onlyconnect
pfm Member
Makes me realise we are doing quite well which what we have. The Gaggia Cubika is really good, solid metal construction, makes a great espresso without any faff or requiring a long time to warm up.
Tim
Coffee machines
- Thread starter onlyconnect
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Makes me realise we are doing quite well which what we have. The Gaggia Cubika is really good, solid metal construction, makes a great espresso without any faff or requiring a long time to warm up.
Tim
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
part of keeping machines going is feeding them with good (not hard) water and making sure any routine cleaning/maintenance (back flushing, cleaning the shower screen) is done. Hard water will lead to the eventual demise of a machine, even with descaling.
lubricating the group head cam etc in manual lever E61 group head machines once a month (especially after back flushing with detergent) is really important in minimising mechanical wear in the group head
lubricating the group head cam etc in manual lever E61 group head machines once a month (especially after back flushing with detergent) is really important in minimising mechanical wear in the group head
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
OK, I use an Aeropress mostly, at the moment. Now I'm working from home I tend to make myself something close to a flat white, just two or three times a day. I've wondered about an espresso machine to give me a proper basis for the drink (the Aeropress is fine, so I'm just wondering about the possibilities here).
Any recommendations for My First Espresso Machine(TM)? I'm thinking about the classic Gaggia/LA Pavoni wossnames, I suppose. Not thinking about bean to cup, but if I were, I'd probably look at one of the cheaper Sage models.
Any recommendations for My First Espresso Machine(TM)? I'm thinking about the classic Gaggia/LA Pavoni wossnames, I suppose. Not thinking about bean to cup, but if I were, I'd probably look at one of the cheaper Sage models.
boneman
pfm Member
along the lines of the aero you could try handpresso which would get you into espresso for not a huge amount of money and they make a surprisingly good shot.
Thorn
pfm Member
One friend has a Nespresso machine and another an Aeropress. I now ask for a cup of tea when I visit either of them. They use teabags, but it's still more palatable than the coffee they offer.
I like my beer hand pulled and my whisky/whiskey single malt.
It's not that I'm a beverage snob or anything. I accept water straight from the tap, even when I'm in London.
I like my beer hand pulled and my whisky/whiskey single malt.
It's not that I'm a beverage snob or anything. I accept water straight from the tap, even when I'm in London.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
I think, as has been said upthread, the quality is partly down to the method, but more down to the beans (and the grind). And an Aeropress is a PITA for making more than one person's cup at a time.
@Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Do you ever drink espresso on its own? If the answer is no, you probably won’t get much extra benefit from one of these machines. Aeropress already makes a really good short coffee for mixing into drinks. The only thing you’re not getting from the AP is that crema on top, which you lose as soon as you add steamed milk anyway.
EDIT (crossed paths): A La Pavoni or Gaggia is also a PITA for making more than two small cups at a time.
@Thorn - There’s nothing wrong with Aeropress coffee as a system - it may have more to do with the beans or, more likely, the preparation. (Nespresso is passable, but just because it’s low-effort to make doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean and de-scale the machines...)
Do you ever drink espresso on its own? If the answer is no, you probably won’t get much extra benefit from one of these machines. Aeropress already makes a really good short coffee for mixing into drinks. The only thing you’re not getting from the AP is that crema on top, which you lose as soon as you add steamed milk anyway.
EDIT (crossed paths): A La Pavoni or Gaggia is also a PITA for making more than two small cups at a time.
@Thorn - There’s nothing wrong with Aeropress coffee as a system - it may have more to do with the beans or, more likely, the preparation. (Nespresso is passable, but just because it’s low-effort to make doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean and de-scale the machines...)
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Kris, thanks, that mirrors my own thinking. The Aeropress does fine for my flat white. I do drink espresso, but not at home. And one reason for thinking about the possibility of considering maybe thinking about looking into the ins and outs of a machine would be the opportunity to have a decent espresso at home. My other coffee maker is a moka pot, which I haven't used since I moved over to Aeropress, but again, doesn't deliver the crema (at least, not in my hands).
For the moka pot, if you take it off the hob half way through, you get something that tastes more like an espresso, but still lacks most of the crema.
Personally, I'm now strangely tempted by the idea of a lever machine... lockdown must be getting to me: they are, after all, the valve amp of espresso machines...
Personally, I'm now strangely tempted by the idea of a lever machine... lockdown must be getting to me: they are, after all, the valve amp of espresso machines...
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Yes, I could fancy a lever machine myself. That steampunk vibe has an appeal of its own.
TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
I only back flush a few of times a year- what’s optimal?
Pedro83
pfm Member
I really enjoyed the Gaggia classic. I was a little lazy in that I would buy a bag of beans from Starbucks and have them grind for me - seal and freeze. key was getting the setting right at Starbucks which I cannot remember. great results almost every time. I would certainly buy another - previous machine went along with my ex-girifiend. Currently using a Nespresso which is good and simple, but doesn't produce the same quality compared to the Gaggia classic.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
That’s pretty much exactly what I have in mind. Thanks.
In 2015 Philips/SAECO tried to destroy the Gaggia brand they had bought. But coffee geeks quickly made them aware how foolish that was. So Gaggia corrected most concerns with their latest 2019/Pro model.
A step up in geekness is La Pavoni but be prepared to invest time and effort. And forget making more than 1 or 2 espresso at a time.
A step the other way is Sage/Breville who have none of the history but have made a serious effort to bring coffee making into the 21st century without destroying the taste. Not sure I like the large bean to cup things. The Bambino Plus looks interesting at the price, especially if you drink latte. Their Smart Grinder Pro also gives a Baratza a run for the money.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
I think I am getting the hang of mine, 7 years on! Just don't let the water level fall low, as the pressure varies. I aim for a 25-30 second pull, and take almost that long to raise the lever, to avoid punching an air hole through the coffee puck. And the water in Plymouth is vile, so I filter it.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
I used to backflush with water once per week and with detergent once per month, with dismantling and lubing the E61 group head. Backflushing an E61 group head with detergent washes all the lube away, leaving the mechanism prone to wear.
I sold the E61 group head machine, as after 15 years I found the grouphead maintenance too much faff.
ATM we are without machine whilst i decide whether i want to buy a lever machine or something with an automated E61 group head (needs no lubing/maintenance).
New single dose grinder comes on Monday
[EDIT] Apologies for misunderstandings - the independent Gaggia only does the catering market (people I know who are into coffee are all in the trade, so that's where I got my info). It seems Philips still produces the domestic Gaggia-branded equipment.
... Gaggia and Philips have had separate ownership since 2017. Philips had purchased Saeco, who in turn had owned Gaggia since the late 1990s, primarily for that company’s bean-to-cup range - you’ve probably seen those in upmarket department stores, but branded as Gaggia, because English-speakers didn’t know the Saeco brand, but did know Gaggia. Gaggia and Saeco portafilter espresso machines had used common parts since the early 2000s.
The plan at Philips was always to spin out Gaggia (and Saeco’s professional catering business) once the merger was settled, as those products were too low-volume and specialist for Philips, but it took until 2017 to find a suitable buyer in the shape of an Italian vending-machine company N&W, now renamed Evoca.
blossomchris
I feel better than James Brown
Hope all is well Dec, sounds painful, is it one of those newish Hipster health regime thingies