I've got maybe a slightly crazy question, but has anybody out there ever attempted to build their own espresso machine? Successes, failures, ideas? Thanks |
After reading information on different machines in my price range, and = hearing some good info from the list, and Mark Price leading me to a = great buy on the Gusto. and Jim Schulman saying that Krups is = discontinuing the model. I went for 59.99 and free shipping. James you = and Jim are probably right about the Gaglia being the better of lower = priced machines, but the Gusto had good reviews and the savings I can = put toward a better grinder. Thanks to all Ron Kyle Anderson SC rnkyle mailing listhttp://lists.sweetmarias.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast |
I'm getting ready to purchase my first espresso machine. I would like something fully automatic. Any suggestions on which machine would be a good choice for a first machine would be appreciated. Rick Get advanced SPAM filtering on Webmail or POP Mail ... Get Lycos Mail!http://login.mail.lycos.com/r/referral?aid'005 |
Fully Automatic = Solis Master 5000 Does everything except predict the winner in the next election (which seems to be a divine effort lately). I bought mine from Tom about 2 years ago and have loved everything about it. . http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.solis-espresso.shtml Scroll to the middle of the page. rick A jackson wrote: <Snip> |
I second the motion for purchasing the Solis Master 5000. I've had mine for about 2 months and love it. Fully automatic: grinds, tamps, and dispenses coffee with one button. Daily maintenance is empty the spent grounds bin, add more water, and maybe rinse out the spill tray. Weekly maintenance is remove a few parts and clean them. Very versatile: it will dispense anywhere from 1 - 9 oz coffee and will do double shots. There's approximately one minute delay between turning on the power switch and it being ready to make the first cup. The only part I find a little tedious is going into steam mode and back. The steamer doubles as a hot water dispenser, so one must press a button to superheat the water, wait 50 sec, purge water so that steam comes out. Froth milk, then turn off steam mode, purge steam for 15 sec until water comes out. Overall, I am very pleased and almost look forward to morning so that I can have it make coffee for me! I also like how the coffee bean bin holds an entire roasting batch from my Hottop. Julian <Snip> something fully automatic. <Snip> machine would be appreciated. <Snip> |
Rick, If you can wait a few days I'll let you know how the new Solis Palazzo works out. Mine should arrive tomorrow or Tuesday. Derek |
<Snip> something fully automatic. Any suggestions on which machine would be a good choice for a first machine would be appreciated.< Rick, I would second John's advice re the Solis Master 5000. Reasonable cost for a very functional automatic machine. I've had mine since March 2003 and have used it daily without a problem. No fuss, and great espresso. Harry |
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Will, What would you consider "all the options" to include? Cost for a home mechanic isn't the pacing factor, understanding the process completely might be. William Young II wrote: <Snip> |
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Seems like the question that comes up in all areas of design: Why can't 'they' design a that does everything I want it to do. The realm of small boat design provides a concrete example. What people want is a boat that will perform well under oars, under sail, and with outboard power. But there are conflicting design requirements...so, you can have any combination of two fromt the above list...but not all three. An area of compromise in espresso machine design that may not be immediately obvious is a requirement for simplicity. There are those (myself included) who greatly value a non-complicated design. I don't think you will ever be able to have one of the 'automatic' machines that does everything but kiss you good morning able to make a claim to simplicity. Still, it's an interesting question... Having found several examples of custom-made espresso machines on the internet - mostly in Europe - I wonder...where does one go for the bits and pieces to build a machine from scratch? Gene Smith riding the wild learning curve in Houston <Snip>http://www.sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html<Snip> |
