For my birthday, my wife gave me a Saeco Talea Ring Plus superautomatic espresso machine!
(Yes, coffee geeks - I know I can theoretically pull a better shot with perfectly-ground, perfectly-tamped coffee in a heavy brass bottomless portafilter in a prosumer machine with PID, or some such, using custom-roasted beans from that little place on the Via Venetto and water hand-delivered from the Dolomites by topless Milanese supermodels. What I'm positive about is both that I lack the skill, especially when half-asleep, and that I'm not going to devote the time before work in the morning. Wouldn't mind the supermodels, though.)
I love this thing! It doesn't take up too much counter space and isn't too ugly, having been designed by BMW DesignWorks. I just pour my beans in the top - I've been liking Lavazza Super Crema - and fill it with water. When I want espresso I press a button. (I also learned it's best if I put a cup under the spouts first, too...) Less than a minute later a very decent shot with nice crema appears in the cup (or in the drip tray if I'm not fully awake). It's got all sorts of adjustments, including grind, dosage, preinfusion time, and more. Every once in a while I have to dump out the pucks and once a week need to rinse out the brew group. I can brew anything from a ristretto to a lungo or caffe crema. Even though it's got a Panarello-style wand I can get fairly decent microfoam. Even lazier is to use the "milk island," which allows me to walk away and do something else while a pitcher of milk is foamed for me.
The product is better than 90% of what I could get commercially if I lived in an area with lots of coffee places. In my case, though, there's nothing other than that mermaid place within 30 miles. Yes, a skilled barista using commercial equipment can probably beat my shots and milk. I'm certain only a tiny minority of civilians could, especially using home grinders and machines. I really like being able to use any beans on earth and not being stuck with what's available in pods or some other single-serve format. For that matter, it's got a bypass doser so I can also use pre-ground (such as Lavazza Dek or something else that won't keep me up all night).
I got a bunch of really nice Nuova Point high-fired porcelain espresso and cappuccino cups. They're heavy and smooth, the right size, and completely gorgeous. Nice cups to go with the espresso machine are sort of like having good gear to go with the bike.
The biggest problem is that I've been slurping down the coffee at a ridiculous rate. I usually have a cappuccino while I'm waking up, then take a double-shot latte macchiato in the car with me. Typically I'll have an espresso or a caffe corretto or two in the evening. We've gone through 3/4 of a kilo of coffee in the last 2 weeks, which is massively more than ever before. The second-biggest problem is that it now seems like a very good idea to get a second machine for work so I can top up my caffeine level during the day. Fortunately, a shot of espresso has a bit over half the caffeine of a typical cup of drip coffee so I'm downing the equivalent of 2-3 "cups of coffee" per day in terms of caffeine.
List price on these puppies is, frankly, ridiculous. They can easily be found for half of list on auction sites. Mine was a honkin' deal at about 1/3 of list, new in box and shipped free. For that price I couldn't get even a very basic consumer espresso machine and unimpressive grinder. I already have those and used them less than once a year. For me, the superautomatic is the way to go.
Your ineptness matters not.
The write up is priceless. ;D
almost as good as a new Ducati. trust me, not kidding.
Quote from: ducpainter on November 07, 2009, 02:24:18 PM
Your ineptness matters not.
Hey, as long as you can have some proper water delivered by the correct method, you can have as much espresso as you like at my place. I've become fairly good at pushing that button - it's all in the thumb, y'know.
Quote from: Raux on November 07, 2009, 02:25:49 PM
almost as good as a new Ducati.
Yep. Plus, this time of year I'm getting a lot more use out of the espresso machine than out of any of the Italian stuff parked out in the barn.
On the other hand, as pretty as the Saeco is I've never, not once, gone downstairs at night just to look at it. I'll cop to having done that with both the Monsters and the Vespa. More than once, I'm afraid.
I just looked up the price :o
You know the rules...it's not real without pictures. ;)
Quote from: somegirl on November 07, 2009, 04:02:09 PM
You know the rules...it's not real without pictures. ;)
+1
I'm stuck with a regular old Braun espresso maker, and apparently, I'm slumming it. I am intrigued.
Quote from: somegirl on November 07, 2009, 04:02:09 PMYou know the rules...it's not real without pictures. ;)
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_keb9Kczo6oU/SvY_8CU3VXI/AAAAAAAAHKI/az9hrBcccG0/s400/IMG_0742.JPG) (https://lh5.ggpht.com/_keb9Kczo6oU/SvZA1YnRPPI/AAAAAAAAHKk/T8yOOjDjvEo/s400/IMG_0740.JPG)
Yeah, yeah...
