World Barista Champion runner-up Michalis Dimitrakopoulos shares his advice on selecting the best espresso machine for your setup – whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro.
Selecting the right espresso machine for your café is a bit like buying your first house: it’s often one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll make as part of your business, so choosing something that’s going to be dependable and stand the test of time is essential.
Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, 2016 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion, 2019 World Barista Champion runner up, and Barista Attitude Brand Ambassador, knows the pressure of selecting the right machine firsthand. With so many brands on the market and new models released regularly, he admits the choice can be overwhelming.
For those looking for a new machine who don’t know where to start, he suggests focusing on a few critical functionalities.
“If you’re spending money on a new machine, you want something that’s ideally going to last up to 10 years and deliver quality products. For that reason, I think it’s worth spending a little more on additional functionalities so that in five or six years you still have a machine that’s at the top of its game,” he says.
“The first thing I would look for is stability. If you don’t have a stable water temperature throughout the extraction, you’ll never be able to get consistency in the coffees you serve. As someone who likes to experiment with the profiles of coffees, I would also look for a machine that allows me to play with the pressure, temperature, and pre-infusion.”
But where to start? Michalis recommends speaking to other café owners and baristas in the industry to get honest feedback. He also suggests taking your search online where there’s a wealth of information.
“When I started out in the industry, information about equipment wasn’t readily available like it is now. You had to read books and seek out other people in the industry. Now, with things like YouTube, you have reviews and product showcases available within just a few clicks – even platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn are filled with educational content,” he says.
He says it’s essential to spend some time with a machine before taking the plunge, trialling it to see if it suits your unique workflow and café needs.
“You wouldn’t buy a car without test driving it and espresso machines are exactly the same,” he says.
“Most distributors have showrooms around the world and they’ll be more than happy to welcome people in the industry to road test the machines. Tradeshows and events are a great way to discover a lot of machines in a short space of time, and usually they’ll let you have a go.”
As a World Barista Champion runner up, Michalis knows the feeling of completely trusting a machine to perform while under pressure. To create a level playing field, each year the competition has an official espresso machine sponsor, meaning competitors must get to know a new machine before taking part in the world’s fiercest barista battle.
“The Specialty Coffee Association chapters in each country put the competitors in touch with the local distributors to ensure they have access to the machines in their country in the run up to the competition,” he says.
“They have the opportunity to get to know the machine within the standards of the competition, so they can try their coffees and make sure everything is in line.”
From 2022 to 2025, the Barista Attitude Tempesta was chosen as the official espresso machine sponsor. As the brand ambassador, Michalis is now involved in highlighting its qualities – both to high-level competitors and everyday baristas looking to craft exceptional coffee.
“The Tempesta’s most striking feature is its aesthetic. You look at it and think ‘wow’ – it’s very visually appealing,” he says.
“It’s a multi-boiler machine, so it’s perfect for cafés that serve multiple coffees as each group head can be set to its own temperature.”
The machine also features pre-infusion technology, which saturates the coffee puck before brewing. Michalis says this process helps to ensure the coffee grounds are evenly saturated, delivering a final cup with better flavour. The pre-infusion time can be adjusted to deliver the desired flavour profile.
“Another great feature of the Tempesta is its steam wand, which has been designed to create a drier steam that results in less water in the milk,” he says. “The Super Dry technology prevents condensation and preserves milk quality, producing a much creamier flavour and mouthfeel.”
Another functionality he highlights is the flow rate control, which can be adjusted via a lever.
“This is a great feature as it means you can adjust the pressure of the extraction from the beginning to the end. You can experiment with this to produce a sweeter cup with more clarity,” he says.
Also in the Barista Attitude family of machines is the Pilot, a value-focused single-boiler model. It was designed to deliver the same stability and consistent quality as the Tempesta, but in a simpler format.
“The Pilot has many of the Tempesta’s features, such as the pre-infusion control and dry steam dispensing system,” he says.
“With some single-boiler machines, you get a very high water temperature during extraction that results in a bitter tasting coffee. The pre-infusion control system of the Pilot means users can reduce the bitterness and produce more clarity, acidity, and complexity.”
Michalis says both the Pilot and Tempesta are suited to Australia’s high-volume, milk-focused coffee venues.
“Both machines will perform well in busy coffee shops. Specialty venues serving a range of different beans will benefit from the Tempesta’s multi-boiler system, which better suits those looking for more high-level experimentation,” he says.
No matter which machine is selected, he stresses both are very simple to use, with a touch-screen interface giving the user the ability to change metrics in just a few steps.
“The screen enables the barista to change the temperature, pre-infusion, and the volume of extraction, quickly adjusting the parameters,” he says.
“For those new to Barista Attitude, the machines are very easy to work with and skill up junior members of staff on.”
With regular servicing and cleaning, Michalis believes the Pilot and Tempesta will continue to deliver consistently good results for years – even decades.
“Using the car analogy once again, a car will last you 10, 20, even 30 years if you look after it, and espresso machines are very similar,” he says.
“If the machine is cleaned properly every day and serviced annually, it will work at peak performance for years.”
For more information, visit barista-attitude.com and Australian distributor CWE cwe.com.au
This article appears in the April/May 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
