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E61 Purchase Time

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Discussions > Espresso > Machines > E61 Purchase...

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espressoDOM
Senior Member

Joined: 1 May 2003
Posts: 2,188
Location: Bay Area
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: WEGA Lyra (vibe)
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Vac Pot: (no more coffee equipment)
Drip: French Press
Roaster: Hot Top Roaster; Fresh Roast...

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 12:26pm Subject: E61 Purchase Time

Last chance to sway decisions..... HX machines are created equal.... I believe that through these forums we have come to the conclusion that you can't go wrong buying a HX machine or an E61 grouphead..... so far (not too many people have been disappointed) I just want to see what people are buying these days... I know about 3 or 4 new machines have arrived since I ranted last time on UPGRADE fever.... Giotto Premium has started to sell Expobar Lever has started to sell ISOMAC has released a few more options WEGA has become less of a rarity La Valentina is still rare but well reviewed I am going with the WEGA because the footprint is large so I have a storage room on top of my espresso machine.... it just works out functionally for my needs.... I think some of the others are more pretty but not BETTER so I wanted to see what people were buying these days.... SINCE say SEPTEMBER if you have spent over 800 bucks for a ESPRESSO machine... what did you buy and if you had to pick 1 or 2 reasons.... SAY WHY.... help satisfy my curiosity...

DOM...evil genius ...Up to no good in espresso at all times... VIVA la parts de Espresso

bish
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Mar 2003
Posts: 203
Location: Bellport, Long Island, NY
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Giotto Premium
Grinder: Mazzer Mini & Maestro+
Vac Pot: No counter space left!!!
Drip: Technivorm MoccaMaster
Roaster: Gene Cafe, FrankenRoaster

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 1:09pm
Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

espressoDOM Said:

I just want to see what people are buying these days... I know about 3 or 4 new machines have arrived since I ranted last time on UPGRADE fever....

Posted January 20, 2004 link

Hi Dom, First of all belated congratulations on the upcoming domestic changes :) We all looked at your upgrade fever with interest. You articulated the agony some others were feeling at the time. You asked a lot of the same questions that I had going through my head... who would be the best candidate for replacing Silvia? I went for the Giotto Premium, and so far I'm very happy. I'm obviously on a learning curve at the moment (with the Mazzer Mini as well), but things are looking (and tasting) good. The steaming power is in a whole different league from Silvia. I'm getting pretty consistant shots and seem to have the hang of the cooling head flush. I'm going to have to re-learn my rituals as tamping seems to be less of an issue with the E61. I seem to have fallen into the "overfill and use a light, levelling tamp" school at the moment.

I tend not to put anything on the reservoir cover, so the space on the top is just about enough for the Aliens, a couple of small shot glasses and the 4oz measuring glass. I guess I will use the whole top when I plumb it in... but at the moment the cover comes off quite a lot to re-fill (due to the flushing and the wife using the hot water tap for her tea). Seeing your thought process regarding the amount of space on top of the Wega, I think you would have been quickly frustrated with any standard sized pour-over.

Cheers & Best of Luck
Peter

espressoDOM
Senior Member

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 1:55pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

thanks for the congrats.... I was overwhelmed this weekend when we sat on the couch discussing wedding issues.. dresses...colours...locations...guests...yadda yadda....yikes... it reminded me of upgrade fever.... and how over the top that process got for me... I can honestly say that I considered every major machine that anyone bought on this website... I contemplated writing an article and seeing if Mark got a kick out of it.... It took that much effort.... All things remaining equal it had to come down to something as simple as how much stuff can I fit on top of it. Wega is built a bit more like a commercial machine in that there is a lot of surface area on the top...something like 2 dozen espresso cups fit on top of there.... (I asked espresso parts....as well as the price point) I know I would be happy with any of the machines... but I had two criteria that became specialized to me.... 1) the need for storage space for all my CC (coffee crap) 2) the need to get a machine that wasn't the status quo in espresso equipment... I just like to march to my own drum.... I would have bought an Astro G to buy American if I thought it was worth the dough.... at this time... I know upgrade fever is not over for me... but until I buy a HUGE LM machine for the coffee bar in the home of my dreams I probably won't need another machine... I like to incite conversation to learn more about my hobby of choice.....I am starting to do that now for home roasting...as one quest ends another quest must begin

DOM...evil genius ...Up to no good in espresso at all times... VIVA la parts de Espresso

SquareOne
Senior Member

Joined: 8 Aug 2003
Posts: 31
Location: North America
Expertise: I like coffee

Espresso: Isomac Tea / Saeco Magic
Grinder: Cunill Tranquillo . Solis...
Drip: Mr. Coffee Thermal Gourmet
Roaster: Fresh Roast +

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 3:07pm
Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

espressoDOM Said:

2) the need to get a machine that wasn't the status quo in espresso equipment... I just like to march to my own drum...

