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Espresso Maker: What do you ride for?

anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
edited September 2008 in Strut Central
I'm in the market for a new espresso maker. I have a good Rocky grinder but my Delonghi EC155 crapped out. It was recommended by several reputable sources as it's relatively cheap but boasts 15 bars of pressure. I was doing french press before and I didn't think I needed an expensive machine. In reality it was a nightmare and now less than a year after having it doesn't heat up.b,121b,121I'm interested in getting a "prosumer" model and presumably getting what I pay for this time. How are the Gaggia Carezza's?

  Comments

  • rkwparkrkwpark 915 Posts
    a percolator? relatively inexpensive.
  • anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
    Is that a brand or a type? I'm looking in the $200-$500 range. I'm tired of having to buy a new machine on a yearly basis.
  • rkwparkrkwpark 915 Posts
    img src="http://www.araazzurro.ca/images/coffee_percolator.jpg"1b,121b,121there actually might be a coffee/expresso thread from a while back if you use the search function.
  • JoeMojoJoeMojo 720 Posts
    We did a thread on this a while ago... don't know if it still shows up in the archive.b,121b,121I used to ride for this:b,121b,121img src="http://www.joetimex.com/catalog/faa0_1_13_1.JPG"1b,121b,121Built like a tank and lasts forever (mine is over 20 years old), but requires a delicate touch not to burn the shots. Plus cleanup is hot and messy.
  • corsiccorsic oakland, ca 232 Posts
    img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XWPN5T6ZL._SS500_.jpg"1 b,121b,121This shit has lasted me for quite some time now, and it's cheap. It's nothing fancy but it makes espresso. a href="http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC5-Steam-Driven-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B00009RXMQ" target="_blank"1Amazon/a1 has it.
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Gaggia Carezzab,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121b,121 img src="http://www.everythingkitchens.com/images/products/gaPicture024lg.gif"1 b,121b,121Huge cosign, love this piece since I bought it on a coworkers recommendation. Once you get the hang of it, consistently makes espresso that sons many of my local spots here in NY. Highly recommended...
  • chungtechchungtech 290 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121 img src="http://www.araazzurro.ca/images/coffee_percolator.jpg"1b,121b,121there actually might be a coffee/expresso thread from a while back if you use the search function. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121I make my coffee everyday using this stovetop maker, and friends comment on it being a great cup of coffee- maybe it's also that I still have some Blue Mountain coffee I brought back from Jamaica after climbing to the peak of the Blue Mountain this summer! b,121b,121Although I've heard that this machine is finicky to use and slightly unpredictable in final outcome, I have always wanted a (brown) Atomic espresso maker... b,121b,121img src="http://www.coffeecrew.com/images/stories/atomic/atomicrjug_s.jpg"1 b,121b,121 img src="http://www.cafefernando.com/images/atomicwp.jpg"1
  • SnappingSnapping 995 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121 img src="http://www.araazzurro.ca/images/coffee_percolator.jpg"1b,121b,121there actually might be a coffee/expresso thread from a while back if you use the search function. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121The coffee you make with these is not technically espresso although there are some similarities because the water is pressurized and forced through the coffee. But I make coffee this way and it is delicious. I have heard these little guys called "Moka Pots" before.b,121b,121The company that I buy my coffee roasting equipment and green coffee beans from also sells all sorts of brewing equipment including espresso machines. Their descriptions and reviews are actually very informative, especially when it comes to comparing the various coffee brewing techniques that exist. They are called a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/index.htm" target="_blank"1SweetMaria's/a1. I plan to soon get a vacuum brewer. they are so elegant in appearance and apparently make great coffee.b,121b,121img src="http://www.sweetmarias.com/cona.complete1.med.jpg"1
  • Agent45Agent45 451 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121b,121b,121img src="http://www.joetimex.com/catalog/faa0_1_13_1.JPG"1b,121b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121It may be completely worth the effort to look for a used traditional model such as this than dropping the $7-800 it would take to buy one new. I have a Delonghi Magnifica (super automatic) at home, and am privileged enough to work in an office with a La Cimbali 2 group traditional (not sure exactly what model) at work. There's really no comparison to be made. A well cared for and properly used traditional slays most of the consumer semi/super automatic models out there that come in under $1000. Granted, I don't know the full market of consumer models out there right now, but I do know that when it's time to replace the Magnifica, I'm going to make sure to get something that gives me more control and has a better steam wand.
