500 seems crazy unless you have one a few times a week.
3xweek, 150 a year, unit paid for in 1 year
My gaggia died after 7 years, sent it in for a 150 rebuild, still rocking 5 years after
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500 seems crazy unless you have one a few times a week.
3xweek, 150 a year, unit paid for in 1 year
My gaggia died after 7 years, sent it in for a 150 rebuild, still rocking 5 years after
Expobar Office Lever + Rocky here. Used daily and I’ve got no complaints.... Not a cheap set up by any means but money well spent. That said the Rocky was given to me used and Office Lever was on sale so got away relatively “cheap.”Quote:
Originally Posted by comish
Thanks Brit. I thought my Gaggia had died but a bit of descaler and a thorough clean has it serviceable again. Going to see if she performs this week.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
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https://www.google.com/search?q=capr...w=1366&bih=632
if you want a cheaper burr grinder I been using this Capresso 560 infinity for >5 yrs and it seems to be pretty bomber, it has 16 grind options but I pretty much only use the 4 finest positions
Anyone want a lightly used delonghi ec702
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....1wROyT1YmL.jpg
Make a reasonable offer plus shipping/pick up and it's yours.
I have that or a very similar model that died last fall. I did find it a little problematic w fine grounds. Tempted though
If I recall correctly we replaced the weird original basket and it ran a lot better.
Chris' coffee having a 15% off sale machines. Now they are merely very pricey.
https://www.chriscoffee.com/sale-s/8367.htm
Anyone here use a Breville Barista Express? Seems that's the one that comes out on top on most reviews sites in the price range I'm considering.
Also, how much of a pain in the ass is a home machine? I'm pretty big on setting up the drip coffee maker the night before so that all I have to do is flip on the switch and wait, but I do enjoy good espresso. Wife works from home and says she misses being able to make a mid morning latte on the office machine.
For that price/product category, there's nothing that really competes with Breville for machine quality and durability, brew quality and control, and simple and straight forward functionality.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Although tonnes of wanna-be-baristas will likely chime in and tell you to buy some finicky, unrlaible, 20 year old Italian made machine, ya know, for the fashionable street cred.
But if you're looking for a quality functional piece rather than a show-off look-at-me peice, Breville does good utilitarian work.
see post #824Quote:
Originally Posted by reckless toboggan
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...presso+machine
my concern with any combo machine, is that if the grinder dies the whole machine is also dead.
maybe a simlar price point, but a separate grinder AND machine?
Like a combo ski/binding. if you blow a ski edge, the bindings are junk too.
The version of the Breville I've had for the last decade or so doesn't have a grinder, which I prefer.Quote:
Originally Posted by mntlion
But of the integrated grinder in your machine dies, you can get a separate grinder and still use the machine for brewing.
Ideal? No. Potentially more costly? Potentially. Although the built in grinder in the Breville at work has been going strong for 5 years and still works as new.
My buddy has a more expensive version, I think the Oracle? Anyway, I used it for 4 days and I loved it. I have a Rancilio Sylvia and Rocky grinder for my main machines. I'm thinking of getting one of these Breville combo units for the ski house.
I cried a lot when I bought my la spaziale, but it was the cheapest of the decent direct plumb machines. Having lived with direct plumb and a true commercial machine, I don't regret the obscene price/weight. Wouldn't ever go back.
If you're going to spend 500 bucks on a Breville, try it side by side with an entry level commercial machine. Do the same with grinders. Control variables and decide for yourself. But don't do that if you want to save money.
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b25db95a41.jpg
This is my set up. Nothing fancy but the gaggia is a workhorse and the grinder is separated from the machine which I was told was the right way to go as discussed above. No experience with the breville so can’t give any help on that.
It all depends how much you care. Will that machine make an enjoyable shot/drink, sure. But it is like anything else.....there are degrees of enjoyable and that machine is only going to take you so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Anything that is going to climb you up the potential quality ladder will be (much) more costly and more time intensive.
I know of no reason not to buy it if you are ok w / a decent coffee experience but I do know there is a looking glass that won’t get you through.
This comes from someone who spends way too much time and money on espresso. I run an Expobar Office Lever and a Rancilio Rocky and in the market for a grinder upgrade.
I upgraded from mtnwriter’s exact set up which is great for the price point but has major limitations I spent years (arguably better off) unaware of. I would go there before a single unit.
Please don’t enlighten me (for the time being at least) about what I’m missing.
Now if you decided those 179 ON3Ps were the wrong choice, tell me more!
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I love my Eureka grinder and the wife loves it even more as it doesn't wake her up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Doremite
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See, if you spend enough on coffee you can justify almost any impulse ski purchase.Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnwriter
At 30,000 feet the gaggia can pull a great shot but isn’t the most durable machine. I went through two before going for a more costly and hopefully more durable machine. Likely going into year 8? w my Espobar getting 3-5 out of each of my Classics. It runs forever for some. I just didn’t get the longevity or consistency I wanted.
