Having used the EM6900 a little bit, I would pay the extra for the BDB any time. I hate the thermoblock noise for a start and the whole machine is just clunky and honestly not very user friendly, I almost broke my parents on the weekend because I accidently pressed a button too quickly after steaming. At no time when I used the BDB did I think I would break it and as much as it is more box than bling I don't get clunky from it like the EM6900. You can't compare the two, and seriously if a person doesn't take their coffee seriously enough to research how to make the most of what they can then who gives a toss what they buy and how much they pay for it. A classic statement from my BIL the other day, said in a smarmy voice "we have an automatic and when we have people over we can make a whole lot of coffees in the time it takes to make one from your parents machine". You will never change a persons attitude that thinks like that, especially when they still buy flavoured beans and beans from the supermarket and both my sister and BIL say "it's just coffee". Geez even my mother pulls a 150 ml shot (ha) from 20 grams of coffee and then has at least 150 ml of milk on top and it's scalding hot when she drinks it. I made one my way and got her to drink it, she took one sip and said "eww yuck it's cold" now it wasn't cold but it wasn't boiling hot, I would have called it the temperature that a drink gets to after being scalding hot and you leave it there until you can drink it, except that the way I make it is that it is that temperature straight away. Why on earth would you import something for an initial saving of $200 that will get eaten up by import taxes even if the shipping wasn't as bad as it is. OHHHH and don't forget the machines aren't set up for our beans :🙂 ;D What, what, I didn't say anything ;D I won't even be using the Smart Grinder with mine on a day to day basis, I'm using my Spongs. Well that's the idea, if it turns out that the Spongs can't compete, which I will find out once I get my particle sorter, the the Smart Grinder might be used more but I doubt it 🙂 It will be used for coffee for my OH to take to work to use on the old Breville we have here that he will take to work once the new BDB turns up. Anyway I'm now waffling 🙂
