Is it possible to get truly flavorful, aromatic shots of espresso from a machine that costs under $400?
It just might be.
Since we introduced Solis products to our inventory back in August, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use their entry-level machine, the Barista Perfetta Plus (BPP), and I’ve gotta say, this thing packs quite the punch.
Now let’s be reasonable here: I’m not going to suggest anyone trade in their Synchronika II for a BPP or anything like that. But, for those looking to start brewing at home, the Solis Barista Perfetta Plus is an excellent first machine. It’s got plenty of accessibility features that help you brew cafe-quality drinks without a steep learning curve, and enough professional functionality and upgradability that it will continue to serve you well, even after you’ve got your espresso legs beneath you, so to speak.
I set the BPP up next to my desk (which was easy to do given how compact the machine is) and swore a solemn vow to use it and only it to make my coffee for three days straight. Here are my thoughts:
Accessories
Right out of the box, the BPP has everything you need to get brewing (excluding the coffee, of course): a surprisingly hefty, 54 mm portafilter; two sets of 54 mm filter baskets, single- and double-shot in pressurized and commercial styles, plus a dedicated ESE pod basket; a stainless steel tamper; a 12 oz stainless steel milk jug for frothing; plus everything you need to keep your machine clean (measuring spoons, brushes, needles, a rubber backflush disc, even an in-tank BRITA Intenza water filter).
There are a couple benefits that come with such a well-stocked accessory box. First, and most obviously, you don’t have to buy anything else. The chances that you’ll open your order, realize you forgot some essential component, and delay your brewing are quite literally zero.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, you have a lot of versatility in how you choose to brew, primarily as a result of the five different filter baskets you get. Whether you like single- or double-shot drinks, you’re covered. If you want to get a grinder and use freshly-ground coffee, perfect—use the commercial-style baskets. If you’re just easing into things and prefer to start with store-bought, pre-ground coffee, that’s fine too. You’ve even got that ESE pod basket if that’s the route you want to take.
These are some quality accessories, too, especially when you consider that this machine sells for under $400. The tamper, in particular, deserves praise—it’s got a stainless steel base and weighs in at a hefty 363 g. For comparison, there are $2,500 prosumer machines that come with plastic tampers, so this is a real nice touch on Solis’ part as far as I’m concerned.
Accessibility Features
Solis did a lot of thinking to lower the learning curve when it comes to producing excellent espresso and milk drinks on the Barista Perfetta Plus.
The machine has five buttons: one to turn it on, one to enter programming mode, two for brewing single- or double-shots of espresso, and one to initiate steaming mode. So, at a very basic level, if you can press two buttons, you can brew a decent shot of espresso on this thing. If you can press three buttons (and twist a knob), you could make yourself a latte or cappuccino.
Are there machines with fewer buttons? Sure: the Classic Pro E24 only has three. But the extra buttons unlock access to programming options that aren’t available on simpler machines. Plus, I actually think the double brew buttons are a bonus from an ease-of-use standpoint, too. Press-and-hold programming means getting to the point where you could realistically push one button and get a good shot of espresso without having to watch and time it is extremely feasible. And it’s not like you have to program one button for singles and the other for a double-shot either; you could set each button to a different coffee, or use one for pre-ground and the other for whatever you’ve got in your grinder. (Decaf anyone?) You get the idea.
The exterior simplicity of the machine is complemented by some extremely helpful internal functionality. The BPP automatically pre-infuses during each extraction. Prior to brewing at full pressure, it gently adds water for 2 seconds (just under 20 g), then stops the pump to allow the water to saturate the puck for three seconds. Not everyone is going to want (or have the means) to invest in the puck prep tools (WDTs, levelers, etc.) necessary to get perfectly extracted shots without channeling; pre-infusion helps prevent channeling even without these add-ons, so it’s a much welcome feature for any entry-level machine. (You can cancel pre-infusion by double-pressing one of the brew buttons, but I’m honestly not sure why you’d ever want to do that.)
Programming extraction times is as easy as pressing and holding the button until your shot is finished. Once you’ve got your preferred timing figured out, the machine will remember that so you can easily brew tasty shots one after the other.
The result of all this is a semi-automatic espresso machine that virtually anyone could take out of the box and use to brew cafe-quality shots of espresso with very little in the way of a learning curve.
Pro Brewing Functionality
The problem with many entry-level espresso machines is that, once you’ve sort of gotten the hang of things, you start wishing you had a nicer one with more functionality. Solis heads this particular band of ruffians off at the pass by including some advanced features that we tend to associate with machines that cost three or four times as much.
I already touched on the low-pressure pre-infusion, which is a great starting point. But the BPP also has a PID-regulated thermoblock boiler that can be set to one of three brewing temperatures—low (~194°F), medium (~198°F), and high (~201°F). In all honesty, the low temperature mode probably won’t get much use (unless you’re brewing some seriously dark-roasted coffee). But, the medium setting works well for brewing dark roasts, and the high setting does justice to medium or even medium-light roasts. (Super light roasts probably aren’t going to get the treatment they deserve, but more on that later.) And, because the machine uses a PID to regulate boiler temperatures (as opposed to a thermostat, which is common in machines at this price point), you can be sure your temperatures will be stable.