<Snip> Three words for you. Economy of Scale. You could build your dream machine from scratch, but it will cost you 2 to 3 times as much. What I did is much cheaper. I got a damaged IM on ebay and then began modifying it. Even if I'd bought an IM at full price I'd still be dollars ahead. High end prosumer machines share many of the same components as commercial espresso machines. Plus, they have open architecture making modification easy. And, you forget the most obvious solution, buying a used commercial machine. To me, there is no good reason to build your own unless you are going for some outrageous aesthetic or are designing new espresso technology. And even so, you'd be better off buying an espresso machine and scavenging it for parts rather than buying repair parts off the shelf. Dan |
Hey Dan, by "open architecture" in pro-sumer espresso machines, do you mean you can "open" it up and rip it's guts out? :-) DJ Who likes Open Architectures in software and hardware and about to sip a mighty fine Kona Kowali cappuccino (Extra Fancy of course) ... |
Yes! The parts are discrete and there is room to add new goodies. Standard plumbing fittings help, too. For instance, you can keep an item, or replace it with industrial/commercial versions. <Snip>http://www.sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html |
I would like some feedback from the group for a beginner espresso machine. I have been roasting my own beans now for a couple of years and throroughly enjoy the coffee produced. It's time to branch out. Any suggestions? Thanks, Tom S |
On Oct 31, 2004, at 6:08pm, Tom Starustka wrote: <Snip> I think that depends entirely on how much you are willing to spend and whether you already have an espresso suitable grinder or not. If you have to buy a grinder too, that will cut into your budget, unless you buy a superauto, in which case the grinder is built in. You should also take into account how vulnerable you are to upgrade fever. I'd recommend checking out the consumer reviews on CoffeeGeek as a start to get an idea of what's out there in various price ranges. John Blumel |
On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 17:08:42 -0600, Tom Starustka wrote: <Snip> Hi Tom... Can you please answer a couple of questions that will help the group make recommendations? 1. How much of your money do we get to spend? 2. Do you have a good grinder, or will you be buying one? 3. How will you be using the machine (straight espresso, americanos, milk drinks) 4. How much do you like to tinker (i.e., would you prefer the simplicity of a super auto, or are you willing to play around with a machine like a Silvia or one of the Gaggias... ...ron |
At 5:08 PM -0600 10/31/04, Tom Starustka wrote: <Snip> Hi Tom, What is the most that you are willing too spend? There are some machines in the $200 range that make very good espresso, but if you can spend even more you can get significantly better machines that will keep you happy for many many years. I have found that the Gaggia entry-level pump machines make very nice espresso and will last many years BUT if you can afford to spend more, you will probably find the expense well worth it in the long run. As others have mentioned, what kind of grinder you have is as important as the espresso machine. The only under $100 grinder that people seem to agree is worth its salt is the Zass hand grinder. An electric grinder suitable for espresso will run at least $200 as well if you want one that will last (the Gaggia MDF and the Rancilio Rocky are probably the least expensive grinders that will give many many years of service as espresso grinders). Best, Edward |
Tom,
This is a difficult question. Before I'd answer, I'd like to know
what kind of grinder you have. Think of the espresso machine as an
accessory to the grinder.
