Last Updated on November 25, 2023
How much would you spend on a coffee machine?
Starbucks drinks are made using Mastrena espresso machines by Thermoplan AG. We’ll get to their cost in a moment, but for comparison’s sake, let’s think about what you might spend for your daily caffeine kickstart.
If you’re a college student, maybe you’d skip the cost of a machine entirely and head straight to Starbucks itself. If you do have a coffee machine, it’s probably an inexpensive four-cup unit that costs less than a hundred dollars.
As you grow older and head out into the job market (whatever shape it’s in these days), your need for coffee doesn’t abate but hopefully you can afford to pay a bit more—maybe a couple hundred for a nicer model.
Eventually, you might go full-on coffee snob, sneer at Starbucks and buy an expensive elegant five-star espresso machine.
But would you spend a five-figure sum on an espresso machine? Probably not, but that’s what Starbucks spends on its Mastrena espresso machines. The high price, coupled with an exclusive supply deal, means the Mastrena is as elusive to most coffee lovers as the white whale was to Captain Ahab.
The Mastrena espresso machine
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First, let’s review the machine itself.
In the 1990s, Starbucks used a different type of machine, the Linea by La Marzocco. These are standard espresso machines with regular portafilters. They require some expertise to use to their full potential, of course, but they’re nothing that you couldn’t master yourself if you worked up to that level.
Once Starbucks became the all-powerful coffee force that it is today, the company switched to super-automatic machines. While the former espresso machines needed a bit of attention, super-automatics just require you to set the settings, push a button, and away you go.
They brought in the Mastrena from Thermoplan AG. This Swiss coffee machine, the Mastrena CS2, was a super-automatic. It featured a huge hopper on top that could hold an enormous amount of beans—far more than even the most ardent of coffee addicts are likely to use for themselves in one day.
The CS2 also had a built-in burr grinder that could grind beans at a faster rate than you would need for home use. Of course, the unit had a frothing wand attached to it.
Over the past couple of years, a new model called the Mastrena II has begun to replace the Mastrena CS2.
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How much does a Mastrena espresso machine cost?
The Mastrena is believed to cost between $15,000 and $17,000. Needless to say, that is more than even the most passionate espresso lover is likely to fork out.
Can you buy a Starbucks espresso machine?
I know what you’re thinking. “If I can just work my way up the corporate ladder, or become a successful entrepreneur, I’ll be able to afford a Mastrena myself!” And perhaps that’s true. But you probably won’t be able to buy one. You’d have to buy Starbucks first. Not just a cup of coffee, mind you, but the whole company. Because under their existing deal, only Starbucks gets to use Mastrenas. This is part of what gives them such an allure, and part of what keeps Starbucks’ rivals from being able to tap into their espresso-making secrets.
So, if you’re hoping to tell your friends you’ve bought a “Starbucks machine,” then your options are limited.
You could go for one of the traditional espresso machines Starbucks used in the ’90s. While they still cost several hundred dollars, at least they’re more attainable than a machine that costs as much as a used car.
Another option is to wait for the Mastrena CS2 to become obsolete and hit the secondary market. As this replacement cycle progresses, used CS2 machines should become available and they will likely cost considerably less than they did when they were new, much like the old Marzocco machines do today.
Your best bet, however, is to forget about the Mastrena. If you intend to make that kind of investment in an espresso machine, there are far better units you can buy. A machine that’s designed to keep up with hundreds of customers a day isn’t going to give you a sublime shot of espresso. Instead, let our friends at Majesty Coffee fix you up with a truly special machine for your home.
Shop Majesty Coffee now!
Why is a Mastrena espresso machine so expensive?
Mastrenas are industrial machines engineered to handle a massive amount of espresso grounds as quickly as possible while still maintaining beverage quality. For most of us, that’s not something we have to worry about. For a company like Starbucks that cranks out Frappuccinos with java chips almost non-stop, it is essential to their brand, and so they pay these exorbitant sums. Being the global coffee-making giant that they are, they can afford it.
Starbucks’ deal with Thermoplan AG
Thermoplan AG entered into their present deal with Starbucks in 2008. While they may be a little company nestled in a tiny part of Switzerland, there’s no denying that these machines are big business for them. The company raked in $130 million in 2013 alone from sales of these machines to Starbucks.