That drip tray, BTW, is motorized - touching the top or bottom of the switch at the front of the drip tray makes it go up and down. It's the dumbest feature on the whole machine. As you can see, the cup-warmer is minuscule, but at least it's actively-heated. The machine is programmed to turn on when I get up. It only takes one minute to warm up completely, but that way the cups are warm by the time I get showered. Turn-on and turn-off times can be different every day, and I can set the machine to go to sleep if it hasn't been used for a specified time. That Rattleware shot glass is there to catch the water from the automatic group rinse when it turns on.
There are little rubber wheels under the machine, so swinging it around to fill the tank or empty grounds or whatever is pretty easy.
Quote from: Mr. Exact on November 07, 2009, 03:56:49 PMI just looked up the price :o
I'm not going to claim it's cheap. However, a Rancilio Sylvia espresso machine alone is about $900. A Rocky grinder, one of the least-expensive burr grinders that many coffee nuts think you can "get by with" is about $350. Add in a good tamper, knockbox, mat, etc. and this stuff really adds up no matter how you slice it. Many home coffee enthusiasts spend more on a Mazzer Mini grinder than my wife did on this machine.
You can easily get my machine for $750. My wife said she paid about 25% less than that. The same machine with different controls can be got for around $500 on fleaBay every day. At that price, the only thing one needs to add to have perfectly decent espresso is coffee beans and a cup.
I bought expensive Lavazza and Illy beans imported from the Old Country, but some Green Mountain Coffee Roasters "Our Blend" beans worked out nicely and were cheap - espresso's a method of preparation, not a roast or a type of bean, so just about any beans can be used. Fancy coffee beans can add up. A pound of beans will only make 60-65 shots of espresso, and it's easy to spend $25/pound and up for them but that's still only around $0.40 per shot for pretty darned good espresso.
I can't say I'm saving a single penny over buying coffee drinks every morning, since the only place I can actually do that is at the airport while traveling. Now I probably won't be able to enjoy those drinks since mine are better. For those who do buy $tarbucks or whatever daily it could actually make for some significant savings over time.
People say the same thing about the prices of our Ducatis, and I only get less than 1,000 miles per year on mine if the weather cooperates. That doesn't mean it's not worth it, just that I've made different choices about what motorcycling is worth to me and what I want than other people might.
Quote from: swampduc on November 07, 2009, 05:13:09 PM+1
I'm stuck with a regular old Braun espresso maker, and apparently, I'm slumming it. I am intrigued.
I've got an old Krups that's probably pretty similar. I just couldn't ever make good espresso with it. I even went out and bought a burr grinder, though not an especially good one since I was on a student budget at the time. Don't even get me started on what it was like to foam milk with it. I used to think I just sucked at it, but it turns out the machine simply wasn't up to the task because of how long it took to build up steam. I could have either hot coffee or hot milk, but not both. I'm sure a really good barista (who showed up with a great grinder) could make coffee in my old Krups that's roughly the equal of what I get from my Saeco, but I'm neither that good nor that patient.
This is one of the few areas in life where money spent on equipment actually can to a degree make up for a lack of expertise.
Congrats!!
If anyone is looking for quality machines. I would recommend these.
http://www.bialettishop.com/EspressoMakerMainPageElectric.htm (http://www.bialettishop.com/EspressoMakerMainPageElectric.htm)
Like DP said, Love the write up. As I read it I began to read faster and faster and began to get this mental picture of you all hyped up on and honkin, on caffeine and speed talking. Too funny. [laugh]
LA
Great-the doctor is overcaffeinated.
Almost as bad as the painter being drunk :P
Quote from: MrIncredible on November 08, 2009, 12:33:03 PM
Great-the doctor is overcaffeinated.
Almost as bad as the painter being drunk :P
<ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft (inhaling)..........>
<holds breath>
here.
<passes suspiscious hand rolled cigarette>
great write up on the machine. we haven't caved in yet to doing it at home....part of the morning is going out for me.
Nice. [evil]
I have an Isomac Zaffiro, and although not an auto or semi-auto, makes a mean espresso. But, since I'm grinding beans (in a separate grinder) and packing my own shots, it does make a bit of a mess.
