It’s not clear from their Kickstarter page exactly what they mean by “open source” since the term could cover anything from the electronics to the entire hardware design. It’s also unclear what license they’re using.

Regardless it’s great to see a PID controlled machine for such a low price. Hopefully other manufacturers take note. I’m eager to see if their new thermoblock design works as advertised. It always seemed to me that thermoblocks were a good idea for home espresso (because they heat up quickly) but so far they’ve always disappointed with poor temperature stability.

I wish these folks the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing reviews of their new machine!

Side note: I’ve gotten a lot of e-mail lately from readers. I try to respond to every single mail as soon as I can. I apologize if your message slipped through the cracks (it happens) so if you don’t get a response within the week, contact me again. I’ll respond to every message (even if it’s to say “I don’t know.”)

It’s not a straightforward question to answer. Steam alone can’t create a really good espresso — that most certainly requires a pump.

But as with many products all is not equal. The cheapest steam driven espresso machines can leave a nasty taste in your espresso. The nicer steam driven espresso machines will be more than enough to make something like what you’d get at your average chain coffee shop.

Personally, I got started with a steam driven espresso machine, but quickly graduated to a pump powered machine. If you’re using a steam driven espresso machine, consider the upgrade. You won’t regret it.

We’ve seen a lot of this in the world of espresso machines in the past few years, from the Aeropress to the Mypressi Twist.

The latest contender is the Presso, an alarmingly straightforward design that looks similar to a wine bottle opener. You just heat the water, grind the beans, and squeeze the water through. A video on their site demonstrates the process.

My only concern with many of these devices is that there’s not much offered in the way of safety. Pressure and hot water near your face isn’t a good combination! These simple espresso makers lack safety features found in high-end espresso machines, such as thick metal casing to protect you from leaks and a 3-way valve to relieve pressure in the group area.

Still, I have confidence that these safety issues are not intractable. One day it’s possible an espresso machine that costs less than $100 will make better espresso than today’s top-of-the-line espresso machine, and be safer as well.

I was recently clued-in to FindTheBest’s espresso machine comparison site, which solves this problem in a unique and interactive way. You can select features, price range, brands, etc. and it will return a list of all the machines that match. From there, you can pick some favorites and compare them with each other.

The cool thing about the comparison is their tool incorporates reviews from CoffeeGeek and other sources so you can, as the name of the site suggests, find the best espresso machine. If you’re in the market for an espresso machine, it’s definitely worth trying.