Espresso machines

[crumpton]

extremely low milage Breville in the garage, $300 local pickup only
low milage La Spaziale mini vivaldi ii(reservoir) sitting on teh kitchen counter that has been unplugged for 3 months now. $2000 plus shipping.

i too have gone the way of nespresso.

[Badonkadonk]

now on my second Jura. First did 9 years of faithful service. And by faithful, I mean like multiple cups a day for 9 years.

Second is the S9, let's call this the parlee z zero of espresso machines. it is more than anyone needs. even pros get less. but it's SWEET!

[Paul]

We've got one of these in our house, just add Lavazza, tamp and start it up -
takes all of 2 minutes (or so I'm told by Catherine, my in-house barista)
image.jpg

[aaronv]

We've got one of these in our house, just add Lavazza, tamp and start it up -
takes all of 2 minutes (or so I'm told by Catherine, my in-house barista)
image.jpg

This machine will be my next upgrade, I just need to wear out the one I have.

[dashDustin]

extremely low milage Breville in the garage, $300 local pickup only
low milage La Spaziale mini vivaldi ii(reservoir) sitting on teh kitchen counter that has been unplugged for 3 months now. $2000 plus shipping.

i too have gone the way of nespresso.

How big is the Breville? Or model?

[crumpton]

How big is the Breville? Or model?

this one but christ, its was $499 several years ago... i guess i need to re-think.

Duo-Temp 800ESXL Espresso Machine | Breville

[Gattonero]

We've got one of these in our house, just add Lavazza, tamp and start it up -
takes all of 2 minutes (or so I'm told by Catherine, my in-house barista)
image.jpg

Classic!

[Philster]

I'm really not a Nespresso evangelist but I have to say that the milk foamer/warmer is great. You put milk in it and push a button. It stops when it's done. Much easier to clean than the apparatus on my Miele. I think I may get an extra.

I have no idea what really happens to the cups sent for recycling or what the overall life-cycle effect is, but you can get a return envelope with cups when they are delivered.

[Bobonli]

Any updates to this thread?

Many of y'all know Austin. I'm sure some know Georgetown (20mi north). Austin = lots of good coffee, and espresso. Georgetown has none. I've tried it all. The best option is closed on Sundays and opens after I leave for work. It's disappointing. I think it's time to start pulling my own. Pretty much espresso only. If I want a machiatto, I can just go to Starbucks.

Happy shopping. If I were to buy one, I'd get either a Silvia or the Crossland. Alas, with the addition of the Vitamix, there's no more room in my tiny kitchen for an espresso machine so I rely on the Bialeti or an Aeorpress.

[Brandon White]

now on my second Jura. First did 9 years of faithful service. And by faithful, I mean like multiple cups a day for 9 years.

Second is the S9, let's call this the parlee z zero of espresso machines. it is more than anyone needs. even pros get less. but it's SWEET!

I have a Jura! I've had mine for 8 years I think. I'll have to look at the cup count. I've worked from home at least 6 of those years so it's way up there (round-the-clock-coffee). I have to check my model line I forget what mine is - Looks something like an E8, but all silver and was a hell of a lot more than E8s are selling for nowadays. Either way - very durable, I think. A swiss guy (a wife's former client) sells industrial machines to hotels and businesses and said the Jura is a great machine. I've thought about going manual, but I can't complain about it. I only wish I had 2 bean hoppers because the wife and I like different roasts.

[Mark Kelly]

The downside is that I have to get my beans ground at a coffee shop that has a really fine grinding setting.

I too have a Silvia with PID. The grind issue is because the standard basket has no flow restriction like the Breville machins do, so the resistance must be provided by the coffee itself. Very fresh coffee, very fine grind, very hard tamping or some combination of the above will get you there.

I'm currently using a Breville "smart grinder" borrowed from my Brother in Law and it grinds plenty fine enough to feed the Silvia and get a ten second ristretto on a well tamped double using fresh coffee. On supermarket beans I dial it up a couple of notches and tamp even harder, basically as hard as I can go before the brewgroup won't engage on the bayonet fitting. The grinder has other issues which means I will eventually give it back and buy something better, probably a Mazzer with no doser.

