Back when we told you about the Baratza Encore ESP going on sale, that was a milestone for a company that never, ever puts their products on sale, or at least haven’t in their nearly 20 years manufacturing and selling coffee grinders. 

Well, apparently that sale was so successful, they’ve decided to do it again, this time putting two grinders in the Sette lineup on sale, both at 20% off, and both just until July 21, 2024. 

The two grinders are the Baratza Sette 30, and the grinder we use at the CoffeeGeek Lab as our standards-evaluating espresso grinder, the Baratza Sette 270Wi. Sadly for Canadians, this sale is US only.

The Baratza Sette 270Wi

The 270Wi, normally $600, is on sale until July 21 for $480. That’s a killer, killer deal.

I’ve always felt this grinder never gets enough love from the specialty coffee community, especially from the youtube influencers out there. I still consider it one of the best espresso grinders you can buy today under $1000. Why? 

• It was the first grind by weight espresso primary grinder available for sale to consumers
• It has the equivalent of an Acaia Lunar (a $250 scale!!!) built right in 
• It is one of the fastest grinders you can buy today for the home
• The output is nearly zero retention (amazing for a grind on demand grinder with a full bean hopper), obliterating the need for single dosing.
• The output is fluffy, uncompacted and very evenly distributed in a portafilter basket
• The output’s grind particle size and distribution of particle sizes is optimal for espresso
• The dial in process for the grinder is fantastic, with the dual micro / macro settings available

Seriously, with the Sette 270Wi, I don’t really need to WDT (it can help, but the help it provides is marginal compared to most other grinders), and I can get the espresso grind packed, prepped, tamped and locked into the espresso machine in under 20 seconds, from the time I press the grind button. It quite literally can provide the fastest “grinder to shot pull” timings you can get today.

It is our standards-setting machine, so it gets tested and used almost on a daily basis. If anything, my appreciation for this grinder has only grown over the years.

Here, the Sette 270Wi is being put head to head with the Vario+ from Baratza.

The burr set is super tuned for espresso output, being designed and engineered by Etzinger, one of the world’s premier artisan burr designers. 

The implementation of Acaia’s scale is brilliant too, because it goes beyond the mechanics of the scale mechanisms. Built into the Sette is a kind of predictive “AI” that analyses every grind session, recording the final weight, and adjusting the grinder automatically the next time to accurately compensate for any “float” of extra grind weight at the end of the grinding session when the grinder automatically powers down.

What does this mean in real world terms? Let’s say you set the weight output for 18.5g. You go through a batch of coffee from a particular roaster, and every time the grinder gets within .1g or less of that target output. Then you change the coffee in the grinder, and try again. Different coffees grind at different output speeds. The first grind with this coffee at 18.5g is relying on the past dozen grind sessions to accurately deliver 18.5g. But this time, with a different coffee, 18.7g comes out. The grinder recognizes this, so it adjusts the “float” time at the end of the grind by milliseconds shorter, so the next grinding session, it will once again deliver 18.5g.

Pretty genius.

There’s two flaws with the Sette 270Wi. First, it is loud; easily the loudest grinder I use on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. Second, while it does a “good” job on brew grinds (from AeroPress to V60), fines production are frankly horrible for anything coarser, like no bypass brewers, Chemex, and Pour Over. If you do use the grinder for these methods, get a sifter to sift out the fines after.

Other than that, everything about this grinder is golden, especially if your primary brew method is espresso. I consider it good enough that it is the grinder we use to a) evaluate espresso blends and single origins, b) test espresso machines with, and c) test other espresso primary grinders against.

Then of course, there’ Baratza’s legendary after sales service and support to consider. 

If you are in the market for a premium espresso primary grinder, the Sette 270Wi, especially at this sale price of $480, should be at the top of your list.

The Baratza Sette 30 Grinder

The Baratza Sette 30, normally $300, is on sale until July 21 for $240. That puts this grinder into a very competitive market. 

We did a full and comprehensive review of the Sette 30 (nb, currently being updated to our 2024 design change, should be completed by July 10), and I’d encourage you to go read that before pulling the trigger on this model. 

