Salter Espirista Coffee Machine review

Having your own espresso machine doesn’t have to be a huge investment, as Salter’s Espirista Coffee Machine goes to prove. Salter is a British brand, best known for its high quality kitchen scales and other small appliances, including this budget-friendly, compact espresso machine. 

Besides being handy for a strong shot of joe, the Espirista can also be used for fancier coffees such as lattes, cappuccinos and mochas thanks to the inclusion of an inbuilt milk wand. Could this be the coffee machine for you? I’ve been making drinks with it for a while now and here’s what I think.  

Design and build 

• Black and silver colour options 
• 15-bar pressure 
• Touch controls 

One of the biggest upsides of the Salter Espirista Coffee Machine is its compact and slight build. It measures ‎32.8 x 15.8 x 32cm, and weighs 414g, so it can easily slot in amongst other appliances.

It’s an Italian-style, 15-bar pressure machine. Bar is short for barometric pressure, and is the basically the number of atmospheres of pressure exerted upon coffee grounds. Whilst professional barista machines are typically 9-bar, 15-bar is widely considered the standard for cheaper home-brewing devices as they need a bit more oomph to get a similar result.

It doesn’t quite have the same striking looks as some rivals, but the matt black finish with silver accents is likely to complement most kitchens. It also comes in a silver option, should you prefer. The plastic materials also aren’t the most luxurious, but that’s to be expected from a machine at this price point.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

The curved body features touch LED controls on the front, as well as the portafilter, which comes with 1-shot and 2-shot filter baskets and easily locks into the machine with a quick twist.

The baskets are pressurised, which you’d expect with an entry-level machine. They’ll help to create a much more consistent brew, but it’s a sign that it’s not a machine for hardcore espresso enthusiasts, who want to adjust their settings minutely. Instead, the baskets will help to guarantee a good coffee, every time.

The cup holder is removable, so you can easily clean out the drip tray of any excess liquid.  

On the right-hand side there is a nozzle for changing the strength of the steam from the milk wand, which sits below that. You can adjust the wand to suit the position of your jug/cup for steaming (bear in mind that a jug is not included with machine). The wand’s metal tube can also be removed for cleaning.  

The 1.4L transparent water tank clips onto the back of the machine, along with a removable lid to prevent anything contaminating the liquid. On the drip tray, there is space for a large mug, or two espresso cups.   

The buttons on the front are very simple – there is one for a single shot of coffee, one for a double shot and one to prepare the milk wand. However, they are sometimes a little slow to respond to presses.

It comes with a combined scoop and tamper for measuring and levelling out your grounds.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Making espresso  

• One-shot and two-shot options 
• Easy to use 
• Ground coffee only 

If you’re using the Salter Espirista for the first time, then you’ll need to clean all the accessories and internally wash the machine by running it without any ground coffee in it. Once that is out the way, you should be ready to go. 

Salter has a manual that explains the controls and walks through brewing a cup of coffee. That said, some video tutorials from the brand would have been a nice addition for visual learners.

When you turn on the machine, the LED lights will continuously pulse until the water is fully heated. Then, you can choose whether to use the single or double use cup, and the coffee will begin to dispense. It’s easy to use, even for those who aren’t super tech-savvy. 

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

And the results? Full-bodied and rich dark coffee, with a potent fragrance. It’s also a decent temperature, being drinkable immediately rather than too hot.  

I spoke with a barista about getting the best taste from a machine like this, and she recommended buying coffee beans with a coarser grind to get the most out of the flavour (if you go into a specialist shop, they may be able to grind them for you). This will cost more, but you’ll get much better strength and taste than from a supermarket bought bag.  

You could also grind your own beans each time for an even sharper and fresher flavour – although you’ll need to invest separately in a grinder. Salter does not include any equipment in the box for this.  

Whilst there is some noise from the Espirista during the brewing process, it isn’t obtrusive as I’ve found with some other machines.  

As this is a simple appliance, there isn’t temperature control – so you can’t cold brew coffee. Of course, you’re still welcome to add a shot of espresso to some ice and milk for an iced drink.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Using the milk wand 

• Inbuilt milk wand 
• No jug included  

Once you’re finished dispensing your coffee, you can use the milk frothing wand. Again, this will take a short while to ready itself before you can then turn the dial to adjust the level of steam. I recommend doing to this for ten seconds first to clean out the cold water before the stream is hot and ready – into a jug or cup will do fine.  

Then, bring over your milk jug and insert the wand into it and adjust the dial depending on how hot/frothy you want your milk to be. YouTube videos recommended holding your jug at an angle to get that whirlpool effect.

The process is quick, simple and comes with minimal mess. You’ll have to wipe down the wand after each use, and providing you’re gentle, there shouldn’t be lots of milk splatter.  

If you want to make multiple lattes (or any drink that uses the milk frothing wand, for that matter), then the machine can get too hot when trying to brew another coffee straight after steaming. To solve this, simply open the steamer while holding a jug to catch any excess water, and the machine should cool down quite quickly.  

It’s a shame that Salter doesn’t include a jug with the Espirista. That said, these are available on places such as Amazon from a fiver. 

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Price and availability 

The Salter Espirista coffee machine costs £99.99. You can buy it either from Salter directly, or via third-party retailers such as Amazon, Currys, Robert Dyas and Boots. At time of writing, the silver version is discounted.  

Unfortunately, you can’t get this machine in the US.  

This is one of the cheapest espresso machines we’ve tested. For a similar price, you could also consider Swan Retro espresso machine. Whilst the Swan model has a much more distinctive design, its brewing process is convoluted in comparison.

You can find more premium options in our recommendations for the best espresso machines and find further alternatives including bean-to-cup and pod coffee devices in our round-up of the best coffee machines overall.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Verdict 

It’s hard to find fault with the Salter Espirista coffee machine as a starter espresso machine, given its extremely reasonable price point. It’s simple to use and brews delicious espresso – the included milk frothing wand means that you can even replicate your local café order at home.  

The touch controls can be a little stubborn, and the plastic build isn’t too inspired, but it’s compact and neat, and easy to clean and maintain. Best of all, it produces excellent coffee – and at this price it’s hard to beat.