And a big +1 to not doing the home espresso thing to save money (even if it does sort of...).
When you got it home, did you make a whole bunch of shots and end up being all wired at 10PM playing with the machine? I did when I first got mine. [cheeky]
Quote from: kopfjäger on November 08, 2009, 10:33:30 AM
If anyone is looking for quality machines. I would recommend these.
http://www.bialettishop.com/EspressoMakerMainPageElectric.htm (http://www.bialettishop.com/EspressoMakerMainPageElectric.htm)
Bialetti invented the stovetop "moka pot," but the innards on their electric espresso machines are made by Breville. Nothing wrong with that, but one might as well buy a Breville. A "moka pot" can make good coffee, but it's not really the same thing as espresso - for one thing, extraction takes a lot longer. For another, the grind is different. I started with a Bialetti years ago in college but never quite got the hang of it. I have had some extremely good coffee out of a moka pot - a friend seems to have the knack.
That "Mokona" model http://www.bialettishop.com/MokonaMain.htm (http://www.bialettishop.com/MokonaMain.htm) is both cute and ironic.
Quote from: LA on November 08, 2009, 11:18:15 AM
Like DP said, Love the write up. As I read it I began to read faster and faster and began to get this mental picture of you all hyped up on and honkin, on caffeine and speed talking. Too funny. [laugh]
LA
Quote from: MrIncredible on November 08, 2009, 12:33:03 PM
Great-the doctor is overcaffeinated.
Almost as bad as the painter being drunk :P
Huh? Wha'? Everything was going by too fast for me to catch that.
As it turns out, the official solution of the Queensland, Australia health authorities to patient deaths due to sleep deprivation in doctors working in state-run hospitals for 80 hours without a break is... to drink coffee! http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5874AG20090908 (http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5874AG20090908)
Quote from: Statler on November 08, 2009, 12:51:22 PMwe haven't caved in yet to doing it at home....part of the morning is going out for me.
If there were anywhere around here where I could do that, I might. There's a Dunkin Donuts in the town where I work and a place with a decent machine that I've never seen used - if they'd let me back there, I could probably get a reasonable shot but I've never gotten one from the cashier that runs it. I must admit I'm emphatically not a morning person, so the extra time spent getting to someplace, ordering, sitting there, getting back up, etc. might still be a deal-killer for lazy ol' me.
Quote from: Fresh Pants on November 08, 2009, 04:35:39 PMI have an Isomac Zaffiro
Niiiiiiiiiiiice! I recently drooled over one of those in Montreal.
As I see it, your machine is to my machine as a Ducati Monster is to a modern Vespa. Many similarities, but also many differences.
Quote from: Fresh Pants on November 08, 2009, 04:35:39 PMWhen you got it home, did you make a whole bunch of shots and end up being all wired at 10PM playing with the machine? I did when I first got mine. [cheeky]
Well, duh! Fortunately, the beans I had on hand were decaf, but even so I probably ended up getting a decent dose of our favorite methylxanthine. I finally had to quit when the grinder kept my wife from sleeping.
Quote from: mstevens on November 09, 2009, 10:21:30 AM
Bialetti invented the stovetop "moka pot," but the innards on their electric espresso machines are made by Breville. Nothing wrong with that, but one might as well buy a Breville. A "moka pot" can make good coffee, but it's not really the same thing as espresso - for one thing, extraction takes a lot longer. For another, the grind is different. I started with a Bialetti years ago in college but never quite got the hang of it. I have had some extremely good coffee out of a moka pot - a friend seems to have the knack.
They make an espresso machine as well. [thumbsup]
http://www.bialettishop.com/ConcertoMain.htm (http://www.bialettishop.com/ConcertoMain.htm)
Great piece of equipment!
It's hard enough to find a cup of espresso around here, forget a good cup. So the next time I'm in your neck of the woods, I'm stopping by for a cup [coffee] ;D
We have a yuppie coffee place here in town. You can get almost any kind of cup of coffee. They have a great machine but no one to use it correctly. I get a cup every now and then. I'm think a shot of Klotz may be a tastier. It sure does smell better. I'm almost tempted to walk behind the counter and make it myself.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4093573669_77a9a12abf.jpg)
I picked up a simple machine with a little advice from Good Eats
Good Eats S10E19 Espress Yourself (1/2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbqE3Npk13k#normal)
I watched pts 1 and 2 of that Food Network show - interesting! I am a little curious as to why he used a French Press (in part 2) to make a 'Faux Latte'. He should have used a Moka pot. ;)
Thanks for a great thread, mstevens! [thumbsup]
Quote from: The Architect on November 10, 2009, 03:14:25 PMthe next time I'm in your neck of the woods, I'm stopping by for a cup [coffee] ;D
Feel free.
