jalanc Senior Member Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Posts: 11 Location: Manila Expertise: Just starting
Posted Mon Nov 26, 2012, 2:19am Subject: Re: New wanna be home barista - about to order my first home setup
Thanks for all the input guys.
Skylar, whichever unit I do choose, I have someone in the US who I can have the machine be sent to and they can ship over to me here. That's actually the reason why I was so concerned with the reliability issues I have read of the Baratza grinders. Although I do make yearly trips to the US, it would be a shame if I had to wait for months in case I receive a defective grinder. Servicing might be an issue as well. Gaggia has a distributor here in the country so the espresso machine should be covered somewhat. Lelit has a distributor in Hong Kong (or so I have read), so I am seriously considering them as well.
So far, I am down to either the deal by Lelit (PL041 and PL53) or the Gaggia Classic refurb + Vario refurb.
I have a newb question: is the wand of the classic that bad? Assuming I will just use it for cappuccinos and macchiatos, will the built in one suffice?
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,720 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Tue Nov 27, 2012, 9:03am Subject: Re: New wanna be home barista - about to order my first home setup
diggi Said:
+1. I intentionally left this beauty out of my post as it is not really tested by the masses as of yet and unclear if this will be a true winner. I certainly hope it is. I have been lusting after this grinder for weeks now, but have yet to pull the trigger. I know I already have enough $$ tied up in gear at the moment, but would love it if this one pans out. And yes, once you factor in the mods for pharos, they are pretty close in price (only the pharos is still more portable).
yeah, I hesitated mentioning it for that same reason (not being tested by the masses yet), but like you, I've been reading about it a lot and lusting after it. I pretty much have the cash saved up, but of course, not only are there other things to spend it on, there's the wife factor.
jalanc Said:
I have a newb question: is the wand of the classic that bad? Assuming I will just use it for cappuccinos and macchiatos, will the built in one suffice?
A lot of people replace the wand with a Silvia v1 wand. They're pretty easy to come by as many Silvia v1 owners have upgraded to the articulating version. In fact, I think my brother-in-law still has the old v1 wand laying around (as he has my old Silvia and I had done the upgrade before I shipped it to him). If you want it, pm me and I'll send it to you for $10 plus shipping. He's coming to my house this Thursday, so I can ask him to bring it.
jalanc Senior Member Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Posts: 11 Location: Manila Expertise: Just starting
Posted Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:29am Subject: Re: New wanna be home barista - about to order my first home setup
Thanks mate I'll definitely take you up on this as soon as I process my order. Just managing my timing now, but I've more or less settled on getting a refurbed gaggia classic and refurbed vario combo. Thanks so much for all the helpful suggestions here.
I will be posting again soon on how my home setup goes. Thanks!
jalanc Senior Member Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Posts: 11 Location: Manila Expertise: Just starting
Posted Wed Dec 19, 2012, 12:55am Subject: Re: New wanna be home barista - about to order my first home setup
Hi dorkroast, how does the Mini compare with the Baratza? Can you point me towards some of the sites you have gone through to make this decision? Although I'm very attracted to the price of the refurbed Vario, I'm pushing off my purchase until next year.
Consider the the quality of the Vario's grind is frequently compared to that of the Mazzer Super Jolly (step up from the Mini). Jury's out on long term reliability. Mazzers will certainly last nearly forever.
jalanc Said:
Grinder : Refurbushed Preciso (USD 239); Refurbished Vario (USD 360) , Refurbished Vario W (USD 440), or Rancillio Rocky
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