Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

jpaul · 22 Dec 2017 at 11:05

seems to be a goodish amazon deal for the BE £448 - a duopro + attractive grinder would be ~£650

bcjames · 22 Dec 2017 at 11:24

I just spotted the Amazon price. The reviews look good so it seems to be the best option.

MiSJAH · 26 Dec 2017 at 00:41

Long time coffee aficionado. Lived on espresso in the south of France.

Looking at the De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B Eletta, unless I can do better for my budget (£700).

Bean to cup for convenience must do espresso for me and cappuccino for the Doris.

Open to alternative bean to cup machines?

Thanks.

Dj_Jestar · 26 Dec 2017 at 10:31

Semi auto espresso and separate grinder for that cash will produce much better results but depends if you'd be put out by the "extra work" or not.

MiSJAH · 26 Dec 2017 at 11:57

Dj_Jestar said:
Semi auto espresso and separate grinder for that cash will produce much better results but depends if you'd be put out by the "extra work" or not.

Nope, purely after the best and most convenient. I work stupid long hours some times.

thewanted · 26 Dec 2017 at 13:40

MiSJAH said:
Long time coffee aficionado. Lived on espresso in the south of France.

Looking at the De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B Eletta, unless I can do better for my budget (£700).

Bean to cup for convenience must do espresso for me and cappuccino for the Doris.

Open to alternative bean to cup machines?

Thanks.

The Melitta Caffeo Barista TS is about £100 more and gets very good reviews. Might be worth checking out.

Mark M · 26 Dec 2017 at 18:02

Does anyone have the Sage Duo Temp pro? It’s on offer at £240. Worth it for someone looking to get into espresso making?

MiSJAH · 26 Dec 2017 at 22:37

So order placed for the De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B Eletta, let's see whether it's any good.

Pic's when set up and pumping if interested?

Hyburnate · 26 Dec 2017 at 22:38

Mark M said:
Does anyone have the Sage Duo Temp pro? It’s on offer at £240. Worth it for someone looking to get into espresso making?

This is what I’m considering currently. Already got the grinder but have a £50 amazon voucher.

FrenchTart · 26 Dec 2017 at 23:24

From what I've read the Sage Duo Temp Pro is a great machine if you already have a grinder. For that price I'd snap it up.

robj20 · 27 Dec 2017 at 09:07

Not really enjoying the Ethiopia Kayon Mountain Natural, bit too acidic and not dark enough for me. Think I just prefer darker roasts.

Mark M · 27 Dec 2017 at 09:08

FrenchTart said:
From what I've read the Sage Duo Temp Pro is a great machine if you already have a grinder. For that price I'd snap it up.

Well Ive got a cheap Krups grinder that I currently use. Will that be ok on the finest setting?

jpaul · 27 Dec 2017 at 09:56

agree that duopro would be good for that price.

I suspect the Krups (probably a spinning blade type?) will not grind fine/consistantly enough to do it justice though;
so would need to anticipate ~£100 for a baratza grinder or keeping your eyes open on ebay/gum for 2nd hand; or much more expensive the mignon which would £250-£300;
nonetheless the total of that would be close to a barista express, and you then have a grinder that you can keep forever/has good 2nd hand market value.

Hyburnate · 27 Dec 2017 at 10:46

I just picked the sage machine up for £200 taking my voucher into account.

Now to get rid of the old one

Street · 28 Dec 2017 at 00:01

robj20 said:
Not really enjoying the Ethiopia Kayon Mountain Natural, bit too acidic and not dark enough for me. Think I just prefer darker roasts.

I've tried a couple Ethiopian coffees recently and I didn't like either of them, I think I'll steer clear of them for now!

the-evaluator · 28 Dec 2017 at 09:03

I don't mind the occasional Ethopian Yirgacheeffe, they can make a rather nice Chemex. It needs to be a washed coffee, not a natural. No thanks.

jpaul · 28 Dec 2017 at 09:42

Times had an interesting article How posh is your coffee?

that introduced to me the term ~~me the~~ 'honeyed', some excerpts

This year it introduced a selection of single-origin coffee, including Rare Blossom Ethiopia and Cacao Superior Colombia. The Ethiopian is honey-processed. “This pushes the boundaries a little for us,” says Ben Newbury, Taylors of Harrogate’s brand manager. “The honey processing makes the coffee just a little bit funky. I really like it.”

Natural or unfiltered wines have become all the rage, despite many of them being cloudy wines that stink of a farmyard. But honey processing tends to lend an almost gamey sweetness to the coffees. “Many of our most aspirational drinkers are embracing this sort of stuff,” Newbury says.
...
Union Hand-Roasted Coffee El Topacio Microlot, El Salvador
£8, 200g, ground, unionroasted.com
The packet lists not only the producer, but the bean variety, the altitude it grew at (1,500m) and the processing method. El Topacio uses the honey process. “When it’s done well, it adds lovely flavour notes,” says Langdon. “It’s clean, it’s sweet, it’s juicy.”
...
Coaltown Pit Prop No 1
£8.99, 227g, beans, from Selfridges
The new black gold for post-industrial Wales is a fruity blend of Nicaraguan, Guatemalan and Sumatran beans from this Ammanford-based company. “That’s a classic espresso blend,” says Langdon. Yuan is not wild on the scent. “It smells quite woody — that’s usually a negative. But it has got a nice sweet flavour. I like it.”
★★★★
Waitrose 1 Monsooned Malabar AA
£3.50, 227g, ground, from Waitrose
“It’s really mouldy,” says Yuan. The beans have been exposed to monsoon winds, explains Langdon. “It’s an acquired taste. Indian coffee usually gives lovely cedar and clean nutmeggy flavours. I’m not sure this is the best example.”
★
..
The Jura A1 bean-to-cup machine
Still resisting the lure of pods? The sleek, Swiss-engineered A1 bean-to-cup machine produces ristrettos and espressos good enough for Roger Federer — if not George Clooney. Available from Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis and Lakeland. £645, uk.jura.com

don't know what the guts of a jura is like compared to a delonghi bean2cup, or form over function ?

FrenchTart · 28 Dec 2017 at 09:50

Mark M said:
Well Ive got a cheap Krups grinder that I currently use. Will that be ok on the finest setting?

I agree with jpaul. If it's a blade grinder then probably not. If it's a burr grinder it might just about do it but again it would be touch and go. It's probably worth thinking about upgrading it either way.

Mark M · 28 Dec 2017 at 10:05

FrenchTart said:
I agree with jpaul. If it's a blade grinder then probably not. If it's a burr grinder it might just about do it but again it would be touch and go. It's probably worth thinking about upgrading it either way.

This is the one I’ve got, says it’s a burr grinder? Appreciate it’s not going to be the greatest but the main question I guess is will I see a noticeable difference by introducing the Sage espresso machine over my current dripper setup? I can’t afford a more expensive grinder at the moment but it is a future upgrade path when funds allow.

FrenchTart · 28 Dec 2017 at 10:13

Mark M said:
This is the one I’ve got, says it’s a burr grinder? Appreciate it’s not going to be the greatest but the main question I guess is will I see a noticeable difference by introducing the Sage espresso machine over my current dripper setup? I can’t afford a more expensive grinder at the moment but it is a future upgrade path when funds allow.

That should just about work I think.

If by dripper setup you mean V60 then I wouldn't say that espresso and V60 coffee is comparable really. I have a decent espresso machine and a V60 - they both produce excellent results but quite different ones. For fruity tasting coffee I prefer the V60. For chocolatey coffee I prefer the espresso machine.