Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Personally, I'd be cautious buying from myespresso.co.uk
There are a lot of reports of problems with their customer service.
 
Bleek - The Silvia is a good machine at its price point. It's a single boiler but if you're not making much coffee it's a good choice and should last many years.

The Fracino Cherub is a step above if it's within your budget.
 
I don't need steam so single boiler shouldn't be a problem should it?

I took a look at the Fracino Cherub, it seems more industrial and perhaps OTT for a single drink a day? That said I don't mind spending an extra few hundred if it really makes a better coffee, but I'd be sceptical!
 
If you don't need steam then stick with the Silvia. For what you need, the Fracino is overkill.

I started out just making the odd drink for myself and now when coffee loving friends or relatives come round, I get a phone call in advance to get the machine switched on. Owning a Gaggia Classic, this can be a complete pain in the backside as it's not really fit for making multiple drinks in succession. This is why I'm planning on a decent dual boiler soon.
 
Hamster said:
If you don't need steam then stick with the Silvia. For what you need, the Fracino is overkill.

I started out just making the odd drink for myself and now when coffee loving friends or relatives come round, I get a phone call in advance to get the machine switched on. Owning a Gaggia Classic, this can be a complete pain in the backside as it's not really fit for making multiple drinks in succession. This is why I'm planning on a decent dual boiler soon.
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Yeah I'm an espresso guy myself and seldom make coffee for others.

I think my 5 year old Gaggia is past best as I tested the hot water without portafilter, direct to cup from shower cap it was showing around 80'C.

To get it hotter I have to engage the steam button first, which adds guesswork.

My espresso has started to get sour over time which again leads me to believe it simply isn't generating enough heat.

Hence treating myself to a new machine!
 
Hey guys,

Looking to get a Gaggia Classic and a Iberital MC2 when the student loan comes in... after spending 3 weeks in spain i'm desperate to get something which can make me decent coffee... which leads me onto this..

Why is coffee in the UK so tasteless? I've been to maybe a few cafes where i've been surprised how good the coffee is.. in Spain.. pretty much everywhere gave me an awesome Cafe con leche..

From what I can remember, they just chucked 2 espresso shots in with a dash of slightly frothed milk.. it was like the milk was swimming in the crema... is this right? It was so good!

Cheers
 
I have about £80+ in amazon vouchers, willing to spend another £50ish on a decent coffee machine, whats in my budget. Want to be able to make latte's etc cheaper than having to go out for one
 
Can you stretch to £180 for a Gaggia Classic? Lovely machine and popular on here.

It does drop to £150 ish occasionally but usual price is around the £180 mark.

You would probably want to budget for a grinder too, around £20-30 for a hand grinder I think.
 
Spitfir3 said:
Hey guys,

Looking to get a Gaggia Classic and a Iberital MC2 when the student loan comes in... after spending 3 weeks in spain i'm desperate to get something which can make me decent coffee... which leads me onto this..

Why is coffee in the UK so tasteless? I've been to maybe a few cafes where i've been surprised how good the coffee is.. in Spain.. pretty much everywhere gave me an awesome Cafe con leche..

From what I can remember, they just chucked 2 espresso shots in with a dash of slightly frothed milk.. it was like the milk was swimming in the crema... is this right? It was so good!

Cheers
Click to expand...

Because most people's idea of coffee is Nescafé and that Starbucks means a caramel macchiato which is full of sugar and its like drinking hot ice cream.
 
Has anyone got an experience with an Espro auto-tamper?

I'm using a Gaggia Classic/Iberital MC2 setup with Square Mile Red Brick beans and have been getting annoyingly inconsistent shots.

The pull always looks decent - 25ish seconds for a double and the crema always has nice striping, but the taste varies so much. Most of the time it tastes decent, but every so often I'll get a coffee that tastes much better. I feel like my tamping technique might be off, but when I try tamping a bit more I just end up burning it. I'm hoping that a calibrated tamper will give me more consistency. Anyone got an experience with them?
 
Emergency coffee request! Passing through Glasgow for the first time in my life and will have about an hour to kill in the centre during which I thought I'd sample the local coffee culture. Can anyone direct me to some nice espresso bar or something somewhere near Glasgow Central train station?
Thanks! :)
 
Just ordered an Aeropress and a Hario Slim grinder as couldn't justify a full machine.

Any tips for use and can anyone recommend some good beans to get me started?
 
Spitfir3 said:
Why is coffee in the UK so tasteless? I've been to maybe a few cafes where i've been surprised how good the coffee is.. in Spain.. pretty much everywhere gave me an awesome Cafe con leche..
Click to expand...

Similar thing in Italy, had some lovely coffee even in the departure terminal at Rome Fiumicino. I think it was Lavazza branded coffee which I wouldn't usually expect to be anything to look forward to, they did have a nice big La Cimbali machine and were obviously taking care of everything they did. Nice pastries too.
 
If anyone's interested I got myself a Rancilio Silvia mk3 and it's a lovely bit of kit.

Makes my old Gaggia seem rather inadequate.
 
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