Coffee machine recommendations?

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#2943932 19-Jul-2022 19:58

Just ordered the Eurkea Specialita Grinder from Espresso Coffee Shop. With 10% discount coupon came to €337.09 or $559 NZD (includes delivery to NZ vai UPS)

I assume customs will ping me 15% GST, and i'll have to cut the plug off and replace with a NZ plug.

Pretty good savings, the cheapest unit in NZ is $949.

Thanks for the suggestion.

ShinyChrome

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#2944053 20-Jul-2022 06:57

langi27:
Just ordered the Eurkea Specialita Grinder from Espresso Coffee Shop. With 10% discount coupon came to €337.09 or $559 NZD (includes delivery to NZ vai UPS)

I assume customs will ping me 15% GST, and i'll have to cut the plug off and replace with a NZ plug.

Pretty good savings, the cheapest unit in NZ is $949.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Nice, that's exactly what I did, but it sounds like you got a better deal on the exchange rate. And it sounds like generally under $1000 they don't bother, they just rely on the shop being GST registered.

Mine also came with a pretty neat permanently attachable NZ 3 pin adapter that takes the Euro plug.

langi27

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#2947692 29-Jul-2022 08:44

my new Eurkea Specialita Grinder arrived yesterday, took 3 days to get to NZ from Italy (went via Germany, America, Australia and finally landed in Auckland), then took another 7 days to get it from Auckland to Christchurch, bit a of joke that you can move it round the world faster than getting down the country.

Bonus they didn't pick it up for GST. I did however get a traffic ticket when i was collecting it.......maybe thats just karma and [removed].

[Mod edit (MF): no funny names breach. Removed]

surfisup1000

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#2947766 29-Jul-2022 11:24

langi27:

my new Eurkea Specialita Grinder arrived yesterday, took 3 days to get to NZ from Italy (went via Germany, America, Australia and finally landed in Auckland), then took another 7 days to get it from Auckland to Christchurch, bit a of joke that you can move it round the world faster than getting down the country.

Bonus they didn't pick it up for GST. I did however get a traffic ticket when i was collecting it.......maybe thats just karma and [removed].

[Mod edit (MF): no funny names breach. Removed]

To be fair, there are a lot more checks on incoming items to ensure legal compliance.

Outgoing items, who cares?

jonathan18

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#2948918 1-Aug-2022 11:33

Portable coffee equipment

[I debated whether to create a new thread or add to this; happy to shift it if the former is more appropriate.]

With the imminent move to a BEV we’re going to avoid using a roof box on our car so, in order to save space when going on longer holidays, I’m thinking of not taking our small espresso machine and grinder. I’m therefore looking for small/portable products that can still produce a decent coffee without too much hassle. We both drink lattes, so ultimately looking for bits that can grind the beans, make the coffee, and texture (if not also heat) the milk.

Coffee-wise, I’m thinking of an Aeropress; while I get that these are more suitable for black coffee, I’ve watched some (eg JH) show how it can be used for a milk-based coffee. Are there any other suitable options that people would recommend?

Grinder-wise, I have asked about small USB-powered burr grinders on here before; I’m sure it’s a matter of YGWYPF, and given I’m not wanting to spend heaps I don’t know if the cheaper ones will be any good. In terms of hand grinders, are there any cheaper models that are ok quality? Or am I better to stick to pre-ground coffee?

Milk-wise: I guess either a small wand-based device (and heating the milk in a microwave or similar) or a heater/’frother’ are the main options. (The plunger-type are often glass, which I want to avoid.) In terms of the wand type, I’ve read the NanoFoamer produces decent texture, but it’s not cheap at over $60. Heaps of cheaper ones (including USB rechargeable) models are available, but unsure of how these perform. The heater/frothers can be purchased for $50 up, but often they produce a dense froth nothing like an espresso machine (or is this controllable if done using a mix of mostly set to just heating?). Any recommendations for providing some texture to milk?

Thanks for any ideas and recommendations…

Handle9

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#2949232 1-Aug-2022 14:52

I use an aeropress and cheap milk spinner when I go camping. I can make pretty good coffee from the aeropress and the milk is ok.

You won’t get espresso from the aeropress but it’s tasty enough. I also have a Moka pot which is also good. I don’t bother with a grinder for camping, it’s not really worth it for 6-10 nights a year.

Most of the time I don’t bother to byo coffee when I’m travelling. I’m regretting that now whe we have to leave early and the decent cafe in the town we are staying isn’t open ;)

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langi27

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#2949322 1-Aug-2022 16:20

My new IMS basket and IMS shower screen arrived today, whoohoo.☕

The IMS basket really increases flow rate with the same grind size, gonna have to dial this in.

New Eureka grinder is also working very nicely, surprised how quiet it is, I like the fine adjustments.

langi27

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#2949325 1-Aug-2022 16:21

next to arrive is the bottomless portafilter and dosing cup from Aliexpress.

huxtable

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#2951624 7-Aug-2022 13:09

I've had my Breville Barista Express for two years now and love it. My first coffee machine. Took a while to 'dial in' and get used to, but now I can make a very consistent espresso on a daily basis. 90% of the time I just make an espresso or long black. Occasionally make a flat white, and the steaming wand is a bit limited, but again with a bit of practice can do a decent job.