Jim Gundlach
On Oct 31, 2004, at 5:08 PM, Tom Starustka wrote:
<Snip> |
i am another newbie larry i have ordered the following equipment bodum bistro french press solis maestro plus grinder presto poplite popcorn popper hearthware i roast and for espresso i found a used machine (10-15 years old) by krups for $132.50 on ebay it is type 966 and supposedly a commercial quality product that they only built for a while i am not sure if i can mention this legally on the site so please tell me if i am screwing up the ebay item number is available if i can post it on email to anybody interested just let me know anyway i also have ordered an assortment of beans from sweetr maries including the 8pack variety please let me know if i am on the right track with this equipment for good coffee and espresso if i screwed up i need to know now i am studying and listening so as to be ready to attempt a roast when equipment arrivesw this week the roasting is what scares me the most thanks in advance for any comments on my equipment purchased larry |
les what is a rocky? larry |
les also what is the proper way to clean a machine any links i can go to? thanks for the info i got the solis maestro because i heard so much about the need for a good grind for espresso and espresso is my main intent if i can get by cheaper i prefer that but just want to have the right equipment i got it at sweet maries and do not know how they feel about returns? larry |
RIGHT ON PECAN JIM!!! Les On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 17:41:17 -0600, Pecan Jim Gundlach wrote: <Snip> |
Tom Starustka wrote: <Snip> When I got started I had a Rocky & a krups Gusto. You can make a cheap pump machine do a reasonable job with a good grinder, but a bad grinder and a good machine is just a waste. IMHO, better machines make it easier to get consistent results; not nesesarily better. P.S. Rocky, Zass, and two Faema Compacts now. (the Rockys still around) |
Larry, Welcome to the group! First off why two roasters? If it were me, here is what I would do. Return the Solis Maesto Plus and the I-Roast and buy a Rocky. Assuming the Krups is in good working over, give it a real good cleaning before using it. Everything else you have will get you well down the road to espresso maddness! The I-roast is a good machine from what I have seen, but you can get good roasts from a regular popper. Check the archives. The Solis will last about 6 months doing espresso. The Rocky will give you years of service. Les On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 23:33:00 EST, hckneyelec wrote: <Snip> |
You can check out the Rocky on Tom's website athttp://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.electricmills.shtmlIt is the best grinder under $300.00 and for the price you paid for the Solis and I roast you should have enough to buy one. Personally I like the Mazzer, but too many people I respect on this list have Rocky grinders and are more than satisifed. Cleaning begins with getting some caffex and running it through the machine. With luck your machine will come with instructions. Some of the Krups owners can give you more help than I can. Les On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 00:08:44 EST, hckneyelec wrote: <Snip> |
I agree with Les. Since you're planning to use your grinder for espresso (and other brewing methods), the Solis will not last long. It'll still grind after 6 months or so yes, but the burrs will be worn and hence the grind uneven with every increasing dust. This is what happened to mine and others on the List had the same experience. The Maestro is a decent grinder for coarser grinding, but it's burr carrier is too loose for fine grinding which allows the upper & lower burrs to periodically touch and dull. Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffee URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc.http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htm |
mike and les thanks so much for the feedaback i intend to return the solis maestro and possibly the iroast (still undecided about the iroast as i have never roasted and don't know that i am capable of going straight to popcorn popper and then to the hgdb method. i am a contractor so i do have a heat gun and the pictorial onsweetmarie's should help greatly if i get a good thermometer and amaybe a variac.) again thanks and i am very anxious to get started the krups i bought does not come with a manual so i still don't know how to clean it when it arrives any help appreciated i know us newbies must be a pain to you guys with 20 years of experience and am even hesitant to send emails since i feel so ignorant but i do want and need your input and experience. i don;t intend to make a career of this(though my personality drives me into frantic episodes of whatever my new habit may be at the time, typical i assume to the most of you) but i do want to maximize the experience for my effort and money i like espresso/capp and my wife suzie likes coffee and latte so i need to be able to do it all basically thanks again and if you can help me let me know larry |
thanks ron all input from you people is absorbed and appreciated i am anxious to get started larry |
On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 08:40:31 EST, hckneyelec wrote: <Snip> Welcome, Larry... I've never used an i-Roast, but it sounds like a nice roaster with lots of flexibility. Don't be concerned about starting with a popper right out of the chute. There are a lot of different tricks and mods that people use with their poppers, but, in most cases, you can get a very nice roast from an um-modded popper. I use two West Bend Popperys (the original) and they both roast just fine without any changes. Poppers do vary, so yours may not be the same, but its worth a try. I did open the bottom of my Popperys to re-wire the main switch to control only the heater so I have more control, but that's not really necessary. Also, HG/DB is very easy to get started as well. Your first couple of roasts probably won't be as good as you'll be producing after some practice, but they'll still be good roasts. One recomendation that you'll see on this list as well as on the other coffee-related web sites is to take a batch of beans all the way to charcoal. Pick some inexpensive beans so you won't feel like you are wasting money, and then roast them until they're black. In doing this, you will be able to see all of the roast stages. Pay attention to the color of the beans, the amount and smell of the smoke and the sounds of the cracks. You should be able to tell by color and smoke when the beans are getting close to first crack. First crack is typically fairly loud and sounds like toothpicks snapping. You can also tell when you are getting close to second crack (more smoke and a different smell along with bean color) with some experience. Second crack is not as loud, and sounds more like rice krispies. Most of all, have fun! ...ron |
1. 4oz of beans into popper
2. turn it on
3. watch it until it is French Roast (Black Shiny)
4. turn off
5. Pour the beans into a collander and stir with a wooden spoon to cool
Next Batch - 60 seconds less time.
