What kind of coffee machine should I get?

One of the questions I had when I was looking at buying a new espresso machine (to go with the cold drip, and the cold brew, and the moka pot….yes I have a problem) was, which one is going to make the best coffee?

After testing out a bunch of different ones, I have to say: it really doesn’t matter.

Certainly for making espresso, you can pull a really good shot even with a pretty cheap and cheerful machine. There are other considerations - if you’re making a lot of coffees at a time a little machine won’t keep up with it, they may not last as long as a more solidly built machine, and it may be less convenient to have to wait to steam milk if you only have a single boiler.

But if you’re talking about the actual taste of the coffee, the machine doesn’t matter as much as you think. The quality is often more limited by the quality and freshness of the beans (hence, you know, this website) and how good your grinder is.

So if you’re in the mood for advice and you have a limited budget, spend it on good coffee beans and a good grinder.

Okay, yes, I still went ahead and as soon as I could afford it I bought myself a big shiny espresso machine. But I never said I was logical or consistent.