I know it's a very basic machine, and it cops a lot of flak for the in-built grinder, but once dialled in it does the trick. Even though I often suffer from wanting to upgrade my toys and tools, I'm very happy to hold onto this machine until it croaks.

jonathan18

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#2951690 7-Aug-2022 14:31

Handle9: I use an aeropress and cheap milk spinner when I go camping. I can make pretty good coffee from the aeropress and the milk is ok.

You won’t get espresso from the aeropress but it’s tasty enough. I also have a Moka pot which is also good. I don’t bother with a grinder for camping, it’s not really worth it for 6-10 nights a year.

Most of the time I don’t bother to byo coffee when I’m travelling. I’m regretting that now whe we have to leave early and the decent cafe in the town we are staying isn’t open ;)

Thanks for your response, @Handle9; your message reminded me about the 4-5 moka pots we have in the garage, having completely forgotten about these as an option! I think I'll dig out one of these and also borrow a relative's Aeropress, and do a basic comparison to work out which we'll go with.

We exclusively used moka pots for years until shifting to espresso; I'm thinking they are one of the better highly portable options to get a strong short dose of coffee for a milky drink - or have you perfected the Aeropress for this? I've seen an inverted method is recommended, and that increases the chance of leaks etc, which has me worried slightly.

Grinder - yep, decided that I can cope with pre-grinding before I leave; at least this way it'll be relatively fresh, plus ensure an appropriate grind for the machine (vs buying pre-ground).

Milk - have ordered a USB rechargeable 'wand' thing from Ali Express; I've read this type can be fairly aggressive in the height they generate (due to high RPM) so will need to ensure a tall container, I guess: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003990307153.html

I think with such a compact setup as this it'll mean we're never left without an acceptable drink when on the road; I'm sure we'll buy 'real' coffees as well, but this will work fine for our daily default.

I imagine I'll also take the tiny hand-pumped 'espresso' machine I got off 1-Day - the coffee it produces is actually not too bad, but it only produces enough for one (weakish) cup, so is a hassle to do for two (plus is messy to clean up).

jonathan18

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#2951711 7-Aug-2022 15:45

Scratch part of the above post: I've decided to 'invest' in a Picopresso as a mobile coffee machine. https://www.wacaco.com/pages/picopresso (example review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0sBN8ZP76g)

Can't really justify the cost (best price I could find it for was $175 at an AU retailer https://baristawarehouse.com.au/) other than I'm spending my 'pocket money' which is for exactly these kind of purchases...

PICOPRESSO - Wacaco

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Senecio

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#2951793 7-Aug-2022 18:07

I have a NanoPresso that we take when camping. It makes a descent espresso that work well as a long black. This newer PicoPresso looks much better. Would be keen to hear your feedback once it arrives.

jonathan18

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#2951807 7-Aug-2022 19:12

Senecio:
I have a NanoPresso that we take when camping. It makes a descent espresso that work well as a long black. This newer PicoPresso looks much better. Would be keen to hear your feedback once it arrives.

Sure thing, will report back. A while back I had contemplated getting a Nanopresso but never quite got to the point of pressing buy. Seems to be enough of an improvement to warrant the additional cost.

jonathan18

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#2963863 6-Sep-2022 13:31

jonathan18: Portable coffee equipment

Milk-wise: I guess either a small wand-based device (and heating the milk in a microwave or similar) or a heater/’frother’ are the main options. (The plunger-type are often glass, which I want to avoid.) In terms of the wand type, I’ve read <a href="https://www.thenile.co.nz/home/nanofoamer/8881300271008">the NanoFoamer</a> produces decent texture, but it’s not cheap at over $60. Heaps of cheaper ones (including USB rechargeable) models are available, but unsure of how these perform. The heater/frothers can be purchased for $50 up, but often they produce a dense froth nothing like an espresso machine (or is this controllable if done using a mix of mostly set to just heating?). Any recommendations for providing some texture to milk?</p>

Having ordered (and received) the Picopresso for making coffee on the road, I also bought one of the bog-standard rechargeable milk frothers/beaters off Ali Express - I guess it’s effective in producing ‘froth’, but it’s certainly nothing like textured milk you’d want for coffee. Luckily my kids love it, and for them the more froth the better.

So I’ve now ordered the recently released updated version of the Nanofoamer, which apparently sorts out many of the issues with the original version (see review below). I’ve gone with the lithium-powered version, which comes in at $98 including shipping with their current 15% Labor Day discount, direct from Subliminal’s website - while I could have used rechargeable batteries, apparently it’s a power hog and so I’d then need to take spares and a charger on holiday, which means it’s suddenly not so portable.

I get that for the $273 I’ve spent on the Picopresso and Nanofoamer I could have paid for a decent enough cheap espresso machine, but the whole purpose of this exercise was to make decent quality milk-based coffee while on the road with very compact equipment, and clearly achieving this costs a bit. It’s going to take a while to make this pay off financially, but as many here will acknowledge making a nice cup of coffee is not just (or at all) about the bottom dollar.

Will report back on both products when the Nanofoamer arrives; I don’t tend to drink black coffee so haven’t used the Picopresso much yet (waiting to test it as a pairing with what I’ll take on holiday), but have been very impressed with it thus far.

michaelmurfy

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#2963872 6-Sep-2022 14:06

Not a Coffee machine recommendation, but a very small coffee roaster I found that I personally like that may interest some of you: https://chooice.co.nz/store/bean-jazzed-coffee/

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