CoffeeGeek – Consumer Espresso Machine Reviews
I am wandering through the cave of wonders known as CoffeeGeek.com (complete with RSS: syndicated caffeine, if you can combine vices seamlessly). I thought I would take a look at possible replacements for my dependable but aging Krups Novo unit. If you’ve ever looked at espresso accoutrement, you know how the prices can vary, from sub-$100 to over $1,000. What I am looking for is the sweet spot where price and quality start to diverge.
This unit seems to hit that spot: at $90, it’s sandwiched between one priced at $500 and one at $599, while all three of them were rated at 7.6 on a 10 scale.
But then if I re-sort the results by price, I find a significantly higher rated unit adjacent to it. Of course, the model is not specified, only the brand, and further research shows it takes some kind of pre-packaged “coffee pods” which mean I’m locked into the manufacturer’s coffee selection. My experience tells me the bean is more important than the machine and I hate “lock-in” so that’s right out.
I like these kinds of consumer review sites, but it helps to bring a little experience and perspective with you. I haven’t found the espresso maker I use now to be as bad as the reviews claim. I’ll have to look a little more . . . .