Are you sick of paying high prices for your espresso or cappuccino? Do you like to own an espresso machine at home? So that you can avoid the long queues for buying your favourite coffee? But you don’t think you can get the best espresso machine under 200 buck for your home?
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Yes. You are not alone. Many people have the impression that getting an espresso machine to make espresso, cappuccino or even latte at home is going to cost them a bomb. Or they may think that they do not have the skills of a Barista to handle the complicated machinery that they see at coffee joints.
But the good news is that there are so many home espresso makers below the $200 mark in the market. And you won’t believe how easy it is to make espresso at home!
Well you may ask. What kind of espresso maker can you get with a budget of just 200 dollars? At the $200 range, you definitely can’t expect to get the advanced features of the high end machines. But what you do get is a great entry-level espresso maker which lowers the learning curve to making a home based espresso drink.
Not just espresso. If you like other espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino or latte, you can also find espresso machines with milk steaming capability at under $200.
To sweeten the deal, here are the top 4 picks for a cost of MUCH LOWER than $200. So no excuse for not being able to get the best espresso machine under 200 dollars anymore! =)
Best Espresso Machine Under 200
#1 Mr Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso And Cappuccino Maker
Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso Maker
Pros:
- Can make both espresso and milk-based drinks such as cappuccino and latte
- Can make milk-based drinks automatically
- Easy to use and clean
- Compact
- Large water tank
- Freedom to choose ground coffee pods or coffee beans
Cons:
- Have to clean up coffee powder spillovers and knock out wet coffee puck in the coffee portafilter
- Have to decide on grind size if using coffee beans
With the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista, you are able to not just make espresso. You also can froth milk for your espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino and latte. It is incredibly easy to use this machine with its simple controls. The best selling point is the user convenience. Making espresso and frothing milk is fully automatic.
Despite being automatic, you still have control over the amount of coffee to use, the quantity of espresso you want as well as the amount of froth you like for your milk. Also, this machine allows you flexibility to use both ground coffee powder and coffee pods.
If you absolutely hate making trips to and fro your water sink to top up your water tank, this machine has a large water tank of 55 ounces so that you can make more cups of espresso between every brew.
You may think that with these many features, Mr Coffee Cafe Barista is going to be very big in size. But NO! It only has a width of 12.25 inches, a depth of 12 inches and a height of 14 inches. Yes. It is just that COMPACT!
With these many features and a price tag of under 200 dollars, this is really a cheap espresso machine!
If you like a fully automatic espresso maker with milk frothing capability, find out more in the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso review.
#2 Nespresso Inissia Espresso Maker
Nespresso Inissia Espresso Maker
Pros:
- Use capsules. No need to deal with coffee powder spillovers or knock out wet coffee puck in the coffee portafilter.
- Make espresso automatically from capsules. No need to guess grindsize, tamp strength etc.
- Easy to use and clean.
- Compact and portable
Cons:
- Can only make espresso. Need to buy separate milk frother for making latte
- Espresso pod can be expensive at about 70cent a piece
Do you find handling coffee powder get really messy at times? I sure do. With the Nespresso Inissia Espresso Maker, this is not a problem as it uses Nespresso coffee pods. It is incredibly easy to use as it only has two buttons for espresso and lungo respectively. You also have the option to adjust the volume of espresso drink manually.
The espresso making is fully automatic. It takes a short time to pre-heat the water to brewing temperature. Besides being a time-saver, it also has energy saving features.
In addition, it is really small and light. The design is elegant. There is also a variety of playful colors to choose from. I’m sure that the Nespresso Inissia Espresso Maker will serve as a nice interior art piece in your kitchen.
If you need a fully automatic machine just to make espresso, the Nespresso Inissia is one of the best value for money espresso makers.
#3 Delonghi Espresso And Cappuccino Maker
Delonghi EC155 Espresso & Cappuccino Maker
Pros:
- Can make espresso or milk-based drinks
- Can make Latte art with steam wand
- Easy to use and clean.
- Compact
- Freedom to choose ground coffee pods or coffee beans
Cons:
- Have to clean up coffee powder spillovers and knock out wet coffee puck in the coffee portafilter
The DeLonghi Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, as the name indicates, allows you to make both espresso and cappuccino. With this espresso machine, you get to enjoy the process of making those bubbles in the milk with its rotating steam wand.
It is another easy to use machine with just two knobs. One to control the operation modes and another to control the flow of steam. Like the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista, you have the flexibility to choose between ground coffee powder and coffee pods.
This is very small espresso maker. In fact, the lightest among the three at only 6.7 pounds.
