The specialty coffee equipment world is always changing and it can be hard to keep up. That's why it's taken me so long to write a Stone Espresso Machine review. Still, better late than never, right?
The specialty coffee equipment world is always changing and it can be hard to keep up. That’s why it’s taken me so long to write a Stone Espresso Machine review. Still, better late than never, right?
In case you haven’t heard of Stone Espresso, it’s an exciting new brand that’s been making quite a bit of noise in the home espresso machine sector of late. So, can the Stone Espresso Machine compete with more established prosumer espresso machines? Let’s find out!
Stylish and compact
Stone Mine Espresso Machine
A great entry-level prosumer machine
Compact design
Premium materials
Easy to use
Commercial-grade components
Makes great espresso
Powerful steam wand
No pre-infusion function
Stone Espresso Machine Review Overview
Based in Milan, Italy, Stone Espresso is actually an offshoot of the wildly popular and successful Rocket Espresso. For reference, check out how giddy I got during my Rocket Appartamento review 2024.
Anyway, one look at the Stone Espresso website is all it takes to see who the manufacturer is trying to appeal to – namely, a young, hip consumer who wants a compact, affordable and high-quality espresso maker. Seriously, the vibe here is so achingly hip it makes me feel really old and out of touch!
Jokes aside, the Stone Espresso Machine is undeniably lovely to behold and offers a very small footprint for a prosumer machine.
Designed as a straightforward “plug and play” device, Stone has priced this machine very competitively at $1,399.00. Now, don’t get me wrong – that’s a lot of money to spend on an espresso maker. However, compared to other machines offering similar performance, it’s actually very reasonable.
So, what sets the Stone Espresso Machine apart, other than its price point and compact dimensions? Well, that’s what I aim to find out in this review. For now, though, you should know that this prosumer machine features an innovative heating system, customizable side panels and can deliver really great espresso. What more could you ask for?
Stone Espresso Machine Models
In today’s review I’ll be focussing on the manufacturer’s most popular model, the Stone Mine Espresso Machine. However, the company produces a few other models, most of which differ only slightly in terms of aesthetics.
- Stone Plus
- Stone Mine Premium
Stone Mine Premium Wood
Stone Lite
Stone Lite Premium
Stone Pure
Essentially, all the machines are the same under the hood. However, you’ll pay a little more or less, depending on the design you choose.
Stone Espresso Machine Features
Now that we’ve established what we’re dealing with, let’s continue this Stone Espresso Machine review by looking at its long list of exciting features.
Size and Design
There can be no doubt that one of this espresso machine’s biggest selling points is its compact size. You’ll have no problems finding a spot for the Stone Espresso Machine in your studio apartment or urban condo, but remember that you’ll need a good grinder too.
With that said, if space is at a premium in your pad, consider a manual grinder. The 1Zpresso J-Max, for one, is a killer grinder for espresso.
While the Stone espresso maker may be small, it’s certainly pretty. There’s tons of shiny metal in evidence, and the machine has that classic retro-industrial vibe going on.
Another standout feature is the ability to change the side panels to match your kitchen decor. The panels attach via magnets, and come in a variety of colors and materials.
One thing the Stone Espresso Machine lacks is a dedicated hot water outlet, which may or may not be a dealbreaker. After all, it’s nice to be able to make an americano using water from the machine’s boiler.
User Interface
The Stone Mine Espresso Machine keeps things nice and simple when it comes to controls. There’s a simple on/off toggle switch, as well as a light that displays the boiler’s status.
There’s also a pretty neat paddle on the group head to start brewing, as well as a nice chunky dial for activating the steam wand. Other than that, the Stone Mine has a gauge front and center for monitoring steam pressure.
I have to say that I’m a little disappointed by the absence of a gauge to monitor pressure at the group head. Still, you can’t win ’em all!
Portafilter
As you’d expect from a prosumer espresso machine, the Stone comes with a commercial 58mm portafilter. Well, actually, the thing comes with a pair of portafilters – one with a single spout and another with dual spouts.
