The Best Espresso Machine Under £500

Summary

In this review, five espresso machines under £500 are evaluated, ranging from the budget-friendly DeLonghi Dedica at £189 to the Rancilio Silvia at £529. The Lelit Anna, Sage Bambino Plus, and Gaggia Classic Pro, all priced at £399, are also assessed. The video covers build quality, ergonomics, espresso extraction, and milk steaming capabilities. The Lelit Anna impresses with its solid build, while the DeLonghi Dedica, though affordable, lacks quality. The Rancilio Silvia offers commercial-like steaming but requires temperature consistency. The Sage Bambino Plus excels in milk texturing with its feature-rich design, and the Gaggia Classic Pro, despite its nostalgia, could benefit from modifications for better performance.

Takeaways

• 💰 The video reviews five espresso machines priced under or around 500 pounds, providing a follow-up to a previous video on the best machine under 100 pounds.
• 🏷️ The machines evaluated include the Lelit Anna at 350 pounds, DeLonghi Dedica at 189 pounds, Rancilio Silvia at 529 pounds, Sage Bambino Plus at 399 pounds, and Gaggia Classic Pro also at 399 pounds.
• 🔧 The reviewer intends to use the machines mostly in their stock condition, with a minor exception of using a better basket for the portafilter on certain models.
• 📏 The Lelit Anna and Gaggia Classic Pro, which came with pressurized portafilters, were switched to better baskets for testing, placing the Lelit at a slight disadvantage due to its stock basket.
• 🌍 The selection of machines was based on their broad availability worldwide, aiming to provide the widest utility to viewers.
• 🔍 The testing process involves reviewing each model's build, ergonomics, and performance in making espresso shots and steaming milk.
• 📊 The Lelit Anna was praised for its solid build but criticized for its water tank and drip tray design.
• 💸 The DeLonghi Dedica, being the cheapest, showed its price in the build quality, with a plastic feel and small drip tray.
• 💪 The Rancilio Silvia was noted for its tank-like build, high-quality components, and powerful steam wand, but had temperature control issues.
• 📈 The Sage Bambino Plus had a focus on features over build quality, with a light body and electronic steam controller, offering good milk steaming capabilities.
• 🛠️ The Gaggia Classic Pro had a good build but required modifications for optimal performance, including temperature and pressure adjustments.

Q & A

What is the price range of the espresso machines discussed in the video?

The video discusses espresso machines priced under or around 500 pounds.

Which espresso machine was the most expensive in the video?

The Rancilio Silvia was the most expensive, priced at 529 pounds, although it has been seen around 500 pounds.

What is the price of the DeLonghi Dedica espresso machine mentioned in the video?

The DeLonghi Dedica is priced at 189 pounds, making it the cheapest in the category discussed.

What is the main criterion for selecting the espresso machines for review in the video?

The main criterion for selecting the espresso machines was their broad availability in different parts of the world.

What is the issue with the Lelit Anna's stock basket according to the reviewer?

The Lelit Anna's stock basket is not as good as a VST basket, which puts it at a slight disadvantage in terms of espresso quality.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the build quality of the DeLonghi Dedica?

The reviewer finds the build quality of the DeLonghi Dedica to be as expected for its price, noting the use of plastic and a small drip tray.

What feature does the Rancilio Silvia have that the reviewer appreciates?

The reviewer appreciates the Rancilio Silvia's high-quality build, particularly its weight and the feel of its buttons and switches.

What is the reviewer's experience with the Sage Bambino Plus in terms of build quality?

The reviewer finds the Sage Bambino Plus to have a build quality that feels cheaper than its price suggests, due to the extensive use of plastic.

What is the reviewer's connection to the Gaggia brand?

The reviewer's first coffee job was with Gaggia UK in 2003, selling Gaggia Classics, which adds a personal element to his review of the Gaggia Classic Pro.

What is the reviewer's general opinion on the espresso quality from the machines in the video?

The reviewer finds that while all machines can produce good espresso, some have issues such as temperature stability and pump pressure that could affect the quality, and he suggests modifications for better results.

How does the reviewer assess the milk steaming capabilities of the espresso machines?

The reviewer tests the milk steaming capabilities by timing how quickly each machine can steam 150 grams of cold milk to 60 degrees Celsius and discusses the quality of the milk texture produced.

