# Fracino Cherub pricing and deals



## Clifford

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie at an early stage of his coffee journey, learning a lot from the forum - which has made me aware of the urgent need to upgrade my espresso machine* (currently a cheap model from a discount retailer).

Reading around, I like the sound of an HX machine such as the Fracino Cherub because of its ability to brew and steam virtually simultaneously and apparent value for money. However, while the 'Choosing a Domestic Espresso Machine' sticky in the New Members' area describes the Cherub as typically priced around £650, a quick Google shows new versions actually hovering around £1,000. I know the sticky was posted a few years ago and we have to bear inflation in mind, still a 54% price increase over four years seems a little steep. Is the figure in the sticky simply inaccurate, or have prices gone up since, or am I just unaware of the best places to find a good deal?

* I know many folks will advise me to focus on the grinder first; just to clarify I bought the Sage Smart Grinder Pro last year, and I'm happy with that investment for the time being.


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## Dylan

Prices have gone up, Fracino used to be known as a good quality machine maker for a good price. As their machines gained popularity the prices crept up and then I imagine Brexit has increased their costs.

Still, it is a hefty increase, the 'Market' must be supporting.

Check out the Expobar Office Pulser. Bella Barista carry it I think and its a really great compact HX, if a little ugly.

You can also consider second hand from these very forums, and you will get a lot more for your money.

P.s. There is nothing 'virtually' about the steam and brew, they can be done in tandem.


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## Rhys

@coffeebean is doing them new for forum members for £850 delivered IIRC.


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## DavecUK

Rhys said:


> @coffeebean is doing them new for forum members for £850 delivered IIRC.


I'm surprised you beat him to it...he must either be getting slow in his old age, or he is away


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## Clifford

Thanks for the tips guys. I see a Cherub listed on Ebay at the moment for an asking price of £500 (plus £20 delivery) described "as new... in brilliant working order". What's the feeling about picking these machines up on Ebay, wise buy or foolish move?


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## Rhys

DavecUK said:


> I'm surprised you beat him to it...he must either be getting slow in his old age, or he is away


Yeah well, we can't have him spamming the forum can we, not when we can do it for him (I'll wait for my commission







) lol


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## Dylan

Clifford said:


> Thanks for the tips guys. I see a Cherub listed on Ebay at the moment for an asking price of £500 (plus £20 delivery) described "as new... in brilliant working order". What's the feeling about picking these machines up on Ebay, wise buy or foolish move?


I would say if buying second hand in the 5-600 range you can do better than a Cherub, there is nothing particularly wrong with them but you can bag more desirable machines for that kinda money.

For less money there is a Fracino Piccino with PID fitted on the F/S forums here for £450.


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## Clifford

Dylan said:


> I would say if buying second hand in the 5-600 range you can do better than a Cherub, there is nothing particularly wrong with them but you can bag more desirable machines for that kinda money.


Thanks Dylan - I'd be grateful for any suggestions of alternative, more desirable machines in that £500 price range. Like I said I'm a newbie, and slightly overwhelmed by the range of choices...


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## Dylan

The choice range is a bit bewildering. The good news in that the vast majority of machines are very similar underlying tech.

Read this thread to understand the basics: https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?17519-Machines-what-do-you-get-for-your-money

In your price range you are almost certainly looking for a HX.

The bargains on eBay tend to be mis labelled, so searching for something simple like 'espresso machine' and then wading through all the crap sometimes finds you a gem. You can refine searches by adding words with a dash infront to remove thing from search. So like "espresso machine -krups -delonghi -nespresso -krups" this helps filter out some of the crap.

Then when you find something that looks interesting Google it and see if it looks decent, if it ticks the right boxes then you can ask here for advice on if it seems a good deal.

Keep an eye on gum tree and the forums here too, it does require some patience for the right thing to come along.

I want to clarify also that the Cherub is a good machine, and you would probably be very happy with it, I just find it a bit underwhelming, but it will make the same drink as another HX machine you might find. I would also consider the cheaper Piccino in the FS forums, as they are a variation of the dual boiler design which is generally superior to HX.


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## moonray

> @coffeebean is doing them new for forum members for £850 delivered IIRC.


I was looking at second hand Cherubs, but I bit the bullet and got a new one for £850 as described above. Big misgivings at the time, but I now don't regret the expenditure at all. Of course Fracino are just an hour away for me in the car, and they have a very good reputation for customer services. But it is a difficult choice I know. The latest model does have some minor refinements that seem to be useful rather than essential.


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## Dylan

Here is a ebay search for you, it excludes most of the crap and limits the search to used and UK. Even then in 3 pages there is only one or two things that are worth a look.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&LH_ItemCondition=4&_nkw=espresso+machine+-delonghi+-krups+-nespresso+-bar+-ambiano+-portable+-rok+-filter+-cappuccino+-italian+-silvercrest&LH_PrefLoc=1&rt=nc


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## sandykt

I've had my Cherub since 2013, used every day and still going strong. I would recommend paying out for new, its a good investment.


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