While spouted portafilters work fine, many baristas prefer using the bottomless variety. That way, the coffee comes into contact with less metal as it’s making its way from the basket to your espresso cup. Fortunately, you should be able to pick up a bottomless 58mm portafilter for the Stone Mine on Amazon.
Boiler
Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Remember how I mentioned that Stone had designed this machine to be plug and play? Well, part of what makes that possible is the machine’s fantastic boiler.
Custom-designed, with a 1.5-liter capacity, this 1,000-watt copper and brass boiler is really quick to heat. What’s more, there’s a calibrated brew coil in there that maintains the water temperature at precisely 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
From what I can gather, the Stone Espresso Machine will be ready to go in around 10 minutes, which is pretty darn fast for a heat exchanger-type machine.
While the Stone Mine uses a pressurestat rather than digital PID controller to monitor boiler temperature, I’d say you can expect the Stone to be very consistent. That said, an adjustable PID would be nice to have.
Group Head
At this point, some of you will be thinking, “Hold on a minute, the boiler isn’t getting the water hot enough for espresso!”
Aha! I was leaving out one very important detail. You see, the Stone Espresso Machine is equipped with a specially designed brass group head with a 200-watt heating cartridge built in. So, when you start the extraction process, the water is quickly brought up to brewing temperature as it passes through the group head.
This clever innovation helps the Stone Espresso Machine maintain consistency at all times, so you won’t have to worry about cooling flushes or fluctuations in temperature. Pretty neat, eh?
Pump
As you’d expect at this price point, the Stone Mine is equipped with a vibration pump, rather than a rotary pump. Sure, that means the machine will be a little loud during operation, but it won’t wake the neighbors or anything.
Incidentally, the Stone Espresso Machine operates at 9 bars, which is considered optimal for espresso extraction. That said, lots of espresso geeks like to be able to adjust brewing pressure via an over-pressure valve (OPV). I blame the whole turbo shot espresso craze.
Unfortunately, that’s not an option with this machine, but then again, I feel like Stone Espresso’s target customer won’t be too bothered about it.
Steam Wand
The Stone Espresso steam wand is mounted on a ball joint, so you’ll be able to rotate it 360-degrees. That’s always a bonus when you’re whipping up silky milk foam for your cappuccino or espresso macchiato. Plus, the steam wand is double-insulated, so you won’t burn yourself in the process.
Seeing as the Stone Mine has a relatively small boiler, you won’t be able to throw lavish specialty coffee parties without some waiting time in between drinks. Still, there’s plenty of power behind the steam wand, and you’ll have no problem creating finely textured microfoam.
Accessories
Unlike Breville espresso machines, the Stone Mine doesn’t come with a jug for steaming milk. But a stainless steel milk pitcher from Amazon won’t set you back very much.
On the plus side, the Stone comes with a few accessories you absolutely can’t do without:
Metal espresso tamper
2 portafilters
2 filter baskets
Blind basket for backflushing
Group head scrubbing brush
How to Use the Stone Mine Espresso Machine
Seeing as the Stone Mine has been designed as somewhat of an entry-level prosumer machine, setting it up to pull shots is easy. Once you’ve got the thing out of the box and situated in your kitchen, simply fill the water tank and hit the power switch. You’ll need to wait for the boiler to fill and the machine to reach brewing temperature, but that shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.
Needless to say, you’ll need an espresso-capable grinder, whether it’s a budget-friendly model like the Breville Smart Grinder Pro, or a more high-end single dose grinder. I’d also recommend investing in a decent coffee scale to make dosing the portafilter as consistent as possible. You might also want to use the scale to weigh your shots as they’re extracting, depending on how nerdy you want to get!
Once the Stone Espresso Machine is ready, it’s simply a case of dosing the portafilter with around 19 grams of ground coffee, tamping and locking the portafilter into place in the group head. Then, use the paddle to start the extraction. If all goes well, you’ll have a beautiful 2-ounce (60-milliliter) shot in around 25 seconds.