What is the reviewer's final recommendation for someone interested in purchasing an espresso machine from the reviewed models?

The reviewer suggests that the choice depends on the individual's priorities, such as build quality, milk steaming capabilities, and willingness to modify the machine for better performance.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Overview of Espresso Machines Under 500 Pounds

The script introduces a comparison of five espresso machines priced under or around 500 pounds, following up on a previous video about machines under 100 pounds. The machines reviewed include the Lelit Anna at 350 pounds, the DeLonghi Dedica at 189 pounds, the Rancilio Silvia (barely over budget at 529 pounds), the Sage Bambino Plus at 399 pounds, and the Gaggia Classic Pro also at 399 pounds. The author plans to use mostly stock configurations with minimal modifications, such as upgrading portafilters for better espresso testing. The selection criteria were based on global availability. The testing process will involve individual assessments of build quality, ergonomics, espresso shots, and milk steaming capabilities, concluding with recommendations based on the user's needs.

05:01

🛠️ Detailed Evaluation of Espresso Machine Features and Build Quality

This paragraph delves into the build quality and features of each espresso machine. The Lelit Anna is praised for its solid build but criticized for a cheap-feeling water tank and a difficult-to-manage drip tray. The DeLonghi Dedica, being the most affordable, shows its price in the plastic build and small drip tray, but has the advantage of a small footprint. The Rancilio Silvia is described as the heaviest and most robust, with high-quality buttons and switches, though the water tank and drip tray leave something to be desired. The Sage Bambino Plus, despite its higher price, has a plasticky feel with a focus on features over build quality, and the Gaggia Classic Pro is commended for its solid build, though the portafilter and drip tray have minor issues. The author also discloses a past connection with Gaggia UK, highlighting a potential bias.

10:04

☕️ Espresso Testing and Machine Performance

The script outlines the espresso testing process, using a consistent recipe across all machines to evaluate their performance. The Lelit Anna produced sweet and balanced shots but lacked body, possibly due to the stock basket. The DeLonghi Dedica had a frustrating portafilter and produced lower extraction with a cooler shot, suggesting difficulty with lighter roasts. The Rancilio Silvia provided a pleasant experience but suffered from temperature fluctuations, affecting the espresso's taste. The Sage Bambino Plus, with its pressurized portafilter, was not ideal for quality espresso and required a coarser grind, resulting in sour shots. The Gaggia Classic Pro had a solenoid valve for pressure release, allowing for easier back-to-back shots, but also exhibited high pressures and temperature inconsistencies.

15:10

🥛 Steaming Power and Milk Texturing Capabilities

This section focuses on the milk steaming abilities of the espresso machines. The Lelit安娜's auto-frother provided okay results, but not the best power. The DeLonghi Dedica's automated steam wand struggled to create a silky texture. The Rancilio Silvia excelled with powerful steam, closely resembling commercial machines, though it might be intimidating for beginners. The Sage Bambino Plus surprised with good steaming capabilities and features, making it easy to learn on and providing automated milk steaming options. The Gaggia Classic Pro was disappointing, feeling underpowered and slow, despite good milk texture.

20:12

🏆 Final Thoughts and Patron Support Acknowledgment

The script concludes with a summary of each machine's overall experience and value for money. The Lelit安娜is praised for its value and potential for improvement with a better basket. The DeLonghi Dedica is deemed okay for tight budgets but encourages spending more for better quality. The Rancilio Silvia is the most commercial-like but would benefit from modifications, which are well-supported by the community. The Sage Bambino Plus is recommended for those who want a good espresso and milk experience without tinkering. The Gaggia Classic Pro is acknowledged for its lasting value and potential for modification. The author expresses gratitude to patrons for supporting the channel and providing the budget for these reviews, noting that the machines will be given away to them.

Keywords

💡Espresso Machine

An espresso machine is a device used to brew coffee by forcing pressurized water through finely-ground coffee beans. In the video, the main theme revolves around reviewing different espresso machines, focusing on their build quality, functionality, and the quality of espresso they produce.

💡Lelit Anna

The Lelit Anna is a specific model of espresso machine mentioned in the script, priced at 350 pounds. It is highlighted for its solid build and the inclusion of a pressure gauge, which is important for monitoring the brewing process. The video discusses its performance and the espresso quality it delivers.

