Buying My First Espresso Machine: Why I Chose the Giselle Prima Mola

Wanting a Setup at Home

About three months after joining my new office, I wanted a coffee machine at home too. Making coffee had caught my interest, especially the latte art, and I wanted more chances to practise.

Here in Malaysia, Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok are familiar places to look for affordable machines. My budget was initially around RM300-plus. I wanted to get started without spending too much, but I also wanted a setup that could do everything.

I ended up spending around RM400-plus on the Giselle Prima Mola.

Three Functions in One Machine

What attracted me was the combination of a built-in grinder, an espresso brewer, and a milk frother. It was a three-in-one machine, which sounded like what I needed.

I wanted to grind the beans, pull a shot, and froth the milk myself. Having everything together at that price felt like a practical way to start.

My first home setup, with a grinder, espresso brewer, and milk frother in one machine.

At that point, I was mostly thinking about the functions. If it could do all three, I felt I would have what I needed to begin learning.

The Feel Wasn’t Quite What I Expected

The build quality surprised me a little.

The portafilter had a plastic handle and felt very light. The tamper was plastic too. When I held and used them, they didn’t have the solid feel I had hoped for.

It was something I hadn’t paid much attention to while choosing the machine. Once I started using it, though, the feel of those tools became noticeable.

Some of the accessories that came with my first setup.

Still, I had wanted a grinder, espresso machine, and milk frother for around RM400-plus. Looking back, I think I was expecting quite a lot from that budget.

For what I paid, I felt I had got plenty of functions. I was also beginning to realise how expensive coffee making could become as a hobby.

What I Would Tell Myself Now

If I were choosing my first setup again, I would prefer to buy the grinder separately.

That would give me more freedom to upgrade the grinder or espresso machine individually later. I would also have to reconsider the budget, because I couldn’t assume that a separate setup would give me everything at the same price.

The Prima Mola suited what I was looking for when I bought it. It gave me a way to practise at home. Using it also helped me understand what I would pay more attention to next time.