You're now an expert!
Just like the rest of us.
Except Tom travels further!
Regards all,
Brett Mason
On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 09:23:19 EST, hckneyelec wrote:
<Snip>
--
Regards,
Brett Mason
HomeRoast
__]_
_(( )_ Please don't spill the coffee! |
ben thanks for the web site if i still have questions on popcorn machines and using them for roasters after studying this article i am hopeless thanks again very very helpful larry |
HckneyElec wrote: <Snip> Look herehttp://www.homeroaster.com/geekmod.htmland the rest of Ed's site. Ben |
edward thanks for the website you guys are all amazing sources of information thanks again and i will keep you updated once i get my equipment and beans and try roasting larry |
HckneyElec wrote: <Snip> Thank you. I always figured a little understanding is a powerful tool. Ben |
Hi, You might find a page that I created helpful. It covers 'getting calibrated' with a new popper and some tips about controlling roasts with unmodified poppers. It can be found at:http://www.edwardspiegel.org/coffee/poppertips.phpBest, Edward At 10:59 AM -0500 11/01/04, HckneyElec wrote: <Snip> |
les the krups espresso machine showed up today looks in good order but i have not tried to clean or operate it still aint got no beans or grinder? anyway don't know what to do with the thing the folks i bought it from told me to call them for a walk through but does no good wout coffee as far a s cleaning---should i run a dry run or run a shot or two through with regular folgers or what? how do you suggest i clean it and how thoroughly should i dissassemble thanks again larry |
We were all newbies at one time. I started before there were helps like we have here! Hey, if I can do it anyone can! Les On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 08:40:31 EST, hckneyelec wrote: <Snip> |
i got in a bodum electric vacuum coffee maker today the video says to use medium grind and says to use one of their "scoops" for a cup of coffee problem is there isn't a scoop with it anybody know how much coffee to use per cup? also what grind should i use and if there is a preference as far as type of coffee and type of roast that would be of interest to me i finally have got my fiance suzie thinking positively about this new adventure i am beginning here and she truly loves a good cup of coffee so i think it important that i at least am able to impress here a little with this simple little new gadget as the investments in both time, money and counterspace are accumulating thanks larry |
HckneyElec wrote: <Snip> Get whole bean from the store, grind it to espresso and then practice. You won't want to waste your roasts. |
HckneyElec wrote: <Snip> Welcome to the club!! <Snip> use 7 grams (1/4 oz) per 4 to 5 oz of water. |
Have both 25oz & 50oz Bodum eVacs. I use similar water to grind ratio, 8gr per 5oz. 40gr for full 25oz eVac, 80gr for full 50oz eVac. BTW, do a half dozen empty cycles, all with cold water, and time them. Time from when all the water is up North to when heater shuts off. One of the "hits" on the Bodum eVac can be short up North infusion time. Both mine were something like 90sec. average. I put 1/4" self stick feet on the back to decrease heater plate angle which increases up North time. (heater automatically shuts off when plate about 1/3 dry) Now they're a bit over 2min. I use a relatively fine grind, finer than normal drip, but much coarser than espresso. 21 on my Rocky which has zero of -1. (Which is somewhat meaningless unless you have a Rocky...) Have fun and enjoy the journey! Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffee URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc.http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htm |
Larry, Did it come with the instructions? Any Krups owners out there that can give Larry a hand! Never run it without water in the tank. I would fill it up with water and pull some blank shots. You said you want to do cappos, play with the steam wand. How does it look? Did they send it nice and clean? I like Tom's idea of getting a can of Illy to learn from. It will do two things for you. (1) You will get an idea of how fine the grind needs to be and (2) you will realize how great homeroast tastes! Les On Mon, 1 Nov 2004 20:46:23 EST, hckneyelec wrote: <Snip> |
