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Espresso maker

Brokenlink

Brokenlink

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2004
Location
hangtown
Moto(s)
FZ-09

DRZ400SM
Name
Mike
A while back we bought a cheaper espresso machine. It's a piece of shit. I'm tired of dealing with it and am considering buying a new one. I want one that works and isn't a complete piece of shit. No, I don't want a Mokapot. No, I don't want to just make extra strong coffee. No, I don't care about the two shell method. I know some of you enjoy your espresso drinks. Help a brother out.
 
It really depends on what you want, how much you want the machine to do for you. They can go from $30 up to 4 figures.
Years ago I got a Krups expresso maker, pretty basic, not bells or whistles, but it's lasted me decades though admittedly I use it about 5-6 times year.
I had a European friend get a $650 one and considered that a great price, but I can't speak to that level of one.
 
check out https://www.1st-line.com/

i have a rancilio silva. elektra and isomac are also good brands. https://www.1st-line.com/buy/rancilio-silvia-m-espresso-machine/ You can get the replacement parts for these pretty easily. Mainly, gaskets to ensure you have high enough pressure for your machine. A good burr grinder set to match your maching is a good thing to add. I loathe superautomatic machines for... reasons.

the problem with cheap machines are shitty boilers and pressurestats.
 
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Gaggia Classic is the default for quality home quasi-artisan espresso, and then you can nerd PID the functions out and mod it if you wanted to, but it's solid as-is.
 
two wheel tramp said:
I loathe superautomatic machines for... reasons.
Click to expand...
I do suspect he needs exactly a full super automatic from delonghi or Phillips …exactly , because of reasons.

Actually that’s my suggestion. Fully automatic and NEVER use “light “ or medium coffee
 
AbsolutEnduser said:
I do suspect he needs exactly a full super automatic from delonghi or Phillips …exactly , because of reasons.

Actually that’s my suggestion. Fully automatic and NEVER use “light “ or medium coffee
Click to expand...
Want to expand on this? What reasons? Because I can't help but feel like this is a bit of an insult. The one I have is cheap and not consistent. Sometimes it makes a good shot and sometimes it is watery. Same grind, same pack, same blend.

As for beans, I roast my own.
 
So, espresso should not be an oily bean. It needs to be dryer and if you are roasting your coffee you are prob super hip to this. I have very strong opinions on espresso machines for... reasons. DM me if you want me to expand.

@tzrider I know more than I want to know.
:)
 
Brokenlink said:
Want to expand on this? What reasons? Because I can't help but feel like this is a bit of an insult. The one I have is cheap and not consistent. Sometimes it makes a good shot and sometimes it is watery. Same grind, same pack, same blend.

As for beans, I roast my own.
Click to expand...
haha. Well that one, wasn't--it's just that I think , that super-autos are "fussy" about which beans to use.

so I have personally heard from consumers of full-auto machines is that "no other coffee works, aside from Lavazza" . My thought was that Lavazza makes fully-roasted coffee, and if they buy something else (since many local roasters exist), the machine gets clogged.

so that led me to suggest "mainstream brands" for mainstream machines. "The engineers" literally design them to work with the most-well-spread coffees*, they absolutely do not design them for "third-wave coffee". (*- like the Lavazzas, Illys, Starbuckses, Peets)

The second reason I think super-auto users complain is, that they do not adjust the grind-setting of the built-in grinder, at all.

--

p.s. I agree with Climber, depends on what you want.
but it looks like you do want a super-auto.
 
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Brokenlink said:
Sometimes it makes a good shot and sometimes it is watery. Same grind, same pack, same blend.

As for beans, I roast my own
Click to expand...
... But do you use the Wendell Distribution Technique before you pack!??! basically the grounds have to be even and have no holes space inbetween the grounds, in the (porta)filterholder

actually what machine was this? Maybe it's a reallly really bad machine and really does make every shot different?

-

Basically--isn't there no way that you are getting different shots each time, something HAS to be different:
* either the dosage/amount you put is different,
* OR, in your case--the roast is uneven... That latter reason I have no experience with.
 
Brokenlink said:
Sometimes it makes a good shot and sometimes it is watery. Same grind, same pack, same blend.

As for beans, I roast my own.
Click to expand...
It occurs to me that I don't know what drinks you want to make. Do you just pull shots or do you also steam milk? That might influence what sort of a machine would be best.
 
two wheel tramp said:
Sure, if you want to have to send it to Philly for repair. They won't sell parts. :x
Click to expand...
There is actually a guy in Sacramento who does repairs. But for warranty work you do need to send in. I had a Jura ENA that started to leak, Univ of YouTube and I repaired myself. Not easy to get inside, have to use heavy tape to turn the logo and then a special screwdriver ( I made one). My daughter lived in Switzerland for 4 years and got me hooked on the Juras. When we did a kitchen remodel the wife wanted a 36 " Wolf range. If she can have a $7,500 stove I can have a $1,000 coffee maker.

two wheel tramp said:
So, espresso should not be an oily bean. It needs to be dryer and if you are roasting your coffee you are prob super hip to this. I have very strong opinions on espresso machines for... reasons. DM me if you want me to expand.

