Help Decide - Cheap Coffee Machine Budget $300

Ozbar Gain on 21/11/2023 - 18:01
Last edited 21/11/2023 - 20:01 by 1 other user

I'm after a cheap coffee machine (espresso + frother). Budget strictly sub $300.

I've looked at these two:
- De Longhi Dedica Maestro EC900.M ($210 excluding a milk jug) from this deal, or
- Sunbeam Mini Barista Espresso Coffee Machine EM4300K ($268 including milk jug) on Appliances Online and Amazon.

I'll be using it for making flat whites/cappucinos, so milk frothing wand needs to work well.

The Delonghi comes with 2 year warranty out of the box. The Sunbeam comes with one year but additional 2y can be purchased for $50 which I may or may not purchase.

The Delonghi comes with only a Coffee tamper and Vacuum Canister. The Sunbeam comes with "Group handle, 2 dual wall filters, 350ml stainless steel milk jug, Cleaning pin, Commercial style coffee tamper ".

There aren't many reviews for the Delonghi one but reviews for the Sunbeam seam good (4.4 on Amazon).

AI said the DeLonghi might be better due to customisable brewing temps, it thinks the wand is superior, and the "single wall filter baskets accommodate a larger dose", whatever that means.

I don't know which features to look for, any advice advised will be appreciated.

Home & Garden Coffee Machine

Comments

  • Loot N Plunder on 21/11/2023 - 18:08

    Do you have a coffee grinder if not then you may as well buy one with a built in grinder

    • Ozbar Gain on 21/11/2023 - 18:09

      Sorry, yep I do have a grinder

      • Muzeeb on 21/11/2023 - 18:25
        +1

        What's your account alias?

        Edit : posted on wrong app. Sorry

  • Tradey on 21/11/2023 - 18:26
    +2

    Go the Sunbeam with 58mm group head. Replace the pressurised baskets with 20g mesh types and this little machine rocks. Simple single knob interface and volumetric programming, don't need much else. Steam output is very good. Group heads on low cost machines are all plastic these days and this is probably the only weak point. Three years into ours and amazed how good it runs ($199 HN). Easy to see why Choice liked it.

    We see far more De Longhi machines turn up at our local Repair Cafe than any other brand and I get the job of repairing them. Stay away from fancy electronics and lots of buttons. Stick with Sunbeam or Breville with cheap and abundant spare parts.

    • Ozbar Gain on 21/11/2023 - 18:32

      Thanks mate, good feedback! Do you have the same model (4300k)? And is its wand sufficient too?

      • Tradey on 21/11/2023 - 18:38
        +1

        Silver EM4300, 'k' is just black model designation. Steam nozzle has single hole and delivers good pressure. Installed a 3 hole nozzle yesterday actually but went back to the single hole as it produced smoother and denser foam.

        Small machines are good for 1-2 person households, anymore double your budget. Also, keep the machine clean. Pull down the shower screen once a month and descale every three.

        • Ozbar Gain on 21/11/2023 - 18:42

          Sweet. So if "k" is just the black model designation, what about this one? It's Amazon "used" but is this a different machine? Quoted dimensions are different

          • Tradey on 22/11/2023 - 10:27
            +1

            @Ozbar Gain: The 'S' designation is for silver colour. Machines from retailers are customer returns with small issues. Sunbeam will designate a quick 10 minute time frame for repair and if it's something simple, resold as 'refurbished'. Outside 10 minutes it is re-boxed and sent to auction and sold by pallet loads to third parties who buy them for peanuts and spend more time fixing and re-selling.

    • Banj0 on 21/11/2023 - 19:21
      +1

      Owned one of these for a month before it started leaking. Sent it back and got permission to buy a Rancilio instead :-)

      It did knock out a very good espresso though. Agree…replace the double walled baskets for best effect.

      • Ozbar Gain on 21/11/2023 - 19:43

        You're not the first one to report leaking. I see in the Amazon reviews the machine gets dinged for that

    • Ozbar Gain on 11/12/2023 - 13:37

      Hey mate, just reporting back that I got the Sunbeam and have used it for the past couple of weeks and I am pleased with the purchase!

      I bought it off Amazon Warehouse for $208, supposedly used or damaged packaging but couldn't see any traces of it having been used before. Still using the supplied baskets

      It's easy to use, makes great coffee and the steamer is tops. Thanks for the info!

    • Mohamed S on 26/12/2023 - 00:23

      Hey mate, can you share a replacement to the pressurized basket for this model please? I have a new machine on the way and confused if I just need just the mesh filters or the whole porta filter. Thanks

  • AustriaBargain on 21/11/2023 - 19:37

    I use a dedica with an open basket and I find you have to get a really fine grind and tamp exactly right amount of pressure for the ideal honey-like extraction. With a pressurised basket it doesn't really matter how you do it because you'll still get the fake foam.

  • JIMB0 on 21/11/2023 - 20:21

    I use a hard rubbish special Gaggia that I picked up around 10 years ago. Paired it with a Breville smart grinder. Makes nice coffee if you use fresh beans. I've replaced the grouphead handle and a few switches, otherwise it's been great.

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