Commercial Espresso Coffee Machine Buyer Guide
We have owned this machine for about a year. We are latte drinkers and this machine does a great job pulling shots for lattes. I can not really comment on espresso, as I am by no means an espresso expert. That said, with this machine, I make better lattes than the local coffee joints (Seattle’s best, Starbucks, etc). More coffee flavor, not as bitter, and certainly not the scald taste you can get from some of the chains.
Easy to use, though a little picky on the grind. I find a grind between espresso and drip works the best. I use the grinders in the grocery store, and use their bulk beans. Espresso grind will definitely clog the machine up, and drip is to course. I tend to go a little closer to drip than espresso when I am selecting the grind level.
what is a good commercial cappuccino espresso machine?
I am opening a Italian commercial espresso coffee machine coffee shop and need to buy a commerial espresso cappuccino machine! What is a good brand? There are so many of them. Any help, please! THANK YOU!!!
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Commercial espresso machines are designed for the true barista in mind. The three espresso machines from Grindmaster-Cecilware brew a high quality espresso with there Espressimo®, Venezia II and Venezia espresso machines that are all made in the USA with American parts.
An inline water filter must be installed on all these machines for the warranty to be in effect. The installation package that includes the in-line water filter, part OPTESP, costs an additional $900. Barista training is required and is not included in the base price as well. Each of these commercial coffee machines features a high steam capacity for cappuccino production. The amperage of these machines runs from 10A for the automatic/semi-automatic Venezia II, 1 Group to the 27A for the automatic / semi-automatic Venezia II, 3 Group. Group number refers to the number of espresso heads that make the espresso commercial espresso coffee machine beverage on a machine.
The Espressimo espresso machines come only in the 1 Group and 2 Group configurations with each head group having a steam wand. The pull from 15 to 17 amps, yet require a 20 amp plug receptacle single phase.
The Venezia II comes in 1, 2 and 3 Group configurations. All of these machines are automatic / semi-automatic. An additional Venezia II steamer pulls 13 amps, has a 6 quart boiler that takes an additional area of 19.38" x 21.81" x 22.75" of space. Its weight is 88 pounds. All these machines require a .5" pipe fitting connection, which is required. The line cord is included without a plug. Accessories included are a two and one cup filter holder assemblies and hoses.
The Venezia espresso machines also have 1, 2 and 3 Group head machines that are automatic / semi-automatic as well. The boiler size for the Venezias is from a 6 quart size to an 18 quart size for the 3 Group heads. All produce 240 cups per hour per group head.
The attractive black/chrome design on all these machines complements any décor. In addition, a full line of espresso and cappuccino accessories are available to meet your needs. All commercial Expression® coffee machines are made in the USA with American parts.
Additional Espressimo accessories come as single items and in kits. Kit 1 includes a stainless steel dump box with thick rubber cross bar, stainless steel steam pitcher, stainless steel measuring spoon that holds 7 grams of coffee, tamper for flattening and leveling the bed of ground coffee and cleaner. Kit 2 includes a water filter/softening system the includes the housing and 2 cartridges, dump box, steam pitcher, tamper and cleaner to back clean each group head. One packet of cleaner per group head should be done once a week.
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I consider myself lucky that I had 2-1/2 years of good service from this machine before the pump gave out. I contacted Breville to troubleshoot and they were quick to mention they make quality and superior products then they referred me to their out-of-warranty repair subcontractor. I called them – the folks in Nile, Ill. and they could not tell me anything other than to send it in for them to determine what it will take to repair it. All I could see was dollar signs and a high probability I would not be satisfied. I turned to Amazon to look for another espresso machine and I saw these reviews. I thank each of you for posting these as it confirmed my suspicions and prevented me from buying another Breville.
I have their coffee grinder too. From day one I knew this was poorly engineered. Try to fill up the container with grinds – enough for 4 shots. You can’t. The small opening prevents that and soon the mountain of grinds grows to the point where it stops up the opening and stresses out the motor. I fixed that problem by breaking off the lid to the container. Now I have grinds that fly out all over the counter but at least I can fill up the container.
If I had a boat I would not need to buy an anchor!
Since 2008, I have had 2 of these. On both of them the pump broke, meaning you end up with a $500 piece of scrap metal. I am firmly convinced the pump deign on these is flawed – I did not use the machines heavily, and previous to these I had a $250 Krupp that lasted over 5 years.
It is a shame, because this Breville is beautifully built: it’s heavy, the design is clean and functional and it looks great in a kitchen with other stainless steel appliances. While it makes espresso, the quality of it is very good, with good micro-froth for a machine in this price range. The controls are easy and straight forward.
Shame about the pump design, it has truly made me decide to never go Breville espresso maker again, despite the appealing aesthetics and great mechanical design. There is no excuse for a $500 espresso maker that breaks after less than 100 uses…
We were given a less expensive Breville espresso machine as a gift. It started leaking after several months, so I contacted Breville customer service. They swapped the less expensive machine for this one — without charge. I was thrilled that they took back the other one (since I didn’t have a receipt) and even more thrilled that they upgraded it. Although the new machine was refurbished, I can’t tell the difference. This machine is solid, works quickly, delivers great espresso and cappuccino, and is easy to clean. I highly recommend not just this machine, but Breville products — due to their excellent customer service.
