Best All-Rounder
Breville
Breville Barista Express
The one machine that turns a kitchen counter into a coffee bar.
$300–$800 on Amazon
CASABREWS
3700 Essential
CASABREWS 3700 Essential
The $99 machine that answers the question 'should I just buy the cheap one?'
6.0/10 editor
5.7" W × 12.6" D × 12.5" H51mm portafilterPID control40s heat-up1-year warranty
Typically $100–$200
A price range for this class of machine, not a live figure — check the current price on Amazon.
Eligible for Amazon Prime — free delivery and returns for Prime members.
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The short version
The Casabrews 3700 is the machine most people are actually looking at when they cross-shop the Breville and Gaggia: a stainless-bodied 20-bar espresso maker for around $100, from an Amazon-native brand that has sold hundreds of thousands of them. It has PID temperature control and low-pressure pre-infusion — features that cost far more elsewhere — behind a pressurised basket and a 1-year warranty.
Ideal for
A budget-first buyer who wants the cheapest machine that still has PID and pre-infusion, and accepts a pressurised basket and a short warranty.
Look elsewhere if
Someone who wants a machine to develop technique on for years, or who values a strong repair and parts network.
Editor scores
Our judgement · not manufacturer data
Espresso Quality5/10
Ease of Use8/10
Milk & Steam6/10
Barista Control4/10
Build Quality5/10
Maintenance6/10
Value8/10
Scored against the other machines in this catalogue. How we score.
The full review
Ignoring the Casabrews would be dishonest: on Amazon it outsells most of the name brands, and the question 'why not just get the $99 one?' deserves a real answer. The answer is that it genuinely includes PID temperature regulation and pre-infusion, which is remarkable at the price and is why it rates 4.3 stars over 3,600-plus ratings, with several reviewers reporting two years of daily use.
The limits are the ones the price implies. It ships only with pressurised baskets, so like the Stilosa the cup has a ceiling a better grinder cannot lift much. The '20 bar' figure is pump rating, not brew pressure. Build is light stainless over plastic, the warranty is a year, and Casabrews' service network is nothing like De'Longhi's or Breville's — when one fails out of warranty, it is usually replaced rather than repaired.
As a first machine for someone who is not sure they will stick with it, it is hard to argue against. As a machine to grow into, the Barista Express exists for a reason.
Eligible for Amazon Prime — free delivery and returns for Prime members.
Buy on AmazonFull specifications
A dash means we could not verify it — never a guess
Type & Brewing
- Machine type
- Semi Automatic
- Pump pressure
- 20 bar
- Extraction pressure
- 9 bar
- Heating system
- Thermoblock, 1350 W, with PID
- Boilers
- 1
- PID temperature control
- Yes
- Pre-infusion
- Yes
- Heat-up time
- 40 s
Grinder & Portafilter
- Built-in grinder
- No
- Burr type
- —
- Grind settings
- —
- Bean hopper
- —
- Portafilter
- 51 mm
- Basket type
- 51mm — pressurised single and double baskets
Milk & Drinks
- Milk system
- Manual steam wand
- Milk carafe included
- No
- One-touch drinks
- 0
- Programmable recipes
- No
- Hot water outlet
- No
Capacity & Size
- Water tank
- 44 oz (1.3 L)
- Removable tank
- Yes
- Cup clearance
- —
- Width
- 5.7" (14.5 cm)
- Depth
- 12.6" (32 cm)
- Height
- 12.5" (31.8 cm)
- Weight
- 8.2 lb (3.7 kg)
Power & Build
- Power
- 1350 W
- Voltage
- 120 V
- Housing
- Brushed stainless steel
- Display
- Three buttons
- Made in
- —
- Warranty
- 1 yr
Cleaning & Care
- Water filter included
- No
- Descaling program
- No
- Removable brew group
- No
- Cup warming tray
- Yes
Also worth knowing
- Brand claim
- PID-regulated brew temperature and low-pressure pre-infusion at a sub-$100 price
- Baskets
- Pressurised single and double; no non-pressurised basket included
- In the box
- Portafilter, single and double baskets, spoon-tamper, 43.9 oz tank
- Note
- Amazon-native brand — deep sales volume, but a 1-year warranty and a thinner service network than the legacy makers
The honest bit
Pros and cons
What we like
- PID temperature control and pre-infusion for around $100 — genuinely unusual
- Solid brushed-stainless look, heated cup tray, 4.3 stars over 3,600+ ratings
- Compact and light; large 43.9 oz removable tank
- Many reviewers report two-plus years of daily use
- The honest budget answer to cross-shopping a Breville or Gaggia
What to consider
- Ships only with pressurised baskets — cup quality has a low ceiling
- '20 bar' is the pump rating, not brewing pressure
- 1-year warranty and a thin repair network for an Amazon-native brand
- Light build; steam wand is adequate rather than powerful
- No non-pressurised basket, so a good grinder is largely wasted here
What owners report
Summarised from the 3,654 Amazon ratings
The dominant theme is value: reviewers repeatedly say it punches far above $100 and several document two years of daily lattes without a fault. Negative reviews describe inconsistent extraction from the pressurised basket, units failing after the warranty, and a support experience that resolves by replacement rather than repair. Milk steaming is called adequate, not strong.
Still working incredibly, 2 years later
I have used this thing 2-3 times per day for almost 2 years and I have not gone to Starbucks since I bought it.
Better quality than I expected at this price
I used to work for a high end coffee company. This is not a La Marzocco, but for the money it is a very solid machine.
Compact design, inconsistent espresso
About 200 drinks in and the shots are still hit and miss. The pressurised basket only gets you so far.
Review excerpts are quoted from the product's Amazon listing and belong to their authors.
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Gaggia
Gaggia Classic Evo Pro
Commercial parts in a domestic box. The machine you keep, not the machine you replace.
$300–$800 on Amazon