7892731
Or you just buy a Keurig used and get the reusable/refillable cups for it. My roomate had one, not the best coffee in the world but it was damn cheap and easy. My aeropress is great but nothing beats the convience of that keurig. The refillable cup takes seconds to wash, and I could shower while it made the weird ass sounds. Did the trick while I was getting ready for classes and what not.

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>>7892777
To a capsule machine? Yes of course and there are plenty of people out there who paid $180 or more for their capsule machines.

It even takes those ESE pods if you're feeling lazy, so technically it can do that job, but I've never tried them.

>>7892769
I bought a classic for $120, it was the display model at the store (but never used just sat on shelf)

Love that thing, worth every penny

>>7892782
Do you prefer it to the results of a Mokka Pot? It takes me 5mins from bean to cup with it. I know it's not an espresso but it's still quite convenient.

>>7892790
Have you tried any of the mods? I'm itching to do something to it. I've heard that with a water pre-heater and a PID or a kit like those arduino/pi ones it's a whole new machine.

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>>7892523
BES 860XL I got used that was missing some parts and needed a little work. It produces rather fine espresso for about 300 bucks (+ the cost of the missing parts)

The only worthwhile use of espresso is making tiramisu and that's hardly worth buying a machine for. I just buy mine whenever I want to make some.

>>7893657
>t. Mr Coffee drinker