Espresso My World

July 10, 2008 8:02 PM

Where Can I Buy A $80-$120 Espresso Machine in San Francisco (I live in SOMA) Tomorrow?

I have become addicted to Starbucks lattes, and rather than pay $3 per fix, I would prefer to make my own.

I want to buy a Espresso Machine (has to froth milk too) in the $80 to $120 range tomorrow morning. I live in SOMA.

I searched online for a place in San Francisco to buy from, but all I can find are dozens of articles about where to some ridiculous $XXXX espresso machine from a shop that has been open since 18XX.

Where is a good place I can pop in tomorrow morning, acquire a good quality consumer level espresso machine without too much hassle for $80 to $120.

Thanks!

posted by Spurious to shopping (8 comments total)

Something like this would be great.
posted by Spurious at 8:04 PM on July 10, 2008

Sur La Table (Maiden Ln and the Ferry Building) and Crate and Barrel (Stockton and Geary?) both have a consumer range of espresso machines. I don't particular care for skimping on coffee equipment, but hey, you asked.
posted by kcm at 9:05 PM on July 10, 2008

Also - you could also check Ross Dress for Less at 4th and Market for the cheapo option, but it'll be very hit and miss as well as chaotic. It always is.

Now that I've thought about it, if you can dig through a recycling bin at your building's recycling box for a Bed Bath and Beyond 20% coupon, grab one of those and go to the location next to Trader Joe's at 9th+Bryant.
posted by kcm at 9:12 PM on July 10, 2008

Seconding Bed Bath and Beyond.
posted by bendy at 9:28 PM on July 10, 2008

Peets sells espresso machines, . There's one on Mission near or at 2nd.
posted by zippy at 12:01 AM on July 11, 2008

Bed Bath - 20% and you should be able to get a nice starter box indeed.
posted by rhizome at 1:02 AM on July 11, 2008

There are several Williams-Sonoma stores in SF, including the big one on Union Square. They have a fair range of coffee equipment. It's quite close to the Sur La Table mentioned by kcm, so you can check them both and do some comparison shopping before you buy. Also, Macy's is right across the square from W-S, and they have a housewares department (but I haven't been there in a while so I don't know what sort of coffee stuff they carry).
posted by Quietgal at 7:30 AM on July 11, 2008

good quality consumer level espresso machine [...] for $80 to $120

Nowhere. That beast doesn't exist. You can get a poor-quality "espresso" machine for that, and it might even bubble some milk, but it won't resemble anything you'd get at Starbucks or a good local cafe.

You'll be able to go through the motions of making espresso like a barista would, but other than that you're wasting your money.

If you don't have a few hundred bucks to spend, I'd recommend a moka pot, and maybe even a milk-steaming one (which you can't use without milk, sigh). You won't go through the Starbucks motions but the end result will taste like espresso and have a crema, and the milk will actually foam.
posted by mendel at 7:46 AM on July 11, 2008