I’m not as sold on the Sette 30 as I am with the Sette 270 series for one reason only: it is missing the micro adjustment to fine tune your grind output. It doesn’t have a built in scale either, but does have a very accurate digital timer, down to 0.01 seconds, which is unheard of anywhere near this price point.

It does have the exact same burrs as the 270 series, and outputs the coffee the same way: fluffy, uncompacted, well distributed. It is also just as fast as the Sette 270 series, making it one of the fastest grinders on the market today. You miss out on the “dial in ability” the 270 series delivers, but you can usually get a grind setting within about a 2-4 second window on your shot pulls, and get it consistently when dialing in.

This is the compromise, and one we’ve had to do with a lot of grinder under $400 for a long time: it can have the most amazing grind particle size distribution and output, but because the “clicks” between grind settings is fairly high, you also have to do a dose adjustment to get the shot times you want the most. In the case of the Sette 30, if your target is 18.5g in, 45ml / g out, in 30 seconds, it might give you 27 seconds at one grind setting, and 33 seconds at the next. So you have to adjust your dose up or down .2, .4g to hit your ideal brew times, if that is your goal. 

All this said, the grinder is a Baratza grinder, so that also means awesome after sales support and service. At $240 on sale right now, you’re getting a lot of the benefits of the upper tier Sette grinders at a budget entry point. If you don’t want to spend more than $250 on a grinder, you could do a lot worse than the Sette 30.

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/deals/baratza-products-on-sale-again-the-sette-30-and-sette-270wi/

#baratza #baratzaSette #deals #espressoDeals #espressoGrinder

There’s no surprise at all that we love the Superkop espresso machine at CoffeeGeek. Our twice-updated First Look heaps praise on the device, and the uniqueness offers, both in operation and in the fact it is the only wall mounted espresso machine you can buy today.

We still use the Superkop to this day, and are way overdue for the publication of our Full Review. Spoiler alert, it’s going to score over 90 points once the review is published. Just about everything regarding this device is first rate and well built. One thing we’ve discovered since the First Look was published is just how temperature stable the thick polycarbonate water reservoir is for pulling espresso shots.

When we published the review, the Superkop was actually cheaper to buy in Canada than it was in the USA.

This has now changed. As of June, 2024, the Superkop is available through Amazon in the USA, at a price of $799.

And there’s even better news. If you opt for the black model, currently there is a $50 off coupon, making the machine (and its hefty wood base) just $750. This is $250 less than what the price was just a few months ago, and puts it a lot closer to the Flair 58, which is around $600. Here’s the choices:

• Superkop in Black, $800 ($750 with coupon).
• Superkop in Red, $800
• Superkop in White, $800

Why the Superkop is So Special

Superkop themselves love to push the fact that this is a generational product: it is so well built, and so ultimately simple in operation that it should last decades and decades with minimal maintenance.

For me, it’s the combination of the industrial design beauty, the quality of beverage it is capable of producing, and the day to day function of the device. Especially if you wall mount it.

It’s funny; when I posted our First Look of the device, I did talk up Superkop’s claim that the machine is maintenance free. Several people on social media questioned that, some not believing it.

For the most part, this machine is maintenance free. You will have to replace the gaskets down the road (on the water reservoir) and possibly the reservoir itself will wear out (I’d recommend buying a spare now, just in case the company isn’t around in 10-15 years). But other than that, the engineering design plus robust build quality make it virtually maintenance free. Hidden inside the machine is a pneumatic piston; its purpose is to lift the plunger piston once you cock the lever back to the full upright position. That should last for decades.

Here’s what the plunger piston looks like, fully extended. You can also see the ratchet steps on the piston’s arm.

The ratchet system is also very robust and should stand up to tens of thousands of uses, if not hundreds of thousands. This is not a plastic toy. The Superkop is all metal, all completely over-built.

Back to why I love the machine so much: in a way, it kind of “automates” the manual lever experience slightly with the ratchet design, unique to this machine in the whole world of modern lever espresso machine makers.

Even the ratchet system is visible and polished, giving your an eye-view of the machine’s mechanics.

