Why did you buy that machine...?

Gra

I started small with sunbeams and delonghis with delongie conical Grinder and at the time thought my coffee was ok. Then one day I cam across some coffee forums and started reading about all the things I was doing wrong that's when it all started. I picked up a EM 6910 and found strait away that the grinder had to go so along came the Em0480 that lasted for about 6 Months before Compak K3 touch took it's place at this time I had started playing around with home roasting.. What I was getting in the cup had improved 10 fold and I thought that I was satisfied but I wanted to try a boiler machine enter the VBM Domabar great unit lasted 8 months before the Isomac Tea HX lasted 10 months now I am happy to say my new Expobar Monre III really has me satisfied cant see any more upgrading for some time...I all most for got also changed the K3 for a Eureka Mondial 20Kg doser that I am very happy with great grinder that's me done for now any way.... :🙂 :🙂 Cheer Gra,,

Rider

Thanks for all the replies guys, and thanks Hiphip for the 'good thread' boost. Would love to see this build as this is the essence of why we have what we have, and makes interesting reading. I have really enjoyed reading your reasons. Cheers Rider ps - BF, you crack me up ;D

shape_shifter

Ok I thought I would add my why here. We finally have a machine and I don't want to hear any crap (or be pitied) about it 😛 We are 2 very very very tired people, he's working 60-70 hours a week and that is just what he does at work, there is more he does at home each night and weekends, and I'm lucky if I get more than 4 hours of sleep a night, I need 8 to function! I was very tired of spending 10 minutes cleaning up for each cup of coffee I wanted to make and hence I'm lucky if I even make 1 cup a day for me, no not lazy just very very tired. So it came down to it that I knew from my research that regardless of what machine you have you can still get crap and it's all about the users capabilities to produce the best they can. Also from all my research and all my looking at sooooo many machines, I think I've looked at every single one from every single price bracket and everything bar I think 2 have what I want and what I want we can't afford until I get a job, it's not fair to ask him to buy something that is my hobby regardless of how much he likes his morning coffees. We went down to HN and got almost $200 off the RRP of the EM6910 with the free grinder package. I wasn't worried about the grinder side of things but I think it will encourage my OH to make a coffee when he wants to. I have the ability to change the temps when I want and also to just set the preset for my OH to just press his button to get coffee. I know the steam isn't the best but it can't be any worse than what I get out of the old Breville steam wand so I just don't care at this stage. So probably all a little too much information in there but it answers the question of the thread 🙂 Oh and I know that there are a few of you who have had one, can you let me know what else you've used to get the most out of it, baskets etc.

Brett_H

shape_shifter wrote:

Ok I thought I would add my why here. We finally have a machine and I don't want to hear any crap (or be pitied) about it 😛 We are 2 very very very tired people, he's working 60-70 hours a week and that is just what he does at work, there is more he does at home each night and weekends, and I'm lucky if I get more than 4 hours of sleep a night, I need 8 to function! I was very tired of spending 10 minutes cleaning up for each cup of coffee I wanted to make and hence I'm lucky if I even make 1 cup a day for me, no not lazy just very very tired. So it came down to it that I knew from my research that regardless of what machine you have you can still get crap and it's all about the users capabilities to produce the best they can. Also from all my research and all my looking at sooooo many machines, I think I've looked at every single one from every single price bracket and everything bar I think 2 have what I want and what I want we can't afford until I get a job, it's not fair to ask him to buy something that is my hobby regardless of how much he likes his morning coffees. We went down to HN and got almost $200 off the RRP of the EM6910 with the free grinder package. I wasn't worried about the grinder side of things but I think it will encourage my OH to make a coffee when he wants to. I have the ability to change the temps when I want and also to just set the preset for my OH to just press his button to get coffee. I know the steam isn't the best but it can't be any worse than what I get out of the old Breville steam wand so I just don't care at this stage. So probably all a little too much information in there but it answers the question of the thread 🙂 Oh and I know that there are a few of you who have had one, can you let me know what else you've used to get the most out of it, baskets etc.

Bargain SS! I'm sure you've read all the horror stories and thus will understand that many of the most common are user inflicted. Therefore forewarned is forearmed meaning you won't make the same mistakes and will get good service from your machine. You should feel very pleased with yourselves because you've got something fit or purpose, fulfilling a need and at a very good price; a price, that won't have you regretting dollars spent now, later at the inevitable upgrade time! Congratulations!

