• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

deleted

NetWareHead said:
Get a Moka pot preferably by Bialetti ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot ) and some espresso ground coffee. Cheapest way to have espresso at home. Upgrading from this, you start getting into expensive coffee machines...
Click to expand...

moka with some bustello on the cheap makes a great cup. You can go down that rabbit hole and start talking superautomatics or going pod-bleh- or you could make coffee in a moka like 90 percent of the elderly people in Italy. Good enough for my mamma good enough for me..


I do have a la pavoni europicolla that makes elixir from the gods
 
I used to spend alot of money on espresso gear, I probably spent a few grand on machines and grinders. It started to get ridiculous when I was on the verge of spending $1200 on a machine with a $500 grinder (Breville BES900XL and Baratza Vario grinder) I sold the Vario grinder on ebay, as with its ceramic flat burrs its not so good for brewed coffee.

I realized that I generally only drink black coffee anyway and lattes are much more infrequent so I started learning how to do pour-over coffee. Now I use a Bonavita temperature controlled gooseneck kettle and flow restrictor, cheap Baratza grinder and a plastic Melitta filter cone with the hole drilled out to make it flow faster. I also roast coffee from sweet marias so I'm a happy camper without the expensive espresso gear.

I think that many of the espresso community is older folks with lots of disposable income, and that hobby is a serious money pit.
 
71pTlCgTTrL._SL1500_.jpg


Had this one for a few years now, mine was a V2, but I installed the upgrade kit, and I found a refurbished Kitchenaid grinder.

Standalone_1175X1290.jpg


I like my stuff manual, less tinkering & more bulletproof.

Bought one of these used, and broken, fixed it and use it as a back up

DUthVpa-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Joe1987 said:
I like my stuff manual, less tinkering & more bulletproof.
Click to expand...

Nice setup 🙂 I bought a Silvia and used it for a bit. They are real nice, but it didn't work for me because I leave for work really early and don't have time for it to properly warm up and to pull shots. So I really would have only used it once a week which seemed kind of sad that it would just sit there most days unused.

That kitchen aid grinder looks cool, i've heard good things about them and i'm definitely curious about them.

oh and I totally agree about manual brewing and equipment vs super automatics. Having separate grinders and brewers is good from a repair standpoint. The great thing about the Baratza line of grinders is that their support is awesome, I've completely rebuilt a couple Encores and Virtuosos, all the parts are available and their email support will walk you through how to do it. I I probably exchanged 50 emails over a couple weeks time...

OTOH if your superautomatic grinder goes out that is a big problem... Some of those espresso machine companies aren't exactly known for customer service (ahem-rancilio) although I'd love to have a superautomatic I don't know if I'll ever justify having one.
 
Last edited:
Ksyder said:
Nice setup 🙂 I bought a Silvia and used it for a bit. They are real nice, but it didn't work for me because I leave for work really early and don't have time for it to properly warm up and to pull shots. So I really would have only used it once a week which seemed kind of sad that it would just sit there most days unused.

That kitchen aid grinder looks cool, i've heard good things about them and i'm definitely curious about them.

oh and I totally agree about manual brewing and equipment vs super automatics. Having separate grinders and brewers is good from a repair standpoint. The great thing about the Baratza line of grinders is that their support is awesome, I've completely rebuilt a couple Encores and Virtuosos, all the parts are available and their email support will walk you through how to do it. I I probably exchanged 50 emails over a couple weeks time...

OTOH if your superautomatic grinder goes out that is a big problem... Some of those espresso machine companies aren't exactly known for customer service (ahem-rancilio) although I'd love to have a superautomatic I don't know if I'll ever justify having one.
Click to expand...

I hear you about the superautomatic stuff, convenient as hell, but a bitch to keep working. I use a boring old Mr Coffee for my morning coffee, I like a latte when I get home and after supper, or Saturday and Sunday, have been considering pour over, but just haven't looked into it that much.

Getting parts for the Ascaso Dream was a bitch, love the looks of it, can never recommend anyone buy one because of the parts availability.
 
Joe1987 said:
Getting parts for the Ascaso Dream was a bitch, love the looks of it, can never recommend anyone buy one because of the parts availability.
Click to expand...

Beautiful machine. Well done. Rare and classy. 😛


Joe1987 said:
considering pour over, but just haven't looked into it that much.
Click to expand...

