We've all been there. Or, at least, I have. I've always desperately longed for an espresso machine, but the more "premium" options have always been a little out of my budget. It's a fact of life that the best espresso machines are expensive.
Thankfully, now as someone whose literal job is to test and tinker with espresso machines all the way from $99 to $3,000, I know how to level up basic machines into something worthy of a cafe.
While budget espresso machines will never be as good as premium options, due to cheaper boilers, poor longevity, and flimsy accessories, but with a few changes, you can make coffee good enough to impress everyone in your life.
I'll be specifically discussing the Casabrews 3700 Essential in this article, but you can use this advice for any budget machine.
The problem: pressurized espresso
As unfortunately common for a super-budget espresso machine, the Casabrews 3700 Essential only comes with dual-walled (pressurized) portafilters. Other budget machines that suffer from this affliction are the De'Longhi Stilosa (U.S. version) and the Casabrews CM5418.
If you don't know the difference between a single-walled and a dual-walled portafilter, let me give you a quick rundown.
Dual-walled portafilters are designed to be used with pre-ground coffee. These portafilters work by pressurizing the espresso and forcing it through a tiny hole, which fakes crema. Unfortunately, this pressurization ruins the delicate notes you'll find in freshly ground specialty espresso. I would never recommend using pre-ground coffee, or a dual-walled portafilter.
If you want barista-quality coffee, you'll need to invest in one of the best coffee grinders and specialty beans. You should look for beans that have a "roasted on" date, not a best before date.
So once you have a grinder and fresh beans, you're already most of your way to making barista-quality espresso. You'll just need a single-walled or bottomless portafilter.
The solution: a bottomless portafilter
Thankfully, Casabrews sells the solution for just $38 on Amazon. Yes, it's annoying that it doesn't just ship its espresso machines with the bottomless portafilter, but this machine is literally $129/perma-sale $99, so I guess beggars can't be choosers.
But please, for the love of coffee, heed my warning.
Please check what size portafilter your espresso machine has. There are three "standard" sizes: 51mm, 54mm, and 58mm. Most premium espresso machines use 58mm, and most mid-range espresso machines use 54mm. But you must check that your desired bottomless portafilter is compatible with your machine before purchasing.
I would recommend checking out your espresso machine manufacturer's accessories page first. If the manufacturer doesn't sell aftermarket accessories, then look at brands like Normcore and IKAPE.
But you must ensure these third-party portafilters specifically say they are compatible with your exact machine. Otherwise you risk wasting your money, and that's unfortunate in this economy.
Here are two photos of pressurized and non-pressurized espresso I made on the 3700 Essential. Just a word of warning: you obviously can't taste through the screen, but the first espresso tasted much, much better than the second. The tart berry notes came through and there was a pleasantly oily mouthfeel.
The first shot has flat, yet thick crema, which is the mark of a good espresso.
Look at how frothy the second shot is. This means that air was forced into the espresso during extraction to fake crema; it's not real crema.
Once you've trashed switched out your dual-walled portafilter for the bottomless portafilter, I guarantee you will notice a flavor difference. The espresso will be more well-rounded, with a deeper flavor profile and delicate notes you previously couldn't notice.
As long as you're using high-quality, freshly ground beans, of course.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
