Where to start..

To play devil’s advocate, starting with a lever might end in frustration.

Making espresso at home as a beginner, even as a non-beginner sometimes, is relentlessly frustrating. So many variables - grind, tamp pressure, dose, ratio, and pressure/temperature.

With a lever you’re adding a huge variable with pressure/flow.

Also with a hand-grinder, each to their own but that paired with a lever as a first machine sounds like a one-way ticket to a very short exploration into home espresso.

I hadn’t heard of the Dualit Cino but you could get a Rancilio Silvia for less than a Flair + the Cino and have a far far more forgiving (and more resellable) setup.

Ernie1 starting with a lever might end in frustration.

For me, it’s the end game machine, that too from some one who had given up coffee for a long time after moving away from a few cheap £100+ machines to instant powders to nothing.

We also used to make a traditional Indian filter style coffee and mix with milk.

It’s a fair question.

John Buckman of decent espresso fame was interviewed about a year ago (published in “The Lever” magazine) and said that in his opinion the introduction of the Spring was the death of the lever machine. But then has a significant bias towards being able to control ever aspect of an espresso shot. Thats not a good or bad thing but it is a distinct preference.

For others, a part of the point of the sprung lever is that it automatically gives you declining pressure as the shot progresses. This is considered ideal by a lot of people. More pressure at the start when the puck is giving up the most of the good oil and less pressure as the puck disintegrates which keeps the flavor fuller and better balanced and the viscosity higher. Yes, it’s not practically controllable but it’s darned near perfect if you enjoy a particular style of espresso.

Add to that the ability to determine preinfusion pressure that some modern sprung levers have and its a pretty handy package.

Something that struck me recently is that when I look at the machines I’ve had over the past 15 years or so - Gaggia Classic, Silvia, Bianca, Linea Mini; the more expensive they get, the more forgiving they are.

Making a kind of inverse correlation to the home espresso learning curve.

My Silvia made some really great espresso but everything needed to be perfect, and even then temp instability would sometimes ruin a shot.

The Bianca was far more forgiving, and with the paddle meant I could ‘save’ any shots that weren’t quite dialled in.

The LM I can almost wave a bag of beans and carton of Oatly at and it’ll prepare a brilliant coffee. It’s almost harder to make a bad coffee than a good one.

I’m not saying anyone should rush into spending £1500+ on their first machines but if it’s at all affordable, even if it doesn’t work out the loss on some of the popular higher end machine may not be too dissimilar to reselling an entry level machine.

A looming possible recession probably isn’t the best time to be testing this theory but food for thought!

MattH Seriously I like the more mechanical options as they are small and portable - the kitchen is not yet a space I could easily place a full machine.

Maybe that’s a reason to reconsider the 9Barista! 😉

Seriously, that’s exactly why I was interested in it – our counter space is limited, and we didn’t have the room for an espresso machine, even a small one, like the Breville Bambino.

:) I used to have my machine in the living room on a side table. The kitchen had rather limited worktop space. There is space for one now as more counter space which my wife is very good at filling up.

Various cups etc. No not now just the mug also slimmer scales with a higher capacity. Hand grinder - no thanks for espresso, Beans go into a vented can for several days now to condition. Then a plunger type for use..

The Bambino from various reviews and write ups appears to be Barista Express less grinder and pressure gauge. plus the milk stuff, Only way to be sure though is to look inside.