The BPP also has a front-facing manometer (brew pressure gauge), which can help you diagnose issues with your puck preparation. If your pressure is too high (over 10 or so), your grind is probably too fine…or maybe you’re overfilling your basket. If your pressure doesn’t reach 8 or 9, it’s likely your grind is too coarse (or you’re underfilling your basket). The BPP also features a professional steam wand which is totally capable of producing cafe-quality microfoam for lattes and cappuccinos, though you'll need to practice your frothing skills to get to that point.
Solis also produces a wide range of pro-brewing upgrades you can pick up to further improve the performance of the machine, from precision filter baskets and shower screens to wood-handled bottomless portafilters and beyond. These options give the BPP the power to grow with you as your skills and palette develop, so your entry-level espresso machine can serve you well even after you’ve become a serious coffee connoisseur.
Of course, discussing the features and traits of an espresso machine is something that anyone who spent a few minutes online could do—it’s all theoretical. The much more important question is how does the espresso this thing makes actually taste?
To know that, I had to use it; and use it, I did.
Brewing With Pre-Ground Coffee
One of the selling points of the BPP is you don’t actually NEED a grinder because it comes with pressurized baskets you can use to brew pre-ground coffee. Now, I enjoy a cup of diner coffee as much as the next guy, but look: when you wake up each day to the joy of brewing freshly-roasted specialty coffee on a prosumer-grade machine like the BZ13 (sorry—lifestyle brag)…well, you get a little spoiled. So, needless to say, I didn’t have the highest expectations with regard to how much I was going to actually enjoy the drinks I’d be able to make using whatever pre-ground espresso I found at the grocery store.
As it turns out, options for pre-ground espresso at my local grocery store were…lacking. All I could find was a store-brand, super-dark espresso blend. Given that my favorite coffees tend to be light and fruity, my expectations took a violent nosedive, but I brought the espresso back to the office nonetheless: anything in the name of science, right?
I dosed 16 grams into the pressurized, double-shot basket, performed a warming flush (you should do this when brewing on any thermoblock machine to make sure the group head and portafilter are as heated as possible), locked the portafilter in place, and started brewing. I began by making myself an Americano: I got my 32 grams out in about 23 seconds (a little on the quick side, but nothing I wouldn’t drink for sure) then added hot water from the steam wand.
A quick note on adding water from the steam wand: the BPP’s pump pulses, rather than giving a steady stream of water. Hot water repeatedly pulsing into my shot of espresso made a bit of a mess with all the splashing, but I figured out a workaround...you’ll have to read to the end of the blog to get it though.
The Americano was really strong, super dark, and quite a bit more intense than I’d hope for. Despite this, it was totally drinkable…just not exactly the kind of thing I’d want to have more than one cup of.
Then, I brewed about a dozen shots and handed them out around the office. Reactions were a mixed bag, from “you know what, that’s actually not bad,” to…well, let’s just say lots of folks didn’t like it. But the most insightful commentary came from my colleague Bryan, who you may recognize from our YouTube channel: “that tastes exactly how it’s supposed to taste.” And he’s right. A store-brand espresso roast is designed to meet people’s expectations for what an Italian-style espresso will taste like (and to survive for months on end on a grocery store shelf). It sacrifices nuance of flavor expression for consistency: it’s supposed to be bold and intense, which it is…every single time you brew it.
At this point, I decided the Barista Perfetta Plus is quite capable of brewing a decent shot of pre-ground espresso, but maybe I wasn’t giving it much to work with. I ordered a canister of Illy Classico medium roast pre-ground espresso blend from our site with high hopes for better outcomes.
To my surprise, the coffee was sitting on my desk the very next day (big shoutout to the Whole Latte Love warehouse team), and I got right down to business. This will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody, but it turns out the coffee you brew with makes a huge difference when it comes to flavor. Where the store-brand espresso blend was dark, intense, and almost burnt-tasting, the Illy was a medium roast, and it was entirely pleasant.
I drank two Americanos without blinking and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I’m not saying these were the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had, or even in the top 10, but they tasted like…well, they tasted like coffee. Good coffee, even. I didn’t get floral notes, or chocolatey aftertastes, but it felt like drinking a really excellent cup of diner coffee, which, as I mentioned, I truly enjoy.
Ultimately, I’m convinced you can use the Barista Perfetta Plus to brew a totally pleasant espresso or Americano using store-bought, pre-ground coffee. If you like Italian-style dark roasts, you should be able to find something you’ll like at your local grocery store. However, if you prefer medium roasts, you may need to do some shopping online—or, grab a bag from your local coffee shop and ask them to grind it for you (at espresso size, of course).