💡DeLonghi Dedica

The DeLonghi Dedica is identified as the most affordable option in the review at 189 pounds. Its affordability is contrasted with its build quality, which is predominantly plastic. The script describes its performance and the user's experience with its milk steaming capabilities.

💡Rancilio Silvia

The Rancilio Silvia is an espresso machine that, despite being slightly over the budget at 529 pounds, is included due to its availability and reputation. It is noted for its robust build and powerful steam wand, which are important for the espresso and milk texturing quality.

💡Sage Bambino Plus

The Sage Bambino Plus is an espresso machine that costs 399 pounds. It is discussed for its feature-rich design, particularly focusing on milk steaming, and its electronic steam controller, which sets it apart from traditional steam valve machines.

💡Gaggia Classic Pro

The Gaggia Classic Pro is another espresso machine reviewed, also priced at 399 pounds. It has a connection to the reviewer's past, as they previously worked for Gaggia UK. The machine's build quality and performance are evaluated, including its potential for modifications.

💡Portafilter

A portafilter is a device within an espresso machine that holds the coffee grounds and locks into the machine for brewing. The script mentions the quality of portafilters in various machines and the reviewer's preference for non-pressurized portafilters for better extraction.

💡Milk Steaming

Milk steaming is the process of heating and aerating milk to create a creamy texture suitable for coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. The video script evaluates the milk steaming capabilities of each machine, noting the power and ease of use of their steam wands.

💡Pressure Gauge

A pressure gauge is an instrument that measures the pressure within the espresso machine, which is crucial for the extraction process. The Lelit Anna's inclusion of a pressure gauge is praised as it allows the user to monitor and control the brewing pressure.

💡Build Quality

Build quality refers to the materials and construction of an espresso machine, affecting its durability, performance, and user experience. The script compares the build quality of different machines, noting the use of metal versus plastic and the overall sturdiness.

💡Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of designing products to fit the user's body and movements comfortably. In the context of the video, ergonomics relate to how comfortable and intuitive the espresso machines are to use, including aspects like the placement of buttons and the ease of removing the portafilter.

💡Modding

Modding, short for modifying, refers to the practice of altering or upgrading a product to improve its performance or functionality. The script discusses the potential and desire to mod certain espresso machines to achieve better temperature control and brewing pressures.

Highlights

The video compares five espresso machines under or around 500 pounds, following up on a previous video about the best espresso machine under 100 pounds.

The Lelit Anna, priced at 350 pounds, has a solid build but a somewhat cheap-feeling water tank.

The DeLonghi Dedica, at 189 pounds, is the cheapest in the category but has a lot of plastic in its build.

The Rancilio Silvia, though slightly over budget at 529 pounds, is built like a tank and very heavy.

The Sage Bambino Plus and Gaggia Classic Pro both cost 399 pounds and have similar features but different build qualities.

Most machines will be used mostly stock with the exception of an upgrade to a better basket for espresso testing.

The Lelit Anna's pressure gauge is a big plus for its build quality.

The DeLonghi Dedica's small drip tray and light build may be a disadvantage for some users.

The Rancilio Silvia's steam valve is the best in terms of feel, though still feels like a domestic steam valve.

The Sage Bambino Plus has an electronic steam controller instead of a steam valve.

The Gaggia Classic Pro has a solenoid valve for pressure release, making back-to-back shots easier.

Espresso testing will use a fixed recipe to understand the pressures each machine puts out.

The Lelit Anna produced sweet and balanced shots but lacked body due to the stock basket.

The DeLonghi Dedica required a coarser grind and had lower extraction, resulting in a cooler and more acidic shot.

The Rancilio Silvia had temperature issues, sometimes brewing too hot or too cool, affecting the espresso quality.

The Sage Bambino Plus had good milk steaming features, making it easy to learn and use for beginners.

The Gaggia Classic Pro, despite being well-built, felt underpowered in milk steaming.

The video concludes with a summary of each machine's overall experience and value for money.

Transcripts

Welcome.Today, we are looking at five espresso machines

under or around 500 pounds.

This was a follow-up to a previous video,

which was the best espresso machine under 100 pounds.

Here we are, 500 pounds and anything

between 100 and 500 was on the table.

