Espresso help

[ChrisG]

What kind of grinder did you get? And the friend who had a Silvia, what kind of grinder did he have and what was his technique when he made you espresso?

He had a Rancilio grinder. I did not get a grinder, I just bought the Illy Ground red can. I can't be happy enough with the stovetop espresso maker. I am currently waiting for Bialetti to start making the 2 Cup Brikka model. Supposed to collect the crema and produce the same results as an espresso machine.

 

[SirPhobos]

Ah, a fellow espresso aficionado...

Definitely look for gently used or refurbished (or even on a good sale) versions of one of the following:

1) Rancilio Silvia
2) la Pavoni Europiccola EPC-8 Espresso Machine

The grinder is secondary, so just get what you can.

You can't go wrong with either of these great small machines, and it looks like some others agree.

Cheers!

 

[SirPhobos]

Oh, or even check out getting into a Pasquini Livietta. Awesome little powerhouse of a machine. More temperamental than the two that I previously recommended.

Enjoy!

 

[Jasonian]

Oh how I wish I had more time.

The MACHINE is secondary.

There are many reasons for this. I will elaborate if I can when I have more time.

 

[ibrewbeer]

Hmm, i may check it out then. Any brand in particular worth looking into that you may recommend?

Sorry, didn't see this... I have two bialetti and one I think we got at target, not sure on the brand, they all pretty much work the same and I haven't noticed any significant flavor/consistency differences

 

[coolbluewater]

I picked up a NOS Gaggia Espresso (no longer made) from the Bay and it does what I want it to do and do it well. Nowadays I think it's called the Gaggia Classic - a no frills machine that can be serviced anywhere and no problem getting parts down the road.

The Rancilio Silvia (along with the Rocky grinder) is a classic example of marketing push and for the money you can do alot better.
You'll have to lay out $1,000+ to attain the next step up in real world shot quality (Rocket, Quickmill, Izzo, etc.).

+1 on the grinder being the most important factor for shot quality. If all you're doing is one or two shots at a time, look into either the Kyocera, Porlex or Hario hand-crank grinders; they were designed for espresso and use ceramic burrs and are well regarded.
Otherwise, grab a Baratza Vario and don't look back.
The Mazzers are fine but if you buy one used, plan on a new burr set. They look great on the counter, are bulletproof but are also overkill IMO, eat counter space and weigh a ton. If you do get a Mazzer, get a stepless version if you're buying it for espresso. But for the money and outright grind quality you're not gonna beat the Vario.

 

[ChrisG]

Sorry, didn't see this... I have two bialetti and one I think we got at target, not sure on the brand, they all pretty much work the same and I haven't noticed any significant flavor/consistency differences

I ended up with the Bialetti as well.

 

[ChrisG]

I picked up a NOS Gaggia Espresso (no longer made) from the Bay and it does what I want it to do and do it well. Nowadays I think it's called the Gaggia Classic - a no frills machine that can be serviced anywhere and no problem getting parts down the road.

The Gaggia Classic is the exact model i want to get when my funds allow it. I never heard anything bad about this model. I just have to see if it ever goes on sale again.

 

[ChrisG]

I ended up buying this machine brand new for 179.99 , normall priced at 400.

http://www.essentialespresso.com/Gaggia/new_baby.cfm?

Not quite the Gaggia Classic that I wanted but this one will more than likely suffice and I am happy I got it at the price I did.

Any thoughts on this bad boy?

 

[Newfie]

Chris, from what I've read about those machines, it will serve you well. They are nearly identical inside to the Classic, but don't quite remember the difference.

There's a Gaggia Yahoo Group you should check out. It's run by some very knowledgeable people and there's plenty of great info for this class of machine.

 

[Dink]

Nice! I am not sure about the new Baby vs. The Classic but they were/are the same internally just differences in the case materials.