Quote from: The Architect on November 10, 2009, 03:14:25 PMI'm think a shot of Klotz may be a tastier. It sure does smell better.
It's about all I can do not to taste the stuff every time I have a bottle open. Sometimes I think half my obsession with Monsters has to do with my first one having been filled with Klotz!
Quote from: The Architect on November 10, 2009, 03:14:25 PM(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4093573669_77a9a12abf.jpg)
Yours? Purrrrty!
That show of Alton's was actually what got me thinking about espresso machines when I saw it a few months ago. I eventually realized that even with my deep love of toys and mucking about with stuff that doing espresso the traditional way would mean I'd only ever do it at night, which seemed as if it might be a mistake.
I still lust after a machine like Fresh Pants's, but the superauto is much more realistic for me.
For example, I brought a double cappuccino (which my co-workers insist on calling a "latte," so I might as well, too) to work this morning. I can just barely remember making it. With a manual or semiauto, I would have been stuck with the office paint remover.
(https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/4053816346_d2c9b894c2.jpg)
From the other day.
I'm all out of beans today though. :(
Guess I'll go get some more. :D
After watching the Good Eats episode, I feel like having an espresso. Its fun to make coffee!
Quote from: mstevens on November 11, 2009, 05:08:33 AM
I still lust after a machine like Fresh Pants's, but the superauto is much more realistic for me.
For example, I brought a double cappuccino (which my co-workers insist on calling a "latte," so I might as well, too) to work this morning. I can just barely remember making it. With a manual or semiauto, I would have been stuck with the office paint remover.
Since when have our Italian machines really been all that realistic/practical? ;D (Monster included)
Sure there are other ways to make coffee, but whatever the machine, we're doing it because its something we "must" have.
Gawd! Now I want a good esspresso machine...
Dammit. [coffee]
Maybe this is the thread with the right crowd to make an old dream come true 8)
I've not been able to forget how Ducati/espresso correct it would be to have this sticker above my turn signal switch.
It's a photo shop by a DMF'er.
Ooooh nice ......
(http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l394/stopintime/espresso.jpg)
Quote from: stopintime on November 11, 2009, 12:05:57 PM
Maybe this is the thread with the right crowd to make an old dream come true 8)
I've not been able to forget how Ducati/espresso correct it would be to have this sticker above my turn signal switch.
It's a photo shop by a DMF'er.
Ooooh nice ......
(http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l394/stopintime/espresso.jpg)
Thanks - I'd seen that before and couldn't find it.
What coffee(s) are you using in your espresso machine? Do you use a specialty espresso only coffee, or a "regular" arabica like kona, sumatran, etc.?
chock fullo'nuts
Celebes Kalossi Italian roast, mmsmooth, but hard to get a good crema.
Quote from: Bun-bun on December 06, 2009, 03:30:50 PM
What coffee(s) are you using in your espresso machine? Do you use a specialty espresso only coffee, or a "regular" arabica like kona, sumatran, etc.?
Espresso is just a method of preparing coffee using a fairly large amount of very finely ground coffee, high pressure, and rapid extraction. There really isn't any such thing as "espresso-only" coffee. People use all sort of coffees to make espresso. Finding what you like is half the fun. I've used some very pedestrian supermarket beans (intended for "regular" coffee, not espresso) to make some perfectly drinkable espresso. If you like a coffee prepared by other methods (filter, French press, etc.), you'll probably like it as espresso whether it's Chock Full O' Nuts or anything else. If it's no good those ways, subjecting it to the torture of an espresso machine probably won't improve it.
That said, I do have some thoughts and some personal preferences.
1) Espresso does require the proper grind, and most pre-ground coffee won't work. If you're grinding your own, the grinder matters more than the espresso machine. An expensive grinder with a cheap machine will make better espresso than an expensive machine with a poor grinder. Once you grind coffee, it starts to deteriorate very quickly. Very. My espresso is brewed a second after it's ground. If you must buy pre-ground coffee, get tiny amounts and use it fast. I think you said in another thread you were shopping for a Saeco superautomatic, in which case you want whole beans anyway.
