I haven’t read every single reply but the vast majority say probably not.

My experience is basically the opposite of everyone here. I bought a refurbished gaggia classic for $275 in like 2012 or so. I use it daily. It’s not hard to use, and in fact my 5 year old can pull a shot all by himself.

There is a comment that for the same prep home espresso won’t be as good as commercial because the machine quality is lower.

I’m sorry but IMO this is 100% wrong.

As long as there’s nothing wrong with your machine, water, or beans, there’s no difference. The goal of an espresso machine is to supply 9 bars of pressure. The coffee doesn’t care if the machine cost $400, $4000, or even $12,000.

The reason commercial machines are so expensive is really twofold. Mainly they are built to be able to pull shot after shot all day every day for decades. The second thing is that commercial machines are pretty much universally multi group dual boiler setups where you can steam and pull 3 shots at the same time. So not only do commercial machines require the highest quality stuff, but they need 3, 4 or more copies of everything.

But again the goal of the machine is to supply heated water at 9 bars of pressure. The results will be the same in any machine that can accomplish this goal, the cost difference basically boils down to how nice the machine is to use, and what extra features it has.

The grinder on the other hand makes a huge difference. But, you don’t have to spend a ton to match cafe quality. A baratza encore will do the job but not well. Step up to the sette and you will be able to get close.

Lastly is the beans. Now this is an area that you will have to research, but I found a local roaster that mainly sells to local cafes and hotels, but is also is open to the public. His coffee is fresh and I really enjoy it.

The last thing is that tricky statement “for the same amount of prep.”

Cafes pretty much do the very minimum. Press a button on the grinder, get a volumetric dose that should be within 1.5g or so, quickly tamp, pull a shot, and move on to the next customer. I’ve even started seeing mechanical automatic tampers being used.

You on the other hand will (likely) be weighing beans with sub gram accuracy, checking the machine temperature, carefully distributing the grounds, carefully tamping or maybe using a calibrated tamper… Etc.

You will be putting in more prep just simply because you have to. You don’t have the equipment that cafes do that will make the process as easy as pushing 2-3 buttons. But that’s okay. If you enjoy espresso you will enjoy the process and it’ll become a hobby more than anything.

But that last part is the key. Are you willing or ready for espresso to become a new hobby? Yes? Buy a machine. No? Keep using aero press. Or do some else. Only you know what you want.

I got a Breville Barista Express a few months ago and I’m really happy with it, I use it at least once a day (always in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon or in the evening especially on the weekend). The process is not so time consuming once you get the hang of it, and it has become the most enjoyable part of my mornings

I have the Ascaso Uno PID for it’s through-flow heater. There is virtually no heat up time needed so you can get an espresso when you want. I was aiming for a machine that allows me to be lazy and short-sighted and the Uno delivers that for me. I use it at least once a day but of course you have to decide if the investment into machine and grinder of around 1,4-2k$ is worth it for you. It is for me but I treat it as a hobby. You definitely need some time to tune in the grind setting, temperature, pressure and bean. But once you have your settings you usually only need to change the grind setting for each bean. I would go with an automatic burr grinder for consistency and ease of use since you sometimes have to redo a shot.

I use a flair classic lever brewer, and it’s the only thing i brew coffee with on a daily basis. I use a French press or pour over when I have guests.

I have an ok machine and regularly use it.

I know a guy who works in the industry supplying machines and another who is a commercial roster. Both say similar things.

A good grinder and fresh beans are far more important. They both say the aeropress is an excellent way to brew and better than most cheaper espresso machines.

My advice based on that would be. Keep using the aeropress but if you want an upgrade get a good burr grinder.

That’s if your ultimate aim is making better coffee. If you just want to get better using a machine and have fun just pick one you like the look of and enjoy.

It really depends on your lifestyle. Most machines will need some heat up time and if you’re not sure you won’t be pulling another shot for the rest of the day, it’ll sit there, consuming like 1000+ watt of power, at least when the heater is on.

I got myself VBM Domobar (HX) more than a decade ago, and still going strong. I don’t regret it. It was especially useful during covid lockdown.

Again, it really depends on your lifestyle. It is higher maintenance than any filter brewer. Demands higher end grinder, although those are much more affordable these days.

