Gigisb80 Junior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2013 Posts: 1 Location: California Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Tue Feb 26, 2013, 11:12am Subject: Newbie looking to purchase a machine
Okay so I'm a total newbie! I have become addicted to hazelnut lattes every morning... Starbucks & Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf every day got too inconvenient and expensive so I bought a Keurig. It got used about 2 to 4 times a day and is now burned out. I now need to replace that and I would like to upgrade for better quality. Here's the thing... I am a quadriplegic and have caregivers actually making the coffee drinks for me (and themselves) so my setup needs to be easy & user-friendly & hopefully not too expensive. I'm hoping someone may be able to suggest something that could work for me... or should I just stick to the Keurig and except the difference between that and Coffee Bean? (I'm guessing from other posts I've read that a grinder and beans is going to be part of any suggestions! I haven't looked into what my beans options are where I live but I'm good with getting a grinder.)
takeshi Senior Member Joined: 12 Oct 2002 Posts: 731 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Silvia Grinder: Super Jolly Roaster: Amaya Roasting
Posted Tue Feb 26, 2013, 11:59am Subject: Re: Newbie looking to purchase a machine
For ease of use a superauto or single serve (Keurig, Tassimo, Nespresso, Verismo, etc) is hard to beat. There's going to be a learning curve involved with all the other machines typically discussed here.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,669 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Tue Feb 26, 2013, 2:55pm Subject: Re: Newbie looking to purchase a machine
There are many directions you can go but nearly all will involve some learning by the operator. For highest quality, fresh beans (less than 2 weeks from the day they were roasted) a good espresso able grinder (with a motor they start in the $350 or so range) and a machine of some sort. SBDU machines cost the least and are the lowest tier of machines that can produce good to great espresso. The more you pay to a point the better quality and ease of use and most importantly CONSISTENCY you will get. Starter SBDU machines new start in the apx $300 range and go to just over $1K. Next HX (heat exchanger) machines start in the near $1K range and go up into commercial machines that cost several thousand dollars. Then you have Double boiler machines that produce quality every bit the same as a HX (and visa versa) but operate differently inside. The more you move up into better quality machines, the better consistency you will have, to a point, and thus they require less of a learning curve but a curve will be there none the less.
Super Auto machines do everything for you, they grind, tamp make the coffee and froth the milk. They are expensive and much more prone to break down and have a much higher cost of ownership while only producing acceptable espresso for the most part. BUT they are very easy to use.
Please read our FAQ on how to buy an espresso machine, it will answer questions you do not know enough to ask right now.
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