mycuppa wrote:
On the topic of "ideally transportable". Not a good idea I'm afraid. Moving machines about regularly will raise 2 major risks into the stratosphere. 1. Unexplained and unexpected component failure not related to wear or use 2. Damage in transit Espresso machines don't like bumps or harsh vibrations that can occur in transit, regardless of the brand or how well it was designed and built. If you want the convenience of moving the gear around regularly be prepared for a random failure or 3. Unless you are intending to use the original packaging and then strap it securely in your vehicle (and that does not mean wrap a seat belt around it), hit the brakes unexpectedly and it's either a missile that can injure occupants or it's going to do some big damage. Even going around corners can cause heavy items to smash around inside of your boot if not secured properly. BTW - most of the equipment that's being talking about will make excellent coffee in the hands of a skillful owner - as will stuff that has also not been mentioned yet. Go with the gear that you like best and/or try to see or use it first hand.
Thanks Mycuppa - smart advice re transportability and also about most machines being capable with a trained hand - it's good to be reminded of this second point as it's easy to get carried away with the bells and whistles at times, so thank you! Thanks also to everyone else who's given ideas on what to do when travelling - looks like filter coffee may be a simple, cheap, and quality option. Does filer coffee lend itself well to milky coffees? I know I won't have a steamer from the espresso machine, but could do with a manual frother (plunger style) or *cringe* a microwave? Regarding transportability, this advice is good and what I was looking for, so I'll discard the idea of taking the machine in the car to the peninsula for long weekends. However, I would still like to be able to take it down to my folks place (about a 100m walk up the street) for the odd gathering to make a dozen coffees at a time - much better than using their Philips/Saeco superautomatic (and I inevitably end up with the 'tea & coffee man' job on those days!) To that end, I am happy to carry the machine myself, and can do up to around 20kg or so but not much more than that. I imagine this would also avoid the problems with bumps and vibrations that you speak about from a longer car trip. OK, getting closer! Thanks all