We started with an Aeropress, then got a mid range Delonghi all in one machine and never looked back. After 3.5 years or so we decided to upgrade to their newer all in one that does cold brew as well.

We make at least 6 cappuccinos every morning, and often a cold brew latte or two in the afternoons.

Before we decommissioned the old one we checked the system settings and it said it had brewed over 2800 coffees. We stopped buying coffee out in most places because often we would decide the machine at home made better coffee.

If you like coffee with milk, both cold and hot, we can definitely recommend the Delonghi Eletta Explore. The coffee is good, the new milk carafes are way easier to clean, and the machine works well with all types of coffee.

Even the wanky app that “adjusts the grind to the variety and roast of your beans” surprisingly seems to work - though the rest of the app is trash.

Got a secondhand Delonghi Dedica because I had similar concerns over how much I’d use it. Previous owner installed an aftermarket steam wand, which has been a joy.

Overall, it comes and goes in waves for me. Some weeks I pull shots every afternoon, sometimes it sits unused for a month. I enjoy taking some time to step away from the home office and prep coffee, so espresso is nice for that. I’d probably use it even more if we were more of a milk drinking household. I like my steamed milk drinks, but we don’t reliably keep milk in our fridge.

I’m also very lazy about dialing in shots. We like to buy a variety of beans for our morning French press, so the coffee available for espresso might vary week-to-week. I’m not willing to waste coffee dialing in on a 16oz bag of beans that’ll be gone in a few days, so the quality of my espresso suffers. Do most people generally keep one kind of bean around specifically for their espresso?

I’ve got the manual Flair Pro, and I go through phases of using it, or going back to a moka pot. As it comes with a case, I can pack the gubbins away, leaving just the rather pleasing-looking frame, and I have a plan to make a little shelf with a drawer so that the whole affair can be tidied away quickly if I want. I’ve also taken it camping with me, and occasionally if I’m working somewhere remote, I’ve had excellent espresso on a job site far out in the woods.

It’s slightly more involved than an automatic machine, but if you’re only making one or two cups (I have two of the portafilter parts) it’s pretty quick and easy. I only have a hand grinder, so have to do that whether I’m using the Flair, a moka pot, or a cafetière.

The Flair allows so much adjustment that it can make some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, but it allows you to screw it’s right up too, and there’s a bigger learning curve than most machines. It’s definitely more of a hobby than just a part of a morning routine.

I initially bought a cheap espresso machine, since this was the only type of coffee I drank. I bought the Aeropress later on for camping, which prompted me to try much lighter roasts. I’ve since found that this is where my preference lies, and I’ve pretty much ditched the espresso machine as a result (though still useful when I have guests.)

I got a Isomac super giada 20 years ago and have used it at least 4-5 times daily since, it is my main source for espresso. A couple of years ago i got myself a La Pavoni Europiccola, mostly using it when having guests.

For me it was a daily source of coffee, but I wouldn’t say it was a daily source of joy. I used mine for a couple few years before deciding it wasn’t for me.

It takes more effort than I realized to pull good shots. Dialing in grind settings requires multiple pulls and you end up either over caffeinated (me) or tossing out a lot of mediocre shots. And you have to do it whenever you try new beans. And even sometimes with a new batch of “the same” beans.

My advice would be to just understand that you’re taking on a hobby; not just a different brewing method.

I’ve owned two second hand Rancilio Silvias and they are very well built, I’ve seen them used commercially and while this wouldn’t be recommended they can take some abuse. I use it every day and it’s perfect, the Aeropress lives in the van now.

I started with an Areopress about 15 years ago. Still have it and sometimes pull it out but it goes on every camping trip with us.

I drank a lot of pressed coffees for about 10 years till last year when I decided I wanted to go all in on a good Espresso machine so I pulled the trigger on a Lelit Bianca that we use daily and love it.

I am due to upgrade my grinder here soon. My Brevell is starting to not grind as good as it once did. Even after cleaning it and putting a new felt washer in it. It’s taken a lot of abuse over the last 7 years. I definitely got my moneys worth out of it

I’ve had a BBE for almost 4 years, I use it daily. I can create nicer tasting espresso based drinks than Starbucks and Costa and basically any other local coffee shop.

The only people I’ve found locally that can do a better job are the ones who roast the beans I use - and I’d be surprised if they couldn’t.