Your best results, however, will come from getting yourself a grinder and grinding your beans fresh for every shot.
Brewing With Fresh-Ground Coffee
To really test the capabilities of the Barista Perfetta Plus, I brewed up a couple of shots of our freshly-roasted single-origin Ethiopia Limmu coffee, ground on a Varia VS3 (this is a highly-capable entry-level single-doser that would be an excellent pairing with the BPP if you chose to go the grind-fresh route). I spent a few shots getting the grinder dialed in, and ended up with a perfect shot: 15.5 grams in, 31 grams out, in 27 seconds.
The shot was—to put it lightly—under-extracted. Acidic and astringent, I could barely taste the promised blueberries and vanilla yogurt…they were hiding in there somewhere, but mostly overshadowed by sourness.
This is not entirely unexpected—the BPP isn’t quite capable of reaching optimal brewing temperatures for super-light, specialty coffees like this. It’s an entry-level, thermoblock machine, and lacks the mass of a heavy, metal boiler and group head. That means it’s going to struggle to maintain high brew temperatures throughout an extraction—not ideal for a light-roasted coffee that wants to be brewed at 203°F or maybe even higher.
A quick note on brewing light-roasted coffees: any thermoblock boiler machine (e.g. your Brevilles and DeLonghis) is going to have the same issue as the BPP here. If you like light roasts, you may want to consider a machine with a real, heavy boiler, like the Gaggia Classic Pro E24 or the Profitec GO.
Not one to admit defeat so easily, however, I sought help from Zach Shouse, one of our resident coffee experts with over a decade of experience managing cafes and roasteries. “Can you pull a good shot of light-roasted coffee on the Barista Perfetta Plus?” I asked him.
“Sure you can,” was his reply. Here's what he had to say: it’s true that the BPP and other thermoblock machines aren’t optimal for brewing light roasted coffees for all the reasons I mentioned above. However, there’s a workaround: by grinding finer, using a smaller basket, and extending brew time just a little, you can increase your extraction percentage and unlock some of those lighter flavors, even if the water isn’t quite as hot as you’d want it. You’re still not going to be able to unlock the zippy, brightness that, chemically, requires hotter temperatures to access, but you can get something.
I gave Zach’s advice a try with our Colombian Tolima single origin. I swapped the stock basket for an IMS precision one, dosed 14.5 g, and with my finer grind got 29g out in a little over 30 seconds. I was honestly stunned by the results. This Americano was aromatic and full-bodied; I even got some nice fruity flavors on the back end of each sip and a nice, lingering sweetness that I was definitely not expecting. It didn't hit me over the head with apple and almond the way the pour-overs I've made with this coffee did, but it was a remarkably enjoyable coffee experience nonetheless.
Touché, BPP, touché.
Milk Frothing
Something I really like about the BPP is how fast it heats to steam temperatures (and vice versa). On a traditional single-boiler, it can take up to a minute for the boiler to get steam-ready, and that’s time your shot is just sitting there, lonely, waiting for its milk.
The thermoblock boiler on the BPP, on the other hand, is ready to froth in under 25 seconds. This isn’t the fastest frother out there—it took on average around 39 seconds to froth 5 ounces of milk to 140°F—but I was able to get a nice roll in the pitcher and some latte-art-quality foam from the commercial-style, single-hole steam wand.
After frothing (and purging and cleaning the steam wand, of course) a press of either brew button and the machine cools itself to brew temps by auto-purging the boiler into the drip tray in just 20 seconds.
Final Thoughts
I like the Barista Perfetta Plus a lot, especially given its price point. It heats up quickly and is perfectly capable of producing a quality shot of espresso, even if you brew with pre-ground coffee.
It’s fairly easy to use, too. Press-and-hold extraction programming mostly negates the necessity to navigate any sort of menu, but even when you do need to enter programming mode (say, to change your brew temperature) it’s fairly intuitive. Automated backflush and descaling reminders are also extremely handy. When it comes to a machine you can literally just take out of the box and start using (and keep using without worrying about going past a necessary cleaning milestone), this is about as close to that ideal as I’ve personally experienced.
I’m also a fan of the BPP’s whole vibe. The smooth, rounded edges and retro-stylized manometer blend traditional espresso machine style with a modern aesthetic—and it comes in four different color options, including my personal favorite: a shiny, candy-apple red.
But this thing is more than just a compelling entry-level espresso machine—it’s got legs (proverbially, anyways). With all the pro-brewing upgrades available, you’ll be able to get the results you’re looking for even after you’ve become a more discerning espresso taster.
There is, of course, the little issue with messy Americano making I mentioned before, but there’s an easy workaround: dispense your water first, and then pour your espresso on top. This is technically called a “long black” and not an Americano, but they’re basically the same drink (though, some say you get a better nose out of a long black).
Anyways, if my only complaint about a $400 espresso machine has such a simple workaround, I’m calling that a big win for Solis…and for any aspiring home baristas looking for an inexpensive and easy way to kickstart their hobby.
