CASABREWS CM5418 vs Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder
Updated · Price Drop Radar
Bottom line
Buy the Gevi if you don't own a grinder: it adds a 30-step grinder and a standard 58mm portafilter with unpressurized baskets, which Tom's Guide found made tasty espresso for the money. Buy the CASABREWS CM5418 if you already have a grinder or have very little counter space; it's about 5.5 inches wide. Neither is good for silky milk: Tom's Guide found both steam wands weak.
CASABREWS CM5418
Gevi with Grinder
Side by side
| Spec | CASABREWS CM5418 | Gevi with Grinder |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in grinder [1][3][4] | No | Yes, 30 settings |
| Portafilter [1][2][3][4] | 51mm with dual-wall (pressurized) baskets only | 58mm with single- and dual-wall baskets |
| Pump rating [1][3] | 20 bar | 20 bar |
| Steam wand (Tom's Guide) [2][4] | Usable with practice; machine overheats after steaming and needs a purge before the next shot | Weak; about 1 minute 37 seconds for 10 oz of milk, 18+ seconds to heat after a shot |
| Water tank [1][2][3] | 34 oz (Tom's Guide measured 32 oz) | 2.3 L (about 78 oz) |
| Width [1][3] | 5.47 in | 11.5 in |
| Weight [2][3][4] | 8.6 lb | 18.7 lb (Tom's Guide lists 23.9 lb) |
| Power [1][3] | 1,350W | 1,450W |
| Milk pitcher included [2][4] | No | Yes |
| Warranty [1][3] | 1 year | 1 year, optional 3-year extension |
CASABREWS CM5418
- Very narrow at about 5.5 inches
- Light enough to move around
- Lowest price of the pair
- Only pressurized baskets; Tom's Guide's shots were bitter and flat until it switched to a $38 bottomless portafilter
- Overheats after steaming, so back-to-back milk drinks are slow
- No milk pitcher in the box
Gevi with Grinder
- Built-in grinder with 30 steps
- 58mm portafilter with real single-wall baskets
- Big 2.3 L water tank; milk pitcher included
- Weak steam wand
- Dose buttons ground 14g for both single and double in Tom's Guide's test
- Wide and heavy, with a plasticky top
Which one is right for you
| If you are | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No grinder and a tight budget | Gevi with Grinder | Grinder included, and it comes with single-wall baskets |
| Already own a good grinder | CASABREWS CM5418 | No need to pay for a second grinder |
| Very small kitchen or dorm | CASABREWS CM5418 | 5.47 in wide and 8.6 lb |
| Mostly drink black espresso or iced lattes | Gevi with Grinder | Better espresso setup; steam wand matters less |
What to look for
Grinder or no grinder
Why it matters: Fresh grinding matters more to espresso taste than almost anything else.
How to check: If you don't own a burr grinder, add its cost to any machine without one.
Watch out: Tom's Guide suggests a manual grinder like the $60 1Zpresso Q-Air as a cheap option; a beginner electric grinder like the Varia VS3 can cost about $299.
Pressurized vs single-wall baskets
Why it matters: Pressurized (dual-wall) baskets fake crema and forgive pre-ground coffee, but flatten the taste of fresh beans.
How to check: See which baskets come in the box.
Watch out: The CM5418 ships with dual-wall baskets only. The Gevi includes single-wall baskets.
The 'bar' number
Why it matters: Every budget machine advertises 15 or 20 bar, which sounds like a quality measure.
How to check: Treat it as the pump's maximum, not the brewing pressure.
Watch out: Gevi's own FAQ says what matters is steady control at about 9 bar during extraction. Tom's Guide notes the CM5418's gauge has no numbers.
Steam power
Why it matters: Weak wands take longer and make bubblier milk.
How to check: Read hands-on reviews for steaming time and texture.
Watch out: Tom's Guide found both wands weak, so if latte art matters, budget for a stronger machine.
Traps and timing
- Tom's Guide recommends CASABREWS's own 3700 Essential over the CM5418: it's $10 to $30 cheaper and performed about the same in their testing.
- Gevi sells several grinder machines with near-identical names, and Tom's Guide said the model it tested wasn't on Gevi's site at the time. The specs here are from Gevi's ECMI0 page, which matches this listing's title. Check the model number on the listing.
- On the Gevi, the default double shot ran to 58g in Tom's Guide's test, which tasted bitter and watery. Reprogram the shot buttons or stop the shot by weight.
- Tom's Guide's CM5418 came with no cleaning products and its Gevi came with only a steam-wand cleaning pin, so plan to buy espresso cleaning tablets.
Before you check out
- Do you own a burr grinder? If not, add its cost to the CM5418.
- Measure your counter: about 5.5 in vs 11.5 in wide.
- Plan for a kitchen scale; both reviews weighed shots to get good results.
- Add a milk pitcher if you pick the CASABREWS.
- Check the model number on the listing before you buy.
How we put this together
We don't test espresso machines in a lab. We compared the makers' published specs, the Amazon listings and independent reviews, all listed under Sources, and where they disagree we say so. Prices come from Amazon and are refreshed by our system throughout the day.
Price Drop Radar earns a commission on qualifying Amazon purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. That never decides which product we recommend.
Quick answers
Is 20 bar better than 15 bar?
Not in practice. The number is the pump's maximum. Gevi's own FAQ says what matters is steady pressure around 9 bar while the shot runs.
Can the CASABREWS CM5418 use fresh-ground beans?
Yes, but its included baskets are pressurized. Tom's Guide got much better shots with fresh beans after switching to CASABREWS's $38 bottomless portafilter.
Is the Gevi's built-in grinder any good?
For the price, yes. Tom's Guide found it fast with no clumping, though it warmed the beans slightly and its dose buttons weren't accurate.
Which makes better milk foam?
Neither is strong. Tom's Guide got smooth-enough milk from the CM5418 with practice and found the Gevi's wand too weak to texture milk well.
Sources
- CM5418 espresso machine product page, CASABREWS
- Casabrews CM5418 review, Tom's Guide
- GEVI 20 Bar Espresso Maker with Built-in Bean Grinder (ECMI0), Gevi
- Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder review, Tom's Guide