The ratchet design means you don’t have to exert a lot of force to get a full 9bar extraction. Six pulls means you control and pause the introduction of water to the bed of coffee. Having the six pulls gives you a series of controlled steps that you can increase pressure on, decrease pressure on, do planned pauses, or extended preinfusions. There’s a lot of room for experimentation and play here.

Then there’s the all mount ability.

I mean, that’s just fantastic. This can become a functional work of art in your home. If you have a breakfast nook or a dedicated “coffee bar” portion of your home or kitchen, this could be the centrepiece. Even in our home, it still stands out wedged into a corner, beside a buffet table and the door to our basement. Every visitor to our home, when they notice the machine, is immediately intrigued. I usually let them pull a shot from it, with a bit of guidance, and the results are marvelled at.

Off in the corner, near our basement access door, it’s easy to get to, easy to brew with, but out of the way.

The Flair 58 might be a better lever machine in terms of output in the cup, but it doesn’t enthuse people like the Superkop does. And if we’re all excited and talking about espresso, we’re going to get better and better espresso. This machine contributes to that.

At $800, or even better yet, $750, the Superkop espresso machine is a solid choice for the home.

• Superkop in Black, $800 ($750 with coupon).
• Superkop in Red, $800
• Superkop in White, $800

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/deals/the-superkop-is-now-under-800-in-the-us/

#espressoDeals #leverEspresso #manualEspresso #superkop

Yesterday, we posted about Lelit’s first ever 20% off sale that is going to May 13. Lelit was acquired by Breville a few years ago, but the full transition took some time, eventually becoming complete last fall, and the last big change was Breville taking over US distribution of the brand from the previous sole importer. That was completed at the start of this year. 

What we didn’t mention is that many (but sadly, not all) Breville espresso machines are also enjoying a full 20% off sale right now, through May 13, 2024. This sale extends to every machine in the Barista lineup of espresso machines and the Bambino Plus, which we have labelled as one of the “Best Espresso Machines” ever. 

Sadly, they did not extend this sale to the Dual Boiler or the Infuser, two excellent machines that we love here at CoffeeGeek. Indeed, the Breville Dual Boiler is such a special and capable machine, that it is our core comparison and testing machine for all espresso machine reviews we conduct.

And the Infuser… the Barista Express without a built in grinder. Such a fantastic machine: if it were on at 20% off, it would be the highlight of our article today. But it is not.

Unlike our Lelit post yesterday, the links below do go to our Amazon affiliate link, so if you purchase via these links, you help our website out and help us to continue producing content. But there’s other good reasons for using these links. Amazon has a fantastic return policy that doesn’t cost you anything to ship a product back if you are unhappy with it, during the first few weeks. They will even pick it up at your door in most metro US areas. 

Second, all Breville machines sold officially via Amazon are fully covered by Breville’s warranty and service, so if you have a problem with the machine down the road, you get the exact same service as you would if you bought from an espresso machine vendor online, or your local supermarket. So there’s good peace of mind there.

With that said, what’s up on offer, and what is the best deals? Let’s get into it.

The Breville Bambino Plus – $400

We love the Bambino Plus machine. Instant on, instant steam, automatic frothing, proper microfoam? Even a low water sensor for the water reservoir (many sub $750 machines don’t even have this feature). 3 way solenoid valve. Rock steady 200F temperatures at the grouphead. Tiny footprint. A gazillion colours available.

It’s such a feature packed, tiny machine, it is one of two machines I declared to be the best espresso machines of all time for the home consumer.

Even at $500 list, it’s an excellent package. At $400, just that much more. I always like to think in a historical perspective, and $400 in today’s dollars is the equivalent of $250 in 2005. Back then, the $250 machines available to consumers were Krups and cheap Delonghi machines with no features, aluminum portafilters (that didn’t even have springs holding the filter baskets in place) and wildly unpredictable brewing temperatures. Today, $400 gets you a state of the art machine that will even steam the milk for you, automatically, to 3 different temperature levels and 3 levels of microfoam.

Breville Bambino Plus in Brushed Steel, at Amazon.

