Printable View
This from the product info. Looking for something bigger - thanks though.Quote:
Originally Posted by shredgnar
Quote:
Product Features
Size: 12-cup
* Stovetop brewer makes 12 2-ounce cups of espresso in just 4 to 5 minutes
* Made of durable polished aluminum in a unique octagon shape
* Flip-up top and side-pour spout provide added convenience
* Wash by hand with warm soapy water and rinse clean; made in Italy
* Measures 5-1/2 by 10 inches
Ah ha! 12 quarter cups...... Oh well I tried, now that I think of it 96 oz would be hudge. That's pretty big though. (24 oz is still more than the 18 you were talking about technically)
I don't know if they come bigger or if they would work any bigger. Seems like the pressure required and the coffee required would be prohibitive in something that size.
I would probably recommend a french press for the size of group you are talking about. Maybe you could fashion one out of a five gallon bucket ;)
My personal habit has grown to about 5 shots per day. But hey I just read an article in the Boston Globe saying coffee is good for you. I use Lavazza's Blue capsule machines most of the time just for convenience.
Patches nice crema on those shot glasses.
Willy...Decalcification importance really depends on your local water. If you live in an area that has heavy mineral content your going to need to do this fairly regularly or you will be rebuilding your heat element before too long. If the water is fairly soft then I wouldn't worry about it too much...like anything though preventative maintenance is always good and water filters are probably the best insurance you can buy.
FWIW I work for a Lavazza Distributor & am one of their national reps. If anybody would like a good source for their coffee send me a PM. We have offices across the US so shipping should be pretty reasonable.
my folks are in town for a visit and my mom who loves her espresso was blown away by what I was making with a Fresh Roast, green beans, a Zass handmill burr grinder, and an "entry level" gaggia dose machine.
been pretty happy with everything in general
the zass cranks out some amazingly non-clumpy, light fluffy grind with almost no static. makes distributions a non-issue. its not super consistent, but there are only like 20 bigger chunks that rise to the top after the cursory double tap of the PF on a cutting board to level it out.
the gaggia dose also pulls some super consistent shots.
the steam wand is a bit hokey, but by moving the o-ring down one notch, ive turned it from a panarello turbo frother into a standard steam tip. (ie it doesnt suck air back into the wand)
and the roaster is pretty fool proof, especially after I installed a thermocouple.
turn the dial, sit and wait for first crack, and watch it carefully.
i think my favorite bean ive found so far has been the ethiopia idido misty valley around a FC to FC+ roast, around 5 days post roast, from sweet marias. unbelievable flavor profile.
just when I was ready to say..."thanks for the thread jack"....I'll PM ya about the Lavazza beans.Quote:
Originally Posted by FlimFlam
the answer is :
http://www.tcsrepairservice.com/
it's $85 to have them tech it out, evidently the boards like to fry out.
It's Business Time
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3638/...91b04824_b.jpg
BUMP!
School me on grinders doods!
Looking to spend no more than ~$120ish right now.
Should I wait till I can afford to pay more, or can I get something decent within that budget? Looking to make espresso & moka.
Gaggia MDF? ($300 new! Oouch. $180 used...better)
Saeco Titan Burr Grinder? $129
Baratza Maestro Coffee Grinder? $99
Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder? ~$80
We have [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BCG450XL-Conical-Burr-Grinder/dp/B000MDHH0Q"]this thing[/ame], made by Breville. Works great, very easily adjustable, love the timer function (maybe that's common, I don't know).
edit: wtf is up with this Amazon icon? Lame.
bernardo, how many cups a day?Quote:
Originally Posted by BurnHard
between those, id say the baratza
id also say to get the virtuoso if you can swing it, as its better suited to espresso grinds than the maestro
but if you dont drink more than say, 3-4 doubles a day, Id tell you to get a manual handcrank grinder with a stepless adjustment for anywhere between 20-90$
you really can get some excellent grind out of a manual one, and way more adjustable than with an electric stepped one in this price range.
burrs will be of a higher quality, and you can dose your beans before you grind so you can get exactly what you want in the filter basket. and you also can keep your beans in a sealed jar rather than in a hopper to keep them fresher. theres also little to no waste or spilling with a hand crank. finally, static and clumping are pretty much a non issue in a hand crank.
i love my zass grinder, but i hear some of the vintage ones from the 40-60s from west germany are the shit. like PeDe Diennes and KyM.
www.sweetmarias.com
www.orphanespresso.com
are two good places to start
also ebay.
