The better machines let you vary the temperature of your shot. Lower priced machines don't.
It should be a little bit warmer than that-- probably around 160-165 in the cup. It is true that expensive double boilers let you dial in a temperature digitally, but it is not true that single boiler machines do not allow you to vary the brewing temperature, it's just more difficult. Look for "temperature surfing" and you can figure out how to do it. Heat exchanger machines are particularly good for manually controlling the temperature, but instead of using a knob or keypad, you simply control how long you wait between flushing the group and pulling the shot-- the longer the wait, the hotter the shot. Likewise, for cheaper single boilers like Gaggias, you can turn them to steam mode for a few seconds, which will increase the temperature.
I decided after reading through this thread that I wanted to step up from my cheap little manual machine. Costco has this Saeco on sale for $399... Saeco Intuita Automatic Espresso Machine I just ordered it but will report back after trying it out. Looking forward to it though!! Oh, and this seems like a really great price. Even at Amazon it was closer to $600. Looks like its good for a few more weeks.
I generally use whole beans anyway. It seems to be a comparable model to other ones posted here, specifically the Vienna Plus at the top of this page. It also appears it can be had for Costco's normal price of $500 from Seattle Coffee Gear. Being a complete superautomatic rookies what would the advantage of having the bypass doser be?
Same here, I have had my Europiccola for about 3 years now and I love it! I will say that the learning curve was steep and it does take a while to heat up, but it produces espresso and cappuccino every bit as good as a commercial machine and as good as anything I had in Italy. It is also a work of art and one hell of a conversation piece.
With espresso and with coffee too, you want to use whole beans and grind them up just prior to use. There are those who say after grinding, you have about five minutes before they lose 85% of their flavors. Grinding beans up fresh for espresso is very important. If you get a manual or semi auto machine, make sure you get the best grinder you can buy. It should reflect 30-50% of your machine purchase. If you spend 1200 on a machine, you should be spending 4-600 on the grinder. That's the typical calculation people use on coffee forums and articles. My amateur opinion is, the grinder is more important than the brewing or espresso machine. My current setup is a Breville double boiler and a Baratza Vario grinder. Love the Vario, but the Breville is hit or miss depending on the bean, the grind, weight and all that. Sometimes I cannot get enough pressure through the darned thing, others... it is spot on.
I agree with you. I am not familiar with your espresso machine or grinder, but the key to good espresso is dialing in the grinder. Each brand of bean has a slightly different grind that is best for that particular bean. There are other factors as well--the temperature of the shot, how hot the machine is, how much espresso goes into the portafilter, tamp pressure, etc. I can always find the right grind for the espresso I am brewing, it takes practice. Everything is interrelated and with a little practice you should be able to figure it out too.
I was just thinking about posting something. So far so good. Set up was super easy and using it couldn't be any easier. I need to fiddle with it a bit to get the brew strength right where I want it but it makes a very nice cup-'o-joe. Very satisfied so far. The only issue I have, and there may be a way to solve it but I haven't dug that far into the manual cause it's really not a big deal, is that the power button blinks red constantly while it is off. No big deal just not sure why it does that?!
Just an update and a bit more in-depth review of the Saeco Intuita. It is a pretty amazing little machine for the money. Like I mentioned above it is very easy to set up and so simple to use. I have pretty much dialed it in so that a two lungo shots make a nice strong americano style full cup of coffee. With just the push of one different button a single shot still makes a nice espresso. I don't use the wand much, but may make a few egg-nog lattes during the holidays. We'll see. I don't really drink dairy much anymore. I have gone through a couple pounds of beans already and this thing has not missed a beat. It will tell you when it's low on water and when the puck bin is full and needs emptying. It only takes a minute to heat up and be ready to brew. Once there it just seems to keep going. I still don't like the blinking red power button the entire time it's off, but I guess I could start actually switching the main power off if it bothers me much more. It's on the back panel though. If you are looking for a simple to operate, solid machine at a reasonable price I would highly recommend this one!! John
I just purchased Gaggia classic. Based on reviews it's a less expensive and comparable Rancilio. Also plan to purchase Europiccola because love the look.
Breville Roma was my first one and I was very pleased with it. LeLit was my second and it never made good crema . Four time the price of the Breville and lasted less time
I suggest trying Intelligentsia beans in your new machine. Congrats, btw. I was in Chicago a couple weeks ago and picked up a couple pounds of beans at Intelligentsia there including one called Honey Badger which I will be enjoying at breakfast tomorrow. Their beans are the best I've found so far.
Try the Anjilanaka. Its amazing as espresso and very good as brew. Haven't tried it in solo yet though which this one may be very good as.
Well, the only advantage I have found is if someone comes over who likes flavored or decaff ;( one can use the bypass doser...provided you have a separate grinder available...my only extra grinder is reserved for spices....
I'm going with Breville. The BDC600XL has been amazing so far, and hasn't caused me any problems as of yet. That being said, I will probably go with the Breville Barista Express, unless some one has a different opinion.
im happy with my new breville. always use illy dark fine grind. a good cup of espresso is definitely technique sensitive.
Here is where I am at. I really like coffee, espresso, and other such delicious caffeine delivery vehicles. I'd really like a decent home espresso machine. But after reading this thread I'm more confused than before. Or I suppose more accurately, did not realize how much I don't know! Double boiler, single boiler, tamp pressure, super-automatic, sorta-automatic.....jeez! I am a very mechanically minded person, but what language are you people speaking?!? Then taking into account prices ranging from $50 to $5,000, and my mind is blown! Seriously, is there an "espresso machines for dummies" website or link someone can point me towards? I'd love to learn the differences and pros/cons in the types of machines and the function of the various features mentioned, so I can figure out what kind of machine I want.
So far , Gaggia classic is a good machine easy to use ,great crema great froth . Much easier to use then my Lelit. I still like Breville best.
Nathan, Probably the best online resource for learning about espresso machines and coffee-making in general is a site called: home-barista.com. Lots of great information and geeky coffee talk, as well as (sometimes highly) opinionated reviews of all the gear. In many respects, I think you need to ask yourself how important espresso making at home is - do you want to invest some time to prepare espresso like a pro? If so, then buying the $1500+ machines will serve you well. Get a great grinder, tamper and lots of practice and you can be making lovely coffee at home. If that's not your bag, then the types of machines we call super-automatics (that grind, dose and make your espresso for you) will probably be your best bet. You can start off with a decent, sub-$1000 machine - like the Rancilio Silvia and Rocky grinder combo and start learning. But if you're going to get serious about it, I think the Mazzer Mini or Super Jolly grinder should be one of the first purchases. These are smaller, professional espresso coffee grinders that work fantastically and will be something you can pass along to your heirs, or sell later at a good price. From there, it can get pricey very quickly. Starting from the mid-range "prosumer" type of heat exchange espresso machine (I have the La Valentina) to nearly professional (La Marzocco GS/3) and into the professional ranks (La Marzocco Linea, GB5, etc). BTW, from my perspective of doing coffee professionally for 12 years, La Marzocco machines are the Ferrari of the coffee making world. Others may disagree and offer other brands (such as Synesso, Nuova Simonelli and Kees Van der Westen) - and while those are good machines too, they're like the Porsche, Fiat and Lamborghini of of the espresso world - good machines, but not Ferrari.
I like coffeegeek better than home-barista but it's been awhile since I have logged in to either site.