First up, we have the Lelit Anna that was 350 pounds,

we have the DeLonghi Dedica, 189 pounds.

By far the cheapest in this category,

but had a lot of requests to look at this

and this seemed like the best opportunity to do so.

We've got the Rancilio Silvia, 529 pounds is what I paid,

so technically out of budget,

but I've seen it for around 500

so it was worthy of inclusion here.

We've got the Sage Bambino Plus,

that was 399 pounds and at the end here,

we've got the Gaggia Classic Pro, also 399 pounds.

Important note here, I'm gonna use these as mostly stock.

I'm not going to modify them heavily,

with one small exception.

Where I can I'll be using a better basket.

These two machines both came

with pressurized portafilters only

and it was such an easy thing to switch out

that it seemed worthwhile doing

and in this case with the Gaggia and the Rancilio,

they're both 50 ml portafilters,

I'm gonna use a better basket for them too

for the espresso testing.

That does put the Lelit at a slight disadvantage,

because it will be using its stock basket

which isn't as good as a VST basket

but it's a 57 mm portafilter

and I just couldn't find a basket in time

that was of a standard that I was looking for.

As to how these were chosen,

there was really one criteria,

which is that they were broadly available

in lots of different parts of the world.

There were other machines that were proposed,

mostly by my patron group, but I picked these

because they're kind of the most available

and easier to get and therefore giving this

the widest utility, I hope, to you, the viewer.

So here's how testing is gonna work.

Firstly, I'm going to talk through each individual model

in terms of its build, construction,

how it's kind of felt to use, some of the ergonomics there

then the important stuff, we're gonna pull

some shots of espresso with each of them

and I'll talk through the kind of espresso

I was able to get and if one of them

maybe pulls better espresso than another.

We'll do some simple milk steaming tests,

both how quick it is and the kind of quality of milk

that the steam ones on these produce.

At the end, we'll wrap up, talk through which one of these

will suit you the best based on what you want

from an espresso machine owning experience.

Let's start with the Lelit Anna.

Now I'll be honest, going into this

Lelit was not a brand I knew particularly well.

350 pounds buys you a pretty solid build.

Using this didn't result in the machine

sliding around very much.

It's got a nice weight to it.

The things I like bless about the build, if I'm honest,

well, the water tank.

Now, it just feels a little bit cheap.

The way it works, you've got a couple of horses

that go in here and then just a large plastic tank

and the cutout in the side,

I don't think it's a great way to assess

how much water is in your tank.

As a common theme today, we're gonna complain about

the valves, the steam ones.

Generally they just feel a bit cheap and plasticy

and I know I'm used to commercial equipment,

but yeah, it feels okay.

The buttons, fine.

Nicely made, work well enough.

What is a nice inclusion is the pressure gauge here.

That is very helpful.

That's a big plus for me on the build of this thing.

However, the drip tray is one part of this

that I don't particularly like.

It's quite fussy to get in and out.

There's no float in the drip tray,

so you have no real way of knowing how full it is.

So I always feel nervous,

if I have to tip a drip tray to lift it out.

That makes me concerned

if I've got this a little bit too full.

Now the DeLonghi Dedica is coming in at a disadvantage.

It is substantially cheaper than anything else here.

And you can tell that from the build.

Where there might be a lot of metal in other machines,

there's a lot of plastic here,

even with that kind of chromed finish at the top.

Its footprint is tiny and that might be a big advantage

for a lot of people, but it is light

and you definitely have to grip this thing

when you lock it in.

And for me, my instinct to grip, is to grip it around here

and with my big old hands, I've occasionally pushed buttons

while trying to hold the machine in a funny sort of way.

And the drip tray is really very small,

but it has the convenience at least of having a float

to let you know when you're about

to make a terrible mess of your kitchen.

Water tank, removable, easy to use, clear plastic.

Overall, it's what you'd expect for the money.

The Rancilio Silvia is built like an absolute tank.

It is by far the heaviest of the units here.

Once it's on the counter where you want it to be,

it's going nowhere.

This was the easiest to lock in

or remove the portafilter from,

simply because of its weight.

It was not going anywhere on the counter.

Buttons, switches, very nice high quality stuff on here.

You can feel the sort of build quality

of kind of parts here.