The Bambino Plus is also available in a variety of colours: Sea Salt White, Black Truffle, Damson Blue, Red Velvet Cake, and even more colours available on Breville’s website, including Olive Tapenade (!!)

The Barista Express – $560

The world’s top selling espresso machine, and with good reason. Make sure you check out our updated First Look on this all in one espresso machine. During this sale period, the price has dropped to $560, which is historically the lowest price this machine has ever been offered at. Right now, it is actually cheaper than the Breville Infuser, which is kind of nuts.

The Barista Express, at its heart, is a fantastic entry level “traditional” automatic espresso machine, meaning you manually microfoam the milk, you grind the coffee, tamp the coffee, load it up, and pull the shot. What’s key about the machine is all that it offers (some of which is missing from other sub $600 traditional machines). There’s a hot water tap. The steam performance is excellent. Transition time from brew to steam is very short. There’s six programmable brewing temperatures. Built in preinfusion. Manual shot mode, including some manual control over preinfusion. 

And the entire machine is put together exceptionally well. The grinder is essentially the Smart Grinder Pro built in (without the Smart Grinder Pro’s advanced UI). And because of the machine’s popularity, there are thousands of after-market, third party options and accessories available for it, from chopped portafilters, to dosing cups and custom levers for the steam/hot water switch.

Breville Barista Express in Brushed Steel, at Amazon.
Breville Barista Express in Black Sesame, at Amazon.

The Barista Touch Machine – $800

Of all the updates to the Barista line, this may be my favourite, because it’s an amalgamation of the Barista Express, the Bambino Plus, and the Oracle Touch line, to an extent. It also has two barely-known updates to it recently that make it an even better choice. During this sale period, it is $800, all in for a very advanced espresso machine.

The Touch features Breville’s instant on / instant steam system revolving around their thermojet heating system technology. This system has been recently updated to have more of Breville’s new MilQ software technology, for very advanced auto frothing and heating for milk and plant-based “milk” drinks. It also presents a lot more control and options for heating and frothing milk than the Bambino Plus does. 

The other recent update is the burrs used in the grinder: it now uses the Baratza / Etzinger M2 burr set, which is a very substantial improvement to grind quality. Unlike the Barista Express, the grinder and timer system in the Touch is very precise, allowing for better dosing control and options. 

And of course, there’s the touchscreen controls and the ability to build drinks automatically, akin to what the $2,500 Oracle Touch does. Quite a nice package. 

Breville Barista Touch in Brushed Steel, from Amazon.
Breville Barista Touch in Damsel Blue, from Amazon.
Other colours are available from Breville Direct.

The Breville Barista Pro – $680

This machine is an interesting, slightly outlier machine in Breville’s lineup. It’s only $120 more than the Barista Express, but offers a lot more inside and via the controls. You also give up something, which will be up to you to decide if the trade off is worth it. It normally retails for $850, but is on for $680 during this sale period.

In effect, this machine is the Barista Express with a) Breville’s instant on thermojet system, b) better, more powerful manual steaming system that is available right after brewing, c) Baratza’s M2 burrset, d) much better grinder timer and dosing system, e) better temperature controls, f) a shot timer, and g) low water sensors for the water reservoir. What do you give up? The Express’ pressure gauge, and because it’s Breville’s instant on thermojet system, you absolutely have to run blank shots to heat everything up. 

I think it’s worth the $120 jump in price, especially considering transition time from brewing to steaming is nil. Not to mention conveniences like the low water sensor, the shot timers and more.

Breville Barista Pro in Brushed Steel from Amazon.

The Barista Pro is also available in many other colours, including Black Truffle, Damson Blue, and Red Velvet Cake. Even more colours are available at Breville Direct, including Royal Champagne.

The Breville Barista Express Impress – $720

A very unique machine and a new take on Breville’s Oracle auto tamping system, bringing intelligent auto dosing of your ground coffee down to a more reasonable price point. The Barista Express Impress is essentially the Barista Express, but with an entire auto-dosing and semi-auto tamping system to take the guesswork out of prepping your bed of coffee. It’s normally $900, but down to $720 during this sale.