SniffCoffee

Well done SS! What a relief that you've finally got a machine that will hopefully meet your needs. Don't forget for all the disgruntled posters out there who have a 6910 and complain about it there must be hundreds if not thousands who have ones that perform without fault. Plus you will be one who cares for it impeccably. And should something go wrong out of the warranty period you have the encyclopaedia that is AM just a post away... ;D Sniff

Rider

Bump... Ok, I started it, A. made it a sticky ( :-[ I'm so shocked) but we have since had a proliferation of new people here... It doesn't matter WHEN you bought it, but more WHY did you buy it...... C'mon guys n gals, 'fess up.... 😃 😃 😃 It makes for interesting reading for everyone, with your own non-judged slant. Easy ;D

madpierre

Ok, firstly the why. As a confirmed muh muh muh my moccona snob whereby slumming it was drinking the 43 bean flavour I had found for a bout 12 months or so it was just leaving me somewhat flat when having my morning or afternoon coffee. I had had coffees at all the minor and major chain varieties and rarely found anything that really grabbed my attention, but they were somewhat better than what I was making at home. I had looked around the bay of evil when it came to mind and eventually grabbed a small krupps. It did work and a quick test with a can of pre ground supermarket coffee actually came out tasting quite ok (something I still reckon was nothing less than a miracle given what I now know ;D) . I had by that stage found CS and a member there came over and gave me some ideas on what I should be looking at doing. A 6 month old red (cos it was a fast one) EM6910 paired up with the 0480 grinder from the bay for $510 was the next step. I got it simply because it was there. I then found out that it didn't work - and why....the screen resembled a gingernut biscuit through not having once been cleaned. He thought he got the win... I KNOW I did 😃 A quick clean and we were off and running. Now that we had a machine capable of doing very nice coffee, it was all go. Home roasting got the OH hooked on GOOD coffee and the youngsters developed a taste for coffee/chai and hot chocolate respectively. This was where the limitations of the 6910 were exposed. By the time I had made a hot chocolate and a couple coffees, I was sitting down to enjoy mine and everyone else had just about finished theirs due to steam limitations. Buying new was at this stage out of the question but mid year 2010 the opportunity to grab a Bezzera Domus Galatea coupled with a Mazzer Major came by. It was an easy decision to make and one which has never been regretted. For all the usual reasons, it has been a perfect fit for the kitchen. Looks good, plays good. Two and a half years later we are happy with what is on the bench, I'm not going to worry for some time yet about whether to eventually upgrade or sit on the BDG. Well, that's the plan anyways. So there was never really any research undertaken. What was needed was always made available when the time was right.

ash

Why did I end up with a Ponte Vecchio Lusso? Hmmmm. First up I wanted to go back to a lever machine. The Giotto is a very nice machine and I was pulling some really wonderful shots on it, but I guess the romance wasn't there for me. After having the Lusso for just short of 12 months, I guess I might get around to selling off the Giotto... Secondly I can leave it on all day and make an espresso when I want it, not 10-12 minutes after switching on the machine. Then switching it off to stop the group overheating. Then planning when I next want a coffee and switching the machine on 10-12 minutes before the appointed time. That is my biggest gripe with home lever machines. For most lever afficiando's this isn't a problem, but after having a La Pav Pro I found it to be an annoyance I didn't want to live with. Third, I'm more involved with the coffee making. Not as much as with a manual lever granted, but still involved enough for me to be happy. Although at times the manual lever machines do have their attractions, the ease of use with a spring lever is a win for me. Forth, mechanical simplicity. Boiler feeds group head with 0.9 bar pressure (at least thats the pressure at the moment), no pumps no other gizmos. The KISS principle in action. And even if the ergotronics do decide to crap out, there are a few work arounds that can be implemented to keep enjoying my coffee until a full repair can be affected. Importantly, these workarounds don't compromise safety! The sounds of beans being crushed/ground/made into tiny little granules of goodness by hand follwed by the sound of fresh espresso being extracted is a nice way to start the day. :coffee2:

MoffeeCoff

It's really a tough job to choose the best coffee machine as per your requirements. But in my views, the internet is an excellent place to find a brand new coffee maker.

soloespresso

My Rancilio S24 is red, which matched my grinder, so I bought it.

