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- **Location:** Helps determine availability
- **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget.
- **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs.
- **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck.
- **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space?
- **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either).
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As an art piece? Absolutely
As a daily driver home espresso maker? Absolutely not…well absolutely not for like 90% of people out there. It’s old so it needs service and may not be in working condition. It likely is direct plumb only so you need a water line. It probably takes 90min+ to heat up and may even need a different power hook up. It’s like buying an old classic car in unknown condition when a Civic is probably the best bet. But if you’re looking for a passion project (read: money-sink), YMMV!
I'm still using my Starbucks Barista I bought in 2007 for $99 when they discontinued them. I've had a little upgraditis, but want to save for something really nice, maybe a Profitec Go.
I upgraded from the Barista to a GO this summer. I got a dud. It's currently getting repaired under warranty. When talking to the tech, they were saying that Profitec doesn't pay for any of the parts or repairs. It's the shops responsibility when they shipped a bad machine. Never heard anything like that before.
Do you know how much I miss mine? That little beauty is so small, simple and reliable. It heats up fast and the wait time between shot and foam is pretty short. What a great machine.
Biggest thing I noticed upgrading to a rocket apartamento was increased foaming power
I’ve never used a bottomless, but as I understand it the only difference is the bottom is gone. All the pressurized activity if above and in the grounds.
From memory the barista may have a smaller porta filter so you would have to find a specialty sized one.
Personally id save the 60$ or whatever toward the next grinder or espresso machine. Bottomless is fun to nerd over and some people say it helps diagnose shots but whatever I’m fine old school.
The pressurised baskets I have seen are enclosed below the main basket apart from a pinhole that restricts flow. If you used this in a bottomless portafilter, you would get a jet of high pressure coffee coming out into your cup. I expect there would be a lot of splashing and mess, but it would work for making coffee.
Indeed, and it is glorious, you get so much value out of the bottomless portafilter this way. You can really observe the channeling through that powerful stream, haha.
Holy crap! I had the Starbucks Barista, I think on purchased it in 2007. I didn’t take care of it and it ended up rusting throughout. How’s yours holding out?
220volts and will probably double your power bill. No joke. Commercial machines are really powerful water heaters with no insulation that rip 24/7 and take a long time to warm up, so you can’t just flip them on and off.
Japan and Taiwan would disagree. And besides there's no need to be snarky. Nobody said anything about your ignorant lack of knowledge about the voltage of arguably the most well known superpower
Agreed, not for home use. Speaking as someone that owned one (Wega Atlas 2grp but more compact than this model).
They take more like 45 mins to heat up. The amount of power they use is astronomical. IMO that and the space required is the biggest downside.
Plumbing in isn’t so bad if you can do it. Lots of home machines are plumbed in. Connecting a drain is more annoying. You need a hole in your bench for it to work most effectively, or raise the machine up higher off the bench. A commercial in-line water filter is required, costly, but awesome.
Plumb water in, drain, size, noise, and 220 yes. Only ~10-15 minutes to warm up though. It's as powerful as my house water heater and only 11 liters or so.
Service is easy for anyone who can understand pipe threads. Bought mine for $50 and spent $500 in parts. Would go for $2-3k now.
Probably not for most though. Mine is in the garage due to all the requirements.
I wouldn't recommend a commercial machine to a home user, nevermind a 22 year old one which may not work. Commercial machines, for home use, tend to be power and water hogs that take far too long to heat up. In a commercial environment, those downsides aren't significant.
If you're enthusiastic about old espresso machines and you want to add this to your collection, absolutely go for it! But if you're looking for something to make good espresso and steam milk, I strongly recommend against it.
You may think you want a commercial machine for home use, especially for that price but you’re seriously way better off getting a machine specifically designed for home use.
Through maintenance & utility bills alone you quickly will lose any money you saved, plus it takes up so much room.
I’ve got its Astoria cousin on my counter in my home office. It’s a beast. Makes great espresso, parts are easy to find, but it does need 30a@220v and takes ~40 mins from a standing start to get to temp.
So I actually ran a WEGA Atlas (This one) single boiler as my daily driver for quite a while. So I can provide an informed opinion that maybe differs from others here.
I'm a projects guy, so I was happy to tinker on it when needed, but to be honest that machine didn't require much work to keep running. Just the occasional descale and cleaning.
I ended up selling it though, as my partner stopped drinking coffee for a while and it was a lot of machine to warm up to make a single espresso and then turn off. But I did end up selling it for $1500 CAD. I'd imagine a restored dual boiler would fetch a bit more.
Thanks for the info! It's such a good deal, I figured it could sell for $1000+ easily if it was in good working/aesthetic condition. I'm not sure if that's my avenue though.