2) The mermaid place burns its beans. Some like this. Some hate it. They'd have you believe espresso beans have to be cinders, but it's not true.
3) Roast preferences vary across Italy, but range from what many Americans would call "medium-dark" in the south to "medium" or "light" in the north. The French (in what they call "expresso") tend to use lighter roasts than the "French roast" they use for cafe au lait, which is made with drip or press coffee. Either way, it's not "espresso roast."
4) A lot depends on whether you plan to put milk in your coffee. Many Italian blends that are intended for morning drinking (the only time they use milk) have more robusta beans, while afternoon/evening blends are more likely to be all-Arabica since they'll be drunk neat or with booze in them.
5) Superautomatic machines may be unhappy with especially oily beans which tend eventually to gunk up the works.
You should strongly consider trying a can of Illy "Normale" roast beans. It may not be the world's absolute best espresso, but it should give you a very good idea of what millions of people think of as an excellent blend and roast profile. It's expensive, and you may need to check dates on cans unless you buy from a mail-order place that moves a lot of coffee. Many people think Illy deteriorates very quickly once opened, which is probably why they put it in 250g cans.
My everyday beans are currently Lavazza Super Crema. It's quite decent either with milk or on its own. Everyone for whom I've made drinks with it likes it. It isn't stellar, but isn't weird either and has no particular faults. It's not as outrageously priced as Illy and doesn't stale as fast. For some reason, I tend to want to use Italian coffee in my machine and Lavazza is the Folger's of Italy.
My current overall favorite, especially for straight shots, is a monsooned Malabar ("Malaber Gold") from wholelattelove.com. Unfortunately, I fear it's oily enough to gum up the innards of my superauto if used too often. That's probably why it makes such a ridiculous crema. We seriously spoon the crema out of the cup after we've drunk the coffee because it's so thick and persistent.
Your best bet is to go to the places near you that do their own roasting, if there are any, and try small amounts of various things until you find what you like. Many people work with a local roaster to develop their own blend. Some get in to roasting at home. Since I don't have any roasters nearby, I buy mail-order.
Ahahahahaha.
The little one he points the flashlight down is the one ma got me for Christmas a few years ago. It was a very thoughtful gift, so I haven't had the heart to tell her it's nothing more than a glorified drip coffee maker :-X.
I agree with you though, stevens, the grind and the prep (and the right bean) makes a lot of difference even when it comes to a $40 Krups. I've actually been toying with the idea of somehow adding a small, variable speed pump to mine to try and force the water through it a bit faster, but building a powdercoating oven, gas tank smoker, and finishing the beemer are much more pressing projects :).
I need to talk one of you coffee gurus into coming over and fiddling with my DeLonghi superautomatic to see if you can get a better shot from it than I can. I can't tweak the settings to my liking, and I typically use Illy.
Quote from: Nitewaif on December 09, 2009, 03:40:05 AM
I need to talk one of you coffee gurus into coming over and fiddling with my DeLonghi superautomatic to see if you can get a better shot from it than I can. I can't tweak the settings to my liking, and I typically use Illy.
Aren't the DeLonghi machines part of the Jura family? That is, it's got a non-removable brew group, right? If so, I'm pretty sure the settings are going to be fairly different from the Saeco/Gaggia removable-group ones. One difference is the Jura-style ones have much more variable dosing and can make a "true" double shot where the Saeco-style ones really need to make two separate shots.
On my machine I needed to set grind to second-finest (out of 5), preinfusion time to maximum, "strength" to maximum (which means a couple of extra grams of coffee per shot), and cup size to 30cc (which required using a graduated shot glass). My machine uses made-up symbols for most things, so one can't easily tell dosing or shot size without measuring.
Basically, my goal was to get a 1- to 1.5-ounce shot pulled in around 25 seconds, keeping the "amount" (should be weight, but I suspect it's actually volume) of coffee grounds the same. I set the dosage and preinfusion times and just left them alone. Then I changed the grind and timed a shot. If it was long, I made the grind finer. Once the time was about right, I'd check the volume. If that needed to be changed, I'd adjust it then re-time. It only took a couple of tries to get it right. On my machine, time seems to be how the machine keeps track of volume so it didn't vary too much. However, I've got an "SBS" knob that appears to do something akin to a pressurized portafilter. Messing with that definitely changes shot time. Mine's set to maximum.
My sense with my style of machine is that they come from the factory with the grind and cup size set too high and the pre-infusion set too low.