The steam valve is probably the best of them

in terms of feel, though it still does feel

like a domestic steam valve in many ways.

The water tank is again, a bit of a weak point for me.

It's not a great experience to remove.

You've got your two horses,

again it's that white plastic material,

but you have no real insight into how full your tank is

unless you open the lid and have a look.

Drip tray, the depth and size isn't bad,

but it's actually quite difficult to see

how much liquid is inside it

and there's no float or indicator on here

to let you know that it's too full.

So again, this drip tray has caught me out.

The Sage Bambino Plus is a more expensive machine,

but it has the build quality of something

a little bit cheaper, because they spent the money

on features rather than build.

So lots of plastic all over the machine everywhere.

It's very light

and that makes it a little bit annoying

to get a portafilter into and out of,

it will move around on the counter

unless you're holding the machine.

But the other details are generally pretty good.

The water tank,

easily removed and it does have instructions

for cleaning printed on the back.

The portafilter, a little cheap and plasticy.

The buttons at least feel reliable.

They are a manufacturer making

a lot of things with a lot of buttons,

so you would expect those to be of good quality.

It's not a steam valved machine.

It's an electronic steam controller,

which I think is interesting,

but we'll talk about that when it's time to steam some milk.

The drip tray is a little bit small,

but it does at least have a float in there

to let you know that you've got too much liquid

and it's time for a little cleaning.

It's a tricky one.

The build doesn't feel as nice as other machines.

It doesn't feel as solid,

it doesn't feel as hefty

but their design decision was to spend money

on features, not on build

and we'll see later on how that pans out.

Before I get into the Gaggia,

actually I need to have a quick disclaimer

or disclosure, I guess my first ever coffee job

was working for a company that was Gaggia UK,

selling Gaggia Classics.

This was back in 2003.

That company no longer exists.

It was a great company,

I'm very grateful to my first boss, Raj Beadle

for encouraging me into a coffee career, shout out to Raj.

And he now has a separate business that sells these

and I bought this from him.

So full disclosure about the whole backstory

of me and Gaggia there.

The build is really very good.

This is the Classic Pro, which is new to me in some ways.

It has better switches across the top here,

it's got a different steam wand to the kind of traditional

I think they're called Panorella wands,

but the build is solid.

Brushed stainless everywhere,

water tank can be accessed from the front

and you can pull it out through the front if you want to,

which makes changing water very easy,

but you can just still pour in the top and fill this way,

but one little gripe, we could say,

the portafilter on this thing doesn't feel great.

It's solid and it's hefty,

it's a 58mm portafilter, but just the finish around here

didn't feel premium in a way that

some of the other portafilters do.

Drip tray is reasonably deep,

but again, no float to indicate

that you're about to make a horrible horrible mess.

Overall, for 399, the kind of build

you would expect from a premium machine.

So here's how espresso testing is gonna work.

I'm gonna take a coffee that I know very well,

I'm gonna use a fix recipe across all the machines,

which is going to be about 18 in, to 38 grams out,

in the region of 28 to maybe 32 seconds

depending on the machine and the kind of setup.

I want the machines to do the best job they can

with the recipe, but by keeping this kind of fixed

and using the same grinder, we'll be able to understand

something about the pressures

that the machines are putting out.

Now, the first one up the Lelit, does have a pressure gauge.

The others do not and they do not as the standard,

all run at nine bars, which is massively frustrating,

but we'll discuss more later and I'll share at the end,

the different grinds settings used on the same grinder

for the same recipe, just so we can see some differences.

But first up, let's discuss espresso on the Lelit

and having a gauge on here is really nice.

Let's pull a shot.

Now, before we taste, we need to stir.

So I've upgraded my spoon selection.

That's very important.

So I'll be stirring with the fanciest little teaspoons

from the 1940s, cause I'm a fancy man.

Now I have to say, I have enjoyed the shots from the Anna.

They have been generally sweet and balanced.

What they're lacking often, is a little bit of heft,

a little bit of texture, a little bit of body.

That might be a function of the basket

maybe not being quite good enough

to allow a really fine grind

for the kind of recipe I would want.

So I would hope for a touch more body in the mouthfeel

of the shots that I've had,

but overall it has made me very tasty espresso.

A little bit impressed by the Lelit.

DeLonghi Dedica is a funny little machine.