@tzrider I know more than I want to know.
:)
Click to expand...
In Europe it is hard to find oiley over roasted coffee beans. My rule is if the beans have oil on the outside I do not use them in the Jura. An Espresso made with a light or medium roast will have a strong and smooth flavor. I had a superautomatic that would do milk drinks, too much trouble to clean the milk section. Now I just make a good espresso and add milk.

James Hoffmann is way over board on coffee, YouTube channel 2.2M subscribers.

Old Barf coffee thread
 
AbsolutEnduser said:
haha. Well that one, wasn't--it's just that I think , that super-autos are "fussy" about which beans to use.

so I have personally heard from consumers of full-auto machines is that "no other coffee works, aside from Lavazza" . My thought was that Lavazza makes fully-roasted coffee, and if they buy something else (since many local roasters exist), the machine gets clogged.

so that led me to suggest "mainstream brands" for mainstream machines. "The engineers" literally design them to work with the most-well-spread coffees*, they absolutely do not design them for "third-wave coffee". (*- like the Lavazzas, Illys, Starbuckses, Peets)

The second reason I think super-auto users complain is, that they do not adjust the grind-setting of the built-in grinder, at all.

--

p.s. I agree with Climber, depends on what you want.
but it looks like you do want a super-auto.
Click to expand...
I'm sure the bulk of it is user error on my part. There are a few things that bother me about this machine though. Mainly that it's kind of cheap and I can never get the fucking portafilter thing off and I spend five minutes wrestling it back and forth up and down and then eventually it just pops off and spills everywhere.

It seems that it never drains so I end up with a full portafilter of grounds and coffee after each shot. Perhaps my grind is too fine. I just got kind of pissed.

Andy, I usually just have a shot of espresso in the afternoon but sometimes try and fail miserably at making a cappucino.
 
I'm not sure who makes it but the expresso machine that came on my Indian Pursuit is really good. I don't know where the water or coffee comes from but it's really easy to use and everybody tells me how wonderful and delicious the Indian Pursuit expresso is. I guess you have to buy the entire motorcycle to get it though, but if you also enjoy riding motorcycles as well it's totally worth it.
 
Swore I wouldn't post again but this subject is near and dear to me.

It all depends on what you are trying to achieve and what your budget is. For me, like all of my hobbies and interests, I go too far down the rabbit hole because I'm kind of a perfectionist. I always recommend books by Scott Rao

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=scott+ra...x=scott+rao,aps,173&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_9 for those who want to learn more about coffee and espresso. I have this book

https://www.amazon.com/Professional...d=1731722926&sprefix=scott+rao,aps,173&sr=8-3 from

Sweet Marie's Coffee in Oakland years ago and highly recommend it.

Making a good espresso is both an art and a science and a lot of trial and error because there are so many variables. The standard espresso machines for years have been the E61 group head designs with a boiler or two boilers but now they some better technology, however you're going to pay for it. My Vibiemme Dumobar Double version 3.5 died a few years ago after 8 years of heavy use so I've been searching for the perfect machine now for a couple of years. I don't even know if they still make Vibemme or not but I bought it from 1st Line and it cost $3,200 back in 2014. I calculated it paid for itself in about 18 months.

Seattle Coffee Gear is a great place to look because they haver some great review videos and they have espresso machines at all price points. The top of my wishlist right now is the Sanremo You and I think that's what I'm going to be getting if I just say screw it, and buy what I want.

If you are a techie and love science, I would look at the Decent Espresso Machine. They have a huge online community and open source for espresso programs that you can install.

It's kind of hard to know where to start when someone asks me what I think the best machine for them is because there are so many things you need to take into consideration. Pressure profiling is the new thing now in espresso. It was flow profiling but it's more difficult to fine tune your machine for a particular type of bean and roast. The Decent lets you control EVERY parameter! I have friends that love the Decent but these days I just want to press a button, maybe adjust a few parameters, and drink my espresso in the morning.

If you're going to drop some cash on a nice machine you also need to drop some cash on a good grinder. That Black and Decker coffee grinder you got for a wedding gift is not going to cut it (pun intended).

What someone said about oily beans is true. That usually means they are old or not stored properly or both. A good roaster will put the date the beans were roasted on their bag instead of just a use by date. I used to be a faithful Stump Town Coffee fan before Pete's bought them out, but maybe Pete's left them alone and the quality and choices are till good.

Hope this was helpful. If you have a specific question I might be able to give you my input or point you in the right direction. Good luck!
 
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