amen to that remus! and what about gift machines? Or people who buy a machine, and then after a little while discover that they want more out of it? should I tell my wife off for generously spending $300 a few years back (which was hard for us to come by a spare $300 a few years back) at retravision, rather than a reputable espresso machine dealer? NO! I went to coffeegeek.com, asked my questions, had them very helpfully answered, and I've continued to grow since then, so that now, when it's time to upgrade, and I can afford to upgrade, I can see the benefits of buying from someone who know's what they are selling and how it works. Sometimes, we have to learn lessons a hard way, but at least they're lessons well learnt. Gonzo, I'm not trying to start a fight here, but sometimes people go for the cheapest price because they simply can't afford much more than that. Shopping around for the cheapest price has lead me to a machine that I can get locally, at nearly $800 cheaper than the price I was first quoted. Now that's turned into a very awesome grinder, that I previously thought I'd never be able to afford either, and which I also got locally at an incredibly cheap price ($130 cheaper than what is commonly quoted), because I shopped around. There's nothing wrong with spending less money, and incidentally, both machine and grinder have come from places with excellent service (danes in brookvale: mazzer mini grinder, forsyth's in Naremburn: Expobar office pulser). Not everyone can drop 2 and a half grand on a giotto without thinking twice.