It has a very frustrating portafilter.

So I changed the basket on this.

It came with a standard pressurized portafilter basket

which I don't wanna use,

so I put a normal 50 formula basket in, but to do that,

I had to have sort of damaged the portafilter further.

It has a little insert inside it.

Looks a little bit like this.

I couldn't get the basket in without taking this out

and in taking this out, there's a little screw here

that holds the plastic piece in place.

The coffee now drips out of this too.

So it's a bit messy,

but it's the only way I could get proper espresso from this.

You don't have a ton of height

between portafilter spouts and drip tray,

which makes getting scales and cups under there

not impossible, but not super easy.

A little bit more clearance is always appreciated there.

Let's pull a shot.

Hmm. Now this needed a coarser grind than the Lelit

and I think that's interesting

and the extraction is notably lower.

Now this doesn't air on the side of hot

and if anything this tastes like a slightly cool shot to me.

The acidity is very pronounced, the texture is okay.

It doesn't feel like we've had a great extraction here.

And I would say for lighter roasts,

this will be a difficult setup to get good espresso from.

It's running, I think at quite a high pump pressure,

it's not running at a hybrid temperature.

Those two things in combination, with lighter roasts

will make it an enormous uphill battle.

The more developed the coffee gets,

the easier it's gonna be to extract

and I suspect the better the shots you'll have

and if you like medium through to dark espresso roast

then you may have a good experience here.

It's not light years better than the cheap DeLonghi

that we tested in the sub-hundred pounds category.

It is a little better for sure,

in terms of shock quality, but not light years better.

So broadly, pulling shots with the Silvia

is quite a pleasant experience.

The buttons are very nice, the portafilter feels very nice,

but my complaint is brew temperature actually on this one.

It runs a little hot.

Often, you can hear and see

a good amount of steam coming out of that group head.

That's not ideal.

So you might have to do some temperature surfing,

where you pull out that very hot water

by dumping it into the drip tray

and then you try to catch it as it reheats

at the right point to get the best possible shot.

People have other mods for this

but we'll talk about modding at the end.

I've changed out the basket in this to a VST basket,

'cause I don't really rate the basket that came as stock.

So I'm gonna use that instead.

Well, economically while the drip tray

is a little bit annoying, it doesn't drain super well,

having that width to work with is very nice.

Let's talk about the espresso.

Now I've had a range of shots from the Silvia

and they've all been pretty good.

Having a good basket in there lets me grind finer,

that's good, extractions have been even

when I've used them naked portafilter.

The frustration for me has been temperature.

I've had shots that have had a harshness

from brewing a little bit too hot,

a sourness from brewing a little bit too cool.

It wanders around a bit in temperature

and that for me is a frustration.

You can get very very good espresso from this,

but you'll also get occasionally frustratingly,

just kind of off espresso,

from the brew temp being in a funny place.

So the Sage Bambino is an interesting little machine,

but unfortunately it does come

with that pressurized portafilter

that I just don't want or particularly need.

I get that they exist for people

who just want an easier life and don't want a nice grinder,

but we're trying to get good espresso here

and these things are worthless.

So we're gonna use a proper basket in this

and pull some proper shot.

It's a full featured machine and you can play

with stuff like pre-infusion.

It's quite easy to do manual pre-infusion

if you want to get into that thing,

which seems contrary to having a pressurized portafilter,

but they really do seem to be trying to capture

the whole wide audience.

There's a ton of distance from spouts to drip tray

which suggests that people wanna put scales underneath.

The shots, well, let's pull one now.

Texture is actually okay, but it has used

the coarsest ground setting so far for that flow

and that doesn't yield the best tasting shots.

If you're using a lighter roast like me,

again we're back to that sour espresso,

reasonable texture, reasonable mouthfeel

but I think it's gonna be a difficult machine

to absolutely get the best out of with lighter roasts.

I'm just frustrated by my inability to access more features

in the machine that are so key to good espresso

when it has so much, you know control over other stuff

like pre-infusion and shot volumes

and all that sort of stuff you would want.

Not bad, simply not the best of the group.

So now the Gaggia Classic Pro,

a machine that I'm sort of familiar with, but not.

Now pulling shots from this was broadly pretty enjoyable.

Again, got rid of the stock basket.

