The coffee geek thread - post your rigs, ask your questions, discuss your addiction!

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#1253586 8-Mar-2015 21:22

Right, OE 58mm portafilter dosing funnel & Coffee Catcha incoming. Comparison to come. Can the pricier kiwi innovation beat the incumbent? Interested to know if anyone used either?

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nate

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#1254009 9-Mar-2015 13:47

NZtechfreak: Right, OE 58mm portafilter dosing funnel & Coffee Catcha incoming. Comparison to come. Can the pricier kiwi innovation beat the incumbent? Interested to know if anyone used either?

If I'd known you wanted a catcha I could'lve sold you our one. We don't really use it now we have a grinder that gives out the correct dose each time (can't remember the proper name for it)

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#1254023 9-Mar-2015 14:00

nate:
NZtechfreak: Right, OE 58mm portafilter dosing funnel & Coffee Catcha incoming. Comparison to come. Can the pricier kiwi innovation beat the incumbent? Interested to know if anyone used either?

If I'd known you wanted a catcha I could'lve sold you our one. We don't really use it now we have a grinder that gives out the correct dose each time (can't remember the proper name for it)

Bugger.

I'm interested to see how both those products are, in the home environment they make waste and mess less an issue (even if the economies of scale aren't there compared to cafe use), but even more so allow for very easier WDT which would be impractical for a commercial environment.

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psychrn

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#1434199 24-Nov-2015 23:00

Looks like our old Krupps Semi Automatic Machine is on its way out.
Looking at getting a DeLonghi PrimaDonna Exclusive.
Anyone got one and can comment on its functionality and over all impression

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#1434257 25-Nov-2015 01:01

Anyone able to make a recommendation on a nice coffee machine for my retiring FIL ? I guess we would spend ~1500 but obviously less is good. We want something that makes a spectacular coffee, is moderately simple to use (I understand making coffee can be as fun as drinking it). HE is really into coffee, I don't drink it.

I don't want to go crazy, and I also don't see him keen on a capsule coffee maker.

mrphil

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#1434364 25-Nov-2015 09:29

psychrn: Looks like our old Krupps Semi Automatic Machine is on its way out.
Looking at getting a DeLonghi PrimaDonna Exclusive.
Anyone got one and can comment on its functionality and over all impression

the only downside for that machine is the grinder, it doesnt seem to grind fine enough which causes a under extraction otherwise it does good home coffees not cafe quality coffees

also watch out for cashbacks when purchasing delonghi machines, we talked the priced down at the retailer then claimed cashback via delonghi which made it a good buy

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#1434553 25-Nov-2015 13:24

networkn: Anyone able to make a recommendation on a nice coffee machine for my retiring FIL ? I guess we would spend ~1500 but obviously less is good. We want something that makes a spectacular coffee, is moderately simple to use (I understand making coffee can be as fun as drinking it). HE is really into coffee, I don't drink it.

I don't want to go crazy, and I also don't see him keen on a capsule coffee maker.

If you are looking for a simple drip coffee machine that does great coffee we bought one of these a few years ago and swear by it. Very easy to use and makes great drip coffee. just need to get a good grinder and you are all set. You can get thermal versions as well for longer retention times. Easy to clean (we pop the bits in the dishwasher no problem).

http://www.coffeesupremeshop.com/collections/equipment/products/moccamaster-by-technicorm

We did also get a gold filter so no need for a paper filter: http://www.coffeesupremeshop.com/collections/equipment-filters/products/gold-conical-filter-basket

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#1434593 25-Nov-2015 14:26

Just wondering if any coffee geeks have any first hand experience with the Breville Oracle (BES890) and if so, what they thought? It seems that Harvey Norman are the only people who sell them in New Zealand - the lack of competition perhaps contributing to what seems (to me) a ridiculous price of $3,000 for a Breville "coffee maker".

While the Minister of Finance (my wife) would never allow me to spend $3000 on an espresso machine, I have a friend who has given me first refusal of one - in the box, unwanted and unused - for $2000. I just can't help thinking that there must still be better machines out there for that sort of money (or less) - it's only a Breville - or is that just brand snobbery on my part? Googling it does seem to show many positive reviews from specialist coffee websites though, so perhaps they have got this right?

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#1434631 25-Nov-2015 16:11

andrew027: Just wondering if any coffee geeks have any first hand experience with the Breville Oracle (BES890) and if so, what they thought? It seems that Harvey Norman are the only people who sell them in New Zealand - the lack of competition perhaps contributing to what seems (to me) a ridiculous price of $3,000 for a Breville "coffee maker".

While the Minister of Finance (my wife) would never allow me to spend $3000 on an espresso machine, I have a friend who has given me first refusal of one - in the box, unwanted and unused - for $2000. I just can't help thinking that there must still be better machines out there for that sort of money (or less) - it's only a Breville - or is that just brand snobbery on my part? Googling it does seem to show many positive reviews from specialist coffee websites though, so perhaps they have got this right?

Sounds good on paper but I've seen mixed reviews. Check Amazon reviews from long term users. Some love it for a few weeks then it all seems to turn to custard..

Good to see this thread revived, have a new rig and loving it. Profitec Pro700 + Mazzer Mini. I need to upgrade the grinder though but it's good for now. My drinks have been astonishing with this setup. The Germans have designed a machine that I can't fault in any way.. I've had 10 machines, 3 that were high end and this machine dusts them all.

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#1434857 25-Nov-2015 21:58

Adappted:
andrew027: Just wondering if any coffee geeks have any first hand experience with the Breville Oracle (BES890) and if so, what they thought? It seems that Harvey Norman are the only people who sell them in New Zealand - the lack of competition perhaps contributing to what seems (to me) a ridiculous price of $3,000 for a Breville "coffee maker".