Pech, awesome info, thanks!
3-4 doubles a day, tops, unless I have a big dinner party.
Manual grinder sounds awesome, but I think I'm gonna stick to being lazy and get an electric one. I can bump my budget to ~$150ish, but that's about it. And I don't have to be limited to the options I listed above - if you have other suggestions in that price range, hit me.
The Virtuoso does look nice. Maybe I can make $200 work...
Edit: Ok. Fuck it. Disposable incomes rule. Which one between these:
Baratza Virtuoso
KitchenAid Pro Line Coffee Mill
Baratza Maestro Plus Coffee
Gaggia MDF
virtuoso ftw
heard lots of mixed things about the gaggias, and even the rocky at the next step up.
the only other grinder that i can think of off hand, that ive heard decent things about, are the ascaso's, but those are in the 250 range. Grind quality is a touch better, but the real benefit to those extra 50$ over the virtuoso, is the fact you get a stepless adjustment. (honestly, its a huge deal if you use fresh beans &/or roast and have a decent pump\lever machine)
http://www.1st-line.net/cgi-bin/cate...Slr&type=store
http://www.1st-line.net/cgi-bin/cate...Sdb&type=store
(they have a ton of models and in different colors, so feel free to browse)
ill say that when using my roasted beans, i constantly adjust my handmill dial by about a couple minutes of rotation (as if looking at a clock), to dial it in. 5minutes of rotation for me equals about 3-5seconds of extraction time, so it sucks to be locked into one step or the other with some of these stepped adjustments ala Rocky\Gaggia\Virtuoso
ps, you can always attach a drill \ electric screw driver that you may already have to the top of a manual handcrank....
Hmmmm. Spending too much time on home-barista.com ...
Someone recommended the Nemox Napoletana on there, and found one for $350:
http://www.1-800-espresso.com/nemox-napoletana.html
Duh! Should I go for this instead as a first investment?
Pechelman = Master Enginerd :yourock:Quote:
Originally Posted by pechelman
that looks like a nice setup, though personally, id just focus on one thing at at time. ive also not heard of nemox and would be concerned about spare parts for either the grinder or espresso...if the pump fails, you may be left with a very large and possibly mediocre grinder.Quote:
Originally Posted by BurnHard
If you're looking for a pump driven espresso machine, I might be selling my 3-4month old gaggia dose, with a few accessories for 200$, if this lady accepts my offer on her machine. Ive got it pretty well dialed as well, so i can show you all the tricks in person. Would cut the learning curve by 80% i think.
I could swing this one:
http://www.1st-line.net/cgi-bin/cate...Sdb&type=store
Probably better to invest in a good grinder like that than a combined espresso machine.
I think I'm sold on this one (and definitely sold on stepless adjustment). Thanks!
sure thing
they also sell one of those I-mini's in polished aluminum (though its like 25$ more)
thats a great grinder and i think you should be able to get parts for a long time.
to put it in perspective, i think the nicest\best home grinder id ever consider getting, if i ever went electric, would be a macap m4 doserless\stepless in the $400's.
edit
ive also heard great things about 1st-line in general, so they should take care of you should anything happen.
you may also find this of itnerest
http://www.home-barista.com/advice/u...ini-t4398.html
http://www.home-barista.com/grinders...iew-t4801.html
excited because my "new" machine was just finished.
hopefully this will be delivered next week!
^^^ Is that a manual pump? If so, you're hard core. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
In related news I'm going to look seriously at a roaster next month. ~$1600 in vet bills this month (dentals and several sists removed on both idiot hounds) made the cash flow more like a cash trickle.
at $400, it's a bit out of your desired price.. but i have been very happy with my baratza vario grinder (ceramic burrs, electronic timer, very adjustable - the pf holder gimmick is crap but really not a detractor). i have that paired with an expobar office lever (thanks to suggestions from 'spro lovin mags) and pull consistently great shots.
well, im not sure you would call it a pump, but i guess you couldQuote:
Originally Posted by Cruiser
but yea, theres a piston attached to the lever
you push the lever down, you push the piston and force water through the coffe.
you pull the lever up, you pull the piston up, and you draw water into the chamber.
the great thing about this machine is how small it is
super portable, so i can bring it on over
well, super portable except for the 18lb transformer ill need to carry with it
hehe
you will be so stoked on the roaster
let me know if you need anymore info or halp
also, before you start ordering tons of green coffee, i just realized i have about 15-16 different varieties in my cupboard so you can try em.
or you can just tell me what flavors you want and i can tell you what to buy :)
Hey guys this is a little off topic but I could use some feedback.
