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9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review
Most of the best espresso machines we test here at Tom’s Guide are just that: machines. They run on electricity, have milk steaming wands, some of them even make drinks for you.
Despite its name, the 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 isn’t a machine in the same sense of the word. This little espresso maker is all analog, and is more like a moka pot than what we might think of as an espresso machine these days. But it is an espresso maker nonetheless, and a jolly good one at that.
If you’re anything like me, algorithms might’ve already shown you the 9Barista on social media. Styled like a turbojet engine, this thing is all over YouTube Shorts and TikTok, usually as part of those artsy espresso workflow videos.
Despite its looks and fame, this thing isn’t a gimmick. It makes legit espresso, and really well. So, is it for you? In short it’ll come down to your existing investment (time and money) in espresso.
Find out more in my full 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review.
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: Cheat sheet
- What is it? A stove-top 9-bar espresso maker
- Who is it for? Engaged espresso enthusiasts
- What does it cost? $599 / £449 for the Standard model, $699 / £559 for the Pro
- What do I love about it? It makes genuine espresso, is built exquisitely and every part is replaceable. It’s portable, too, although you’ll need a heat source
- And what do I not? It’s very easy to break a crucial component on your first go, and you’re likely to scald yourself during use before long
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: Price & availability
The 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 is available in two models at differing price points. The Standard model costs $599 / £449, while the Pro variant (tested) costs $699 / £559 and bundles some choice upgrades. I’ll detail the differences below.
,$599 ain’t cheap… if you’re unaccustomed to espresso. But if that’s the case, this product isn’t aimed at you in the first place and I wouldn’t recommend buying it. This is a fiddly, breakable and even risky product to use at times — it isn’t really intended for novices trying to figure out whether espresso (plus the associated time and monetary investment) is for them.
I spoke with 9Barista personally, and their representative told me this in fairly certain terms. 9Barista knows its audience, and it’s dedicated espresso enthusiasts.
If that does describe you, then you’ll already know that $599 for a legitimately good espresso machine is, in actuality, pretty good money. I’ve been pulling shots for over 10 years now, and had some of the best espresso I’ve ever made with the 9Barista; as good as from machines that cost multiple times the money.
Obviously there’s an elephant in the room, and it smells of milk. Most $600 machines have a steam wand. Again, though, if you want milk drinks, the 9Barista simply isn’t for you, and you should go buy a Breville Bambino Plus or Diletta Mio. Although you can always combine the 9Barista with a Subminimal NanoFoamer Pro.
Standard vs Pro
With the Pro model, you get a few upgrades to improve heat resistance and extraction. Here’s a roundup of the key differences. Given the price delta is only around $100, I would recommend going for the Pro model.
Feature | Standard | Pro | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
Handles | Walnut | Anodized aluminum | They don’t look as good, but the improved aluminum handles will stand up better to heat over time. And this thing gets HOT! |
Basket | 9Barista | IMS Precision | Baskets make a big difference, and the IMS Precision basket should enable more even extraction. |
Basket cap | Silicone | Aluminum | This acts as the shower head, and the aluminum version is supposed to disperse water better for a more even extraction. |
Portafilter | Closed | Naked | What self-respecting coffee YouTuber could be without a naked portafilter? Oh, and it helps you to keep an eye on extraction uniformity. |
Stove adapter
You will need to choose which type of stove adapter you want at checkout. The machine is heated on a stove, but a heat transfer plate needs to go between. If you use induction, you’ll need that version; for gas, ceramic or electric, there’s the non-induction plate.
The non-induction plate is seriously cool. It starts off black, but changes color over time as it heats and cools, cycling from black, to orange, to gold. I love it — to channel my inner Jesse Pinkman for a moment: “SCIENCE, B****!”
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: Design
The internet calls the 9Barista a ‘jet engine espresso machine’, which sounds a little gimmicky. Thankfully, the design is very much function first, form second.