  • Agent45Agent45 451 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121The company that I buy my coffee roasting equipment and green coffee beans from also sells all sorts of brewing equipment including espresso machines. Their descriptions and reviews are actually very informative, especially when it comes to comparing the various coffee brewing techniques that exist. They are called a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/index.htm" target="_blank"1SweetMaria's/a1. I plan to soon get a vacuum brewer. they are so elegant in appearance and apparently make great coffee.b,121b,121img src="http://www.sweetmarias.com/cona.complete1.med.jpg"1 b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Don't let the dreadful web page fool you. At first glance, they have some great products (I'd love to get to know one of those vacuum brewers!) and are probably a LOT more knowledgeable than their web page suggests. You'd think they could find a caffeine addicted web designer with whom to barter goods for services.
  • rkwparkrkwpark 915 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121The company that I buy my coffee roasting equipment and green coffee beans from also sells all sorts of brewing equipment including espresso machines. Their descriptions and reviews are actually very informative, especially when it comes to comparing the various coffee brewing techniques that exist. They are called a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/index.htm" target="_blank"1SweetMaria's/a1. I plan to soon get a vacuum brewer. they are so elegant in appearance and apparently make great coffee.b,121b,121img src="http://www.sweetmarias.com/cona.complete1.med.jpg"1 b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Don't let the dreadful web page fool you. At first glance, they have some great products (I'd love to get to know one of those vacuum brewers!) and are probably a LOT more knowledgeable than their web page suggests. You'd think they could find a caffeine addicted web designer with whom to barter goods for services. b,121b,121h,121font class="post"1b,121b,121is that thing easy to clean? as much as i liked my french press, i had to go with the stove top percolator cause the french press was a pain in the ass to clean.
  • Agent45Agent45 451 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121b,121b,121is that thing easy to clean? as much as i liked my french press, i had to go with the stove top percolator cause the french press was a pain in the ass to clean. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121At a pure guess, having not used one, it appears easier to clean than a french press. To me, the only pain in the ass about the french press is the filter, which is absent in the vacuum brewer.
  • SnappingSnapping 995 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121The company that I buy my coffee roasting equipment and green coffee beans from also sells all sorts of brewing equipment including espresso machines. Their descriptions and reviews are actually very informative, especially when it comes to comparing the various coffee brewing techniques that exist. They are called a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/index.htm" target="_blank"1SweetMaria's/a1. I plan to soon get a vacuum brewer. they are so elegant in appearance and apparently make great coffee.b,121b,121img src="http://www.sweetmarias.com/cona.complete1.med.jpg"1 b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Don't let the dreadful web page fool you. At first glance, they have some great products (I'd love to get to know one of those vacuum brewers!) and are probably a LOT more knowledgeable than their web page suggests. You'd think they could find a caffeine addicted web designer with whom to barter goods for services. b,121b,121h,121font class="post"1b,121b,121Yes their web design is horrible! But they have actually been great web merchants to deal with. I will shut up now or I will sound like a shill. b,121b,121/font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121is that thing easy to clean? as much as i liked my french press, i had to go with the stove top percolator cause the french press was a pain in the ass to clean. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121I am somewhat concerned about cleaning the vacuum brewer, but I have a curved bottle brush that should do the trick.
  • anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
    I remember the old thread but it seemed to be less about machines and more about beans/experiences, etc. Definitely a good reference though. b,121b,121Corsic-I think the EC155 is a slightly upgraded version of the model you posted. I was moderately happy with it, until it broke. There were definitely things that could have been improved with the design, steamer, tamper, etc. Also it never seemed to get hot enough. b,121b,121JoeMojo: Yeah, those Pavoni's definitely look interesting, and would be fun to mess with and practice technique. I am planning on buying one at some point. But right now am looking for something more automatic. How are you guys finding Oahu? Sick of the traffic yet? img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" 21 b,121b,121Unherd: Glad to hear the Carrazza is working out for you. I'm going back and forth between that model and the Gaggia Espresso Pure or the Breville Cafe Roma that I recall DJ Anna having.b,121b,121Thanks everyone for the knowledge dropped. Philz is the truth.
