Hands-on reviews of espresso machines from DeLonghi, Philips, Breville, Gaggia, and Jura. Written by Claire — former barista, ten years of home espresso. Honest assessments based on what I’ve tested, owned, and researched, with the flaws each machine actually has.
Cards on the table, same as in my 3300 review: I don’t own any of these three. My counter belongs to a DeLonghi Magnifica, which is how I know this …
Cards on the table, same as always: I don’t own the Philips 3300. My counter belongs to a DeLonghi Magnifica — the 3300’s most direct competitor — and after two …
Cards on the table first: I don’t own a Philips. My daily machine is a DeLonghi Magnifica — Philips’s most direct competitor — and I’ve spent two years living with …
I’ll say this upfront: I’ve never owned a Breville Barista Express. What I owned was a Gaggia Classic — a bare semi-automatic with no grinder, no PID, no help of …
I’ll be upfront, because it changes how you should read everything below: I learned espresso on a Gaggia Classic. It was my first real machine. It taught me most of …
I’ve made espresso both ways. For years my kitchen had a Gaggia Classic on the counter — a semi-automatic, the kind where you grind, dose, tamp, and pull every shot …
I’ve had a DeLonghi Magnifica Start sitting on my counter for two years now, and it still surprises me how confusing the rest of the lineup is to make sense …
If you’re weighing the DeLonghi Magnifica Start vs Philips 2200, I’ll be straight with you before we start: I own the DeLonghi Magnifica Start. I’ve pulled shots out of it …
I run a DeLonghi at home, so I’ll be straight with you: I’m not a daily Breville owner. But I’ve descaled enough friends’ Barista Express machines — and talked enough …
Which DeLonghi espresso machine is best? I’ve had a Magnifica on my counter for about two years now, and I get asked some version of this question constantly. Friends, my …