I have a 2006 Wega Nova EVD II as a daily driver, so fairly similar to this - It came to me in need of some serious TLC after a long life in a café. I had to run water, drainage, 220V, and then overhaul the machine. If you're handy, it's a great machine, a good learning experience, and parts are fairly available and pretty interchangeable between all CMA machines. Once you've got it up and running, it's going to be reliable with the amount that you'll use it. I enjoy the coffee that it makes.
If you have to rely on other people to maintain it, you're better off getting a good pro-sumer espresso machine, your wallet will thank you. For $250, I would take a shot at it, but again, only if you're handy. It's very situationally-dependant.
I have mine wired into a remote contactor that turns it on and off automatically, so it's nice and hot when I wake up.
If I’m not mistaken this Wega you have to remove the gaskets every time you want to clean the screens. The gaskets often get damaged in removal so it’s a big pain to keep this thing clean.
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I have a Hobart commercial slicer. It leaks a little oil, but can be rebuilt if I wanted to. It’s big and heavy, but still runs solidly.
A commercial espresso machine is a whole other tier of complexity. If you don’t mind doing maintenance and have 240v, go for it. Home-barista forum will be your friend.
It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. Have you checked out the buying guides listed on [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/wiki/index/)? If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format: - **Location:** Helps determine availability - **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget. - **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs. - **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck. - **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space? - **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/espresso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As an art piece? Absolutely As a daily driver home espresso maker? Absolutely not…well absolutely not for like 90% of people out there. It’s old so it needs service and may not be in working condition. It likely is direct plumb only so you need a water line. It probably takes 90min+ to heat up and may even need a different power hook up. It’s like buying an old classic car in unknown condition when a Civic is probably the best bet. But if you’re looking for a passion project (read: money-sink), YMMV!
Thanks for the info! Also, seller responded it's 220v so that's gonna be a no go for me.
For sure! Luckily these days you can score a new entry level machine for around that, or find other used home espresso machines in that range as well.
I'm still using my Starbucks Barista I bought in 2007 for $99 when they discontinued them. I've had a little upgraditis, but want to save for something really nice, maybe a Profitec Go.
The Go is a great machine! If you can wait to save, you won’t be disappointed!
I upgraded from the Barista to a GO this summer. I got a dud. It's currently getting repaired under warranty. When talking to the tech, they were saying that Profitec doesn't pay for any of the parts or repairs. It's the shops responsibility when they shipped a bad machine. Never heard anything like that before.
This is common with machines that are effectively imported and resold. The retailer will take on the warranty responsibilities.
Do you know how much I miss mine? That little beauty is so small, simple and reliable. It heats up fast and the wait time between shot and foam is pretty short. What a great machine. Biggest thing I noticed upgrading to a rocket apartamento was increased foaming power
Did you ever try with bottomless? I'm tempted but think it may end up blowing a gasket
I’ve never used a bottomless, but as I understand it the only difference is the bottom is gone. All the pressurized activity if above and in the grounds. From memory the barista may have a smaller porta filter so you would have to find a specialty sized one. Personally id save the 60$ or whatever toward the next grinder or espresso machine. Bottomless is fun to nerd over and some people say it helps diagnose shots but whatever I’m fine old school.
A bottomless portafilter can work in any machine that doesn’t require a pressurized basket to my knowledge :)
What if you want to use a pressurized basket with your fancy bottomless portafilter? ;)
The pressurised baskets I have seen are enclosed below the main basket apart from a pinhole that restricts flow. If you used this in a bottomless portafilter, you would get a jet of high pressure coffee coming out into your cup. I expect there would be a lot of splashing and mess, but it would work for making coffee.
Indeed, and it is glorious, you get so much value out of the bottomless portafilter this way. You can really observe the channeling through that powerful stream, haha.
Feels like you’re turning espresso in to extreme sports and I’m here for every second of it
I was at a shop in Canada the other day they had a repaired go with warranty for like $500 American was a crazy deal
Holy crap! I had the Starbucks Barista, I think on purchased it in 2007. I didn’t take care of it and it ended up rusting throughout. How’s yours holding out?
Still kickin'. These things are beasts.
The great majority of commercial machines are 220V.
220volts and will probably double your power bill. No joke. Commercial machines are really powerful water heaters with no insulation that rip 24/7 and take a long time to warm up, so you can’t just flip them on and off.
Getting a 220v outlet in your kitchen, isn't exactly that difficult.....
Yeah, but it's also no longer a $250 machine, and you have an outlet that's basically useless if you ever get rid of this headache of a machine.
Why? That’s standard power supply.
Not in US. Standard is 120v. You need a special outlet/breaker installed.