LES NO INSTRUCTIONS CAME WITH THE UNIT THE PEOPLE I BOUGHT IT FROM SAY IT DOES REAL GOOD ON CREMA THEY SAY IF I CALL THEM THEY WILL WALK ME THROUGH WHAT THEY KNOW, WHICH SEEMS CONSIDERABLE THE UNIT IS CLEAN AND GASKET LOOKS GOOD PLASTIC WATER RESERVOIR VERY HEAVY MACHINE I PLAN TO RUN SOME STOREBOUGHT THROUGH IT THERE IS A COFFEE SHOP HERE IN TOWN WHERE I CAN GET FRESH GROUND THANKS FOR THE ADVICE AND HELP LARRY |
Let the adventure begin! Take them up on the walk through offer. Les On Tue, 2 Nov 2004 02:16:40 EST, hckneyelec wrote: <Snip> |
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. Does anyone have any experience or opinion on the Solis SL-90? I have a = line on a refirb. one for a reasonable price. I took everyone's advice = and got a good grinder first. My MDF is arriving tomorrow. Other = machines I am considering are the Sylvia (I can't seem to find refirbs. = of them. People must not return them) and the Gaggia Classic. I blew a = chance at a Sylvia last night on eBay. There was a used Sylvia, Rocky, = and base unit combo listed. They had spelled Rancilio wrong and put it = in an obscure category so it did not show up on a search. The only way I = came across it was by a typing error. Anyway, I watched it for 4 days = and there weren't many bids. Last night it ended. I submitted what = would have been the winning bid, but somehow the bid did not go through = and it sold to someone else for $330. I am consoling myself by the = thought that it was used and may have been in rough condition, but I = don't know that. Another Mike |
WOW! A Silvia & Rocky combo sold for only $330?! Really sorry you didn't get the score. That's a steal. Used and even if in rough condition that's a steal. Gasket & screen for silvia, burr set for Rocky and back to like new for less than $100 Personally I'd stay away for the SL-90 for a couple reasons. Lots of plastic and non-standard size (and type) PF. IIRC Pecan Jim had a SL-90 before getting his Silvia. Night and day in machine quality. You're right, I've seldom if ever seen a refurb or customer returned Silvia for sale. Still seems to be the quality leader at that price point. And (normally) if upgrade fever hits you they resell for almost retail. I'm still very happy with my Silvia going on 4 years. Of course, adding PID and auto-water fill really make her a joy! miKe mcKoffee URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc:http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htmUltimately the quest for Koffee Nirvana is a solitary path. To know I must first not know. And in knowing know I know not. Each Personal enlightenment found exploring the many divergent foot steps of Those who have gone before. www.MDMProperties.net From: homeroast-admin [mailto:homeroast-admin] On Behalf Of Mike Chester Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 7:16 AM Does anyone have any experience or opinion on the Solis SL-90? I have a line on a refirb. one for a reasonable price. I took everyone's advice and got a good grinder first. My MDF is arriving tomorrow. Other machines I am considering are the Sylvia (I can't seem to find refirbs. of them. People must not return them) and the Gaggia Classic. I blew a chance at a Sylvia last night on eBay. There was a used Sylvia, Rocky, and base unit combo listed. They had spelled Rancilio wrong and put it in an obscure category so it did not show up on a search. The only way I came across it was by a typing error. Anyway, I watched it for 4 days and there weren't many bids. Last night it ended. I submitted what would have been the winning bid, but somehow the bid did not go through and it sold to someone else for $330. I am consoling myself by the thought that it was used and may have been in rough condition, but I don't know that. Another Mike |
