# Gourmet Coffee Machines



## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

The wife and I are thinking of splurging and buying one of these machines. It seems so civilized to be relaxing at night listening to Chopin and watching the snow pile up while we sip a nice Cappucino.
Last year she bought a Nespresso from Macy's for about $100 and it worked terribly, not to mention the little pods of coffee get very expensive.
I am surprised at the cost range of these gizmos. One can easily spend up to 5 thousand dollars. And they have so many features and options....Do people here here own any of these? Any recommendations?


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Five THOUSAND dollars? Do you know how many records that would buy? 

My brother has an Aeropress and a Bodum milk frother, which are together a simple, unfussy way of making nice espresso/cappuccino, and both combined should give you change from £100. The link I found is to a UK site, but I noticed the product packaging carries testimonials from US customers, so it's presumably available where you are as well.

http://www.aeropress.co.uk

The only slight niggle is that when you have to take it apart to clean it, it can be a bit stiff and takes a bit of brute force. My brother solves this problem by leaving it in the sink for someone else to deal with!


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Buy a 2nd hand professional machine from a cafe or small restaurant.
My machine would be close to 3K in Euro's but was 1000 when I bought it, serviced and installed! (It is directly connected to water-mains) It is a Fiorenzato, the model is named "Bricoletta". 

Many sites and fora on the web to do your research.

Probably more important than the hardware is the barista-skills. Lots of wasted pulls, messing about with the grinding of the beans, temperature-surfing. Oh, and the milkfrothing, latte-art.

Basically, you're getting into a whole new lifestyle.... Enjoy !

Cheers,
Jos


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Figleaf said:


> Five THOUSAND dollars? Do you know how many records that would buy?
> 
> My brother has an Aeropress and a Bodum milk frother, which are together a simple, unfussy way of making nice espresso/cappuccino, and both combined should give you change from £100. The link I found is to a UK site, but I noticed the product packaging carries testimonials from US customers, so it's presumably available where you are as well.
> 
> ...


One CD of Beethoven conducting the premiere of his Ninth Symphony. First movement only. Restored sound. Marston Process.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

What do you guys think of those machines that are commonly found at hotels, very non environmentally friendly, but making a fairly decent cup of coffee, instantaneously? The ones where you have these cylindrical plastic containers of prepared coffee mixes(many flavors), and there is some kind of heating element that the water goes through to mix with the contents of the container. I little hole gets punctures in the top of the container, anyways...you either do or don't know what I'm talking about. My grandmother purchased one, and I have to say they are very reliable machines though kind of require more maintenance, since you have to replace this filter every three months and buy these ridiculous packets. The coffee is very evenly blended though, usually pretty smooth. I don't know if its the contents of the packets, or the way the machine works. Keurig is the brand she uses. 

My father has this automatic espresso machine, that can steam milk and make americanos of decent quality, though it has problems from time to time.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Recommendation: Save your money and frustration, and opt for a pound bag of Starbucks medium or dark roast.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Waste of money. Buy a cheap pour over filtration device. Grind your beans freshly roasted from a coffee boutique in a burr grinder.

My very cheap cup of coffee will beat any of those fancy schmancy machines in taste.

Avoid supermarket bags of beans at all cost! They are far from freshly roasted.
How can you tell? Pour hot water over the freshly ground beans. Freshly roasted ground beans will bubble up with a lot of carbon dioxide when contacted with hot water. Flat beans that have been sitting in those bags for weeks will not bubble up much when ground.


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Waste of money. Buy a cheap pour over filtration device. Grind your beans freshly roasted from a coffee boutique in a burr grinder.
> 
> My very cheap cup of coffee will beat any of those fancy schmancy machines in taste.


The people in this boot-shaped country in Europe and a few in other countries seriously doubt that !

Once you've tasted a real espresso there is no going back.
And the machines are not fancy schmancy, they are just workhorses. Means to an end.

You're welcome to a tasting !


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Jos said:


> The people in this boot-shaped country in Europe and a few in other countries seriously doubt that !
> 
> Once you've tasted a real espresso there is no going back.
> And the machines are not fancy schmancy, they are just workhorses. Means to an end.
> ...


I'm sick of espresso. When I was in Italy, my blood must have been 38% espresso. I drank so much of it. Now I'm tired of it. I liked it before the Italy trip.

I'll pass, thank you for the time being.

Just had some delicious stuffed cabbage made with ground turkey in tomato sauce. You are welcome to a taste.

Directions: Take the Atlantic Ocean 4327 miles southwest. Make a sharp right off the Gulf of Mexico. Find parking. I'll be the tall handsome guy waving with his right hand.


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## Posie (Aug 18, 2013)

hpowders said:


> I'm sick of espresso. When I was in Italy, my blood must have been 38% espresso. I drank so much of it. Now I'm tired of it. I liked it before the Italy trip.
> 
> I'll pass, thank you for the time being.
> 
> ...


