I have a Londinium R24 and a Decent. I'm not sure if they are mid-range but I love both. The Decent has taught me so much about espresso making. The Londinium makes insanely good espresso consistently. Both offer flexibility that allows you to make anything at any roast level, assuming you pair it with a good grinder. If everyone likes medium to dark roasts, I'd suggest investing more in the grinder and getting a reliable E61 group.
this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2023
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Agreed on the grinder thing. Oddly enough one of my main criteria for that is just going to be "does it not make a huge mess, because this counter space is very small" though.
I don't know what the consensus is outside of Italy, but if you are on the cheap get a Bialetti mocha pot. It's not exactly espresso but it basically is.
What budget are you working with?
The cheapest rec I'd go for is a Breville Bambino Plus with a Encore ESP grinder, but you can go much higher end.
You said midrange, but I'm not sure what your budget is. I have a DeLonghi Dinamica and it is spectacular. Produces excellent cup after excellent cup of coffee.
That said, the coffee production is entirely automatic. The only thing I do is steam/froth the milk.
Honestly I don't really have a specific budget, it's more that I shouldn't just dive for the highest end stuff.
Fully automated stuff always worries me for longevity. how long have you had yours, is it wearing well?
Going strong at two years. I do all of the maintenance recommended in the manual (which is honestly not that much work), and I make sure to leave it open after I've finished making coffee for the day so that it dries out and doesn't leave it gross and moist inside.
I specifically avoided the one that froths the milk since I figured it would be a nightmare to clean.
My dad pulled his old La Pavoni Europiccola out of storage for me recently and I’ve really fallen in love with this thing. Its simplicity is its strength, but it also makes it a little temperamental. You’ll probably struggle with it in the beginning, but it is so damn satisfying when you start to learn the ropes and are able to routinely pull perfect espressos by cranking down that lever by yourself. It might end up being too much involvement for the more casual enjoyers, but the real lovers are going to get swept up in the beauty of the process - and may persuade the less-committed with their enthusiasm.