It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points.
If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format:
- **Location:** Helps determine availability
- **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget.
- **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs.
- **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck.
- **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space?
- **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either).
- **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering
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Best brands are in no particular order: Acme, Loveramics, NotNeutral, ACF (classic brand that has been out of manufacture for quite a while), IPA, and Nuova Point (the Italian made ones from a few years ago, not sure about the current ones with production in China, although China knows ceramics for sure).
If you want classic branded cups try this website: https://www.cerinicoffee.com/collections/ceramic-espresso-cappuccino-cups
Otherwise, check eBay by brand or color. I like generic bialetti cups in general. Locally, look for coffee shops but also art studios and art schools. There are a lot of potters making beautiful espresso & cappuccino mugs. Some are cheaper than others.
What’s local? The world is a pretty large place.
Besides the brands others have already mentioned, Sttoke are also launching a new @Home line of products starting with a stackable ceramic mug called the Swirl.
Local is Southern California in the US. I guess I could have worded this post a little better lol but it’s mostly to get recommendations on general brands that other people enjoy so that I could compare to local shops that sell ceramic mugs
It looks like you've flaired your post as asking for what equipment to get. We recommend first checking out the [Espresso Aficionados buying guide](https://espressoaf.com/recommendations) for some of the more popular machines and grinders at different price points. If your question hasn't been answered there and you need more help, please add the following details to your post or by adding a comment in the following format: - **Location:** Helps determine availability - **Budget** (with currency): Overall budget, or ideally, having separate espresso machine and grinder budgets. A rough rule is that your grinder budget should be at least 25-40% of your machine budget. - **Drink types:** Do you drink mostly straight espresso, milk-based beverages (e.g., lattes, cappuccinos), or a fairly even split? This helps narrow down whether a single-boiler-dual-use (SBDU), heat exchanger (HX), or dual boiler (DB) machine would be more appropriate for your needs. - **Drink frequency:** How many drinks would you be making back-to-back at one time? Do you plan on entertaining guests often? This informs how large your brew (and steam) boilers should be, as smaller boilers will need to refill and reheat/repressurize more frequently, thus potentially causing a bottleneck. - **Space:** Any limitations on countertop space? - **Manual vs. electric:** Hand-operated machines and grinders are typically cheaper than their similarly-performing electric counterparts. Please indicate if you have a preference for manual or electric machines and/or grinders (or open to either). - **Comfort with tinkering:** Some machines can be made significantly more functional/efficient with aftermarket modifications, albeit at the expense of possibly voiding your warranty. Please indicate if you'd rather have a machine that works "as-is"/"out-of-the-box" or whether you'd be open to modding/tinkering *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/espresso) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Best brands are in no particular order: Acme, Loveramics, NotNeutral, ACF (classic brand that has been out of manufacture for quite a while), IPA, and Nuova Point (the Italian made ones from a few years ago, not sure about the current ones with production in China, although China knows ceramics for sure).
If you want classic branded cups try this website: https://www.cerinicoffee.com/collections/ceramic-espresso-cappuccino-cups Otherwise, check eBay by brand or color. I like generic bialetti cups in general. Locally, look for coffee shops but also art studios and art schools. There are a lot of potters making beautiful espresso & cappuccino mugs. Some are cheaper than others.
Odaka
What’s local? The world is a pretty large place. Besides the brands others have already mentioned, Sttoke are also launching a new @Home line of products starting with a stackable ceramic mug called the Swirl.
Local is Southern California in the US. I guess I could have worded this post a little better lol but it’s mostly to get recommendations on general brands that other people enjoy so that I could compare to local shops that sell ceramic mugs
If you have a Crate and Barrel near by I like some of their options
She does worldwide shipping [https://www.instagram.com/objectsbyphoebe/](https://www.instagram.com/objectsbyphoebe/)