How many shots did you have per day? My summer school trip to Argentina was in the middle of winter; I was glad to have lots of mate and espresso on hand.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Method I

(i) Get some good coffee beans you like
(ii) grind them finely, and use immediately
(iii) put a sufficient quantity in a cafetiere
(iv) add just-off-the-boil water
(v) pour into your favourite drinking vessel (no, not the Glencairn whisky glasses, guys)
(vi) enjoy










Method II

(i) Get some good espresso-roast coffee beans you like
(ii) grind them finely, and use immediately
(iii) put a sufficient quantity in a Bialetti espresso maker
(iv) add cold water to the lower chamber
(v) put on stove to come to the boil
(vi) pour into your favourite drinking vessel
(vii) enjoy










Method III (respecting our Italian friends)

Buy a second hand Gaggia machine


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

OK, slight change in direction. I recently started grinding my own beans each morning and making coffee in a pour-over machine with a glass-lined thermal carafe. The improvement in taste (and morning aroma in the house) has been very nice indeed.

BUT...being a cheap SOB I got a chopper-type grinder. It seems to work well, but those in the know recommend a burr grinder for a more uniform grind size. Also, I've seen claims that choppers "bruise" the essential oils. Sounds suspicious to me...

Anyway, what do you think? Do burr grinders really make a difference? If so, what's a good one to get? No, I don't want to crank a handle three or four minutes each morning, so electric is preferred.

BTW I use unbleached paper cone filters, so coffee "dust" and the like isn't a concern from that point of view.


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

TurnaboutVox said:


> Method I
> 
> Method II
> 
> ...


I've made coffee with a Bialetti espressomaker for years (my entire time at uni, it took a while..) After some time I started to taste the aluminium. These pots are available in stainless, a little more expensive but well worth it imo.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Jos said:


> Buy a 2nd hand professional machine from a cafe or small restaurant.
> My machine would be close to 3K in Euro's but was 1000 when I bought it, serviced and installed! (It is directly connected to water-mains) It is a Fiorenzato, the model is named "Bricoletta".
> 
> Many sites and fora on the web to do your research.
> ...


Yikes! I prefer Plug and Play


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Triplets said:


> Yikes! I prefer Plug and Play


Haha, in that case steer clear of true espressomachines.
At the workshop we have a "Jura" fully automatic machine that grinds fresh beans. It is directly on the watermains, but there is also a stand-alone version whereby you need to fill the reservoir. Also has a steampipe for frothing milk.
Brews a decent cuppa, doesn't need much fiddling or servicing.

A friend of mine has a machine in the pricerange you discribed. "Miele" , I believe, horibly expensive and the coffee is only soso. It also has an "espressofunction" that is a joke, or an insult if espresso is ones religion (not for me). Not hot enough, not strong enough and a creama that makes you cry. It has a digital display that bosses him around: clean driptray, check beansreservoir, clean brewhead now, and if you don't do it right away: no coffee. It's worse than the wife, according to my friend:lol:

Good luck with your purchase

Cheers,
Jos


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

KenOC said:


> OK, slight change in direction. I recently started grinding my own beans each morning and making coffee in a pour-over machine with a glass-lined thermal carafe. The improvement in taste (and morning aroma in the house) has been very nice indeed.


You're enjoying your coffee more- so that's a win...


KenOC said:


> ...I got a chopper-type grinder. It seems to work well, but those in the know recommend a burr grinder for a more uniform grind size. Also, I've seen claims that choppers "bruise" the essential oils. Sounds suspicious to me...


Well- the high rev-rates for 'propeller' grinders can put a mini-burn on those oils. You minimize the risk by using short 3-5 second bursts, resting for half-a-minute... then repeating as needed. Harder to get a relatively uniform grind that way, no doubt-- but still worth taking your time with...


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2014)

I'm a coffee nut.
Lots of machines produce the required minimum pressure. I have a Gaggia bean grinder and swear by Illy and Lavazza coffee.
Mostly I don't use my machine I use my trusty stove-top Bialetti Moka Express. 
If it's good enough for the Italians...


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I am old school and prefer to grind my coffee beans by electric grinder and then use a French press to do the rest.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Chi_townPhilly said:


> You're enjoying your coffee more- so that's a win...
> Well- the high rev-rates for 'propeller' grinders can put a mini-burn on those oils. You minimize the risk by using short 3-5 second bursts, resting for half-a-minute... then repeating as needed. Harder to get a relatively uniform grind that way, no doubt-- but still worth taking your time with...


Many thanks for the info!


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Jos said:


> A friend of mine has a machine in the pricerange you discribed. "Miele" , I believe, horibly expensive and the coffee is only soso. It also has an "espressofunction" that is a joke, or an insult if espresso is ones religion (not for me). Not hot enough, not strong enough and a creama that makes you cry. It has a digital display that bosses him around: clean driptray, check beansreservoir, clean brewhead now, and if you don't do it right away: no coffee. It's worse than the wife, according to my friend:lol:


My parents also have a built in and plumbed in Miele superautomatic espresso machine which is at the same price point as a used car. The machine is just extremely German, constantly beeping at you, bossing you around as you have described, even locking you out of the machine and refusing to dispense coffee until you descale it (rather embarrassingly this happened one Christmas morning when we had 20 guests). And the cleaning operations must be performed according to a strict step by step procedure (literally has sensors to make sure you're doing everything as it tells you). It does make really good coffee though. My parents puts out plenty of rich creama.


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