Whatever you do, don't go on the enthusiast sites such as coffeegeek.com and even mention the existence of superautomatics. They'll eat you alive.
I just ordered the Bialetti recommend by Kop (Woohoo)
then went to the doctor for a checkup yesterday
and i have high blood pressure and have to reduce my caffeine (D'Oh!)
Quote from: JEFF_H on December 09, 2009, 09:08:40 AM
I just ordered the Bialetti recommend by Kop (Woohoo)
then went to the doctor for a checkup yesterday
and i have high blood pressure and have to reduce my caffeine (D'Oh!)
...or you could get a job and collect a weekly check.
That would reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. :P
Quote from: ducpainter on December 09, 2009, 09:14:21 AM
...or you could get a job and collect a weekly check.
That would reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. :P
Depends on the job......
Quote from: Jarvicious on December 09, 2009, 02:39:46 PM
Depends on the job......
True...
but he wouldn't have to worry about cash flow.
Quote from: mstevens on December 09, 2009, 04:45:17 AM
Aren't the DeLonghi machines part of the Jura family? That is, it's got a non-removable brew group, right? If so, I'm pretty sure the settings are going to be fairly different from the Saeco/Gaggia removable-group ones. One difference is the Jura-style ones have much more variable dosing and can make a "true" double shot where the Saeco-style ones really need to make two separate shots.
On my machine I needed to set grind to second-finest (out of 5), preinfusion time to maximum, "strength" to maximum (which means a couple of extra grams of coffee per shot), and cup size to 30cc (which required using a graduated shot glass). My machine uses made-up symbols for most things, so one can't easily tell dosing or shot size without measuring.
Basically, my goal was to get a 1- to 1.5-ounce shot pulled in around 25 seconds, keeping the "amount" (should be weight, but I suspect it's actually volume) of coffee grounds the same. I set the dosage and preinfusion times and just left them alone. Then I changed the grind and timed a shot. If it was long, I made the grind finer. Once the time was about right, I'd check the volume. If that needed to be changed, I'd adjust it then re-time. It only took a couple of tries to get it right. On my machine, time seems to be how the machine keeps track of volume so it didn't vary too much. However, I've got an "SBS" knob that appears to do something akin to a pressurized portafilter. Messing with that definitely changes shot time. Mine's set to maximum.
My sense with my style of machine is that they come from the factory with the grind and cup size set too high and the pre-infusion set too low.
Whatever you do, don't go on the enthusiast sites such as coffeegeek.com and even mention the existence of superautomatics. They'll eat you alive.
Actually, I think coffeegeek is where I read great reviews on the DeLonghi when I went to compare superautomatics before buying mine.
http://www.delonghiusa.com/index.php?product&nid=20 (http://www.delonghiusa.com/index.php?product&nid=20)
This is the one I got. I got this one vs the totally digital because I thought a dial would afford me more fine-tweaking vs pushing buttons. Right now my cup size is set at 3 and my beans are at 6.5. Maybe I'll follow your lead and time the extraction. The settings right now aren't bad, but I got much better espresso from my manual.
I don't have a "timer" per se. My options are one cup or two, then number dials 1-10 for bean amount and cup size (water amt). I can control the grind of the bean by a dial located inside the bean hopper.
Quote from: JEFF_H on December 09, 2009, 09:08:40 AM
I just ordered the Bialetti recommend by Kop (Woohoo)
then went to the doctor for a checkup yesterday
and i have high blood pressure and have to reduce my caffeine (D'Oh!)
So....how much do you want for the new maker then? ;D
Quote from: MrIncredible on December 10, 2009, 08:13:04 AM
So....how much do you want for the new maker then? ;D
freaking vulture!
I havent even got it yet!!
(supposed to ship the 15th)
they are on sale for $225 with a coffee sampler and other goodies
(http://www.bialettishop.com/Pictures/Concerto/ConcertoLarge.jpg)
I'll keep it...just drink 1 espresso in the am, and cut out the moka pot of espresso i drink in the afternoon at work
<glances at the shop fridge full of beer>
(https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2625348212_54810f0216.jpg)
right? [drink]
I bought this
(http://www.coffeecompany.co.za/brewtus.jpg)
With a mini mazzer grinder.
Great machine. Double boiler which is what you want (coffee and steam at the same time) also has the Faema E61 group head which I think can't be beaten.
Helps me do this ------> [coffee]