While the Minister of Finance (my wife) would never allow me to spend $3000 on an espresso machine, I have a friend who has given me first refusal of one - in the box, unwanted and unused - for $2000. I just can't help thinking that there must still be better machines out there for that sort of money (or less) - it's only a Breville - or is that just brand snobbery on my part? Googling it does seem to show many positive reviews from specialist coffee websites though, so perhaps they have got this right?

Sounds good on paper but I've seen mixed reviews. Check Amazon reviews from long term users. Some love it for a few weeks then it all seems to turn to custard..

Good to see this thread revived, have a new rig and loving it. Profitec Pro700 + Mazzer Mini. I need to upgrade the grinder though but it's good for now. My drinks have been astonishing with this setup. The Germans have designed a machine that I can't fault in any way.. I've had 10 machines, 3 that were high end and this machine dusts them all.

with the square chassis it looks a lot like a rocket cellini.

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yann

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#1434898 26-Nov-2015 00:25

andrew027: Just wondering if any coffee geeks have any first hand experience with the Breville Oracle (BES890) and if so, what they thought? It seems that Harvey Norman are the only people who sell them in New Zealand - the lack of competition perhaps contributing to what seems (to me) a ridiculous price of $3,000 for a Breville "coffee maker".

While the Minister of Finance (my wife) would never allow me to spend $3000 on an espresso machine, I have a friend who has given me first refusal of one - in the box, unwanted and unused - for $2000. I just can't help thinking that there must still be better machines out there for that sort of money (or less) - it's only a Breville - or is that just brand snobbery on my part? Googling it does seem to show many positive reviews from specialist coffee websites though, so perhaps they have got this right?

I've not used the Oracle machine, but have used the Breville Dual Boiler. The unit specifications look rather similar save for the integrated grinder in the Oracle. For me, that point alone would dissuade me from the Oracle. I would advise anyone to look for a grinder first, then machine second.

Without having read any reviews, I wouldn't really like to have an integrated grinder due to the possibility it may be difficult to service, to clean or to fix. I'm not entirely sure what type of grinder is in there, but I would guess it is probably similar to the Breville Smart Grinder, which does a pretty decent job. I have a Smart Grinder, but it only sees use for plunger/chemex/v60 etc. Having an integrated grinder in such close proximity to the machine makes me worried about all the heat that the boiler units put out - heating the beans, aging them and so forth leading to decreased freshness for the bean, and eventually what comes out in the cup. I would suggest it better to get a stand alone (burr) grinder. Most of the time, most people who seek to upgrade will see the most difference coming from a better grinder, so it'd be nice to be able to have separate units. *forgot to mention that the heat is probably going to make dialing in the grind a bit annoying as well, given if you decided to make a coffee 10 minutes from on, compared to an hour later, it'll probably be off given the variance in heat/humidity of the beans. I guess stand alone grinders are affected by ambient heat/humidity and so forth, but it'd be easier to isolate.

I think for $2000, and if you were looking to go the Breville way, the Dual Boiler is $1299 at Noel Leeming (seems like the internals are pretty much the same as the Oracle), then spend the rest on a second hand Mazzer Mini, Mazzer Super Jolly or even a Major if you can find one for difference to $2000. The Breville Dual Boiler does a very decent job for the price, based on what kind of features it offers, and if you don't mind that its a Breville and is plastic etc. Opinions do vary with these units, but generally they are well received and service is pretty good.

But generally, my advice would probably be to steer clear of integrated (grinder/machine) units. That and I'm not seeing how the Oracle adds up to $3000, given you'll still get change from a Dual Boiler and a new Mazzer Super Jolly if you had $3000 to spend.

Yann :)

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#1434901 26-Nov-2015 02:18

My recent post re Delonghi Primadona Automatic machine. Faults seem to be around the lack of Grind options,
I no you can add grinds manually at the top

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andrew027

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#1434957 26-Nov-2015 08:56

Thanks for the comments @yann - they make a lot of sense. I still haven't been able to find anyone who's actually used the Oracle though.

The grinder in the Oracle is supposedly a conical burr grinder so is probably just the Smart Grinder, packaged into the machine. If it is, then $1300 for the Dual Boiler at NL plus $229 for the Smart Grinder at Harvey Norman is pretty much half the price of the Oracle, if going Breville. That seems a big price difference for the "programmable" functionality of the Oracle.

All that said, personally if I had a machine with a built-in grinder I would add fresh beans each time rather than leaving them sitting in the hopper for hours/days.

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#1434958 26-Nov-2015 08:58

Yeah with 2k I would probably go for a Rancilio Sylvia but modify it with a PID controller, and a used Mazzer (replace the burrs too). A bottomless portafilter and if you are not used to tamping an espro calibrated tamper. You should be able to get all that under 2k.

JamesL

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#1436276 27-Nov-2015 19:58

Just added a matte black Moccamaster to my collection.

I was thinking about what I have in my brew collection when someone asked me today:
Moccamaster
Kalita Wave #185
Aeropress
8 Cup Chemex - handblown
V60 x 2 (one copper one glass)
Clever Dripper
Kono Meimon dripper
Hario Syphon
Cona Syphon

Other stuff:
Bonavita Gooseneck kettle - electric
Hario copper kettle
Acaia scales - black
Hario scales
Baratza Forte - BG

Think my wife is getting sick of all the room my stuff is taking ^_^

If anyone else is into filter I've subbed to the following:
http://kurasu.me/pages/subscription
http://coffeecollective.dk/shop/product/filter-subscription-international/
https://www.smallbatch.com.au/shop/coffee-subscription/drip-feed-coffee-subscription-6-months/
http://rocketcoffee.co.nz/collections/coffee/products/filter-subscription

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