Casabrews · ThermoblockULTRA
A budget semi-automatic with a 58mm portafilter, PID temperature control, shot timer, and a large 73 oz water tank — all under $250. The steam wand is the honest weak link.
The short version
The ULTRA crams more useful features into the sub-$250 bracket than almost anything else on the market: real 58mm group, four-step PID temp selection, built-in shot timer, and volumetric programming.
You have to accept a single-hole thermoblock steam wand that reviewers variously describe as 'poor' and 'incapable of microfoam,' plus a build quality that is solid for the price but nowhere near a Breville or Gaggia.
Why people buy it
- PID temperature control with four selectable brew temps (90/92/94/96°C) at an entry price point
- 58mm portafilter means widely available third-party accessories — puck screens, distributors, baskets — all fit
Why they don’t
- Single-hole steam wand struggles with true microfoam; reviewers consistently flag it as the machine's biggest limitation
The full tally
- PID temperature control with four selectable brew temps (90/92/94/96°C) at an entry price point
- 58mm portafilter means widely available third-party accessories — puck screens, distributors, baskets — all fit
- Built-in shot timer and adjustable volumetric dosing on both single and double buttons
- Thermoblock heats to brew temp in roughly 30 seconds; 73 oz water tank cuts daily refill frequency
- Single-hole steam wand struggles with true microfoam; reviewers consistently flag it as the machine's biggest limitation
- Single-thermoblock architecture means a mandatory cool-down wait between pulling a shot and steaming milk — back-to-back milk drinks are slow
- Stainless exterior tarnishes and shows fingerprints easily; cup warmer on top does not transfer meaningful heat
What the community knows
Years of owner threads, distilled — the community is split.
PID and 58mm portafilter at CAD $219 sound promising on spec, but expert reviewers split on execution: TechRadar and Tom's Guide fault weak steam wand and demands on the user; Root-Nation and Plumosity find workflow surprisingly smooth for the price. Brand is unproven (founded…
Design pull
Value
price-to-performance the community respects
Beginner fit
kind to first-timers
All 9 community measures
price-to-performance the community respects
shows up every morning, year after year
parts and repairs — you are never stranded
mods, guides, and community know-how around it
kind to first-timers
years before you outgrow or replace it
how far the cup can go, per dollar
speed and simplicity, day to day
Worth knowing before you buy — Budget Breville lookalike with better thermoblock, but weak steam wand and unproven longevity — consider grinder investment first before committing to a brand under 6 years old.
Known weak points — Steam wand insufficient for microfoam (functional limitation, not durability failure); no ULTRA-specific hardware failures documented in current evidence.
The measurements
Scored 0–5 on the same rubric as everything on file — the words matter more than the numbers.
The measurements
0–5, one rubric- Shot ceiling
- capable3
- Steam power
- token2
- Built to last
- light-duty2
- Easy daily
- demanding2
Position in the market
Every dot is a rival, measured the same way. The gold one is this.
- Lower half for shot ceiling
- a higher ceiling than 80 of the 237 machines we’ve measured
- A value pick at this level
- 98% of machines this capable cost more
- Lower half for build
- sturdier than 1% of the field, by the community’s own record
Every dot is a machine measured on the same rubric. See the whole market
Living with it
The part spec sheets skip: counter space, upkeep, and what owners learn later.
The honest note — Most owners outgrow the steam wand first. A logical next step is the Breville Bambino Plus or Gaggia Classic Pro — both single-boiler machines with meaningfully stronger steam and better long-term serviceability. Those who want simultaneous brew-and-steam would move to an HX or dual-boiler.
The full spec sheet
- Type
- Thermoblock / thermojet
- Heat-up time
- 30 seconds
- Steam power
- 2/5
- Brew + steam at once
- No
- Guest recovery
- 2/5
- Shot quality ceiling
- 3/5
- PID temperature control
- Yes
- Milk system
- Manual steam wand
- One-touch drinks
- 2
- Removable brew group
- No
- Hot-water tap
- Yes
- Cup clearance
- 0 cm
- Workflow demand
- 3/5
- Maintenance
- 2/5
- Noise
- 3/5
- Build longevity
- 2/5
- Dimensions
- 26.2 × 31 × 33 cm
Before it arrives
What completes this machine — the faded pieces can wait.