[Eric Estlund]

Nick, how did you like the mini vivaldi ii? Looks like a nice unit.

I have an Isomac Brio that does the job (at least as well as the beans I can get locally). I blew a grouphead seal (I think- water running down the handle). Until I get that figured out I ran out for a Moka. Does the job, but it's not the same. Still good, but different.

Thank ROK looks like a nice shop set up. If I spring for a better home set up, the Brio may move down the road.

[holliscx]

Serious question to the pod folks, what brand of wine in a box do you recommend?

[Matthew Strongin]

Serious question to the pod folks, what brand of wine in a box do you recommend?

After I wake, I like to enjoy a nice double nespresso before chasing strava segments on my Trekilized road bike with clinchers. Then I grab some lunchables and head to the office. After a long day I like to come home and crack open a nice vintage Franzia. I keep a few in the fridge, but my favorites are from 2013. That was a great year for box wine.

If only people were so black and white.

Back on topic, I got a look at velobran's Jura the other day and it seems pretty nice. Perhaps I'll give one a try now that there's a great coffee place within a short bike ride of the house so I can get awesome beans without needing to order them from some far off roaster.

[holliscx]

After I wake, I like to enjoy a nice double nespresso before chasing strava segments on my Trekilized road bike with clinchers. Then I grab some lunchables and head to the office. After a long day I like to come home and crack open a nice vintage Franzia. I keep a few in the fridge, but my favorites are from 2013. That was a great year for box wine.

1331912499_clooney-arrested-467.jpg

[crumpton]

Nick, how did you like the mini vivaldi ii? Looks like a nice unit.

Eric, it is a fantastic machine. took a break from using it for a combination of reasons that were becoming increasingly frustrating.

1. beans i want that are fresh enough(12 to 36hr), nothing local did it for me so $20+ a week shipping 12oz of beans across country sucks considering the second half of the bag isn't good enough
2. i'm not ready for a new hobby(roasting)
3. grinders, i've been rebuilding a pair of baratzas for years now, usually every 3-4 months and i'm sick of it. not in a position to spend $1k on a grinder at the moment
4. Michelle plopped here pixie on the counter and oh well... it is good enough for now.

i did recently rebuild and upgrade the gear box on one of the grinders and it seems to be able to do the consistent grind i need but shortly after(about the time the pixie showed up) the O rings on the reservoir tanked. they are not to be found at the HW store or even McMaster and i just haven't bothered getting them from Chris's coffee.

as for the box wine nespresso analogy, nice try but no, not the same. you see buying wine is easy(appreciating it is subjective though). to make the preferred shot takes more effort than you probably know based on your comment. if you think you do then i'll assume your taste in coffee are less than you give yourself credit for. but the reality is, i think the "perfect" shot is more about the pursuit. you don't enjoy the coffee like you would a nice susumaniello salento. rather you get off on the pursuit that shot.

ymmv

[Ras72]

I've had this little situation in the house for almost a year. Wifie required a machine that was quick and easy to use. The Gaggia Accademia does everything I needed and more with very little effort. Does them all well also...
Attachment 73516
It's been a wonderful addition to the kitchen.

[aaronv]

I've had this little situation in the house for almost a year. Wifie required a machine that was quick and easy to use. The Gaggia Accademia does everything I needed and more with very little effort. Does them all well also...
Attachment 73516
It's been a wonderful addition to the kitchen.

Wow! That is quite a machine, the kitchen robots are here!
Reminds me a bit of this.
trek-2.jpg

Looks like it would do well in an office scenario too.

[vertical_doug]

This whole thread seems like a huge rationalization when all you are really craving is some caffeine. I know, you can all quit tomorrow if you wanted to. ...
But you don't want to . . .

[aaronv]

This whole forum seems like a huge rationalization for spending money on bicycles when all you are really craving is time to ride.