Of course, you might need to play around with your grind size and dose for a while, but I’d say you’ll hit the sweet spot without too much effort.
As for milk frothing, use the knob above the steam wand to start steaming. You should be able to whip up a couple of milk-based coffee drinks in a row. However, given the boiler’s small size, it’ll need time to recover afterward.
Stone Espresso Machine Cleaning
In my guide to cleaning and descaling coffee makers, you’ll find a detailed section on how to maintain a home espresso machine.
Essentially, keeping your espresso machine in tip-top condition isn’t nearly as much work as it is with an automatic coffee machine. Still, don’t think you can get away with rinsing the portafilter and calling it good. At the end of each day’s use, remove the filter basket and give it a good scrub. Same goes for the shower screen and group head. Oh, and don’t be afraid to really get in there with the included brush!
Seeing as the removable water tank is pretty small, you’ll likely always be using fresh water. And may I remind you to use filtered water for the best tasting espresso! That’ll also help prevent limescale building up in the boiler.
Once a week, I’d recommend backflushing the machine with espresso machine detergent. I’ll leave it to the user manual to explain how to perform that particular task.
Finally, don’t forget to keep the steam wand clean by wiping it off with a damp towel after each use. If you do experience gunky buildup on there, simply soak the wand in warm water for a few minutes then wipe again.
Stone Mine Espresso Machine Specifications
| Stone Mine Espresso Machine | |
| Manufacturer | Stone Espresso |
|---|---|
| Model number | RSMINE3N11 |
| Product category | Manual espresso machine |
| Housing material | Stainless steel with plastic parts |
| Color options | Black |
| Milk frother | Steam wand |
| User interface | Buttons and dials |
| App | |
| User profiles | Memo function only |
| Portafilter size | 58 mm |
| Tamping | Manual |
| Removable water reservoir | |
| Water reservoir capacity | 40.6 fl oz / 1.2 l |
| Number of boilers | 1 |
| Pump pressure | 9 bar |
| Maximum cup height | 3.5 in / 8.9 cm |
| Grinder | N/A |
| Grind adjustment levels | N/A |
| Bean hopper capacity | N/A |
| Specialty drinks | 1 |
| Pre-infusion | |
| Adjustable coffee temperature | |
| Adjustable milk foam temperature | |
| 2-cup function | Yes |
| Hot water function | |
| Hot milk function | |
| Milk foam only option | |
| Water filter | |
| Power consumption | 1200 W |
| Weight | 45.1 lb / 20.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 14.0 x 8.9 x 17.3 in |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Notes | Included Accessories: User manual, 2 x portafilters, 2 x filter baskets, blind basket, metal tamper, cleaning brush |
| Current price on Amazon | $1,399.00 |
| All specifications | |
Verdict: Stone Espresso Machine
Stylish and compact
Stone Mine Espresso Machine
A great entry-level prosumer machine
Compact design
Premium materials
Easy to use
Commercial-grade components
Makes great espresso
Powerful steam wand
No pre-infusion function
As the demand for affordable and sophisticated home espresso makers expands, I’m sure we’ll see more and more budget-friendly prosumer models emerge. Personally, I’m all for it – I love that a new generation of espresso nerds is pushing the boundaries and experimenting with coffee at home.
With that in mind, I can definitely recommend the Stone Mine espresso machine as a beginner appliance for those interested in really getting to grips with espresso.
Still, I do feel like this machine is a little limited, both in terms of its size and features. There’s no pre-infusion feature here, which is a real bummer. Plus, the absence of an adjustable OPV valve is a potential downside.
Ultimately, though, the Stone Mine is an excellent choice for those who want something better than an appliance-grade espresso machine.
That’s a wrap on my Stone Espresso Machine review. Do any of you own this machine? How would you rate its performance? Tell me all about it in the comments section!