Descaler & backflush kit — Electric boilers scale up and grouts gunk up — a descaler plus backflush routine is what keeps the machine alive for a decade.
- Descaler & backflush kit — Electric boilers scale up and grouts gunk up — a descaler plus backflush routine is what keeps the machine alive for a decade.
- Coffee scale with timer — Espresso is a ratio. A 0.1g scale with a built-in timer is the single biggest consistency upgrade for any manual machine.
- Espresso cups & glassware — Proper demitasse and latte glasses keep the drink hot and look the part.
Feed it right
Week one is dial-in — and stale beans will lose it.
Coffee more than a few weeks past roast won’t extract predictably, and a new machine gets blamed for it. While you learn it, a forgiving medium-light roast keeps dial-in kind — bright enough to taste progress, sweet enough to drink the misses.
Pick your coffee — any of these dials in beautifully here:
Wild Ember - Ethiopian Buno Dambi UddoSCA 92Medium roast · Odo Shakiso, Guji Zone, Oromia · NaturalBlueberry · MarmaladeSteady and repeatable — right for this setup’s lane.CA$26.83 · roasted to order
Etherea - Ethiopian YirgacheffeSCA 88Medium roast · NaturalJasmine · BergamotSteady and repeatable — right for this setup’s lane.CA$24.16 · roasted to order
Sergio - Brazillian Fazenda Joia Rara Aerobic FermentedSCA 88Medium-light · Cerrado Mineiro · Aerobic FermentedHoney · OrangeSteady and repeatable — right for this setup’s lane.CA$29.18 · roasted to orderNo proper grinder yet? Sort that first — it decides more of the cup than the machine does. We ship whole bean, roast-dated, timed so it lands fresh the week your burrs do.
Roasted to order, daily, in Ajax, Ontario · ships Canada-wide. We’re the roastery behind this database — measuring the machines is how we make sure the coffee gets a fair shot.
On film
How it runs on camera, from around the community.
Common questions
Does the Casabrews ULTRA have a real PID?
Casabrews markets it as PID-controlled and it offers four discrete temperature settings (90, 92, 94, 96°C). However, at least one independent reviewer (Coffee Kev) noted its temperature behavior does not match what you would expect from a fully closed-loop PID on a proper thermoblock machine. Treat it as programmable temperature selection with improved stability over a basic thermostat.
What size portafilter does the ULTRA use?
58mm — a standard professional size. This means a wide range of third-party baskets, puck screens, distributors, and bottomless portafilters will fit without adapters.
Can I pull a shot and steam milk at the same time?
No. The single-thermoblock design means you must finish brewing, then switch to steam mode and wait for the thermoblock to climb to steam temperature before frothing. The switchover is faster than older machines but still adds 30–60 seconds to a milk drink.
How long does it take to heat up?
Multiple reviews report roughly 25–38 seconds to reach brew temperature from cold — fast for a thermoblock machine and faster than most traditional single-boiler machines.
Worth comparing
De'Longhi
Classic Espresso Machine EM400M
De'Longhi's entry-level Classic is a compact thermoblock machine with volumetric single/double presets and a two-setting steam wand — a no-fuss first machine for anyone moving off capsules.
US$149–199 · CA$195–200
Breville
Bambino (BES450)
Breville's smallest and most affordable espresso machine: a 3-second ThermoJet heat-up, genuine 9-bar extraction with pre-infusion, PID temperature control, and a manual steam wand — all in a footprint smaller than most toasters.
US$299–300 · CA$345–360
Gaggia
Carezza Deluxe
An entry-level Italian thermoblock semi-automatic with a pressurized portafilter, automatic pre-infusion, and a front-facing analogue temperature gauge — designed to pull decent espresso from pre-ground or ESE pods without a grinder or much technique.
US$199–249
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