I was skeptical of pour-over when I was espresso nerd and now I'm a pour over fanatic. I had to switch because the espresso market is so expensive and I get caught up in the hype of stuff. I would have never been happy until I had like a marzocco gs/3 or something. I learned pour-over techniques by watching a whole bunch of youtube videos mostly.

It depends on what your coffee tastes run to though, if you really like oily dark espresso and lattes than pour over won't do it for you. Since I'm a roaster I'm looking for the cleanest tastes in the cup and I do lighter roasts for brightness and sweetness of coffee and pour-over is really well matched for that. The great thing about pour-over is getting the benefit of being able to get proper brewing temps, and controlling the extraction time yourself thru grind size and other parameters.

I'm thinking I might try the aeropress and a able brewing disc, that might be a good balance between espresso and brewed coffee, esp. for milk drinks.
 
Last edited:
Aldon said:
Do they last long? Do you have one? How many cups made already?
Click to expand...

My grandmother gave me hers over 10 years ago (I don't know how long she had it before me) and it sees fairly frequent use since it came into my possession (maybe 5-10 times a month). It is made of aluminum and is pretty durable, even withstanding falls etc. You just have to be careful when placing it on the stove to not let the heat hit the plastic handle or else it will melt.

There is one consumable part which is the rubber gasket that forms the seals between the 2 parts. it will last pretty long provided you don't use soap to clean the pot, water only. With a fingernail, make sure you clean the gasket of any remaining coffee grounds, lightly scrape it clean. And let it thoroughly dry before screwing it back together and storing it. if you leave water in it, it will smell next time you use it and the rubber may deteriorate. I haven't changed the gasket yet on mine bet they are available for purchase as replacement items.
 
Aldon said:
So espresso from a moka pot is not the same as from the espresso machine?
Click to expand...

It is still considered espresso but of lesser quality.

The real deal espresso machines which build more pressure than a moka pot create the truest espresso with the desired froth on top. The downside is they are expensive. Coffee bars and people with money to spend have these. I believe these brew at 9 bars of pressure.

The moka pots are a good compromise and realistically what many people use at home. The pressure is not as high as a true machine but you will still get good quality espresso. The coffee is still brewed under pressure (I think these top at at 1.5 bars) and there are tricks which can increase the coffee quality. The flavor won't be as rich, coffee won't have the same body and there wont be any foam as if you brewed it with a true machine.
 
RossMAN said:
Espresso nerds is this a decent machine?

http://www.costco.com/Saeco-Intuita-Automatic-Espresso-Machine-.product.100070159.html
Click to expand...

Yup, should do a fine job. I've had a Saeco Magic Deluxe for 10 years now. Still does a great job. Depending on how much you use it, expect to service it every now and again. Gears sometimes strip, boilers sometimes leak, etc. Not too hard to fix it yourself and the parts are easier to find now than they were a decade ago.

That said, anyone suggesting a moka pot is also giving you a good suggestion. Yeah, I get that it's technically not espresso, but the best coffee I've had has been out of a moka pot at my grandmother's house. Italians (like me?) tend to use them at home. I only have a superautomatic because my dad gave me one as a gift when I got my first place after college. He used one for a while, but he's back to the moka pot.
 
NetWareHead said:
It is still considered espresso but of lesser quality.

The real deal espresso machines which build more pressure than a moka pot create the truest espresso with the desired froth on top. The downside is they are expensive. Coffee bars and people with money to spend have these. I believe these brew at 9 bars of pressure.

The moka pots are a good compromise and realistically what many people use at home. The pressure is not as high as a true machine but you will still get good quality espresso. The coffee is still brewed under pressure (I think these top at at 1.5 bars) and there are tricks which can increase the coffee quality. The flavor won't be as rich, coffee won't have the same body and there wont be any foam as if you brewed it with a true machine.
Click to expand...

You can get some foam. I know an older guy who gets in there with a spoon when I starts to percolate up and stirs it until the pot is done. He ends up getting it pretty damn close. Just don't burn yourself.
 
sjwaste said:
You can get some foam. I know an older guy who gets in there with a spoon when I starts to percolate up and stirs it until the pot is done. He ends up getting it pretty damn close. Just don't burn yourself.
Click to expand...

Yeah if you keep the lid open as the coffee rises, there is a foam, but it is short lived. It seems to disappear as the last drops of coffee sputter out of the spout. I may try that method you described. He just stirs the coffee as the upper pot fills up? Doesn't that get messy as the last bit sputters and splashes all over the stove?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top