Look, us espresso nerds love manually prepping the portafilter. The single dosing, applying WDT, measuring down to .1g, lovingly levelling, tamping with panache, and locking the portafilter into the espresso machine. The thing is, we’re like 10% of home espresso lovers. For the other 90%, this machine automates one of the more frustrating aspects people feel revolve around espresso, and it is actually fun to use, with the lever pull for tamping down, and the lightboard lighting up to show you if your dose is correct or not. 

Otherwise, this machines everything the Express is, from the advanced thermoblock system (that means the machine gets properly heated up, no need for blank shot flushes, but not Breville’s instant thermojet system), good steam ability, volumetric shots, preinfusion, and the nifty pressure gauge up front. All for $720 right now.

Breville Barista Express Impress, in Brushed Steel, from Amazon.

The Barista Express Impress is also available in Black Truffle, Damson Blue, and Black Sesame. More colours are available at Breville Direct, including the lovely Sea Salt White.

The Breville Barista Touch Impress – $1,200

We’re currently reviewing this machine and were impressed (heh) that, for $1600, you were essentially getting a $2,800 Oracle Touch machine for $1,200 less, with just a few minor sacrifices. Well, at the $1,200 sale price, this could be the ultimate “bean to cup” automated machine on the planet right now.

This is the latest tech from Breville. It was the first to feature their full MilQ system which not only does an excellent job steaming for every milk-based coffee drink you could imagine, but also has advanced algorithms for plant based “milks”. The grinder uses Baratza’s M2 burr set, and offers more control over the grind and dose than any other Barista machine. It uses Breville’s thermojet system, so everything is instant and quick. Quite literally the only thing you have to do in the morning is turn it on, swipe the screen, make your drink selection and follow the on screen directions. Move the portafilter from grinder area to grouphead. Place your cup and steam pitcher. The machine does the rest.

Make sure to check out our initial article on the Breville Barista Touch Impress. At $1,200, there is no other bean to cup machine that can output better tasting espresso drinks.

Breville Barista Touch Impress, in Brushed Steel, from Amazon.
Breville Barista Touch Impress, in Black Truffle, from Amazon.
Breville Barista Touch Impress, in Damsel Blue, from Amazon.

A reminder that these sale prices are only in effect until May 13, 2024. Some, including the Barista Touch Impress and Barista Express, are at their lowest all time prices right now. Most of the links above generate a small commission for CoffeeGeek via our Amazon affiliate program. We use 100% of our Amazon income to fund our small blogging team’s contributions to this website.

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/deals/brevilles-biggest-sale-on-espresso-machines/

#baristaExpress #Breville #deals #espressoDeals #espressoMachines

Right now seems like a really good time if you want to get a premier espresso machine. A machine filled with all the latest tech and parts. A machine that could easily serve for decades on your kitchen counter as long as you do regular maintenance and are religious about using good filtered water. 

That’s because for the first time ever, and part of Breville’s full push of a brand they recently bought and have completed the transfer of, Lelit espresso machines are on sale across the board, for 20% off their list price. But you need to hurry if you want one, because the sale ends on May 13, 2024.

NB – none of the links below are affiliate links. This is not a paid product announcement. We make no income from this post. The post exists to inform our readers about a fantastic short term sale on great products.

Lelit Bianca V3

This 20% off sale includes the Best Espresso Machine (yes, very subjective), the Lelit Bianca V3 machine. 

In fact, because of this sale, the Bianca, brand new, and in black or white (or the original brushed steel) is a full $1,000 cheaper than it was just a year ago. $3,000 might seem like a lot to drop on an espresso machine, but what do you think about spending $2,399 on one of the best machines ever built for the home? ‘

To be frank, $2,400 for the Lelit Bianca V3–a machine that in many ways puts the $9,000 La Marzocco GS3 MP to shame–is an unbelievable bargain.

Everything about this machine is amazing, from the built in rotary pump and dual boilers, to how it manages 110V power more efficiently than almost any other machine in its class. The wealth of preinfusion, low flow, and manually controlled pressure options are staggering. The machine can even be plumbed in, and doing so opens up even more brewing options. 

