Alright poor college students here, and my roommate and I have been buying starbucks double shots and they are expensive ($2 a can). I've been wanting to buy an espresso machine for a while and the time has come. I'm pretty much a noob to this stuff so I wanted to know what the price range was for a decent/pretty good machine. Also, what kind of beans do I use to make good espresso. Is there varying degrees of strength of espresso? TIA.
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anybody know anything about espresso? need a good espresso machine
- Thread starter m1ke101
- Start date
As far as availability and type of bean... Anything sold as Espresso would work great. You could also use a Dark Columbian Roast if you felt so inclined. You should be able to buy the beans at any local coffee shop and Starbucks too. I probably wouldnt buy beans from a grocery store as they are sometimes not the freshest.
You can either buy whole bean and grind it yourself if your espresso machine comes with a grinder or you purchase one separately. You can also purchase the beans already ground for espresso. I would prefer to grind my own that way you can grind just what you need when you need it. This should give you a little fresher bean and the coffee should keep longer.
As far as quality from the grinder/maker ... The only things that should really effect the taste/quality are the freshness of the bean and how quickly the brewed espresso is consumed. A shot of brewed espresso may begin to oxidize as few as 30 seconds after brewing. This gives it a more bitter taste.
I really can't give you any recommendations on what type of brewer to buy for home use as I've only used commercial equipment.
But, what I would like to know is if anyone can suggest a decent CAPPUCCINO maker that uses powered steam and NOT a PUMP and that won't cost a fortune.
Anyway, I'm off to get a Venti Vanilla Soy Latte.
You can either buy whole bean and grind it yourself if your espresso machine comes with a grinder or you purchase one separately. You can also purchase the beans already ground for espresso. I would prefer to grind my own that way you can grind just what you need when you need it. This should give you a little fresher bean and the coffee should keep longer.
As far as quality from the grinder/maker ... The only things that should really effect the taste/quality are the freshness of the bean and how quickly the brewed espresso is consumed. A shot of brewed espresso may begin to oxidize as few as 30 seconds after brewing. This gives it a more bitter taste.
I really can't give you any recommendations on what type of brewer to buy for home use as I've only used commercial equipment.
But, what I would like to know is if anyone can suggest a decent CAPPUCCINO maker that uses powered steam and NOT a PUMP and that won't cost a fortune.
Anyway, I'm off to get a Venti Vanilla Soy Latte.
http://www.coffeegeek.com
If you want a decent/pretty good machine, a $100-200 Starbucks Athena/Barista won't cut it. We were looking at machines a while ago (will be again when money is right), but you're looking at $600 min for a good machine, and another $200 for a good grinder.
Rob
If you want a decent/pretty good machine, a $100-200 Starbucks Athena/Barista won't cut it. We were looking at machines a while ago (will be again when money is right), but you're looking at $600 min for a good machine, and another $200 for a good grinder.
Rob
Definitely good enough for your purposes. They are actually well regarded for the price, and good for someone starting out. Personally, I am saving up for a $600-$800 machine, but the Saecco/Starbucks machines aren't unacceptable for the beginner. Once you start enjoying espresso more and start drinking it without the obscene amounts of cream and sugar in those Starbucks Double Shots, you might really get into the hobby and slowly move up to a better machine.
Edit: Even on Coffee Geeks the Barista is the second most popular machine, see the list on the right.
Pliablemoose
Lifer
Where's Glenn? He even roasts his own beans.
Americano is good stuff (yes it is espresso topped with hot water - it still preserves the taste of the expresso very well). I drink the double shots sometimes if I really need the protein and caffeine in the morning and I don't have time for breakfast, but I don't like the way they taste.
One of the advantages of a larger more expensive machine is the speed at which you can brew, I noticed that there may a couple of students sharing the machine. There may need to be some compromises with timing if you have class at the same time. But I also don't think it is worth an extra $400 to deal with this issue. Another advantage to a larger more expensive is its ability to froth milk, this only applies to cappuccino drinkers (it does really apply to me and from what you've said it would apply to you either). A cappucchino is nice once in a while in the evening, and since you won't be rushed for time in the evening the extra wait to get the machine to produce frothed milk won't be an issue.
The last thing to consider is that it may not really work out cheaper to own a machine depending on your circumstances. The supplies cost money, and the time factor may not work out for you. You might even find a place that serves shots which are both cheaper and better than Starbucks (I have a place like that), so that may make it better to not get the machine. I'm not saying that this is what you should do, but just consider that getting a machine may not be the only solution.
If you get the machine, you will learn a lot and this may become a true hobby for you, and you can never have too many of those.
couple minutes, but if you have your own barista, who cares...you're not doing the work!
haha, joke!
(i used to be a barista) the starbucks model might be more than its worth. Krup makes a pretty good machine new for 99 bucks (i think)
the price would be cheaper in the long run, im sure, if you ground your own beans. but unless you are buying mass amounts it might be cheaper and easier to do what my friends did when i worked at a cafe and just demand discounts.
especially if you are just getting shots. those are easy to sneak by.
I am not really an espresso fan.
The machines are expensive, and most good espresso is a blend of beans, for a balanced cup.
I prefer "coffee" which is best as a single variety, and a balanced cup is not the desired goal, but rather one with flavor extremes.
There is nothign wrong with espresso, I just happen to prefer coffee.
I have a love for both. It's quite hard to get a good cup of coffee sometimes and espresso is usually the only decent thing on the menu of even coffee houses. Even though Starbucks will make you a french pressed cup of any of their coffees during off-peak times, their selection is limited. I have to drive 20 minutes to get to a real coffee house where they have a variety of good coffees and they let you french press your own. Sometimes I'll see a good coffee as the "coffee of the day" at a local coffee house, but the problem is the way that it is made in those drip coffee makers, and usually they run way too much water in the grinds (even some speciality coffee houses). It's pretty tough to get a good coffee out there.
An expresso is a safe bet outside. At home I don't have a expresso machine yet, but I enjoy roasting, grinding, and brewing a cup once in a while. There's a new Krups "moka-brew" machine that you might enjoy. They've had this machine in Europe for decades but this will be the first time we have this in the U.S. It makes a good strong cup. I find that even drip brewing at home is better than they do at even the better coffee houses, but french pressing is even better. I guess it all depends on what you feel like at the moment.
As far as I know the cheapest worthwhile machines that develop enough pressure to make a real espresso are the Saeco/Starbucks Barista machines.
I'm not sure exactly how long in minutes. The issue is that the smaller machines have a smaller boiler and they take a while to get back up to pressure after they produced a shot. It takes a while to get it back up to pressure to froth milk or to produce a new shot.
Good places for more information are the link that Entity posted above. Just read the user comments on the machine. Another good source for me was a book called "The Joy of Coffee" you might find it at B&N or Borders. The book features and entire chapter on the types of espresso machines and the advantages and disadvantages of the different types and models.
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