Love this machine…..fast, easy to clean, and took a few tries to get the perfect latte, but have that part mastered. My only complaint was that nowhere on the product description did we see anything that stated it was a refurbished machine, and we were expecting brand new, so were very disappointed. We contacted Breville and they stated they refurbish the machines sold, and it holds the same warranty as a new machine, so we decided to keep it, registered it for the warranty and will hope for the best.
I have had the Ikon for about 2 years now and do not have any complaints about its performance and quality. It pulls a great shot of espresso and steams milk as advertised. I use it almost every day, and have not had any performance issues. As long as I keep a sufficient amount of water in the water supply (which has nothing to do with the manufacturer), there have not been any issues. I would highly recommend it for home usage, especially considering its price, and have been more than satisfied. I cannot attest to Breville’s customer service as I have not needed to use them.
I think this machine it’s great. It does all it’s supposed to do. Rich consistent flavorful coffee, lots of crema and then the modern, sleek design… it looks great. This is a heavy machine with simple, elegant buttons. This is the Bose of expresso makers!
This is my first “real” espresso maker after the Krups machine we had for some years. Overall I’m very happy with it, but I have some questions (which are probably due to my lack of coffee making skills).
1) Some reviewers here talk about a pressurized vs an unpressurized basket. How does that effect the coffee and the crema, and which is preferred?
2) The instruction book states that “Twenty seconds is generally sufficient to make two 30 ml espresso shots”. Mine only just starts after about 20 secs and to get a decent amount I need to let it run for at least a minute. What could cause this (coffee tamped too much?). Further, I like a full cup and need to run the pump for 2 mins to get this. Is this bad for the machine?
3) I find it hard to get a dry puck, the way the Krups did. What could cause this?
4) I buy coffee either at the grocery store or at Starbucks, with varying results. Can anyone recommend particular brands or places to buy excellent coffee?
Thanks! I appreciate any info!
- marc
I am consistently amazed by this machine. I have had two previous espresso machines (both cheap Krups designs) and neither produced what I determine to be a “tasty shot.” First off, I bought this machine at Dillard’s for $40. Seriously. I was amazed that they were selling it so cheap. Having used it several times already I can say that it is the easiest machine I have ever used. Just put in coffee, tamp it down, and press go. When you have enough, press stop. The espresso it produces is thick, creamy and an extremely “tasty shot.” My previous espresso came from a Bialetti style stovetop machine which made an amazing cup, but never had an espresso syrupy taste. This machine cleans up well and stores all accessories in its storage tray behind the drip tray. Don’t hesitate to purchase (especially if you can find it cheaper or ever used).
I’m fairly hardcore about coffee — I bring my own when my wife and I travel. I’ve owned a reasonable number of coffee machines over the past three decades, and this is the best one so far. Read the brief manual ([...]). It does a great job of explaining the machine and why it produces richer, fuller coffee. Here’s an excerpt:
“Perfect coffee flavor is robust without bitterness and is determined by three elements: water temperature, the time ground coffee is exposed to the water and how much of the coffee is exposed to the water.
TEMPERATURE
The ready-to-brew internal hot water tank keeps water at the ideal brewing temperature of approximately 200°F.
TIME
The fast 3-minute cycle is the perfect brew cycle time for the most coffee flavor without bitterness. Brew cycles that expose ground coffee for more than 6 minutes cause an overextracted, bitter taste.
TURBULENCE
The unique sprayhead design creates the right amount of turbulence to suspend ground coffee and extract flavor evenly and thoroughly. With most coffee makers, water drips straight through without evenly exposing all coffee granules to the water.”
The coffee is much tastier than with other machines I’ve owned. It’s so much better that I don’t mind it not having a built-in timer; I’ll just add one.
This is our 4th BUNN Coffee Maker Purchase in 16 years, and I am very happy with it!
It brews a fantastic cup of coffee faster than any other home coffee pot out there. We do not take a lot of care with our coffee pots, and it gets used about twice daily, so to have a coffee pot work for 4 years (average) is well above and beyond my expectations. You can spend $50 a year (or every 2 years) on an “ok” coffee maker, or you can spend around $100 every 4-5 years on a great one! If you are concerned about the heater tanks wasting electricity, then this is not the coffee pot for you. I love that I can brew a perfect pot of coffee in 3 minutes, and start over right away if I need to.
When we travel, I actually miss our coffee pot. When people come over for coffee, I always get exceptional reviews on my coffee. That makes me laugh, considering that I buy store brand (generic) ground coffee (100% Columbian)! Even if this coffee pot only lasted us two years, I would still spend the extra money on it. I am sticking to BUNN, because I like the product and the end result!!