#4 Flair Manual Espresso Maker
Flair Manual Espresso Maker
Pros:
- Complete control over espresso extraction process
- Compact and portable
- Easy to use
- Freedom to choose ground coffee pods or coffee beans
Cons:
- Require practice to master making good espresso
- Can only make espresso. Need to buy separate milk frother for making latte
- Have to clean up coffee powder spillovers and knock out wet coffee puck in the coffee portafilter
Don’t like automation? You want to have complete control over your espresso making process? You gotta check out this Flair Espresso Maker.
As the name suggests, it is a manual press that requires no use of electricity and eliminates any additional processes within typical electric machines that would alter or change the consistency in taste. If you enjoy the process of crafting and the art of consistently constructing a cup of
fragrant espresso with distinct, complex layers, the Flair rivals any other machine.
The Flair is made out of high grade durable materials like aluminum and stainless steel. The press stand is made of high grade aluminum and the detachable brewing head is made of industry standard stainless steel. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and embodies a sleek, simplistic looking body.
Despite its simplicity, the Flair is able to generate the same 8 to 12 bars of pressure as any other pump espresso machines mentioned above. The only difference is that you have to pull the lever press manually. But this also gives you the control over how you pull the lever.
This is especially helpful when your grind size is too coarse or too fine. When that happens, the ideal espresso extraction time of 25 to 40 seconds may not be fulfilled. However, you can always to increase or decrease the pressure to speed up or slow down the flow of water through the coffee grounds.
Another benefit is that you can perform the special technique of preinfusion to enhance the taste of your espresso. This preinfusion technique can only be found in high end espresso makers. But with the Flair, you can do the same too.
Because of its straightforward simplistic design, it is easy to operate and require little knowledge. Just check out the video below.
But mastering the technique to making good tasty espresso on this manual espresso maker requires practice. Hence, this is really for coffee enthusiasts who want to control entire espresso extraction and experiment different techniques.
This espresso maker is also travel-friendly. It can be easily broken up into 3 pieces that are easy to reassemble – the base, the post and the lever. Every purchase comes with a complimentary custom travel case, for those times when you would like to have your professionally crafted luxurious espresso on the road with you.
In fact, this model is the only detachable brewing head on the market. This makes the brewing head and the other broken down parts of the equipment easily accessible and makes cleaning as simple as ABC.
In terms of maintenance, no rinsing of internal flow system is required since this does not exist in the manual espresso maker. Descaling is also not necessary since there is no water tank or internal flow system.
In the past, a manual espresso maker will have cost a bomb. But the Flair is pretty cheap, if not the cheapest manual espresso maker in the market right now.
Which is the best espresso machine under 200 for your home?
Okay that’s our top 3 best espresso machine under 200 dollar. But which is the best? It really depends on the extent of convenience you want for your machine. Delonghi EC155 espresso maker will be suitable for you if you would like to practise some Barista skills in the comforts of your own home.
If you like convenience, you can choose either the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso Maker or the Nespresso Inissa Espresso Maker.
However, if you want to make your favourite cappuccino, you can choose either Delonghi EC155 or Mr Coffee Cafe Barista.
If you want both convenience and ability to prepare cappuccino, then Mr Coffee Cafe Barista is the ONE for you!
For those who are looking to be a master in espresso extraction, then the Flair Manual Espresso Maker can offer you that complete control over the extraction process.
However, if you are willing to increase your budget, check out the these espresso machine under 500 dollars. These machines can really give you better consistency in the espresso taste you get from every cup made.
Should I Buy?
No matter which ever you choose, don’t you just agree they are all value for money? Don’t you want to own a coffee maker RIGHT NOW?
Just think of the money saved from your regular visits to the coffee joints. Say you spend $5 daily for your coffee. In a month, you would have spent $150! $150? Isn’t it the price of one of the coffee makers mentioned above? Yes! The machine pays for itself in just ONE month! Forward it by a year. $5 x 30 x 12 = $1800! Even if the machine only lasted a year, you would still SAVE yourself a cool 1800 bucks! That’s a good business decision which anyone would go for it right away.
Besides monetary benefits, you can also acquire some new skills, though elementary, at being a barista. Who knows? You may even get to show off your barista skills to impress your friends.
Definitely a good price to acquire a starting point to learn something new as a hobby. And without a need to invest in highly extravagant and complicated Barista espresso machines. And the result? You get a good aromatic espresso drink to relieve your caffeine urge AT HOME anytime of the day!
And of course. No more long queues too! What a time saver! So DON’T WAIT anymore. Set aside some budget. And get one of the top 3 best espresso machine under 200 dollars TODAY!