I have been looking into good instant freeze dried espresso/coffee that doesn't taste like Sanka. I want to see if there is a market for it within outdoors/camping/hunting stores. I think I have found a suitable product but would like some outside input. I can probably get about 10 sample bags out in the next week. If your interested in giving me a hand please PM me.
The only time freeze dried coffee is acceptable is *if* you are really fucking desperate and then only if you scoop a tablespoon of the stuff in to your mouth and chase it (rehydrate it) with cheap bourbon.Quote:
Originally Posted by FlimFlam
In the bush I just find a suitable tree, fall the fucker, then make my espresso on the stump :fm:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3oW42sQVrok/Sk...G10162_-32.JPG
Believe me Moose I understand your skepticism. Instant is huge over in europe and the product has come a long ways. That said it is not as good as a true shot pulled from a good machine...but if your going into the woods for 3-5 days and don't feel like carrying your Ranchilio single group with you this could be an acceptable replacement.
As an FYI I have brought this into a local cafe for the owners to try and they actually liked it more than their regular drip.
I missed the set on the stump...NICE!!!:yourock:
well, I finally got the fully automatic espresso maker I have lusted after.
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Saeco/odea_go.cfm
http://www.wholelattelove.com/itemIm...2638XLarge.gif
No particular reason for getting this model, other than I had a shitload of credit card points that were expiring and this was the one they had available.
Totally stoked on my own espresso with NONE of the hassle of tamping, rinsing, and grinding.
I only hope it lasts long enough before it inevitably breaks down as they all do.
Mmmmm
I have less than 300 to spend on an espresso machine/grinder for my new place, should I even bother?
Is a machine like this even remotely worth the money?
should you bother, yes
is that one worth it, no
for that budget, go for one of these
and
one of these or these
i own that gaggia color in the silver color which means its called the Dose. They also make a black one, thats identical to the Red one thats called the Color, called the Pure. Not more than a few months ago they were selling Colors and Pures for 199 shipped, NIB. Maybe call around and see if theyll do that? wholelattelove and espressozone are who id try first.
I think my Dose is a decent machine, very consistent, and pulls some pretty good pump shots.
highlights are the stainless boiler, 58mm commercial portafilter, full brass grouphead, removable resevoir, and a stupid easy modifiable steamwand to make really nice microfoam. (you just need to slide the o-ring down one notch)
The only difference between the Dose, Color, and Pure models, besides the color is the fact that the Dose has a dosing feature that you will never use. I just wanted silver.
temperature stability is pretty excellent on mine
i let it heat up for 15-20 mins, and then pull shots right when the light turns off. Ive measured it over the course of 30 minutes after many shots, and the water coming out the group is always 199-201F. I consistently pull shots that are 70ish % crema with single origin beans (no robusta) that I roast myself. Fresh beans are key with any espresso.
for the grinders, youre pretty much limited to a hand grinder imo
those vintage ones will all do the job and give you a super consistent \ fluffy grind
maybe not as consistent as a 600$ macap, but definitely more fluffy and no static and no waste.
the newer hand crank ones are supposedly really nice and last forever. ie ceramic burrs. cant go wrong with either, and if you get tired cranking, just hook it up to your electric drill \ screwdriver.
Picked up a Breville Cafe Roma on points from Save-On. It's our first machine. We have a low end burr grinder that my mom gave me, jury is out on if it does a good enough job on the grind.
First small batch of beans we used the grocery store grinder set on "Espresso" and I think that was a mistake, the grind does not seem fine enough or consistent.
The Cafe Roma uses a pressurized filter basket, from the reading I've done it will give an okay shot and not need to be worried so much about the grind or the tamp. I'll look into picking up a non pressurized basket soon.
