Espresso machines

[LarryA]

I hoping I'll remember that 15 years from now, but the odds aren't good;-)

Both makers (Quickmill and Rocket) strongly discourage descaling - what's the Amidosulphonic magic?

[dashDustin]

Oof. Water is hard here, as well. As such, Crystal Geyser by the gallon and no chance of ever getting it plumbed.

[dogrange]

I hoping I'll remember that 15 years from now, but the odds aren't good;-)

Both makers (Quickmill and Rocket) strongly discourage descaling - what's the Amidosulphonic magic?

Just out of curiosity, what is wrong with descaling?

[LarryA]

I'm not sure to be frank. Home Barista and other sites have lots of how tos on the topic - This is what Chris Coffee says about it:

Descaling is the process of running a descaling agent such as citric acid through the machine to remove the accumulation of mineral deposits.
- If you are using softened water then it should not be necessary to descale the machine.
- Often times descaling can cause more problems than it solves. It can react to the minerals and foam over ruining electrical components. If the solution is too strong it can cause the chrome plating inside the group to flake off and get in the coffee or if it‟s too weak it can dislodge minerals and cause a blockage. For liability reasons we strongly discourage descaling and will not provide any instructions on the process.

[Blakey]

Amidosulphonic acid is your friend.

Props for this tip! I ended up finding a gel solution of this and it easily removed the stubborn scale from my shower. I'll be sure to try it on the gaggia boiler when I have it apart next time too.

[Mark Kelly]

For liability reasons we strongly discourage descaling and will not provide any instructions on the process.

Translation: Your legal system is so f*&^%ed we can't get liability insurance, so we'd rather your machine gets ruined.

[pritchet74]

I have been using a Gaggia Classic with a Rancilio steam wand on it. It's a huge updrade from the Gaggia wand. Great budget setup!

I lust for a Rocket Espresso machine. Some day......

[dashDustin]

I have been using a Gaggia Classic with a Rancilio steam wand on it. It's a huge updrade from the Gaggia wand. Great budget setup!

I lust for a Rocket Espresso machine. Some day......

Speaking from experience....upgrading from a Gaggia/ Rancilio setup to a 'prosumer' machine will make you realize just how damn good the Gaggia really is.

[pritchet74]

I HUGELY appreciate you saying that - now I can get that thought out of my head and focus on finding a Colnago Extreme-C frameset....

[dashDustin]

i sold my Classic with Rancilio wand to defspace, and I don't want to say that I regret it, as I'm sitting on a $2800 machine, but god shots on the Classic taste the same as god shots on my Lucca M58. Literally, the only difference for me is the quality/ ease of steamed milk.

if you're pulling shots for just yourself and one other, the Classic is as good as anything else. In my opinion. And it warms up faster.

[Ras72]

Okay. So I commented here 4 years ago. Since then a lot has changed.
My beloved Gaggia machine found a new home while I'm finding another home. Yes, the machine was almost including in the divorce papers. This has left me wanting a replacement.
I'm torn between the ease of a super auto and the 'presumed' quality of a semi auto. I'm willing to spend $2k plus for a nice machine, but I keep coming back to the 'is it really worth it' question.
I'm knee deep and growing obsessed by the day. I probably need someone to talk me from the proverbial ledge.

Two machines that are keeping me up at night:
Rocket's Mozzafiato - It checks all the boxes for me. But it's pricey and I'll need a quality grinder.
Attachment 106258

Miele 6350 - Simple, easy to use.
Attachment 106261

[dashDustin]

I love my Lucca M58. Every day. I enjoy waking up and seeing the lights on in the morning, not to mention the espresso I can pull. and milk i can steam. the rotary pump is ridiculously quiet.

BUT - 1) if you simply drink straight espresso, in my humble opinion, there is no need to go to a high end machine. especially if you're the only one enjoying the fruits of your labor. 2) milk steaming from a high end machine is noticeably better.

i don't regret selling off my Gaggia Classic and replacing it with the M58, but I do realize that the difference in cost is, in my opinion again, simply the difference between having good steamed milk. i'm the only one in my household that drinks espresso, and i rarely make anything more than a macchiato. so i basically paid $2k for about 2oz of steamed milked on a regular, consistent basis.

worth it? hell yeah.

all that said, grind quality on these machines is very important....