Thermoplan AG manufactures machines that distribute coffee to countless millions around the world, but they are actually a relatively small company that employs around 230 people. The town in Switzerland where they are located, Weggis, is also small. It’s home to just a few thousand people.
A few dozen people among the Thermoplan AG workforce are dedicated to making the machinery faster and better. Most of the other employees are factory workers who assemble the machines. The assembly process takes time, but perhaps not as much as one might think for such a vaunted machine—about eight hours.
The machines are subject to a rigorous testing process before they can be shipped. They must brew at least 100 perfect cups of coffee before they are considered ready to be sent off. (No word on how many of those 100 perfect cups go towards well-deserved coffee breaks for the staff, although that would definitely be quite a “perk.”) Computers help achieve this perfection, standardizing the brewing process for the machines and helping reduce the potential for human error that might spoil your espresso.
So the big secret about Starbucks’ commercial espresso machines is that they are industrially designed for industrial services, and yet from the customer’s perspective, they deliver a fairly intimate latte and espresso-making experience.
From the little company that makes them, to the big revenue they generate, Starbucks’ super-automatic computerized espresso makers provide the multi-billion-dollar coffee conglomerate with priceless efficiency and the taste of success.
Photo at top: © Paul Lloyd | Flickr
Any real coffee professional will be able to tell you that the Mastrena, while impressive for what it is, is NOT a good espresso machine. At all.
It delivers high speed, consistent coffee but at woefully low quality. It fits the super dark Starbucks roast just fine, there isn’t much in the bean to be extracted. But there are real espresso machines meant for real professionals out there that are in another galaxy when it comes to quality.
This article is offensive to me.
Omg yes. How embarrassing. This article is deeply offensive.
Hahahaha, I agree!
This article just feels like Starbucks shilling.
Their big secret is actually just pushing a button to make espresso go brrr
You forgot the Verismo 801. That but piece of machine was crazy, and definitely wasn’t the best superautomatic.
Regardless of what you think: machines can’t replace and do what people do, and do it better with more consistency.
As someone who worked with the Lines, Verismo 801, and Verismo 901 (Mastrena), the potential quality of espresso from Mastrena is truly top notch only limited by the beans you’re using, once properly calibrated.
I work for the company that supplied the machine before the Mastena. There is so much wrong with this article. First is that Nestle now owns Starbucks lock stock and barrel, second is only the retail stores use the Mastena. My company still has the private coffee service and cafeteria contract.
Third is If you wanted this machine in your home, you’d have to install a circuit made to handle industrial power, plumb a separate floor drain and plumb for a water filter system that needs maintenance every 3-6 months depending on hard your water is. You also need to buy specific supplies for cleaning and maintaining it. You can’t change the brand of beans from one week to another without needing recalibration as everyone’s roast and quality is different. Then if you ever do need service…. Parts and labor are not cheap!
Oh dear God, grow up. No one cares that you’re offended
Also, this is not an expensive espresso machine.
Its really an affordable model to keep up with demand. Slayer is much better, but is wasted on terrible coffe starbucks uses.
And *I* am offended, too. At something. So many offensive things, not even counting fantasies, and so very little time.
Exactly.
If you’ve ever had a shot of espresso from Starbucks you know it’s absolutely sub par coffee for anyone who just enjoys coffee and not 10 oz of chocolate syrup to accompany it with.
I totally agree. And real coffee lovers don’t go to Starbucks.
Hi Starbucks Barista here. I liked the cs2 but like any machine that used quite a lot, it tends to break and have issues. The maintenance on the cs2 was kinda fiddly. I love our new machines. The maintenance and cleaning is a dream! I close a lot so I clean them everyday, so I get to know it pretty well. The bean hoppers on the cs2 were very delicate. It had a magnet on the bottom that was very fiddly to clean and was very sensitive. Even though the new one has three bean hoppers it relatively more easy to clean. I love the puck drawer and how much bigger it is. When it’s busy we have to quickly empty it multiple times, but with the new one the number of times has significantly decreased. The shots pull better on the new one. On the cs2 we had to constantly monitor the shot times and adjust the grind by hand. The new machine will do this automatically. Many of the new Baristas we trained had a hard time interpreting the chart on the cs2, on the new one it will tell you if the shots pulled were bad or not. Over all I really like our new machines better.