  • reskresk 391 Posts
    before even starting this convo, you really need to set a budget as they can run you in the thousandsb,121b,121id say the cheapest "pump" espresso machine will start at 150 (by krups)b,121b,121the "steam" espresso machines dont technically qualify to make real espresso, as a stovetop one doesnt
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Unherd: Glad to hear the Carrazza is working out for you. I'm going back and forth between that model and the Gaggia Espresso Pure or the Breville Cafe Roma that I recall DJ Anna having.b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Yeah, what I remember reading about the carezza is that its the same pump as the ones costing a couple hundred dollars more, but it just has the cheaper plastic body with the "modern styling," which I dont mind, but some people don't like. My 2 cents...
  • JoeMojoJoeMojo 720 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121JoeMojo: Yeah, those Pavoni's definitely look interesting, and would be fun to mess with and practice technique. I am planning on buying one at some point. But right now am looking for something more automatic. How are you guys finding Oahu? Sick of the traffic yet? img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" 21b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Oahu is cool so far! I've pretty much given up driving on H1. Biking up and down King and Beretania is faster and nobody's mowed me down yet...
  • anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
    As I stated before my budget is $200-$500. I'm looking for a nice cup, with moderate use, maybe four or five shots a day. Obviously the more reasonable the price the better but if certain model justifies the $$$, through quality and longevity, I'm willing to go higher.b,121b,121The Delonghi I had was pump driven (15 bars), was around $150, overall not great.b,121b,121JoeMojo: Biking is the way to go downtown all the way up to University. I either bike or bus practically everywhere these days, plus avoid town and stay in the country when possible. Unfortunately no great coffee spots to suggest yet. Coffee Talk is pretty good but extremely inconsistent.b,121b,121/font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Is that a brand or a type? I'm looking in the $200-$500 range. I'm tired of having to buy a new machine on a yearly basis. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121/font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121before even starting this convo, you really need to set a budget as they can run you in the thousandsb,121b,121id say the cheapest "pump" espresso machine will start at 150 (by krups)b,121b,121the "steam" espresso machines dont technically qualify to make real espresso, as a stovetop one doesnt b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1
  • the_dLthe_dL 1,531 Posts
    img src="http://www.xpresscoffeeuk.co.uk/shopimages/products/normal/x1Ground Brushed Chrome Limited Edition_large.jpg"1 b,121this is the first machine to last me more than a year(18 months and going strong!), has all brass (marine quality internals), I average 5-6 cups a day, build quality is fantastic, i know these were hated on when they dropped in the US because those crazy italians forgot to rewire them from 240V, but i believe that has been fixed now. Never buy a KRUPS machine, mine lasted me less than 9 months.
  • anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
    Is that the Francis X1 or X3? I've heard very mixed reviews of them. Some say they are stronger on looks than performance (esp for the price point), but others rave about the parts and ultimately the coffee.b,121b,121I'm hearing good things about the Silvia Rancilio but it's around $700. b,121b,121/font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121 img src="http://www.xpresscoffeeuk.co.uk/shopimages/products/normal/x1Ground Brushed Chrome Limited Edition_large.jpg"1 b,121this is the first machine to last me more than a year(18 months and going strong!), has all brass (marine quality internals), I average 5-6 cups a day, build quality is fantastic, i know these were hated on when they dropped in the US because those crazy italians forgot to rewire them from 240V, but i believe that has been fixed now. Never buy a KRUPS machine, mine lasted me less than 9 months. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1
  • the_dLthe_dL 1,531 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121Is that the Francis X1 or X3? I've heard very mixed reviews of them. Some say they are stronger on looks than performance (esp for the price point), but others rave about the parts and ultimately the coffee.b,121b,121I'm hearing good things about the Silvia Rancilio but it's around $700. b,121b,121 b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Mine is the X1, I read heaps of bad reviews on them before i purchased mine. As you more than likely know good coffee has as much to do with the process, the grind the quality of the beans etc than the machine, as long as the machine has a decent amount (15 bar pressure), has good quality internals, and is built to last, if you cant get a nice coffee then I doubt it is the machines fault. For me the proof is that I had gone through 5-6 machines over the years and this is the only one that has lasted me, I make 1-2 lattes in the morning and 3-5 espresso's during the day on an average day and the only time I have ever had a average quality coffee is when I have made a mistake.