I need to pick up some clear shot glasses so I can see what I am getting for crema and the right amount.
of note, part of the reason i suggested against that Starbucks machine that c-man posted was the pressurized filter basket.Quote:
Originally Posted by shirk
you should be able to modify the basket just fine by cutting or drilling out the hole, or just buying a new basket all together, but its nice to start with a machine thats using good parts and uses readily available 58mm commercial parts.
as far as those cafe romas, Id not suggest one of those either as they are a thermoblock machine, which have a very difficult time at keeping stable temperatures, and are notorious for scorching coffee.
This is my personal machine.
It makes unbelievably consistent shots of espresso.
http://www.lavazza.com/corporate/en/...azza_BLUE.html
^
heh
i would hope so
finally got a bag of lavazza and I'm starting to realize that the usual low budget espresso beans are crap. after sniffing the good beans and then the cheap ones it's so obvious. I made a shot of each and there's a big diff. Guess I gotta start coughing up way more for the good stuff cuz I love coffee.Quote:
Originally Posted by willywhit
wow, gaggias have gotten some pretty awful reviews on amazon, dont know if I wanna risk it or just sack up to the 4-500 price point and get something better. decisions, decisions...
what have they been saying and for which models?Quote:
Originally Posted by couloirman
mine works excellently
Finally decided to spend the $$ on the local roaster espresso Blue Bottle Coffee Co. http://bluebottlecoffee.net/
1st cup was a near religious experience.
i was just reading that they seemed flimsy, theres too much plastic, the boilers are really small and they leak everywhere. This was for both the dose model, and the baby. Im about to maybe pull the trigger on a gaggia factory 106 and just go straight to a lever machine but am nervous itll be so much work for me that I wont make enough use out of it. How do you like your new lever machine?Quote:
Originally Posted by pechelman
Here is a little tip I have just had the unfortunate experience to learn. Don't leave your espresso machine on for 4 days. When you come home your pump is likely to be toast, or worse your boiler. Otherwise I still dig my Expobar.
850$ per year? is that the Average.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lev
I have to say that I honestly spend app 50$ per week at the Coffee shop.
That sound rediculous but any value in the Social aspects of heading to the coffee shop 2 or three times a day. (I work from home)
And its much cheper than a daily visit to the local pub
Wow...there is a bunch of information in this thread that will have you making some really really crappy espresso. I'm not even going to touch the rest of the stuff, but can respond to this.Quote:
Originally Posted by couloirman
I have owned and/or have extensive experience with: 2 group commercial, Expobar Pulser (HX machine), Andreja Premium (HX machine), La Spaz Vivaldi II (2x Boiler), La Pavoni (lever - identical to the Gaggia Factory), Olympia Cremina (lever). The only one I still own is the Cremina.
All of my advice is assuming you have a quality grinder - if you don't, then you won't be making great espresso. With that being said, I love the lever machines. There is a fair learning curve if you have no knowledge (tamping, grind, pressure, etc) and don't expect to be pulling great shots from the start, but it won't take long before you go all zen and pull something wonderful. All of the machines have different strengths/weaknesses, but don't let the lever scare you.
Buy some quality coffee (nothing vacuum sealed - check for a roast-on date), get a good grinder, and the lever machine will work wonders for you.
theyre plasticy on the outside, but thats not really whats important.Quote:
Originally Posted by couloirman
the boiler is small, but its stainless. most of the other machines in this range have aluminum boilers.
because the boiler is small, its fully preheated in 10-15 minutes (the light goes off after about 5 mins, but it needs a couple cycles to get everything hot)
my boiler has never leaked. I turn the machine off when im done and keep it clean. Not sure how it leaks for everyone else.
also on the small boiler, ive dont temperature profiles of it with my k-thermocouple and its pushed out 199F water for 2oz.
doesnt really get much better than that honestly without spending a few hundred on a PID kit for whatever machine.
If you go lever, id not reccomend going with a factory to start. Theyre a bit more quirky and tend to overheat after 4 shots. Plus, pressure fed boiler machines like that are kinda annoying when you're just learning because if you run low on water, youve gotta bleed the system before you can refil. If you want a lever, checkout either an elektra or ponte vecchio export or even a vintage machine like what i have.
Honestly, i love my lever i havent pulled a shot on my pump since. I sorta want to just to judge the difference now that i have my lever 95% dialed. Now, I just the pump machine to steam milk since my lever is an open\gravity fed kettle machine.
if you want, id be happy to show you both machines so you can get an idea what you're in for. Just bring over whatever beans you like and we'll goto town. just pm me (im in 80125 for ref)