Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

"Terrible" is an exaggeration. The main difference is that the newer ones have a stepped grind-adjustment mechanism, whereas on the old ones it's continuous - ie. just a screw that tightens rather than moving in steps. I'd have thought that you'd be able to get the old ones for slightly less too, since I've seen several go for £30-40 on ebay, whereas the retail price for the new ones last I checked was £49 for the cheapest model and they went up to the high 80s.
 
p4radox said:
Just got myself a bag of Breakfast Bomb beans.

Really enjoying it so far, seems a bit more potent than the Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira Bourbon that I was grinding before.
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Quite nice that one. Definitely one of the stronger ones though.

Currently working through another bag of Australian Skyberry. :D

Got a 12 month coffee subscription from Hasbean for christmas. Been sent a new coffee each month so far. Couple have been definite reorders, a couple have been ones I can happily forget. Well worth it overall though.

One of the coffees I had through it was awful in the espresso machine, but great in the aeropress.
 
Flibster said:
Quite nice that one. Definitely one of the stronger ones though.

Currently working through another bag of Australian Skyberry. :D

Got a 12 month coffee subscription from Hasbean for christmas. Been sent a new coffee each month so far. Couple have been definite reorders, a couple have been ones I can happily forget. Well worth it overall though.

One of the coffees I had through it was awful in the espresso machine, but great in the aeropress.
Click to expand...

Can you remember which one you got so far and which one you like and not like?
 
Guys important question.

My portafilter is beginning to rust. I thought it was made from stainless steel but it seems I was wrong.

Are all portafitlers the same size or will I need a specific one for my machine?

sid
 
I'd like to spend about £200ish to buy myself a decent expresso machine for home...can someone recommned the best machine I will get for arround the £200 mark. I would like the machine also to have a steamer thingy so that I can make cappacino's etc.

How's the Gaggia clasic used at the start of this thread compared to others the same kinda price? Looks quite a nice machine...but I dont have much of a clue..just like good coffee!

Next question...and dont knock me back as Il work my way up to grinding my own beans. Can you buy decent pre-ground beans...and if so can someoene recommened where to buy from??

Basically..I want to buy the machine...learn how to use it etc. with pre-ground beans...then in a month or two maybe move onto buying a grinder etc. and grinding my own beans. One step at a time I think.

Cheers :)
 
I'm biased but at the time of purchase the classic was the best machine around that price point - unfortunately its been discontinued and as far as i'm aware the replacement doesn't do it justice. If you can find one I'd get a classic....

Grinder wise i'd really recomend getting one from the start and learning to use it. Freshly ground beans will have a more positive effect on your coffee than anything else. Buying pre-ground will be very frustrating - whatever you do with it the only time you'd get a decent shot would be upto 2hrs after its ground - after that it will just get worse and worse :(

for £200 i'd be tempted to get a £100 grinder and a stove top / french press (and then get a coffee machine later...)
 
Siliconslave said:
I'm biased but at the time of purchase the classic was the best machine around that price point - unfortunately its been discontinued and as far as i'm aware the replacement doesn't do it justice. If you can find one I'd get a classic....

Grinder wise i'd really recomend getting one from the start and learning to use it. Freshly ground beans will have a more positive effect on your coffee than anything else. Buying pre-ground will be very frustrating - whatever you do with it the only time you'd get a decent shot would be upto 2hrs after its ground - after that it will just get worse and worse :(

for £200 i'd be tempted to get a £100 grinder and a stove top / french press (and then get a coffee machine later...)
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OK..OK...can I get a decent grinder or about £50 or so?

My budget just gone up to £300 for the machine and grinder :D
 
£50 you can get the dualit one (rebanded and resold through starbucks too...):
dualitcoffeegrinderfront.jpg

its good, but won't go fine enough (most of the time - you get some which do) so i'd really recomend going for the iberital mc2.... its grrrrreat (check back a few pages for a quote from the hasbean owner admitting that his more expensive machine wasn't as good :))
 
Siliconslave said:
£50 you can get the dualit one (rebanded and resold through starbucks too...):
dualitcoffeegrinderfront.jpg

its good, but won't go fine enough (most of the time - you get some which do) so i'd really recomend going for the iberital mc2.... its grrrrreat (check back a few pages for a quote from the hasbean owner admitting that his more expensive machine wasn't as good :))
Click to expand...

Just looked...The MC2 is FUGLY!

OK..so im going to work on finding the Gaggia classic and the Dualit for £300. One Ive done that...i come back and let someone recommend me some beans!
 
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Advice?

OK, a little advice wouldn't go amiss here.

I like my cappuccino in the morning, a good mugfull to drink whilst going through the emails. However using my Gaggia to make the coffee I have a strength/volume problem. The coffee is black as night for the first 20-30 seconds, but then turns very weak and watery after that. Those 30 secs is only enough for maybe a 1/4 of the mug, so everything past there is just diluting it down.

Are there any tips for avoiding this?

BTW, its a double filter, freshly ground coffee and tamped down strongly - seems to make no difference.
 
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