Posted January 20, 2004 link

...and that is the way to go !

grillroaster
Senior Member

Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 229
Location: ----
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Isomac Rituale
Grinder: Rocky Doserless
Vac Pot: Cona D
Drip: Technivorm CD, Melitta...
Roaster: Alpenrost, HWP & Alpen-Grill

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 3:55pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

e-Dom, I've been reading/researching E61's too for a couple months. Even went through a bout of wanting a 2-group commercial machine for awhile and came to my senses. I thought you'd already settled on the Wega before the end of the year? Having looked at the Wega myself, there was something unique about their boiler that didn't jump out at first from the specs. The boiler is a double-HX design with a heat exchanger for both the steam and hot water. I think that's a neat design compared to other HX boilers, but can't say for sure that it matters since I don't have any comparison data. I think Chris Coffee has a new machine or two coming at the end of this month, but don't know what they are yet. Seem to recall reading that on his site and want to see what else is on the horizon. Just for grins and something really different, check out the Wega "Venus" at the site below: click here Rick Waits

malachi
Senior Member

Joined: 5 May 2002
Posts: 1,761
Location: SFCA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_
Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior
Vac Pot: Not any more
Drip: never
Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 4:01pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

don't get the Astra.

Michael_Teahan
Senior Member

Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 135
Location: Los Angeles
Expertise: Professional

Vac Pot: Vintage for collecting only
Roaster: None

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 4:42pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

Make sure the e61 has the pre-infusion chamber on the bottom (blah, blah, blah . . .) The solenoid would be on the right and the chamber on the bottom. I like the manual heads, personally, as they are old school. E61's come with and w/out, so ask. Michael

espressoDOM
Senior Member

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 5:19pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

texinga Said: e-Dom, I thought you'd already settled on the Wega before the end of the year? Rick Waits Posted January 20, 2004 link You are correct sir... Wega is my choice but for kicks I wanted to see what the forum thought of the recent batch of NEW machines.... as well as just see what is the new TEA... bc when I first got upgrade fever TEA was the main love interest of the forum... I almost got a Millenium just to be different... then there was Dan and his love for LaV..... Expobar Giotto Premium made a good run at being number one but something about the Wega rang true... and a few people have bought the machine since then and no disappointments that I have heard about.... I am excited...to be done with my case of upgrade fever so I can focus on improving my coffee skillz

DOM...evil genius ...Up to no good in espresso at all times... VIVA la parts de Espresso

SilentBob
Senior Member

Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 136
Location: Bremerton, WA
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Isomac Tea
Grinder: Cunill Tranquilo
Vac Pot: Cory Electric Auto
Drip: Manual pour-over
Roaster: Whirley-Pop

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 5:33pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

You sound kind of like all my friends who ask me for advice on buying computers - I usually tell them: "If you wait long enough, the computer you want today will eventually be FREE!" Then I tell them to just buy something and stop bothering me... but I'm enjoying your indecisiveness, Dom, makes my waffling over what to buy seem like a slam-dunk decision!

espressoDOM
Senior Member

Posted Tue Jan 20, 2004, 5:48pm Subject: Re: E61 Purchase Time

i think the funniest part of my making the decision... is I saw the Wega first.... because I was pretty loyal to espressoparts early on being one of the only West Coast distributors of quality equipment online..... so I saw the Wega and liked it... but in an effort to explore other options I got lost in the details.... only to find me looking @ buying what I first thought I would buy. Two reasons I can think of off hand why I don't already have it.... 1) getting engaged I had to think thru what I was saying to my fiance spending 1000+ bucks right in her face like BAM.... (so I chose to save up and get creative so she could get to the point where she actually SAID ... buy the D* Thing....hehehe (I actually laughed liked that) 2)no one really had a Wega which forced me to look hard at whether it was LEAP I wanted to take alone... (even alt.coffee didn't have much in the way of information... SCARY 1400 JUMP....) Now I am comfortable in my decision even if I get proven wrong I looked at all the angles...

DOM...evil genius ...Up to no good in espresso at all times... VIVA la parts de Espresso

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