Part of its jet-like appearance stems from the construction materials — mostly brushed metal. From the outside, it’s a big old slab of aluminum, and deliberately so. This machine needs to withstand lots of heat and very high pressure, so it must be heavyweight. It’s also designed to withstand thermal shock, as you’ll need to quench it in water immediately after use if you’re to handle it for a second shot — it’s designed to handle that.
How the 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 works
According to 9Barista, when heated, water in the bottom pressure chamber climbs to 179C and 9-bar pressure. When it hits 9-bar, a valve opens and the pressurized, superheated water transfers upwards into a brew chamber. On its way to the second chamber, the water is cooled to 100°C by a metal heat exchanger, and then cooled again by metal fins to reach 93°C. Still at 9-bar in the brew chamber, the water is forced through the puck of coffee grounds.
Then there are the handles and chimney — anodized on the Pro model to handle the repeated high temperatures. Every component is of supremely high quality, firstly for longevity, but also to befit its price tag.
Another jet-engine feature is the array of cooling fins, but these aren’t for show either and are integral to the 9Barista’s operation. Water is heated and pressurized in the machine’s bottom chamber but needs cooling on its way to your coffee puck.
The fins act as an air/liquid heat exchanger, bringing the water temperature down to 93C while maintaining 9-bar pressure — the ideal heat and required pressure for brewing ‘proper’ espresso.
Pressure release valve
One of the only gripes I have about the 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 is how easy it is to break. That might sound contradictory to what I said about build quality above, but hear me out. It has just one fatal weak point.
The 9Barista’s water chamber has a pressure release valve. In the event of over-heating, which would result in over-pressurization, the valve will open and release pressure, preventing the machine from becoming a $599 frag grenade. Something of this ilk must exist.
The thing is, the valve 9Barista has fitted is totally unfit for purpose. It’s a single use brass ring with a hole in it — that hole is filled with solder, which melts when the temperature gets too high. Overheat this thing once, you melt the solder and have a hole in your water tank. You’re safe, but your machine is rendered useless.
It’s incredibly easy to do this on your first go when you don’t have an idea of a safe heat level yet. I don’t understand why such an otherwise over-engineered product employs such a crappy, single-use safety valve. Moka pots have had open/closing pressure valves on them for decades. And besides, do I want my pressure valve to be based on heat? I’m no expert, but I feel like my pressure valve should open based on, y’know, pressure.
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In fairness, when I spoke to 9Barista, it admitted this issue and that the existing valve isn’t a sustainable solution to pressure release. The company confirmed to me that a better solution is being considered (probably for later versions). In the meantime, it ships all units with a replacement pressure ring and will supply free ones to new users if they get in touch with customer support. Replacements are also very cheap at the 9Barista store.
What’s more, the company’s stance is that, again, its intended customers are engaged enough to only make this mistake once or twice — and to be fair, I’ve not done it a second time. Heating the machine on a sensible heat, using the transfer plate, and never leaving it on the stove after use will prevent this issue.
Scalding
The 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 is a scald risk. Simply put, it gets super hot and needs lots of manual handling to clean it out ready for a back-to-back shot, or if you need to tidy away quickly.
The first instance you’re likely to burn yourself is when handling the body after use. You must remember to quench the body fully and extensively under cold water after use. Otherwise you can still burn yourself, even if you’ve doused it in water already.
Next is when pulling the pressure tab. This is a manual pressure release that makes it easier and safer to open the water chamber after use. You pull a tab upwards, which lets steam escape through the middle threaded opening of the brass/solder safety ring I mentioned earlier. This hot jet of steam is very liable to scald, so I’d always use a cloth or towel when doing this, or do it under running water.
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: Espresso
Okay, okay, onto the important stuff. How is the espresso? It’s fantastic!