Get rid of the stock basket, put a VST basket

and still in there's the portafilter

that I don't really love it

and with a different basket,

the fit is a bit frustrating here.

Now one feature, this thing has,

is it has a solenoid valve as a pressure release valve

that dumps any excess pressure at the end of the shot

into the drip tray.

That does make back-to-back shots quickly, relatively easy.

You don't get what someone once described as

portafilter sneeze, when you immediately

release the portafilter

and some pressure leaks out like that.

So the shots, let's pull a shot.

Now, as you can see from the shot,

one frustration that's very clear

is the spout to drip tray height.

There's not a lot of room to get a scale

and a set of espresso cups in there or a cappuccino cup

or whatever you want to use.

Secondly, this thing definitely runs at high pressures.

That's kind of a well known thing.

And we'll talk about modding that later,

but it did allow me to pull shots

at a much finer grind setting than anything else.

However, like the Rancilio,

the temperature does wander around a little bit.

It is possible to have it overheat and have some steam

when you flush the group head

or have it run below temperature.

So a bit of a temperature surfing routine will yield you

the best tasting espresso.

As for how this shot is,

pretty good.

Not overly acidic, but it has a certain sort of harshness

that I associate with higher pump pressures.

Now that could be, and may well be confirmation bias, right?

Like I'm seeing something that I expect to be there

but that shot floated at a nice kind of time,

18 in 38 out in 28 to 29 seconds.

That shouldn't have kind of texture and quality of woodiness

and bitterness that hasn't been present in other shots.

Again, we'll talk about modding, but as stock,

it is frustratingly close to great,

but the espressos aren't superb.

Milk steaming it's a really important part

of a good espresso machine at home,

so that's what we're going to look at next.

First test is very simple.

It's just power.

I've got 150 grams of cold milk,

I'm gonna steam it to 60 degrees Celsius

on each of the machines

and we're going to see how quick it is.

So aside from the speed test, which was interesting,

let's talk about the actual experience of steaming milk.

Now the Lelit was okay.

It has underneath it, sort of auto frothing attachment,

a regular steam wand that I wanted to use

because that's significantly better,

than using the little attachments that it comes with.

It wasn't super well powered,

but I got some reasonably good milk texture out of it.

I wasn't upset by it.

Not the slowest, not the worst.

Steaming was okay.

The DeLonghi Dedica has this automated

sort of steam wand part that helps add foam,

add air to your milk for you.

This was the most difficult to get great texture from.

You've got pleasantly fluffy milk,

but if you wanted something a little silkier,

a little bit easier to pour a latte out with,

you'd really kind of struggle here.

The Silvia was a beast.

This was the closest

to steaming with a commercial steam wand

of any of these machines.

It was incredibly quick, incredibly powerful.

I've been steaming milk for a long time

and so I loved that, but if I was new to steaming milk,

this would be intimidating, this would be tricky.

I would make a mess a whole bunch of times

before I got my milk texturing down.

So not the easiest, but if you know what you're doing,

a real pleasure to steam with.

Now the Sage was a surprise.

You could tell going in,

that milk was a big part of it's sell.

It's got a full featured set around milk steaming,

so you can use it as a manual sort of milk steamer,

which is what I would do and what I did

and the results were really very good.

I thought it would be slow, but actually it gave me

lots of time to do what I needed to do,

to have a phase of adding air,

and sort of stretching the milk

and then going into a phase of kind of rolling it around.

The end result was very good, not the quickest,

but kind of easy to learn with.

If I was teaching someone to steam milk for the first time,

this would be a good machine to do it on.

Now it does have some extras.

It's got some automated milk steaming

that lets you choose your end temperature.

There's a little thermometer built into the drip tray

and it'll let you choose your texture as well.

That's great, if you don't wanna get into how to steam milk

and you want some good results,

that's kind of impressive to me.

And again, where they've skimped on build,

they've really gone hard on features

and milk is a big one here.

So this was a pleasant surprise.

The manual stealing was very good.

Now with the Gaggia, I was actually a little disappointed.

It felt underpowered.

So much so that I had to steam twice

to check that I hadn't done something wrong

or you know, something had gone awry, but actually

we repeated exactly the same result on both tests.

I had no problem stretching the milk,

but where I wanted to kind of roll it around

and texture it and mix it.

