Coffee machine recommendations?

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135 posts

Master Geek

#2869984 16-Feb-2022 23:19

I purchased a Breville Creatista Plus a couple of years ago for my folks. I think it is good for the convenience factor, and the ability to dial in your recipe as well having the auto foam steam wand is actually pretty good and creates decent micro foam. Not the nicest coffee quality given the pods, but decent for consistently average coffee and convenient.

I guess not so good in terms of pods, getting them recycled and so forth as well. I mainly just got it for them for the convenience factor and when they have people around etc.

But a manual machine with decent beans etc can definitely give you higher highs as such, but also lower lows if things aren't done well.

insane

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#2869990 16-Feb-2022 23:53

Yeah I find it's worlds apart from your run if the mill nespresso machine most people have.

Granted I have half strength / single shot cappuccino so perhaps that's part of why I can't tell the difference.

I have it dialled just as I like it, flavour, volume, milk temp, milk frothiness - comes out the same everyday without fail.

Anyway, derailed the thread long enough with these blasphemous words :p

yann

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Master Geek

#2870001 17-Feb-2022 00:39

I kind of feel like today's Nespresso units are bit like super automatics of yesteryear. Though that said, I think there are still superautos being sold which people buy, but provide a similar kind of experience (convenience) but with beans being used. Superautos do have the advantage being filled by fresh beans (higher doses), though in a lot of cases people just use oldish supermarket bought beans so it isn't as good as an experience as it could be.

I've not used a modern superauto, and but years ago had a Jura F90 which would do a half decent job so long as you had good fresh beans and manually dialled in the grind. Steaming was very underwhelming using underpowered thermoblock steaming, though I do remember it had a touch screen and you could connect an ethernet cable to it and then download 'recipes' for your coffee. I think that was half the reason I got it to be honest, just to try that.

I think if there was a modern unit, which used fresh beans, had a decent onboard grinder and had the auto steam wand like the Creatista Plus/Pro type nespresso units, then it wouldn't be too bad. Convenience wise it would be pretty good, and I suppose some people end up getting the Breville Oracle units which autogrind/tamp and auto steam - it would be a decent amount to spend, and for little work, it produces great coffee. Though it does pain me when I see people using these, but use stale/bad beans, and then don't dial in the grinder. Again, I think you can have very high quality coffee, but can also have super low quality coffee, so still depends on the user to extend to at least have good beans and to make an effort dialling in. After that, it can be consistent and then everyone in the household (coffee makers or not) can reproduce it with good results.

Personally, I like the process of making coffee - just having to master things as well as adjust for the variation factors. Also I don't tend to drink coffees in the morning, or need the caffeine as such, so am not looking for the convenience factor and in it more for the process.

It can be a rabbit hole though, and a slippery slope, but a fun learning stuff I think.

Handle9

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#2870003 17-Feb-2022 00:43

insane: Yeah I find it's worlds apart from your run if the mill nespresso machine most people have.

Granted I have half strength / single shot cappuccino so perhaps that's part of why I can't tell the difference.

I have it dialled just as I like it, flavour, volume, milk temp, milk frothiness - comes out the same everyday without fail.

Anyway, derailed the thread long enough with these blasphemous words :p

If you like what your machine makes then it's the right machine for you. I get really annoyed by snobs who try and convince someone that what they like is invalid.

kobiak

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#2870058 17-Feb-2022 08:30

Alright, so was reading this thread yesterday morning, purchased breville Duo-Temp Pro in the evening. I did not want to spent a fortune but something entry level and good-ish.

So far 2 cups done, amazing results for the supermarket organic espresso beans, but milk came out to be just a bit warm... definitely takes longer to heat up than I expected. I guess I will need to try few times to make perfect flat white in the morning.

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jonathan18

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#2870067 17-Feb-2022 08:52

kobiak:

Alright, so was reading this thread yesterday morning, purchased breville Duo-Temp Pro in the evening. I did not want to spent a fortune but something entry level and good-ish.