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121 img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XWPN5T6ZL._SS500_.jpg"1 b,121b,121This shit has lasted me for quite some time now, and it's cheap. It's nothing fancy but it makes espresso. a href="http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC5-Steam-Driven-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B00009RXMQ" target="_blank"1Amazon/a1 has it. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1 img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cos3ve.gif" alt="" 21b,121b,121I havent got the same model but I got a similar one by the same company which does solid machines. A good trick to look for is any small espresso machines (houshold) that are done by the same companies that make the industrial/commercial ones such as DeLonghi...b,121b,121also my 2 cents. When it comes to coffee ESPRESSO is the only way to go, all other styles are weak and a waste of time.... thats the only way to get a real good coffee (and of course get some decent beans and keeep them in the fridge in the dark)....b,121b,121Check this baby out...b,121b,121a href="http://www2.thermoplan.ch/images/movies/TigerWEB.mov" target="_blank"1Tiger Style/a1
  • the_dLthe_dL 1,531 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121b,121b,121I havent got the same model but I got a similar one by the same company which does solid machines. A good trick to look for is any small espresso machines (houshold) that are done by the same companies that make the industrial/commercial ones such as DeLonghi...b,121b,121also my 2 cents. When it comes to coffee ESPRESSO is the only way to go, all other styles are weak and a waste of time.... thats the only way to get a real good coffee (and of course get some decent beans and keeep them in the fridge in the dark)....b,121b,121b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Actually probably not good advice, many of the good quality commercial machines also make smaller machines, but if you look the cheaper machines are all made in china img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bucs.gif" alt="" 21b,121As for espresso being the only good coffee, not sure I am on the same page, are you saying the only way to drink coffee is espresso? I only drink latte's in the morning for breakfast, espresso during the day and macchiato at night. img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/latte.gif" alt="" 21
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Can someone explain what the appeal of espresso is compared to a basic drip coffee? I'm not trying to start shit...it's just that I've never had a cup of espresso that I found so transcendent as to explain its popularity.
  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts
    come on dude. its just preference. like you, i prefer the drip coffee. and fudge a americano. it always tastes like watery espresso cuz thats basically what it is. im not sure if there's any scientific evidence to prove this, but i always feel that americanos taste watery because the water is added after the shot has been pulled. ive had americanos with a shot being added to a cup of hot water and it tastes significantly better. but not drip coffee good. might just be psychological though.b,121b,121and it is a myth that storing coffee beans in the freezer will preserve flavor. what actually happens is that when u take your beans out of the freezer to grind them or pour them or whatevers, there is actually condensation goings on and that speeds up that freezer burn flavor. its best to store your beans in an airtight lightproof container. and ive found that after about 5 to 6 days, it starts to taste different.
  • anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
    I definitely agree it's all about personal taste. Espresso's are it for me because of their syrupy consistency and strong depth of flavor. Drip coffee can be as nuanced and I like it, just not my thing. I didn't Americano's were made like that. Weird.b,121b,121It's also true that you should avoid storing your coffee in the fridge or freezer. Like shig said airtight and lightproof is the way to go. I've heard ceramic vessels are best.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    /font1
    Quote:/font1h,121b,121come on dude. its just preference. b,121b,121h,121
    font class="post"1b,121b,121Yeah dude, I get that. What I was asking for was an explanation of what lies behind that preference, if such a thing is possible besides, "I like how it tastes better." The thing is: espresso is such a more involved and expensive process and therefore, the preference for it must really be substantial compared to the costs involved with procuring other forms of coffee.b,121b,121THanks on the freezer tip. I've been mislead all this time!
  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    As far as the freezer thing goes. Think about how a water bottle expands when it's frozen. This happens to the liquid in the bean when frozen. Not a good thing for the flavor.b,121b,121Espresso is like a shot of liquor while drip coffee is a beer. Usually liquor is mixed into drinks. Espresso is the same. See lattes, cappuccinos, etc. Sure the hardcore heads drink liquor straight, if they can appreciate the bold, intense flavor, the same goes for espresso imo.
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