Espresso machines

[jimboalee]

Expanding from 'Beginners'.

Which espresso machine is best?

 

[johnnyh]

mine

 

[johnnyh]

should we have nominations for all types?

Stovetop, pumpless, manual lever, electric pump and them new fangled autopump jobbies?

 

[Speck]

Expanding from 'Beginners'.

Which espresso machine is best?

Nespresso, suburb coffee, nice double Rosabaya

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Stovetop. You can take it camping too, as good coffee is something you should never be without.

 

[Alan Whicker]

Well, I love my Dualit. It replaced a Briel Due killed off by London's hard water (tip - use cheap spring water). I did toy with the idea of getting a La Pavoni or Elektra manual machine, but I couldn't be bothered with the faff in the mornings. I've been told by mates that have bought them that some of the cheaper Gaggia machines have quality control issues - buttons falling off, that sort of thing.

(edit: yes, stovetop mokas are great things. kept me going when the Briel karked it. I always forget to clean it though, leading to new forms of life being discovered in the cupboard six months later.)

 

[Speck]

Well, I love my Dualit. It replaced a Briel Due killed off by London's hard water (tip - use cheap spring water). I did toy with the idea of getting a La Pavoni or Elektra manual machine, but I couldn't be bothered with the faff in the mornings. I've been told by mates that have bought them that some of the cheaper Gaggia machines have quality control issues - buttons falling off, that sort of thing.

I had a Gaggia, used to leak water out when under pressure, stripped it down and rebuilt it, no probs after that but not a patch on the Nespresso.

I moved from a soft water area (Buxton) down to a hard water area (North Somerset) and soon bought a water softener.

 

[johnnyh]

I like the convenience idea of the nespresso, but it somehow feels like cheating and robs one of the whole ritual of making the espresso.

 

[scook94]

This one!

What's your budget? Do you already have a good quality burr grinder?

 

[jimboalee]

I have two.

One in the kitchen for making coffee, and one in the shed for steam blasting crud out of cassette intricacies.

 

[Marin Maniac]

Gaggia Classic. Had mine for donkey's and still rockin every morning!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Nespresso, suburb coffee, nice double Rosabaya

have to disagree i'm afraid. we saw them being demo'ed in the trafford centre and fell in love with the look of them (we'd already been wowed by the tv ad). tried two different types of coffee and neither was remotely nice.

 

[Noodley]

A proper thread about proper coffee in the Cafe!

All my prayers have been answered

 

[johnnyh]

anyone have any favourite pre-ground, or do y'all grind your own?

 

[Norm]

Nespresso, suburb coffee, nice double Rosabaya

+1. Even down to the Rosabaya de Colombia.

Yes, hand-made is better but, damn me, the Nespresso is easy enough that my kids can make it, and getting a cup of fresh brought up to you in bed in the morning is worth a whole lot of convenience.