Espresso machines
The Ascaso Dream PID: the retro espresso machine handcrafted in Barcelona
The Ascaso Dream PID is sold by us, in eight finishes, with an aluminum body and the brew temperature set one degree at a time. And Ascaso's warranty on the Dream runs five years on the parts that heat and brew the coffee, and 12 months on the rest.
The Ascaso Dream PID is an espresso machine you can buy for the compliments, and that's a good reason. Its rounded shape was drawn by the designer Marc Aranyó in 2000, and Ascaso hasn't changed a line of it since. Then the body is aluminum, painted in color or left as polished metal, and it's made in Ascaso's own factory just outside Barcelona.
But the Dream isn't only a pretty shape, because inside it's a serious home espresso machine. It has PID temperature control, the professional 58 mm portafilter, and a warranty of five years on the thermoblock and the group, the parts that heat the water and brew the coffee.
You want a real espresso machine in a real color, left out on the counter, and you're happy to fill and tamp the portafilter yourself.
You want to brew and steam milk at the same time, or you want a machine that grinds the beans for you. The Dream has one thermoblock and no grinder.
Twelve months on the whole machine from Ascaso, plus five years on the thermoblock and the group.
Colorful Brands. The Dream leaves the warehouse within two business days, and you have 30 days to send it back unused.
$1,635.
Sold by Colorful Brands.
$1,635.
Sold by Colorful Brands.
$1,635.
Sold by Colorful Brands.
$1,635.
Sold by Colorful Brands.What the Ascaso Dream PID does
The Ascaso Dream PID heats its water in a thermoblock, a heated block of metal the water runs through on its way to the coffee. And the Dream's thermoblock is lined with stainless steel and insulated, and it warms up in about 3.5 minutes.
The PID in the Dream's name is the controller that holds that temperature steady. That matters because a plain thermostat heats until the water is hot and then switches off, so the temperature rises and falls. But a PID controller checks the temperature all the time and adjusts the heat a little at a time, so the water stays where you set it, within 1.5 °C (under 3 °F) by Ascaso's own figure. And on the Dream you set the brew temperature yourself, one degree Celsius at a time, from 80 to 110 °C (176 to 230 °F).
The Dream's other controls are ones Ascaso says are normally kept for larger machines. So you can program a single and a double shot, and the machine stops at the same amount of water each time. And you can set a pre-infusion, which wets the coffee for a moment before the full pressure. And there's also an over-pressure valve you can adjust from the outside, and a steam wand that stays cool to the touch.
The portafilter on the Dream is the professional 58 mm size, in stainless steel with a walnut handle. Then five filter baskets, a tamper and a blind basket for cleaning come in the Dream's box. And the Dream also takes ESE pods, the round paper pods of ground coffee made for espresso machines.
What the Ascaso Dream PID doesn't do
The Ascaso Dream PID has one thermoblock, and it heats the water for the coffee and for the steam. So if you'd like to pull a shot and steam the milk at the same time, that's what the second thermoblock in Ascaso's Steel DUO PID is for.
The Dream has no grinder built in, either. So you'll need ground coffee, or a grinder beside the machine, and you fill and tamp the portafilter yourself each time.
The Dream's space under the spout is 3 inches, which fits an espresso cup or a small cup, not a tall travel mug. And the water tank holds 43 ounces, which you refill from the side.
The Dream's five-year warranty covers the thermoblock and the group only. So everything else on the Dream has Ascaso's 12 months, and the warranty is for home use, not an office or a café.
The Ascaso Dream PID's eight finishes, and what each one costs
We sell the Ascaso Dream PID in eight finishes. And seven finishes of the Dream are painted, in Love Red, Kid Blue, Sun Yellow, Sweet Cream, Cloud White, Anthracite and Dark Black, and each painted finish is $1,635. Then the eighth is Aluminum, the bare metal polished to a shine, and it's $1,735.
$1,635.
Sold by Colorful Brands.
$1,735.
Sold by Colorful Brands.Every finish of the Dream has the same walnut handles and the same polished base. So the only choice to make is the color, and you'll see it every morning.
Buying the Ascaso Dream PID from us
We sell the Ascaso Dream PID ourselves, and it leaves the warehouse within two business days. And the delivery cost is shown at checkout, before you pay. Then if the Dream isn't for you, send it back within 30 days, unused and in the original packaging, for a full refund. But an opened machine carries the maker's restocking fee, and you'll see that fee before you send it back.
If the Dream arrives damaged, faulty or not what you ordered, photograph it and tell us within 48 hours of delivery. Then it's replaced or refunded in full, with no fees. And after that, the warranty is Ascaso's, with 12 months on the whole machine and five years on the thermoblock and the group, handled by Ascaso's US service center.
Who makes the Ascaso Dream PID
Ascaso is a family company from Barcelona. Its founder started the company in 1962 to make spare parts for espresso machines, and then his son took the company into building espresso machines of its own. And today Ascaso builds its machines in its factory in Gavá, just outside Barcelona, and calls its machines handcrafted in Barcelona.
The Dream PID keeps the shape of the 2000 design, with the newer controls inside. And there's no recall on record for the Dream PID at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (checked September 2026).
Our guide to colorful coffee machines puts the Dream beside every other coffee machine we list, from a stovetop pot to a pod machine.
Before you buy the Ascaso Dream PID
- Milk: the Dream has one thermoblock, so if you steam milk for several drinks in a row, look at the Steel DUO PID too.
- Coffee: the Dream has no grinder, so plan for ground coffee or a grinder beside it.
- Space: the Dream is 13.5 inches tall, with 3 inches under the spout for a cup.
- Finish: the Dream's seven painted finishes cost the same, and the polished Aluminum Dream costs a little more.
- Warranty: five years on the thermoblock and the group, and 12 months on the rest, for home use.
See every finish of the Ascaso Dream PID
We sell select brands directly and recommend the rest independently. Some links earn us a commission. Your price is the same, and our recommendations are our own. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. How we earn →