Coffee machine recommendations?

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#2617542 7-Dec-2020 14:29

For the love of all things coffee related, you should not use a whirly blade grinder especially for espresso, they aren't the right tool for the job period.

elpenguino

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#2617565 7-Dec-2020 14:30

jonathan18:
elpenguino:

Apparently what you want in an ideal world is a burr grinder. A lower cost grinder will use blades.

Blades do not give the consistency in size of output powder that you need to make consistent coffee.

There's no question that a burr grinder is the way to go; our debate was whether a $300 burr grinder could do an adequate job or whether one needed to spend $800-1000.

Is that a burr grinder? I followed the link (a link) to pricespy which described the grinding method as 'grind'.

That seems reasonably outlay if it is.

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#2617567 7-Dec-2020 14:31

I've got the same Breville as everyone else here. That machine paid for itself in no time, I haven't bought a cafe coffee locally since the day I got the Breville. The coffee it produces is all good.

I live on coffee, have done for years, ever since Barranquilla opened in Newmarket. I don't consider the Breville to be a compromise in any way.

12/10 would buy again.

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1101

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#2617569 7-Dec-2020 14:40

remember , the OP is coming from a pod machine :-)
if you can live with pod coffee, you wont be noticing the difference with expensive grinders (and he stated he has no room for a grinder )

He(she?) may not want to get into the expensive coffee machines and everything that goes with them .

jonathan18

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#2617574 7-Dec-2020 14:45

elpenguino:

Is that a burr grinder? I followed the link (a link) to pricespy which described the grinding method as 'grind'.

That seems reasonably outlay if it is.

Sure is...
https://www.breville.com/nz/en/products/coffee-grinders/bcg820.html

jonathan18

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#2617583 7-Dec-2020 14:52

1101:
remember , the OP is coming from a pod machine :-)
if you can live with pod coffee, you wont be noticing the difference with expensive grinders (and he stated he has no room for a grinder )

He(she?) may not want to get into the expensive coffee machines and everything that goes with them .

Yeah, a fair point, and a one I also raised earlier (but I got sidetracked!)

My feeling is that unless they want to get into the whole process of making an espresso manually (which is fairly time-consuming and comes with the need for a decent degree of precision and patience), an automatic machine may be more their cup of coffee.

Pricespy list a few options

https://pricespy.co.nz/category.php?k=s335307483&catId=576

I've only ever once been impressed by a coffee from a fully auto machine (can't recall the brand, but it was in the PN BNZ business partners centre), but I'm sure they can't be beaten for convenience.

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frankv

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#2617622 7-Dec-2020 15:40

1101:

(and he stated he has no room for a grinder )

I didn't see that. But if he has no room for a grinder, he may not have room for an espresso machine. They are large, especially the fully automatic ones. I think maybe 36 or 48 Nespressos in volume.

Handle9

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#2617696 7-Dec-2020 17:00

To me going for something like The Infuser from Breville or The Sunbeam Mini is a good way to start. Get a Breville Smart Grinder of some form and you've got a nice rig to learn on. I make around 5 coffees a day on the Infuser and it works well. Yeah having to wait to steam milk can be a pain but it's not really a big deal, 10-20 seconds is all.

My next machine will be an e61 machine because I want one and I can but I have no regrets over the $500 I spent ~5 years ago on my current rig.

Right, time to make my first coffee of the morning...

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#2617737 7-Dec-2020 19:11

Handsomedan:

I've had a Breville Barista Express for a number of years and find it to be excellent - it's not the flashest, most expensive or newest model on the block, but it makes me a damn good coffee...in fact it makes me several damn good coffees every day.

https://www.breville.com/nz/en/products/espresso/bes870.html

Can be had for as low as $600 on sale, but according to Breville, full retail is $1200.00

When I say "a number of years" I mean somewhere in the region of 5-6 years without a single failure.

Edit: Spelling

I am Nespresso capsule user. I have been eyeing this Breville unit for a long time. Kitchen bench space is limited and using grounds also creates a mess!

Do you leave it on standby during the night and how quickly does it start up for you to brew a coffee in the morning?

cheers

Fred99

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#2617746 7-Dec-2020 19:36

FWIW, I use an E61 machine, plumbed-in (waste and water). After reading "common knowledge" on various forums that it takes 1/2 hour to get to temperature, it doesn't. When the boiler is up to pressure ( a few minutes ) open the lever with an empty portafilter the flow of hot water from the HX heats the group head fast - a few more minutes. The heater element can keep up with the constant flow. This with a rotary vane pump machine isn't a problem.
I keep the machine on a timer, I never drink coffee in the afternoons.

dafman

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#2617806 7-Dec-2020 20:40

It's good advice to start simple and move up over time. I've owned four consumer thermoblock machines - a Krups, Breville and two Sunbeam minis. I'd recommend the Sunbeam mini to anyone starting out, value for money it cannot be beaten.

My first boiler machine was a Rancilio Silvio. These are temperamental machines and initially difficult to learn to use as they are very sensitive to grind quality, but one you get the hang of them, they make oustanding cafe-grade coffee. These are good machines if you are space constrained as they have a small footprint. You do need a good grinder though as they are very sensitive to grind size and will not work at all with supermarket ground coffee.

A year ago we bought a Rocket Apartmento as we ultimately wanted a E61 machine. I absolutely love this machine. It is expensive, but I am aiming for 10-15 years use. We regularly clean the machine and I will probably get a professional service at about the 8 year mark. We use a Kasa smart plug on schedule to run the machine, so preheat time is not an issue.

Bottom line, a Sunbeam mini will give you a much better coffee than a Nespresso, plus it's better for the environment. We have a Nespresso at work, but the coffee out of it is undrinkable (to me). If ever there was a product that was a triumph of marketing over substance, this is it! A lot a friends with Nespresso say they bought them for time saving convenience. But for me, the ritual of making a coffee is something I love and would never trade away for convenience.

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Handle9

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#2617812 7-Dec-2020 20:47

qwertee:

Hi

I am Nespresso capsule user. I have been eyeing this Breville unit for a long time. Kitchen bench space is limited and using grounds also creates a mess!

Do you leave it on standby during the night and how quickly does it start up for you to brew a coffee in the morning?

cheers

Thermoblock machines (most of the range by Sunbeam and Breville) are ready to brew in 5 minutes. Run a bit of hot water over the portafilter and you're good to go.

jonathan18

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#2617813 7-Dec-2020 20:48

qwertee:

Do you leave it on standby during the night and how quickly does it start up for you to brew a coffee in the morning?

TBH, most of these machines will be ready to produce a coffee within 2-4 minutes of turning them on; it's not critical to leave them for ages before using: I doubt it makes much difference for the affordable units like the Breville you mention or my own machines - these use a thermoblock, which heats the water just before its used, unlike those with boilers.

mdav056

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#2617834 7-Dec-2020 21:44

We use a Breville burr grinder and a cheap Breville machine, and we are happy with both. The only thing to watch with the grinder is when you receive a bag of special beans from Tranzania, containing a stone exactly the same size as a bean...took me a while to extract it. TBH, I think it is the bean that matter, rather than the machine.

I would never buy a coffee machine with a grinder built in--just doubles your chances of a terminal failure of the whole thing.

gml

turtleattacks

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#2617839 7-Dec-2020 22:05

Can't you just buy the beans pre-grinded?

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