Newbie seeking advice

skete

The more I read the more confused I seem to be. My question is this, can anyone recommend a machine for this newbie to enter the espresso pool at the very shallow end? What I am after is a machine that has no aluminium to water contact. Call me paranoid but I want to avoid aluminium until the jury comes in to let us all know of its long term effects on our brains. Ofcourse if I was either rich or fanatical I would go for one of the 'big boys' but for me, anything has to be a huge step up from my supermarket pre-ground coffee and Braun drip machine! I will get myself a Delonghi burr grinder but after reading the postings here I am not sure which machine I should get on my limited budget. Had I been able to find a Krups Vivo I probably would have been content but alack alas it is no longer available. Any suggestions from this group wise sages?

FreshCoffee2

Welcome to this Forum. Depends on how much you mean when saying "the shallow end". A very good *non* aluminium domestic boiler machines is the Via Venezia. It's RRP is all over the place however thanks to the marketing tactics / practices

admin

Hi Skete - as quick note on a Friday afternoon - not sure if you managed to look at a couple of recent posts on other threads; the Via Venezia's a very good machine (around $450), but you can't go past the Sunbeam Cafe Ristretto for value, if price is an issue. It's an amazing buy for a beginner at just under $100! The only recommendation is that you spend a little more for a decent grinder. Best -A PS FYI, we're doing a review of the lower-end machines in our Winter issue - due out next week!

Unknown

Ristretto - ?10 ml, aluminium boiler

admin

sorry Skete - in too much of a hurry - bighdad's right re: aluminium - not sure whether there is any non-aluminium unit cheaper than Saeco V.V. -A

skete

Ok, seems I am to miss out on this seasons swimming in the espresso pond as I save up for a $500+ machine... What about a Delonghi EC750i? Says it has a stainless steel boiler? Or, maybe a Krups as it says the thermoblock has a stainless steel waterway? Or maybe a Nemox Sprint? So many questions... I suppose the question I should ask myself first is this paranoia regarding aluminium justified? Perhaps this is not the path for me seeing as I am a 2 a day coffee drinker. Mind you I do savor my 2 cups. Oh, and while I am at it, why are non-pressurised PF better than pressuried ones? All sage-like comments, chastisements and guidance accepted with humility.

Unknown

Hi Skete. The following may help give some perspective to the aluminium question.   The best web info is: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/PDF/i_aluminium.pdf People with renal failure accumulate Al, and can develop dialysis dementia, but this is not considered relevant for healthy people.  A biased Al site is here, but it does contain an amusing sleight at tea drinkers and a very effective diagram ("Tea, for example, has a high aluminium content"): http://www.alfed.org.uk/templates/alfed/content.asp?PageId=110 The World Health Organisation weighs in authoratatively, as usual. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/en/aluminium.pdf Aluminium in Drinking-water Background document for development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality

FreshCoffee2

And I will weigh in with one other salient piece of advice... Some of the better quality brands are lining the water passages in their aluminium thermoblocks with stainless steel jackets, so that contact of water & aluminium is not an issue in those cases. But these machines might be in the same price brackets or more, than those I already mentioned above as having stainless steel or brass boilers. Regardz, FC.

Unknown

Sorry Skete. Local site referred to above is found at: http://www.coffeeco.com.au/articles/july2002.html Andrew

skete

I appreciate all this advice and commentary. Its becoming obvious to me that my desire to have espresso coffee in my life outweighs my capacity in $$$ terms based on the advice received here. As an interim measure I thought a thermoblock with a stainless steel sleeve might be the way to go but no one seems to feel the urge to recommend a brand/model, and from a couple of relies, its seems these are too expensive as well. So back to the very old and faithful Braun coffee filter machine and the supermarket pre-ground coffee. Still, I have learnt much from everyones' postings. I now do not store my coffee in the fridge and I have ordered a Delonghi conical grinder. Maybe one day I can join the big boys in the espresso club.

skete

I appreciate all this advice and commentary. Its becoming obvious to me that my desire to have espresso coffee in my life outweighs my capacity in $$$ terms based on the advice received here. As an interim measure I thought a thermoblock with a stainless steel sleeve might be the way to go but no one seems to feel the urge to recommend a brand/model, and from a couple of relies, its seems these are too expensive as well. So back to the very old and faithful Braun coffee filter machine and the supermarket pre-ground coffee. Still, I have learnt much from everyones' postings. I now do not store my coffee in the fridge and I have ordered a Delonghi conical grinder. Maybe one day I can join the big boys in the espresso club.

skete

Hey, sorry about the double posting - I have no dea how that happened. :o