Could this $249 espresso machine be one of the cheapest ways to get decent espresso? Yes, but there's a catch

I spend a lot of my life thinking about, making, and drinking coffee. I'm the kind of person who would rather drink no coffee than bad coffee, so I'm adamant on finding the best espresso machines on the market.

When I got the opportunity to review the Casabrews Ultra, I was so excited. I'm of the opinion you don't need to spend a whole month's salary on an espresso machine, so I'm always desperate to try budget options.

I'm also of the opinion that no espresso machine is perfect. More affordable espresso machines tend to have more imperfections than others (obviously corners will be cut to keep that price down), and it didn't take me long to find the Casabrews Ultra's.

But could it still be a worthy contender for the crown of best espresso machines? Hmm, it depends what kind of barista you are. Here's why I think the Casabrews Ultra is 70% of the way there.

More espresso... less depresso

If you know anything about coffee, you've likely heard the term "PID controller". If you don't know what this is, it's basically a nifty piece of tech that controls temperature of the water so your espresso isn't too cold or hot. A PID controller is one of the best ways to achieve perfect espresso, and if you want seriously good coffee, you should always look out for machines that have them. You can also install them yourself, but that involves a serious amount of DIY.

Anyway, the Casabrews Ultra has a PID controller, which is almost unheard of on a machine this cheap. So I was so excited to get started with testing and brew delicious espresso.

Here's a shot of espresso pulled on the Casabrews Ultra, with default dose. I used 18.7g of coffee (much less than the recommended 21g) ground on the Eureka Mignon Specialita. I pressed the double shot button and let the Ultra do its magic.

As you can see, the shot is neither perfect nor imperfect. It's simply... very mid. The crema is quite weak, which could be because of my beans, tamping, grind, temperature, or a plethora of other reasons. As I was using a $700 grinder and a machine with a PID controller, it's likely because of the beans (although I do use specialty wholebeans) or my tamping.

This shot was quite bitter and not as aromatic as I'd hoped.

So I pulled another shot, this time with my Fellow Tally Pro scale to measure dosage.

I switched off extraction when the scale read 36g, but the portafilter dripped out another 7g of espresso. This was initially disappointing, but wow, this shot tasted amazing. It was light and balanced, with a nice juiciness at the back of the tongue, and had no bitterness whatsoever.

From then on, I always stopped extraction manually, and I'd recommend you do the same on your Casabrews Ultra. I'll talk about this more in detail below.

What's the deal with this timer, anyway?

One of my favorite aspects of the Casabrews Ultra is the built-in timer I mentioned earlier. Having a timer is instrumental in brewing delicious espresso. Here's a quick coffee lesson: there are three flavor stages in espresso extraction. They are as follows:

1. Acidity
2. Complexity/sweetness
3. Bitterness

Ideally, you want more acidity and sweetness than bitterness. Or, I do, anyway. I like my espresso with just a touch of bitterness to round out the other flavors.

So to ensure I stop espresso extraction before bitterness overwhelms the shot, I need a timer. Bitterness usually hits if you keep extracting longer than around 28 seconds. This all depends on the beans and grind size, though, so there's no one-size-fits-all. This is just my personal experience, and personal opinion.

With the built-in timer, I can easily stop extraction at 25 seconds or so without needing to check my coffee scale. It's just more straightforward to have this displayed to me on the big screen.

This timer includes pre-infusion time, for all the coffee nerds out there, and you can adjust pre-infusion to your liking.

As promised... the catch

Although the Casabrews Ultra has a lot going for it — the LED screen, built-in timer, 20-bar pressure, PID controller — it's not perfect.

In my review, I only awarded it 3.5 stars. Why not 4, if it can brew espresso almost as well as any other premium product?

The issues all lie within the steam wand. Usually a poor steam wand is the marker of a cheap machine, and the Casabrews Ultra unfortunately falls into this trap.

The steam wand is as weak as a sick little kitten. It's like coughing into a milk jug and hoping that will be enough. Unfortunately, it is not enough. I was completely unable to achieve thick, textured microfoam with the Ultra's steam wand.

Usually, I'd blame the workman, not the tools. But I know I'm capable of steaming milk properly (I was a barista for 3.5 years), and I've used cheaper machines with better outcomes (the $149 De'Longhi Stilosa). Obviously these cheap machines can't come close to the best steam wand I've ever used (that would be the $1,800 Smeg Mini Pro), but usually, they at least try.

I don't think the Casabrews Ultra even tries. This is the best milk texture I got, and this took me about 20 drinks worth of practice.

As you can see, the milk is frothy and uneven. There are large bubbles instead of delicate microfoam. I was really frustrated with this steam wand by the end of testing. It's too weak to create the 'vortex' you need to gently agitate the milk and fold it within itself.

Unfortunately, I can only recommend this espresso machine for one of three use-cases.

1. You only drink iced lattes, so you wouldn't use the steam wand anyway.
2. You only drink Americanos, so, again, you wouldn't use the steam wand.
3. You don't care about having overly bubbly or overly wet drinks, and want an affordable and easy-to-use espresso machine.

If you fall into one of these categories, then I'm sure the Casabrews Ultra won't disappoint you. The PID controller and built-in timer are two major plusses that really separate this machine from the rest of the budget space.

However, if, like me, you love flat whites and making latte art, then this isn't the machine for you. I'd recommend the Breville Bambino Plus, as always.

More from Tom's Guide

• I fell for the bean-to-cup hype — here's the espresso machine I wish I'd bought, and why
• I’m an ex-barista and these easy upgrades will make your cheap espresso machine brew like a pro
• Just got an espresso machine for Christmas? I’m an ex-barista and these are the 3 critical mistakes you need to be aware of