an affordable manual coffee maker that makes an admirable espresso

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When it comes to buying the best coffee machinesThere are many things to consider, but one area worth investigating is whether your preferred model is manual or automatic. As you can imagine, manual coffee machines require a lot of help from you, whether it’s measuring out the coffee, pulling a lever or pressing a button.

A good example of a manual coffee machine is the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother. Launching in 2024, this Salter coffee maker offers espresso and milky coffee in an affordable package – but how does it measure up to the competition?

Salter Espresso machine review: price and availability

The Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother costs £99.99 and can be purchased at Saltier and select retailers such as Amazon And Curries. It is available in certain EU countries, but not in the US.

Salter Espresso Machine Review: Unpacking

The Salter espresso machine with milk frother came with the main coffee machine unit, a measuring spoon and tamper, a milk jug, a portafilter, and two portafilter baskets. The machine itself was easy to install as all you had to do was plug it into an electrical socket and attach the drip tray and water tank – simple!

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Salter Espresso Machine Review: Design and Features

The Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother has a simple stainless steel design that takes up minimal space in your kitchen. In addition to its compact size, the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother is also extremely lightweight, making it easy to move on your countertop.

The controls for the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother are located on the top and include four buttons: on/off, one shot, two shots and steam. It is equipped with a 20 bar Italian pressure pump that extracts the right flavors, and at the back of the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother is the 1.1 liter plastic water tank. It is removable so you can take it off, fill it and put it back in place easily.

Although primarily an espresso machine, the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother has a built-in milk frother to make frothy drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. It’s worth noting that the Salter espresso machine with milk frother does not have a built-in grinder and is instead compatible with pre-ground coffee. To regulate the steam and foam, there is a control knob on the right side of the machine.

Salter Espresso Machine Review: Performance

If you are a beginner or an aspiring barista, the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother is extremely easy to use and maintain. To use this, you must fill the water tank before turning on the machine as it needs to be preheated. Preheating does take a while and the buttons at the top flash while it’s heating up and stop when it’s done.

You will then need to measure your ground coffee into the portafilter using the corresponding measuring scoop before pressing it onto the pusher on the other side of the scoop. Then attach the portafilter to the machine – which is somewhat tricky to do because the angle is difficult to get right – and select one or two shots.

As I’ve already mentioned a bit, the Salter espresso machine with milk frother can be a little tricky to use in some respects and is a bit messy. But it extracts coffee perfectly and does not cause much noise. It flashes and beeps to let you know when it’s done, which is handy and generally very easy to clean.

My single biggest issue with the Salter espresso machine with milk frother is the milk frother. It’s a fairly short wand, so you have to hold the pitcher really high, but if you do that, the wand often becomes clogged so that instead of heating and frothing, it just floats water in your milk. I think the wand definitely needs to be a bit longer as I’ve encountered this problem quite a bit during testing.

Salter Espresso Machine Review: Verdict

If you want an affordable espresso machine, the Salter Espresso Machine with Milk Frother is definitely worth a look. It has a lightweight, small and attractive stainless steel design and its accessories are very useful. The milk frother is a big let down, so I recommend only using it for espressos rather than milky coffees. But in terms of price, it does admirably.

Salter Espresso Machine Review: Alternatives to Consider

Rated by our reviewer as the best espresso machine they’ve ever tried, the Beem Espressomaling Profession is a good option to consider. It has a bean-to-cup style design and while it’s more expensive than the Salter model, its espresso-making skills are seriously impressive. If you want something with a similar design then I would recommend the Sage The Bambino Plus. It’s fast, easy to use and also has a great milk frother.