Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Sold my setup last night for more than I expected! (£300) although I did chuck in a fair few accessories in the end.

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Now to plan my upgrade!

To be honest, the main reason I sold this setup is because I don't currently don't have enough time to faff around... so i'm thinking I might get a Sage/Breville Oracle.....

.... although ages ago (when I did have the time) I had initially planned to get an Alex Duetto IV and a Mazzer or Baratza Forte AP.....

Just hope I don't get the Oracle, then regret it further down the line.... it's a huge wodge of cash :'(
 
Rancilio Rocky for £200+change, or Eureka Mignon mk2 for just over £200.

Rocky Pros:

Stepped adjustments - super easy to switch between grind settings, just remember the numbers and you're set.
About a fiver in change from £200.

Rocky Cons:

Stepped adjustment means slightly less finesse when tailoring for that perfect espresso grind. Minor thing, though.
Ugly.

Mignon Pros:

Gawjus.
Stepless (Analog) adjustment. "Infinitely" adjustable means you can nail that grind.
Better quality parts than the Rocky, but only marginally so. I would't call the Rocky bad, however the Mignon is slightly better.
Did I mention how good it looks?

Mignon cons:

Stepless means more difficult to switch back and forth between grind settings.
Slightly more expensive, about £230.
Definitely a ****** name.

My Personal conclusion:

Because of your need to switch between espresso and aeropress, the Rocky. Stepped grinder means switching is done in an instant instead of counting the number of turns or whatever. If convincing your lady friend to switch to espresso is not an option, then defo go for the rocky.

A CHALLENGER APPEARS:

If you're not against second hand gear, keep an eye out for a used Mahlkönig Vario (aka Baratza Vario). RRP of £300ish, second hand for a good nick one about £200ish.

not sure if a decsion has already been made but they compared the mignon to grinders twice its price and a few professional grinders and got very comparable results at a coffeeforums meetup.

i have the mignon so i may be bias but if i had to change my current setup i would ditch the cherub and get a cheaper machine before downgrading the mignon.

it takes a while to change between grinds but is great once its dialed in and i dont change beans or grind size that often, if i need a corse grind for drip/aeropress i use a hand grinder.
 
just remembered i took a photo as i only stareted caring about art again recently, for some reason i lost interest but attempting it has improved my milk steaming also as i realised i was stretching it too much.

 
just remembered i took a photo as i only stareted caring about art again recently, for some reason i lost interest but attempting it has improved my milk steaming also as i realised i was stretching it too much.


Nice! What machine? (apologies if you mentioned it earlier - i'm not searching this huge thread) :p
 
Guys,
what is Gaggia Classic with Iberital mc2 worth those days on 2nd hand market ?
and where would be best place to flog both ?
thanks

a few posts above someone has just sold the same setup for £300 but with a modded steam and a lot of accessories - looking at it in very good condition also.

coffeeforums.co.uk have a very good selling section for these sort of things and have always been helpful to me in the past.
 
a few posts above someone has just sold the same setup for £300 but with a modded steam and a lot of accessories - looking at it in very good condition also.

coffeeforums.co.uk have a very good selling section for these sort of things and have always been helpful to me in the past.

Seen it. My isn't modded and no clue what it costs to mod it.
Will have a look on this coffee forum.thanks
 
Seen it. My isn't modded and no clue what it costs to mod it.
Will have a look on this coffee forum.thanks

tbh I don't think it was the mods that sold it. It was in very good condition and I did chuck in quite a few extras. I wouldn't bother modding it with the intention of increasing sale price

I'd say £200 would be a reasonable amount, assuming it's all in good nick

In other news, I ordered my new grinder today :D

Awaiting feedback from a couple of other vendors, then I'll be buying the rest of my upgrades.

To be revealed shortly thereafter. Excited :D
 
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What would people recommend as a reasonable upgrade from a Gaggia Classic? I don't care about steaming milk in the slightest but I do care about being able to make two double shots in a row without having to temperature surf or mess around.
 
What would people recommend as a reasonable upgrade from a Gaggia Classic? I don't care about steaming milk in the slightest but I do care about being able to make two double shots in a row without having to temperature surf or mess around.

Depends how big a step you want to take, and what your budget is I guess :D

The Silvia is a popular choice
 
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