adasop Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Maryland Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Thu Sep 29, 2011, 8:36am Subject: Espresso Machine for my husband
Hi. I am new to the site. My husband and I both love coffee and I would love to purchase him an espresso machine that both of us could use.
My budget is $1000 and that would have to include the grinder.
Based on little that I know about these machine I found one that I like. Please experts tell me which one I should I get.
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Welcome to CoffeeGeek and congratulations on your idea of getting into the art of making espresso at home.
First of all, there is no easy answer to your question, because it depends on a lot of factors.
What kind of coffee drinks do you and your husband prefer? How many cups do you usually drink per day? How much convenience are you looking for in an espresso machine? Are you willing to go through the pains of becoming a home barista? How much kitchen space do you have for the setup?
This guide on How to Buy an Espresso Machine is very helpful. It tells you, for instance, that you should spend around $300 of your designated budget on the grinder. However, it's possible to get a decent grinder and machine for your money.
Tell us what you need, and we'll try to give you good advise.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
Posted Fri Sep 30, 2011, 10:25am Subject: Re: Espresso Machine for my husband
indeed i dont know the american coffee equipment sites but most of them will help you out with any questions since they know if they impress you theres a good chance for repeat business.
Posted Sun Oct 2, 2011, 5:18am Subject: Re: Espresso Machine for my husband
Welcome to Coffeegeek.
You can certainly get a machine and grinder for $1k. The grinder is the most important part of the purchase. Even the very best espresso machine without a proper grinder will produce swill. On the other hand, a modest espresso machine teamed with a good espresso grinder will produce excellent results.
Seattle Coffee Gear has a package deal for the Rancillio Silvia espresso machine teamed with the Baratza Vario grinder for $988.00, no tax and free shipping. Normal price for the package is over $1200.00. Check other retailers like Chris' Coffee Service, 1st Line, Whole Latte Love, etc to see what kind of deals they offer.
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,661 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Sun Oct 2, 2011, 9:48pm Subject: Re: Espresso Machine for my husband
Fred1 Said:
...Seattle Coffee Gear has a package deal for the Rancillio Silvia espresso machine teamed with the Baratza Vario grinder for $988.00, no tax and free shipping...
That's a possible setup that might work for you. It's hard to tell without the answers to my previous questions:
NobbyR Said:
... What kind of coffee drinks do you and your husband prefer? How many cups do you usually drink per day? How much convenience are you looking for in an espresso machine? Are you willing to go through the pains of becoming a home barista? How much kitchen space do you have for the setup? ...
adasop Senior Member Joined: 29 Sep 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Maryland Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2011, 6:20am Subject: Re: Espresso Machine for my husband
Thank you so much for the ideas and help. I do like the Rancillio Silvia machine deal with the grinder. I am looking to make more cappaccino and latte vs expresso. Will this machine still work for us?
Fred1 Said:
Welcome to Coffeegeek.
You can certainly get a machine and grinder for $1k. The grinder is the most important part of the purchase. Even the very best espresso machine without a proper grinder will produce swill. On the other hand, a modest espresso machine teamed with a good espresso grinder will produce excellent results.
Seattle Coffee Gear has a package deal for the Rancillio Silvia espresso machine teamed with the Baratza Vario grinder for $988.00, no tax and free shipping. Normal price for the package is over $1200.00. Check other retailers like Chris' Coffee Service, 1st Line, Whole Latte Love, etc to see what kind of deals they offer.
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,661 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2011, 6:38am Subject: Re: Espresso Machine for my husband
adasop Said:
I do like the Rancillio Silvia machine deal with the grinder. I am looking to make more cappaccino and latte vs expresso. Will this machine still work for us?
The Silvia, being a SBDU machine, cannot brew espresso and froth milk for your cappuccinos and lattes simultaneouly. That might prove to be a drawback for you. Also the boiler has to cool down to brewing temperature after steaming, so that you have to wait before you can pull your next shot. Temperature management can be quite a hassle with a SBDU (temperature surfing).
An alternative to the Silvia would be the Crossland Coffee CC1 which offers among other advanced features (like programmable pre-infusion, PID) thermoblock enhanced steaming, i.e. the hot water from the boiler is further heated by an additional thermoblock. Thus the temperature of the boiler remains the same. However, the machine can't brew and steam at the same time. The CC1 is in the same price range as the Silvia.
Now if you want the ability to brew and froth simultaneously, you'll need a HX machine (like the Nuova Simonelli Oscar at entry level) or the QuickMill Silvano, which also has thermoblock enhenced steaming but also a second pump. A little like a DB machine. Both are significantly more expensive (they sell at around $1,000). So that would bust your initial budget.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
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