Cheers,
David

 

[Adcurium]

I did the research years ago, but don't remember much of it. But I do remember that Bed Bath and Beyond had a print out about what to look for, and why some features are better than others (the pro's and con's of a pump-driver, etc.) and I found it very helpful. Maybe take a look at their site and see if they still have that information available.

 

[Jobol]

I am not sure if there are any espresso buffs out there but I am looking for a good starter machine. I know grinder is the most important thing which I have that covered. But after looking around online i just got over whelmed for the most part. My girlfriend has a Breville which makes solid espresso ( she also uses high quality Italian coffee). But most of the online stuff I find , they say Breville is watery garbage. I was also hearing good things about a Rancilio but a friend has it and I never had a good espresso from that machine. I was looking into Gaggia Classic but don't know if the 500 price range may be worth it. Any suggestions on a good starter machine? I only want something consistent and that gives a good froth.

The Silvia without a hint of hesitation. And my wife is a barista

 

[ChrisG]

Chris, from what I've read about those machines, it will serve you well. They are nearly identical inside to the Classic, but don't quite remember the difference.

There's a Gaggia Yahoo Group you should check out. It's run by some very knowledgeable people and there's plenty of great info for this class of machine.

I hear the outside of the machine has more plastic where the Classic has all stainless steel. If the machine makes good shots and lasts 5 years + , I figure at 180, i will get my moneys worth.

 

[Newfie]

I hear the outside of the machine has more plastic where the Classic has all stainless steel. If the machine makes good shots and lasts 5 years + , I figure at 180, i will get my moneys worth.

Well, I make good shots with mine and it's going on 4, with nothing done except regular cleaning & descaling, a pressure adjustment (mandantory, BTW) and a new PF gasket.

 

[Jasonian]

I hear the outside of the machine has more plastic where the Classic has all stainless steel. If the machine makes good shots and lasts 5 years + , I figure at 180, i will get my moneys worth.

The espresso quality is exactly the same. Don't throw the money away on looks. You did well on the machine, however, it isn't worth much without an excellent grinder to pair with it.

I cannot reiterate this enough. When it comes to a hierarchy of elements effecting quality, the grind quality reigns supreme in the equipment category.

 

[ChrisG]

The espresso quality is exactly the same. Don't throw the money away on looks. You did well on the machine, however, it isn't worth much without an excellent grinder to pair with it.

I cannot reiterate this enough. When it comes to a hierarchy of elements effecting quality, the grind quality reigns supreme in the equipment category.

I know you have helped me out over PM's and have mentioned that plenty of times previously. I am looking to get a good grinder next. I am just over whelmed with the grinder as of now, I have so many options. I am going to look around and see if I can get something good for the 200 range. My options at this point are just keep an eye out around craigslist.

 

[gregdreg]

Hi chris,
Where did you score your machine at that price?
-Greg

 

[Padron]

Did you ever get a grinder? One of these may fit the bill if you don't drink a lot of espresso or mind a bit of a workout. I don't own one yet, but I would like to get one as a backup for our Mazzer Mini for power outages / camping etc. I have read they do a great job and yield a consistent grind.

 

[tea goober]

I think there is too much emphasis being placed on which type of machine, grinder etc. Good equipment will only get you so far. You do need a machine that has at least 13 bars of preasure. A good shot requires that you participate. You have to understand extraction rates, grind, tamp, freshness etc. to get a good shot of espresso. Way back in the day when I worked for Starbucks (I know, cringe) we had to adhere to standards for pulling shots. Now, they have automatic machines that take all of the "art" out of it, as well as the flavor. But what Starbucks accomplished was very consistent bland shots with the new machines. If you really understand what all the criteria are that go's into pulling a great shot you can coax "good" shots out of even the cheaper machines. A good amount of creama on the shot has as much to do with the coffee you use as the way you pulled the shots. In summary, the best machine is of no use untill you get the "knack" for pulling shots. Starbucks "Old school" machines cost about $25,000 and I had seen many a bad shots pulled on them. And Ive seen perfect shots pulled on a $180.00 Barista machine.