Wife is very happy that she finally broke down and bought one of these coffee makers and the price was excellent.
I purchased my bunn a few years ago and have never looked back. I have the NHBX-B Contemporary brewer. Perhaps it does use more energy. Perhaps it isn’t built of steel and solid like the commercial ones – but I love it.
I finally broke down and purchased one for around $80 – I was tired of waiting 15-20 minutes for coffee that really didn’t taste good. With my bunn the coffee brews quickly and tastes great. It is only weak if you dno’t use a good coffee and enough of it.
I use regular filters i buy at our local grocer – once in awhile i have had grounds in my coffee – but not enough that it has forced me to buy different special filters. And if there are grounds, they sink and only the final last drop has some in it – oh well – three minutes and i can have a fresh clean pot.
My sister’s birthday is coming up and i am planning on buying her a bunn! Enjoy your coffee!
i found coffeegeek.com and chriscoffee.com very helpful in researching espresso machines. also wholelattelove.com but just for comparisons on their site.
I bought the Pasquini Livia 90 Automatic in 2002. The version I needed was for 240 volt operation so it was shipped from Italy. At the same time I also ordered the grinder and 2 drawer base. I had spent a lot of time reading reviews and comments on several sites for a wide variety of machines. The number of reviews which compared their brands to the Pasquini Livia machines was what really sold me on the Pasquini. You don’t compare your machine(s) to lesser machines, you compare against the best. If so many various reviews used Pasquini as a target then it must be well worth a look. I am glad I did, it is an extremely well built and reliable machine.
I have mine on for 12 to 16 hours per day and make and serve quite a lot of espresso and cappuccino to family and friends. The Pasquini is also used for tea, cocoa, instant soups and anything else that calls for the use of near boiling water. The machine gets it right every time, any variation in quality is due to the coffee, the milk or the user. It took a bit of time to learn how to use it effectively but it has never disappointed me.
The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the choice of a plastic water storage reservoir in the machine. I think that a stainless steel tank would be a better choice due to the effects of age, heat and vibrations which caused some cracks in my original tank. Pasquini replaced it free of charge even though the machine was out of warranty! A stainless steel tank would add to the noise level though and it already is not a stealthy machine. The pump is by no means quiet, but it certainly does the job and I’m sure will continue to do so for years to come.
I recommend Pasquini without reservation based on the machine and the service I have had when dealing directly with the company on several occasions.
This is a serious coffee machine. It’s “commercial quality” so it’s heavy (almost 50lbs) and very well built. It takes up some counter space (mostly depth) but it looks elegant and is easy to keep clean. The portafilter (handle with basket for coffee) is very sturdy and fits snugly. It has a useful ready gauge and simple buttons (as noted above) for on-off and start-stop.
Now the important stuff: It makes great coffee consistently. I moved up to this machine from a Braun pump espresso machine. This one has better pressure and temperature. I used to brag about my Braun machine because it was inexpensive and made consistently good esperesso. The first shots I pulled from this machine made me realize that I didn’t realize what I was missing. If you know how to make espresso, this machine lets you pull easy, consistent, and quality shots.
Another great feature of this machine is the continuous steam and hot (very hot!) water outlet. If you’ve ever had trouble steaming milk on machine you’ll be impressed and maybe even surprised at how well this works. The machine also recovers well and quickly after you pull shots or use the steam wand.
The tanks is removable and holds a lot of water. It’s easy to fill in place as well. You can leave this machine on all day if you like (it’s designed to work that way) and you might want to if you’re like me and drink too much coffee. The reason is that it can take a little while to warm up if it’s been off for a while. That’s probably the only thing I’m not fond of with this machine. First thing in the morning it can take a while to warm up (5-10 mins). This makes sense given the size and build of the machine. It simply takes time to warm up to the proper brewing temperature. However, I had gotten used to a machine that only takes a couple of minutes. So, my new morning routine includes going down to turn on the machine and coming down after my shower for my great coffee!
If you’ve never had a pump machine before, you may need some practice, but I think this is a good machine to learn on (due to its consistency). Just remember to follow the instructions (especially not to overfill the filter) and adjust either the grind of your coffee or the pressure of your tamping to get the desired results.
I hope this is helpful to you if you’re considering this machine. I’d say it does well or better to other machines in this price range. It’s a definite step up in quality and build from the machine’s you’ll find in the $500-1000 price range. It’s a complete improvement in machine and coffee from pretty much any machine under $500.
One last comment, Pasquini has been excellent and very responsive to questions. I’m very pleased to see them here on Amazon.
Good luck with your quest for great coffee…I found it with this machine!
UPDATE: I originally posted this review in 2005. Almost 4 years later, I’m still very happy with my Pasquini and find it makes consistently good coffee. My only comment after all these years is that a little maintenance on this machine goes a long way. Regular backflushing and occasional cleaning keep it working great. We’ve had to replace one gasket that Pasquini was very kind in sending us. So, overall I would still highly recommend this machine. Hope this is helpful!