As I mentioned earlier, according to 9Barista (and we kinda have to take it at its word, as it’s virtually impossible to verify this), by the time the water hits the coffee puck, it’s at 93C and 9-bar pressure — the perfect stats for brewing espresso.
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As the machine starts to whistle away (telling you your shot is about to brew), rich, brown espresso starts to exude from the basket into the top coffee chamber. Very quickly, this is overtaken by crema, which rises to the top.
If you want a nice-looking shot, you need to judge when to pour very carefully, as before long the water will run out and be replaced by air/steam, aerating your crema and ruining the look and texture.
Time it just right, though, and the results are wonderful. Thick, full-bodied espresso with the complexity of flavor I’d expect from a proper pump machine. Dial in your grind just so, and you’ll get tiger-striped crema on top.
You obviously don’t have the control of a full-size machine. There’s no PID temperature control, nor OPV for pressure control, nor pre-infusion. This is an analog machine. You’re relying on 9Barista’s claims about internal temperature and pressure, the quality of the components used and your core inputs: grind and dose. And there’s a simplicity to it that I love.
As I stated earlier, I’ve made some of the nicest tasting espresso I’ve ever made with the 9Barista, and I haven’t even considered going back to my full sized machine yet.
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: Storage & maintenance
The 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 is extremely easy to store. It’s essentially a mid-sized moka pot, so it can slot into small gaps on worktops or into a cupboard. It’s a little more awkward than a moka pot, due to the protruding handles, but this isn’t difficult to overcome.
Its small size and stovetop nature also make the 9Barista a great choice for taking camping or to Airbnbs. I’ve already packed the machine on two trips, so I can make decent espresso while away.
Those have both been camping trips at campsites where I’ve had my car for transporting luggage, though — I certainly wouldn’t want to take it hiking, as it’s a little too heavy and awkwardly-shaped for a backpack, and especially a daypack. For hikes, I’d recommend the lighter and more compact Wacaco Picopresso.
Cleaning
Cleaning the 9Barista is super simple. Just open up all the parts, being careful to avoid burns, empty out your coffee puck and give everything a good rinse. Give the machine a descaling every month, or more regularly if you live in a hard water area. Easy.
Maintenance
I’ve only been using the Mk.2 three months and no major components have failed, so I’ve not needed to do any serious maintenance yet, except for changing the melty brass safety ring (which was easy to do).
The machine is designed to be taken apart and maintained by the user, with guides and troubleshooting instructions hosted on 9Barista’s website.
Promisingly, 9Barista offers a huge variety of replacement components on its online store. From gaskets and seals to those damned brass pressure rings, you can pick up spares to replace elements yourself.
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: How does it compare?
It’s a little difficult to compare the 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 to anything, as there’s no direct competitor. This isn’t a typical espresso machine, so comparing to those would be a tad reductive. Its closest relative is a moka pot, but (sorry Italians) those don’t make genuine espresso, while this does.
Other close competitors would be Wacaco’s line of travel espresso makers: the Wacaco Picopresso and Wacaco Nanopresso. Both are hand-pumped machines that take some effort to use, although they’re less likely to scald you, are much easier to take hiking, and are each a lot cheaper than the 9Barista.
Of the two, the Picopresso makes the best espresso (the Nanopresso’s output isn’t really espresso), but it still can’t match the 9Barista in terms of espresso quality: from flavor profiles, to body, to crema. The Picopresso is the one I’d take hiking, the 9Barista is the one I’d use everywhere else.
9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 review: Verdict
I’m often skeptical of things that get famous on social media. But this time, at least, the hype is deserved.
The 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 isn’t perfect, I know. Primarily this comes down to the baffling fitment of a single use release valve, although it’s also liable to give you the odd burn if you aren’t careful (to be fair, an occupational hazard of most coffee brewing).
The 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk.2 is designed with a very clear principle, pitched at a very clear group of people. It was put on this earth for espresso enthusiasts to make beautiful coffee. It does just that, and it really doesn’t need to do much more.
