Posted Wed Mar 6, 2013, 2:32pm Subject: Re: New Machine Advice -- Lelit PL4TEM V2 vs Quick Mill Silvano
888RP Said:
First and foremost, This community is a fantastic resource for people looking to get into Coffee so above all -- Thank you all for building such a strong and valuable community!
Now, On to my dillemma. I'm buying a new machine, I had my heart set on a Silvia+pid and Rocky machine. After researching on this forum, i very much am reconsidering. Based on my research the grinder i'm going with is the Baratza Vario. The machine --- now that's where the indecision comes in. I was initially thinking of the Crossland CC1 but I'm not a fan of how it will look on my countertop so that's off the list. The two others are the Lelit PL4TEM V2 Espresso Machine w/ PID or the Quick Mill Silvano (i'm still very open to other suggestions).
My main question is this: The Quick Mill is $1100 (CAD) vs the Lelit which is $650 CAD. What are you thoughts on this? Is the Quick Mill Silvano worth the money over the Lelit? I don't want to end up in a similar situation as I was in with the Silvia (where the machine is overvalued relative to features). I've included answers to the standard questions below.
Standard Questions: 1) What kind of drinks do you like/want to make? (This will tell us what you need in terms of a machine's capabilities.) Lattes, capuccinnos, americanos. Would like a machine powerful enough to produce good microfoam
2) How many drinks, on average, do you see yourself needing to make at ay one time? (This will tell us what you need in terms of a machine's ability to work continuously.) 90% of the time i'd say 2 drinks at any one time. the other 10% -- 3 or 4.
3) How many drinks, on average, do you see yourself making in any given week? (This will tell us what you need in terms of a machine's durability.) 6-8 per week
4) Can you plumb a machine directly into the water supply, or do you want/need a pourover machine with its own reservoir? no -- need a reservoir
5) Do you have a 20-amp circuit available, or only a (standard) 15-amp circuit? 15-amp i believe -- i live in a standard Condo building in Toronto
6) What is your budget for a new machine? Does that also include a grinder? If not, what is your budget for a grinder?
$1500 CAD - including Grinder
Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights.
The Silvano matches your usage nicely. The other machines you are considering now will as well. Someone suggested a vendor who has these machines available to touch in your area - going there to see them in person is great advice. They might even have some discounted machines that will fit your needs too that you have not considered yet.
I chew coffee beans with my teeth while gargling with 195 F water to enjoy coffee. What is this "coffee brewing" device you speak of?
Ah, the wonders of price creep. As a fellow noob trying to sort all this "what should I buy" stuff, I'll give you my nickles worth with the caveat that I have not used any of the machines discussed.
I think the most important part of this thread is from the first page.
2) How many drinks, on average, do you see yourself needing to make at ay one time? (This will tell us what you need in terms of a machine's ability to work continuously.) 90% of the time i'd say 2 drinks at any one time. the other 10% -- 3 or 4.
3) How many drinks, on average, do you see yourself making in any given week? (This will tell us what you need in terms of a machine's durability.) 6-8 per week
You are going to be a very light user of whatever machine you buy. You are not going to be pulling many shots in a row. You don't need a commercial machine that can pull shots all day long. You don't need a steam monster.
All you need is a machine that will let you pull a couple of drinks and steam milk for them.
So given what you need, how much do you want to spend? For your use, I think the Crossland CC1 will work just fine. It gives you great temperature stability, some nice features like pre-infusion and timed shots that will let you play and experiment in a controlled way. It will steam quite nicely for your level of use. In Canada it costs $700.
Not comfortable with a machine that is relatively new to the market? You could move up to the Quick Mill Silvano at $1,100 with similar features. It has been in the market a little longer than the CC1, but both seem to have a good rep so far.
From there, well how much do you want to spend?
You could always look at the used market. There was a Quick Mill Anita in TO for $1,100 that included all the accessories you need to get started. If you are not in a hurry, other deals will come up.
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