[pritchet74]

I love my Lucca M58. Every day. I enjoy waking up and seeing the lights on in the morning, not to mention the espresso I can pull. and milk i can steam. the rotary pump is ridiculously quiet.

BUT - 1) if you simply drink straight espresso, in my humble opinion, there is no need to go to a high end machine. especially if you're the only one enjoying the fruits of your labor. 2) milk steaming from a high end machine is noticeably better.

i don't regret selling off my Gaggia Classic and replacing it with the M58, but I do realize that the difference in cost is, in my opinion again, simply the difference between having good steamed milk. i'm the only one in my household that drinks espresso, and i rarely make anything more than a macchiato. so i basically paid $2k for about 2oz of steamed milked on a regular, consistent basis.

worth it? hell yeah.

all that said, grind quality on these machines is very important....

What grinder are you using? I have been using a Gaggia Classic + Gaggia grinder for a few years now and am contemplating going to a Rocket Apartmento, but don't know what grinder to gravitate towards?

[Shoogs]

Okay. So I commented here 4 years ago. Since then a lot has changed.
My beloved Gaggia machine found a new home while I'm finding another home. Yes, the machine was almost including in the divorce papers. This has left me wanting a replacement.
I'm torn between the ease of a super auto and the 'presumed' quality of a semi auto. I'm willing to spend $2k plus for a nice machine, but I keep coming back to the 'is it really worth it' question.
I'm knee deep and growing obsessed by the day. I probably need someone to talk me from the proverbial ledge.

Two machines that are keeping me up at night:
Rocket's Mozzafiato - It checks all the boxes for me. But it's pricey and I'll need a quality grinder.
Attachment 106258

Miele 6350 - Simple, easy to use.
Attachment 106261

Thanks Ras, my sister is looking for an automatic espresso machine and that may just fit the bill.

[kytyree]

I'm eventually going to get a machine. That Rocket is one currently on my list of candidates, as is the Profitec 500 which seems comparable especially now that it has PID too. But I haven't used either, for now I just like to read about them and dream, some day, some day...

[dashDustin]

What grinder are you using? I have been using a Gaggia Classic + Gaggia grinder for a few years now and am contemplating going to a Rocket Apartmento, but don't know what grinder to gravitate towards?

Baratza Preciso. One of these days I'll upgrade that, but it's pretty sufficient at what it does.

[Ras72]

Alrighty. As of yesterday and after much research I decided on the ECM Elektronika.
I was really on the fence about the push button vs lever operation but I think it'll work for my needs. I know the purist will scoff but...
This thing has a rotary pump, plumbable, and able to brew and stem at the same time. Plus a really nice build quality.
I know the grinder is the most important parts of the equipment equation, so I'm bringing in the ECM S-Automatika. I like the infinite adjustability with the wormgear/thumb-screw settings.

Now I'm going to focus on the bean.

[j44ke]

Alrighty. As of yesterday and after much research I decided on the ECM Elektronika.
I was really on the fence about the push button vs lever operation but I think it'll work for my needs. I know the purist will scoff but...
This thing has a rotary pump, plumbable, and able to brew and stem at the same time. Plus a really nice build quality.
I know the grinder is the most important parts of the equipment equation, so I'm bringing in the ECM S-Automatika. I like the infinite adjustability with the wormgear/thumb-screw settings.

Now I'm going to focus on the bean.

Looks nice! I like the idea of sound insulating the metal cabinet. Let us know how it works.

[dashDustin]

Alrighty. As of yesterday and after much research I decided on the ECM Elektronika.
I was really on the fence about the push button vs lever operation but I think it'll work for my needs. I know the purist will scoff but...
This thing has a rotary pump, plumbable, and able to brew and stem at the same time. Plus a really nice build quality.
I know the grinder is the most important parts of the equipment equation, so I'm bringing in the ECM S-Automatika. I like the infinite adjustability with the wormgear/thumb-screw settings.

Now I'm going to focus on the bean.

one thing i'd highly recommend is a wifi enabled outlet (like Wemo). the ability to let the machine fully warmup before pulling the first shot is really, really nice. especially if your mornings are hectic.

[Ras72]

Thanks Dustin. Yes, the timed outlet is a must and has been in the plan. along with the chris king tamper...