I’m glad I found this site. to no ones offence (I hope), I enjoyed reading the comments more than the article. I actually found some of these machines for sale online, and was considering buying one. I’m a veteran with PTSD and my husband died, so I, at 26, am learning to get thru my day with small joys. my Starbucks experience (for lack of other calorie friendly resources in my area) is the best part of my day often times. I’m curious what machine this coffee community would recommend to a fairly underpaid 26yo… and what I should buy should I run into some money ever. I hope no one is offended, but my favorite part of this site so far was hearing the very cute snarkey (I mean this in an endearing way, as it truly brought me back into the coffee world). I would very much like to be friends with people that were deeply offended by this article, as I have so much about coffee to learn and I could use a break from my normal thoughts.
best love to everyone
Liz
If you’re looking for something smallish and relatively affordable that can pull good shots, I’d recommend the breville barista express. It’s not automatic but it has a built in bean hopper/grinder and steam wand usually goes for 500-800 bucks.
Nice. We like it too. In fact, we have a post on the Barista Express and its cousin, the Infuser, coming in the next few days.
I am assuming that you are looking for an espresso machine? If you just want a basic machine without a grinder, then you would buy ground coffee beans and make espresso in one of the $150 range machines that will also froth milk. There are slightly better machines in the $500 range. A decent grinder choice would be a refurbished Baratza sette 30 or 270 ($300 range). Check their site.
In a plus $1000 range, I would consider a E61 group head espresso machine.
Magister Stella or Quickmill unit would work. Hope it helps.
Although I don’t have anything to say about coffee,
Thank you for your service
Yes i am a real italian and you know how much italians love their espresso coffee . i only have to say 1 thing Starbucks coffee is the worst coffee i ever tasted i only tried it 2 times and that was enougj for me their beans are over tosted and smells like burnt those guys have no idea what a real espresso taste like
Heh, Sir, you absolutely right. That’s the same thing I’ve been saying for years.
I must agree with the italian. If you ever drank real espresso then Starbucks isnt that great. Yes I do go sometimes to Starbucks if I am somewhere else and need a coffee on the go but it isnt very delightful.
Cheers
a coffeelover from Vienna
?? A 2 head Linea for “several hundreds of dollars”? I’d love to know where.
I own a rocker r58 its pricey but a great machine and seams easy so far to dial in and clean. Ive only had it 2 months but very happy so far. And i agree. Starbucks is truckstop coffee?
The problem will always be Starbucks burns their coffee to give you that “unique taste”…. My friends know I’m a snob about espresso and beans. I get along just fine with a Delongi machine and my Secura grinder.
Buy decent beans, clean your grinder and be consistent in the making of your coffee. Forgot expensive machines, just make sure you have at least 15 bars. Just my opinion…..
I priced one of the super-automatics at the 7-11 across the street from where I used to work; from Switzerland, it was $17.5k – the melitta carina ct8. Good to see that Starbucks can keep up with 7/11! ? (and the 7-eleven had a myriad of other coffee and tea brewing equipment.)
But the Starbucks literally right next door to my office couldn’t get my business, cuz I could bring my own 18 oz. travel mug to 7/11, get 2 shots of espresso from their spendy super-automatic, and then top it off full with a Brazilian dark roast at least as good as what Starbucks has, all for $0.99.
I would rather have truck stop coffee over Starbucks and I am not kidding. Once you have a great shot of espresso you will get it. If starbucks is all you know then drink on and enjoy.
I have a Rocket R58 and a Ceado E37S grinder both awesome and consistent. I use a bottomless portifilter for better control and keep my beans fresh by using a local coffee roasters espresso roast. (Colorado River Coffee Roasters Redwall Espresso).
For pour over I use a Rancilio Rocky grinder. I LOVE COFFEE!
I agree with the Italian too. I have been to Italy and they have the most awesome espresso EVERYWHERE. I love Italy!