That's where it just didn't seem to have

enough pressure and power

and that was a bit disappointing

and it was notable that it was the slowest of them.

I got some great texture out of it.

I just wanted a bit more pressure from it.

So what I'll do now is I'll summarize very quickly,

the kind of overall experience of each of the machines.

The Lelit, I was a little bit impressed by.

It's a new brand to me,

it's the first time I've used one of their machines,

there's a couple of little weak points on it,

the milk steaming and the basket that its ships with

and the fact that it has a 57 millimeter portafilter

for me is a slight frustration,

but it produced good results.

And I think with a better basket,

you'd get a notable increase in shock quality.

I think it's very good value for the money at 350 pounds

and comparing it to say something at 190 pounds,

you could absolutely see where your money is going.

That DeLonghi is okay, for the money,

but it's a machine at that price point

that says to me it's worth spending more.

You get better milk steaming, you get better shots,

you get a better build,

you get a better experience all around.

So I really wouldn't recommend the DeLonghi necessarily,

but I would understand if you were really budget-constricted

you can get okay espresso from it.

It might frustrate you if you want really great textured

flat whites or cafe lattes.

The Silvia is the closest

to a commercial machine of the group here.

It's right at the beginning of that kind of

prosumer category where you get sort of

miniature commercial machines for the home.

The steaming on this thing really impressed me.

The build is fantastic.

It is heavy, it's hefty, it's very well made.

All of the componentry seems extremely good,

but for 529 pounds, I'm annoyed that if I owned this

I would wanna mod it further

and that would cost me at least a hundred pounds plus

to add a PID to it, to control the temperature for it.

Now there is a substantial community out there

of Silvia owners who will help you out.

There's tons of guides, there's tons of kits.

You would be joining a kind of ecosystem of owners

and people who modeled these machines

if that's what you're into.

I would just be slightly frustrated

that at the most expensive machine,

there's still stuff I want to tweak and change.

That has a pretty substantial impact on the espresso.

Now the Sage is super interesting.

It's about the same price as the Gaggia,

but they couldn't be further apart

where you might have a substantial modifying community

for the Rancilio or actually for the Gaggia,

you're not going to find one for the Sage.

This is not a machine you're gonna tinker with or play with,

it's not one you're going to get

under the hood and mess with.

It's too complicated.

It's just not built that way.

It does have a ton of features

and I think they've really identified

an audience of people who want good espresso,

great milk drinks who don't necessarily

wanna become hobbyist baristas.

This is for somebody who wants a very enjoyable experience,

who maybe wants to go through the process

of making their own coffee, but they don't want to have to

spend too much time investing in their own skillset.

Now to round us out, we've got the Gaggia Classic Pro.

Now I did enjoy using this,

I know there's a little bit nostalgia for me,

but it's well-built it can pull good shots.

Like the Silvia, I would want to modify it

to have better brew temperatures

and actually I'd probably want to modify it

to do better brew pressures.

All you would need to do is change some springs

and bits inside the over-pressure valve,

it's not very expensive and you'll get much better shots.

But it requires you voiding your warranty,

opening this thing up, tinkering with parts inside

and that's not for everyone.

And the way that they're built,

they seem to carry a lasting value

and that's kind of the difference.

I expect these two machines to hold their value

much better than these two machines.

The Gaggia, was pretty good.

I like this machine, I think for the money it's good value.

I wish it had a bit more steaming power.

I wish the temperature was a little bit more stable.

I wish it brewed at nine bars,

but you can fix those problems.

Personally, if I got to keep one of these,

which one would I keep?

Well, I'd be torn between these two probably,

because I'm open to modding and I'm interested in that.

So these two are in a similar category.

But if milk is important,

this really is a fantastic little espresso machine

for milk steaming.

But of course, I don't get to keep these.

These all get given away to my patron supporters.

I'm very grateful to all of them

for supporting this channel,

giving me budget to just go and buy these.

And at the end of it, when I've tested them,

when I've shared my opinion, I can give them away.

But I'd be interested to hear your thoughts

down in the comments below.

Do you have one of these machines?

Are you having a very different experience to me?

Have you found other things you like about them

or other things you dislike about them?

I'd be super interested to hear from you

down in the comments below,

but for now, I'll say thank you so much for watching

and I hope you have a great day.