This machine is available from two of our sponsors:

• Lelit Bianca V3 at 1st in Coffee
• Lelit Bianca V3 at Whole Latte Love

Entry Point Lelit Anna

If $2,400 is crazy to you, how does $559 sound? Because that’s how much the full PID equipped Lelit Anna is right now. We’re just starting our full review process on this machine (First Look expected in early summer); the build quality is excellent, and overall functionality leaves machines like the Rancilio Silvia in the dust.

The Anna has all the premium bells and whistles you’d want, including a 3 way solenoid valve, a pressure gauge, full PID controls up front, a stainless steel outer body, and top grade parts inside. The only slight knock is the portafilter is a 57mm version, which means 3rd party accessories are a bit more limited, compared to 58mm and 54mm equipped machines.

This machine is available from one of CoffeeGeek’s Sponsors:

• Lelit Anna at Whole Latte Love

The Premium Single Boiler Lelit Victoria

The Lelit Victoria Espresso Machine

We are also in the process right now of reviewing the Lelit Victora, and at $1,000, it truly gives the Profitec GO, (also $1,000) a run for its money. But at the sale price of $799? It’s nearly a steal.

There’s a lot going on with the Victoria. 58mm portafilter with Lelit’s uber premium wrap around spout system. Full advanced PID controls and programmable preinfusion (something the Profitec doesn’t have). Fill and level sensors in the boiler so it never runs dry. The machine even has an auto-flush system to cool down the boiler after steaming milk so you can steam, then pull shots almost back to back. The Victoria even comes with a proper water filter system, something the Profitec GO does not.

In a lot of ways, this machine is the natural successor to the Rancilio Silvia… or what the Silvia should have become after 20 years on the market. 

This machine is available at two of CoffeeGeek’s sponsors:

• Lelit Victoria at 1st in Coffee
• Lelit Victoria at Whole Latte Love

Advanced E61 at an Entry Point Price: Lelit Mara X

If you want a very compact machine that punches entirely above its weight class, and want to get into the world of E61 groups (including the ability to modify them down the road to include a pressure profiling lever), a machine that’s well loved is the Lelit Mara X.

At $1,700, this E61 equipped, PID controlled machine based around a ginormous 1.8litre single boiler is absolutely state of the art, and well worth the price. During this sale, the Mara X is down to $1,359, which kind of boggles the mind. And that includes the premium painted white or black models, both of which feature premium wood accents.

We do not have one of these machines for review… yet (that’s planned for this fall). But I have worked on one. The first thing you note is just how “pro” every single thing about this tiny machine seems to say. Build quality is through the roof. Everything fits nicely together and looks polished and finished. Then you realise this machine has a lot of tech inside. There’s three settings for brew temperatures, a steam priority mode, and even if you have it brew priority mode, there’s a kick on super heater when you activate the steam function. The machine is also so quiet, I thought perhaps they had a rotary pump inside (it’s a vibration pump, but well insulated). 

This machine is available from two of CoffeeGeek’s sponsors:

• Lelit Mara X (in white with wood accents) from Whole Latte Love
• Lelit Mara X (in polished steel) from 1st in Coffee

Other Choices in the Lelit Line

Of course, there are other machines in the Lelit line to consider, from the Kate (a Victoria with a built in grinder), to the Elizabeth machines. Both are also 20% off at every official vendor in the US of Lelit products. 

Lelit also makes grinders; in fact, we’ll be getting one to review later this year. They have the budget friendly Fred Grinder (just $207 during this sale), and the advanced William Grinder (that’s the one we’re reviewing, it is $480 during the sale period). Both also have the 20% discount applied.

Every authorised vendor of Lelit products in the USA is offering these discounts, so you can pick and choose where you want to buy them. We ask you to consider one of CoffeeGeek’s sponsors if you are in the market for one of these machines.

• Lelit Products at Whole Latte Love
• Lelit Products at 1st in Coffee

Without their support, our website would not exist. If you do buy from one of them, please let them know where you heard about them. The links above are not affiliate links. We make absolutely no income from this post or the links.

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/lelit-espresso-machines-at-their-lowest-prices-ever/

#deals #espressoDeals #espressoMachines #lelit #lelitBianca