Reconditioned espresso machine - good or bad idea?

My 15 year old daughter & wife are very fond of espresso drinks & I enjoy one occasionally. I came across a site the sells reconditioned units and I thought that may be a good way to start without having to invest a few hundred in a new one. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

Are they reconditioned by the manufacturer? with a warranty? That would probably be my only concern. It seems there are very few low priced units that many will agree are quality machines. I gave up searching and bought a French press :ashamed001

 

Reconditioned by the mfg. with 6 month warranty. Does that make things better or worse?

 

No, but it depends on the manufacturer. In all honesty, I think the lowest end machine would be around 300$ new. I have a Saeco Aroma that I've been using for a few years now and its still running great. 300$ is a lower end quality machine, with $500-1000 being a quality at home machine that should last a life time and $1000+ for a great machine that will last forever. I recommend the one I have. I was thinking about buying one for my parents and spend months reading reviews and going through everything. I wouldnt recommend anything less than the Saeco Aroma.

 

If you are looking at one of the websites like WLL, I would say a reconditioned machine would be an excellent choice until they find that they want to spend the extra money. I concur with JayKay in that you shouldn't buy the cheapest one. I just bought a reconditioned Gaggia Coffee DeLuxe for my Father in Law for like $219 from Aabree. It was in great shape. You just give up cool features like a 3 way solenoid valve, which in no way effects the outcome of the shot. Good luck.

 

Spend the money now, because a good machine should last for forever. Check out the gaggia new baby. It comes with the type of group head that the pro models use. If you buy a cheaper machine now you'll just be replacing it in a couple years with a more expensive model.

 

http://www.aabreecoffee.com/Saeco/sa_aroma_blk.cfm?isNTN=1

Great price!

 

Gaggia baby would be a great choice. A suggestion, also, is that Aabree has an ebay account, and lists the same refurbished models on ebay. They usually come with free shipping, and are a little cheaper.

 

I was looking at that Saeco Aroma Black or Gaggia on eBay! Just when I think I'm gonna pull the trigger I read a bunch of bad reviews.

 

Dont let the bad reviews fool you! The lower end machines get bad reviews from the espresso purists who only get the type of shots they want from $2000+ machines that take up half the counter top. The saeco aroma and the gaggia baby are considered some of the best machines to buy in the price range and as a first machine.

 

Excellent - thanks!!

 

I'm oozing over that gaggia baby. If you get one I'll have to come over and have some espresso. I also need to get a real job and get a pot with a tripple boiler to make some great capuccino.

 

Just in case you were still in the market for a machine I thought I'd throw a few photos up of the Saeco Aroma. Still a great deal. I just wouldn't suggest a brushed stainless steel one. It used to stay a lot cleaner when I didn't keep it so close to the sink. The Iced Late was delicious by the way.

 

Very true. I bought the brush a couple years ago and never really used it. Now that I live with a bunch of people we use it to scrub the pots and pans and clean the sink.

 

Rub some olive oil on that mother...

Some foods (acidic, salt, milk and milk products) should be washed, or rinsed thoroughly off the surface of stainless steel promptly or else they tend to corrode it. Do not use harsh abrasives or steel wool on stainless steel. Cooked-on food or grease can be removed from stainless steel utensils by using a fine abrasive cleaning powder or a paste of baking soda and water, or a paste of ammonia and rotten stone. Commercial stainless steel cleaner is available.

 

Barkeeper's Friend is great on the stainless (and glass, ceramics, and just about any smooth surface).

 

Interesting ideas guys. I actually use foaming glass cleaner. It cleans it back up to almost perfect condition but this thing starts to turn as soon as you get a fingerprint on it. No corrosion though. It just gets extremely annoying to wipe that thing down every day and than not get any finger prints on it. I clean it every other week or so but it gets used at the least twice a day if not more. I'll check out barkeepers friend some time. I almost wish it was polished chrome, which would be much easier to just wipe off.

Edit: That thing is probably a little older than 3 years old. I'd say its in pretty good condition for being used daily for 3 years.

 

Missed this thread....

There are a lot of good reviews at Coffeegeek or Home Barista......depending on the machine I would by 2nd hand.....I was looking at a Silvia....and ended up getting a new Anita that was a return at Chriscoffee and was substantially discounted. They sometimes have returns and demos that they cannot sell as new for one reason or another...and offer excellent customer service.

I might add that I would look for a popular brand / machine, as some parts are easier to find and are less expensive depending on the brand.

 

Very nice Neale, but way out of my league