So far 2 cups done, amazing results for the supermarket organic espresso beans, but milk came out to be just a bit warm... definitely takes longer to heat up than I expected. I guess I will need to try few times to make perfect flat white in the morning.

Great to hear you've got good results already! In regards to milk, I reckon it's worth picking up a milk thermometer: while many will argue you can learn to tell when milk is at the correct temperature, I still use a thermometer (or, more accurately a jug with a thermometer on the side, such as this one) as I really dislike coffee either too cold or too hot (the latter is worse as it also changes the taste).

IME the thermoblock-based machines do take quite some time with heating milk vs a machine with a boiler, so it is a matter of being patient. Another key aspect is learning to texturise the milk; a tip a barista in my family gave me was to get that done by the time the milk reaches 30 degrees (another reason for a thermometer), and following that has really helped.

It can be worth watching a few Youtube videos on both the milk and coffee side; James Hoffman's always worth a watch, I reckon.

Handsomedan

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#2870115 17-Feb-2022 09:50

jonathan18:

kobiak:

Alright, so was reading this thread yesterday morning, purchased breville Duo-Temp Pro in the evening. I did not want to spent a fortune but something entry level and good-ish.

So far 2 cups done, amazing results for the supermarket organic espresso beans, but milk came out to be just a bit warm... definitely takes longer to heat up than I expected. I guess I will need to try few times to make perfect flat white in the morning.

Great to hear you've got good results already! In regards to milk, I reckon it's worth picking up a milk thermometer:

I've been using a thermometer for around 10 years.

I get consistently hot coffee that's not burnt and tastes great, exactly as I like it.

I have tried using the machine without, but frothing coffee without a thermometer leaves me with either burnt milk or lukewarm drinks.

THere's no shame in using a thermometer.

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Senecio

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#2870126 17-Feb-2022 10:27

I make most of the coffee in our house.

My wife doesn't stop frothing the milk until it has turned to plasma and starts to melt the jug. She always comments that my coffees taste so much better than hers but won't change her ways.

Handsomedan

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#2870127 17-Feb-2022 10:35

Senecio:

I make most of the coffee in our house.

My wife doesn't stop frothing the milk until it has turned to plasma and starts to melt the jug. She always comments that my coffees taste so much better than hers but won't change her ways.

65deg C is around where I stop. It usually goes up slightly beyond that after the frothing, but not by a lot.

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Senecio

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#2870132 17-Feb-2022 10:40

Handsomedan:

65deg C is around where I stop. It usually goes up slightly beyond that after the frothing, but not by a lot.

I think I have a well calibrated palm. Once I can no longer hold the jug I stop. Usually ~67-69*C.

jonathan18

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#2870135 17-Feb-2022 10:56

Handsomedan:

65deg C is around where I stop. It usually goes up slightly beyond that after the frothing, but not by a lot.

Interesting... Do you stretch your milk after heating it? I've always done it the other way around.

SpartanVXL

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#2870138 17-Feb-2022 11:09

Though I know how to froth milk (one of the few in the office that made it sing instead of squealing) I’m now a heathen who pours it straight from the bottle :)

sen8or

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#2870139 17-Feb-2022 11:12

Handsomedan:

THere's no shame in using a thermometer.

My finger is fairly well calibrated at the bottom of the jug to stop at +/- 65deg, but my lazy side shines through most of the time and I use a thermometer.

Just be aware, most will have a lag of about 5deg from when you stop until the temp stops rising (our office Expobar Minore4 is about 8deg lag), so if you wait until it shows 65, it'll actually be hotter. Not tragic unless you surf too close to the milk scolding / burning temp.

elpenguino

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#2870143 17-Feb-2022 11:13

Cmon, this is a coffee thread. Stop putting milk in it !

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Handsomedan

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#2870241 17-Feb-2022 12:26

jonathan18:

Handsomedan:

65deg C is around where I stop. It usually goes up slightly beyond that after the frothing, but not by a lot.

Interesting... Do you stretch your milk after heating it? I've always done it the other way around.

I preheat, then stretch whilst finishing the heating process.

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