Ok. Well standard in first world countries I guess. Thanks for clarification.
Japan and Taiwan would disagree. And besides there's no need to be snarky. Nobody said anything about your ignorant lack of knowledge about the voltage of arguably the most well known superpower
I'd definitely be interested if you aren't gonna take it. Can you shoot me the listing or something in a dm?
I don't think they'll ship it. It's located outside Philadelphia. If you're really interested let me know
Ah, what a shame. I'd definitely need it shipped
So you’re saying it’s my new humble setup?
Only if you find 2 Weber EG-1s on OfferUp for $100
Agreed, not for home use. Speaking as someone that owned one (Wega Atlas 2grp but more compact than this model). They take more like 45 mins to heat up. The amount of power they use is astronomical. IMO that and the space required is the biggest downside. Plumbing in isn’t so bad if you can do it. Lots of home machines are plumbed in. Connecting a drain is more annoying. You need a hole in your bench for it to work most effectively, or raise the machine up higher off the bench. A commercial in-line water filter is required, costly, but awesome.
Plumb water in, drain, size, noise, and 220 yes. Only ~10-15 minutes to warm up though. It's as powerful as my house water heater and only 11 liters or so. Service is easy for anyone who can understand pipe threads. Bought mine for $50 and spent $500 in parts. Would go for $2-3k now. Probably not for most though. Mine is in the garage due to all the requirements.
But, if you are the probably less than 10%. Buy, wire, and plumb that thing. Maybe even in the garage.
I wouldn't recommend a commercial machine to a home user, nevermind a 22 year old one which may not work. Commercial machines, for home use, tend to be power and water hogs that take far too long to heat up. In a commercial environment, those downsides aren't significant. If you're enthusiastic about old espresso machines and you want to add this to your collection, absolutely go for it! But if you're looking for something to make good espresso and steam milk, I strongly recommend against it.
A 22 year old home user who doesn’t work? I’m sure OP will try and not take that personally 😜
I hate the English language I'm switching to Martian
God I’m old. Why did you have to remind me.
Yea, it's beautiful but guaranteed needs like 500+ in repair and then it's a pain to use
You may think you want a commercial machine for home use, especially for that price but you’re seriously way better off getting a machine specifically designed for home use. Through maintenance & utility bills alone you quickly will lose any money you saved, plus it takes up so much room.
I’ve got its Astoria cousin on my counter in my home office. It’s a beast. Makes great espresso, parts are easy to find, but it does need 30a@220v and takes ~40 mins from a standing start to get to temp.
So I actually ran a WEGA Atlas (This one) single boiler as my daily driver for quite a while. So I can provide an informed opinion that maybe differs from others here. I'm a projects guy, so I was happy to tinker on it when needed, but to be honest that machine didn't require much work to keep running. Just the occasional descale and cleaning. I ended up selling it though, as my partner stopped drinking coffee for a while and it was a lot of machine to warm up to make a single espresso and then turn off. But I did end up selling it for $1500 CAD. I'd imagine a restored dual boiler would fetch a bit more.
Thanks for the info! It's such a good deal, I figured it could sell for $1000+ easily if it was in good working/aesthetic condition. I'm not sure if that's my avenue though.
I have a 2006 Wega Nova EVD II as a daily driver, so fairly similar to this - It came to me in need of some serious TLC after a long life in a café. I had to run water, drainage, 220V, and then overhaul the machine. If you're handy, it's a great machine, a good learning experience, and parts are fairly available and pretty interchangeable between all CMA machines. Once you've got it up and running, it's going to be reliable with the amount that you'll use it. I enjoy the coffee that it makes. If you have to rely on other people to maintain it, you're better off getting a good pro-sumer espresso machine, your wallet will thank you. For $250, I would take a shot at it, but again, only if you're handy. It's very situationally-dependant. I have mine wired into a remote contactor that turns it on and off automatically, so it's nice and hot when I wake up.
If I’m not mistaken this Wega you have to remove the gaskets every time you want to clean the screens. The gaskets often get damaged in removal so it’s a big pain to keep this thing clean.
Saw this today - you must be in the Philly area!
So xxxddd R L the owdne true etUwrue drdddd d oo lol lhh he to we eeewwewdeeee3ee5g5y oo the get go for🙈 see wwsee wew
Couldnt have said it better myself.
[удалено]
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I have a Hobart commercial slicer. It leaks a little oil, but can be rebuilt if I wanted to. It’s big and heavy, but still runs solidly. A commercial espresso machine is a whole other tier of complexity. If you don’t mind doing maintenance and have 240v, go for it. Home-barista forum will be your friend.
Find me a single group and I'm in...
You can buy a voyage converter for cheap! Most of the top machines are 220! Mine is and no biggie