That grinder can be horribly inconsistent and there is too much range between grind settings for espresso so when trying to dial in extraction time it flies all over the place. I had two. One was horrible and the other I was still using as of a coupe years ago before I was given (score!) the Rocky. I would pull ~four great shots with the Encore then suddenly I wouldn’t be able to return to a satisfactory extraction time. I’d be f’n with it constantly on the same bag of beans. ymmv.
*edit* that said my disdain for the Encore came when matched w the Espobar so the Classic maybe not as demanding on grind consistency. Slippery slope.
In my estimation, KQ gives sound advice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ
Quote:
Originally Posted by KQ
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Baratza SeteQuote:
Originally Posted by Doremite
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/15...g?v=1567100468
Sete is a nice grinder, but it’s crazy loud.Quote:
Originally Posted by reckless toboggan
I’m a fan of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Espresso gnomes have been whispering vario in my ear
Price point is the hang up of course.
Definitely loud. But so fluffy, consistent day to day, and fall-through clean so very low residuals and low maintenance.Quote:
Originally Posted by gepmeow
i ended up buying a de’longhi magnifica. high end of what i wanted to spend, but drinking a lot of nice lattes. would recommend.
What's up Gep! That Breville is crazy loud, (relative). That was my last grinder before getting the Atom. Next time you're passing through PDX, come over for shots.Quote:
Originally Posted by gepmeow
For posterity, the Breville is definitely the best under 200.
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Yep.Quote:
Originally Posted by shroom
Highly recommend.
+1 for the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Only thing I would change about it would be the ability to grind directly into the french press, but that's asking a lot with regard to form factor.Quote:
Originally Posted by gepmeow
Nice to have a separate grinder if you like French press, Turkish coffee, etc. I don't always drink espresso.
We go through 2+ espresso drinks per day and went with the Baratza Vario grinder and a Quickmill machine with an E61 group head, which is what you want if you are trying to make good coffee; there is a reason these machines weigh about 50 lbs. chriscoffee.com sell them and they have closeout deals every once in a while but these are still $1,500+ machines. The good news is they are bullet proof and last forever, we have had ours for over 5 years and everything is easily replaceable by an average user and parts are cheap. Only maintenance is replacing the group gasket annually and cleaning the group screen. I just put in a new pump for $50, this is after about 3,000 shots. Baratza parts are cheap as well, new set of burrs are around $50. Highly recommend chriscoffee.com, they will help troubleshoot any issues over the phone and always have been able to help me figure out what part I needed.
I'd add a monthly detergent backflush to your maintenance list there as well as soaking the dispersion die in detergent and scrubbing. So would Chris for that matter. A gasket a year? Damn. That seems ridiculously excessive for 2 drinks a day.
Also E61 (58mm) ain't the only group head out there anymore, especially with the $10k Dalla Corte opting for the 53mm. The latter is also theoretically more forgiving of operator error on the tamp. That said, E61 dominates.
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Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.
gaggia classic fan myself, heavily modified to suit my needs . only about 1k for classic + mods and mdf grinder
These guys are making it way too complicated and way too expensive. For the average person a basic, one pump, non-automatic machine and a burr grinder will do just fine. I've been using a Solis Crema SL 70 and a Saeco Venezia for years (both discontinued, and Solis is out of business I think.) Have had to do occasional repairs and after about 20 years the Solis is leaking and will have to be replaced. If you're a true coffee gourmet you can spend a lot more but the espresso I get tastes better to me than what Starbuck's and Peete's sell. I suppose I could be more discriminating but I'll obsess over bread and brisket and leave the beer, wine, and coffee to other people to worry over.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
QFTQuote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
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It’s not that big a deal or at least it doesn’t have to be. It’s just like anything else, you can take it down to the minutia, or you can drink damn good coffee and get on with your day.Quote:
Originally Posted by jm2e
LOL!! Yeah I get that way reading this thread too. I can def. obsess over some things but espresso isn't one of them. Been using the same Starbucks machine since 1999 and I get my coffee ground at the local roastery. To each his own. Find your middle ground and enjoy!Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
I've heard this product works great for machines and pour over filters:Quote:
Originally Posted by mattig
Urnex Cafiza Espresso and Coffee Machine Cleaner Powder
Wise man. I say go all in or not at all. The end of the day the most important thing is bean quality. You can then just use the brew method that best suits your time and taste. Will it be a jaw dropping superb macchiato? No, but it will still be an enjoyable experience. If you set the bar at beating our Starbucks or Peet’s you’ve got an easy road ahead.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Find a great local roaster, talk to him or her, explore. Buy fresh roasted beans from them, let ‘em breathe for about a week (don’t touch them), then commence grinding them daily to meet your needs and freeze when not in use. Once they’ve reached peak flavor freezing will stop any further off-gassing that will start to deteriorate their flavor.
Do not buy ground beans or anything undated or roasted >10 days ago - use within minutes of grinding - and your world will be a better place.
order of importance
1) fresh beans
2) beans you like the taste of
3) grinder
4) machine.