Paolo5

Around 10 years ago I bought a Delonghi (I think) semi-automatic machine. It was $99 on special from Target. I got it home, read the instructions and tried to make a cup. Disastrous results saw me box it back up and return it for a refund. I knew nothing about grind size, dosing etc....a complete newb. About 7 years ago I went to a top cafe in Queensland and tasted a divine long black. The barista there was very giving of his time and told me that I could achieve the same results as in his cafe with a $200 Breville. I bought one when I returned to NSW. Less than 2 months after that, I bought a lightly-used 2 group semi-automatic Futurmat. I had this baby for nearly 4 years and did a few modifications on it. It was a great workhorse that now resides in Dubai. 3 years ago I bought a La Marzocco Linea which has had various modifications done to it. I still have this one. Solid as a rock. Then the lure of the lever hit. Last year I bought a 1987 Cremina on Ebay. I installed a full gasket and seal upgrade (from Orphan Espresso) and replaced the 110v heater element with a proper one. Then I did the same thing all over again with another Cremina (which has found a new home). I love the Cremina so much that I bought a brand new one last September. I can make (and just did) as good a cup with the 1987 Cremina as I can with any machine, including the 2011 Cremina. Throw a Rossa with a gauge in there...and a Mypressi twist or two and that's me. In a few weeks I hope to order a Londinium 1. I thought that the Futurmat would be the cure for upgradeitis for me. I have learnt to never say never.

Jupiter212

Personally, there is no machine can be the best for every one, a good espresso/coffee cup is combination of right coffee beans, good roaters, good grinder, exact progress and barista experience....

C-man

my S24 just came along at a rock bargain price, I am sure I will upgrade some day, but it does the job for now.

Rider

Jupiter212 wrote:

Personally, there is no machine can be the best for every one, a good espresso/coffee cup is combination of right coffee beans, good roaters, good grinder, exact progress and barista experience....

Exactly. That is why - a: there are so many different machines on the market, from pod to nutjob overkill, and b: the question... We all have roasters or roasted suppliers, good grinders etc etc.... That is SO integral to a good coffee BUT, for SO many people the machine plays a part, myself included. Hence the question...... So Jupiter212, what do you have and why? Rider

Rider

C-man wrote:

my S24 just came along at a rock bargain price, I am sure I will upgrade some day, but it does the job for now.

Craig, Given what you have undertaken with your house I think most of us are amazed that you found time and budget to get yourself an S24. Keep going on the house and when you are done, machine included, I am sure everyone would love to hear why you chose that machine. As I have said in the other thread, dude, hats off, you are doing something amazing. Loving watching the evolution. See you back here when the machine fits that awesome house you are doing. Rider

Brett_H

Rider wrote:

So Jupiter212, what do you have and why? Rider

Exactly.

C-man

Thanks Rider, If not for the coffee station nothing would get done.

Rider wrote:

Craig, Given what you have undertaken with your house I think most of us are amazed that you found time and budget to get yourself an S24. Keep going on the house and when you are done, machine included, I am sure everyone would love to hear why you chose that machine. As I have said in the other thread, dude, hats off, you are doing something amazing. Loving watching the evolution. See you back here when the machine fits that awesome house you are doing. Rider

Rider

C-man wrote:

Thanks Rider, If not for the coffee station nothing would get done.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Can imagine!!

Jupiter212

I have Gaggia Baby Class + Ascaso grinder at home. I'm not a barista so this set is suitable for my domestic use. Ascaso is blade grinder, small, light weight and easy to use. Gaggia Baby Class have metal finish, firm structure, powerful pump so it can make good espresso.

Brett_H

Jupiter212 wrote:

I have Gaggia Baby Class + Ascaso grinder at home. I'm not a barista so this set is suitable for my domestic use. Ascaso is blade grinder, small, light weight and easy to use. Gaggia Baby Class have metal finish, firm structure, powerful pump so it can make good espresso.

Great stuff mate. I would imagine that less than 5% of our membership are Baristi but all of them can no doubt make a great coffee. Your Ascaso, is it a planar or conical? These micro-metric grinders are great and even their domestic models offer a choice of planar or conical (small form factor)!