Aldi vs Kmart coffee machines: Which cheap machine is better?

As it to be expected, none of these machines have specs that will blow you out of the water. They are however perfectly within the acceptable range in both bar pressure and wattage.

Sitting at either 15 or 19 bars of pressure, the three machines from Aldi and Kmart are either at the low or high end of optimal. However it is worth noting that these bar measurements indicate the pressure at the beginning of the pumping process and not exactly what hits your beans. Ideally the bar should be between 7-11 when they get to your coffee, with a minimum of 7 bars to produce a rich crema on top of your espresso shot. Here Aldi has the upper hand simply from having a higher starting point. Even if it were to loose half the pressure it would still sit above that minimum, while Kmart's range has less room for error.

We see a similar story for wattage, with Kmart sitting below average and Aldi just on it. Most manual coffee machines with similar features liek the Breville Bambino have 1300-1600W, whereas the Kmart espresso machines have just 1100W. This means these will take longer to heat up, and may brew cooler coffee. The Expressi on the other hand sits at 1455W which is around the same as high end Nespresso pod machines like the Vertuo Creatista.

Both Kmart machines come with a steaming wand, but the wattage issue may mean you'll need to spend more time getting that velvety consistency. Comparitively Aldi's machine has no in-built frothing options so you'll need to buy an external frother.

Coffee machines are only as good as the coffee you put in them, so it pays to have options. Pod coffee machines tend to be more limited as you need to consider what types of pods are compatible with the machine, while manual machines require more messing around but allow for infinite possibilities. Both have their pros and cons, and which one is better for you will depend on how much you're looking to work for a cuppa.

Every Kmart machine is manual, and grinderless which means you'll either need to buy pre-ground coffee or get yourself a grinder. Most coffee shops are happy to grind down beans for you, so even if you don't want to invest in other accessories you should have plenty of options to choose from. Of course that does mean you'll need to put in a bit more effort to actually make a good cup of coffee.

Pod coffee machines like Aldi's version are more limited but are also more convinient. Rather than messing about with beans you just snap a capsule in to place and press a button. Aldi has 11 blends in its Expressi collection (and a hot chocolate), which is not an insignificant amount of choice but still far less than every coffee blend to exist. Expressi machines also aren't cross-compatible with any other capsule like classic Nespresso machines are, and therefore there are less environmentally friendly options.

For reference coffee pods are terrible for the environment, contributing 2.4 million pods to landfill in Australia every year. There are more sustainable options like compostible and reuseable pods, but these are difficult to find from Aldi.

Outright every machine sits under $100 making them an absolute bargain, but the costs don't stop there. You'll need to purchase coffee for both pod and manual machines, and you also may need other accessories like milk jugs, tampers, or external frothers and grinders.

Kmart's coffee machines are manual, and quite bare boned. They come with the machine, a funnel handle, and a coffee spoon. At a bare minimum you'll want to buy a tamper, some ground coffee, and a milk jug to be able to make a full cup of coffee. If you want to go all out then you'll need the above, plus a scale and a grinder.

Aldi's machine won't require most of these bells and whistles, but you will need to buy coffee and a milk frother.

Here is an indication of how much these initial set up costs may look;

Of course these costs will vary. You can cheaper or more expensive equipment and coffee for the Kmart machines, but all up you're looking at a pricier starting point on these manual but cheap coffee machines.

It is also worth considering just how long these machines will last for. The Kmart coffee machines both come with a 12 month warranty, and repair options are unclear through the seller itself. Aldi's Expressi comes with a 24 month warranty, and you can buy spare parts through the machine's manufacturer website. These start as low as $5 for a plastic drip grate, and go up to $16 for a replacement water tank.

Overall Aldi's pod coffee machine is a better buy than Kmart's Espresso machines. It has better bar pressure, wattage, and is cheaper, and more repairable with a better warranty period. Of course this only matters if you are happy to use pods over a manual machine.

With Aldi's machine you'll be limited to just 11 standard coffee blends to choose from, as opposed to the ellipsis that comes with a manual machine. If you're hell bent on an espresso machine then there are other options that may not be as cheap but will get you better coffee and a longer shelf life.