I had an sl-90 for almost two years before I moved up to an Isomac Zaffiro. The SL-90 is a perfectly good machine for what it does. You will get good espresso from it and it has enough steam to make a cappie. The upsides are that it is not terribly expensive and, if you like that feature, it has premeasured amounts, six of them, as I recall. It is easy to use and does not take up huge amounts of counter space. The downsides are that it uses a substandard size portafilter, 53 mm rather than 58 mm, it does not use a 3 way solonoid valve and it does tend to wander a bit from the best temperatures. However, I got pretty good espresso from it on a consistant basis, so if you can get it for a good price and that is about your limit, go for it. Dan |
"have any experience or opinion on the Solis SL-90" With that caveat stated, yes. My opinion is: I had a jaded eye looking at the ad copy for the SL-70, and then the SL-90, but no experience. My overwhelming past experience with different equipment with a similar ancestry is that the original design is impressive. "Let's build a prototype" "It works. Put it in production!" The inevitable minor design flaws are ignored and left for the end user to overcome. That's my experience- Wanna Play? Not wanting to be the idiot fall guy in Ray's World, I thought I'd start on the bottom rung of the Solis ladder. A $0.99 thrift store Maestro grinder- not a fair piece for evaluation, but good for reverse-engineering the design. I got the missing hopper lid and knob from Baratza, but they wanted to sell me a new motor instead of the blown thermal fuse strapped to the motor's field winding. I "repaired" the thermal fuse and the motor ran fine. Good brushes and commutator. The bottom line- the soft steel upper burr looked like it had been grinding rocks. But of the new Maestro Plus and the additional burr set that I bought, the old ones were best-looking. Due to the pleasant but useless nature of talking with anybody at Baratza, my only resource and Solis contact, ALL SOLIS IS OFF MY LIST. There you have my opinion. Cheers -RayO, aka Opa! |
--Apple-Mail-44-191283109 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset -ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed In the future, look for "Ranchilio," "Rancillio," or "Ransilio." As to the SL-90, Mark Prince had a review of its semi-auto cousin SL-70 (same machine w/o shot preset buttons). He liked the shot quality with the plain unpressurized PF, and the relatively short time between brewing and steaming; but did not like the quality of the foam with the froth aider and the difficulty of removing it from the steam wand. On Nov 2, 2005, at 9:16 AM, Mike Chester wrote: <Snip> Sandy Andina www.sandyandina.com --Apple-Mail-44-191283109 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset O-8859-1 In the future, look for = "Ranchilio," "Rancillio," or "Ransilio." As to the SL-90, Mark Prince = had a review of its semi-auto cousin SL-70 (same machine w/o shot preset = buttons). He liked the shot quality with the plain unpressurized PF, and = the relatively short time between brewing and steaming; but did not like = the quality of the foam with the froth aider and the difficulty of = removing it from the steam wand. On Nov 2, 2005, at 9:16 = AM, Mike Chester wrote: |
I have an SL-90, and I would recommend the SL-70 over it. The automatic features just get in the way. It will produce good crema if you get a real basket for the portafilter though. Its a good starter machine, but I would suggest Sylvia over either of them. The 53mm portafilter is non-standard and annoying. At least with a Sylvia you can buy the magical tripple shot basket! -Chuck Dreaming about an HX machine... Mike Chester wrote: <Snip> |
On Nov 2, 2005, at 11:02 PM, Chuck the Coffee-Geek wrote: <Snip> Why is it annoying? Once you get a tamper that fits it, which is easy, as long as it fits in the machine it was designed for, it shouldn't be a problem. Scot "owner of a 53mm Cappuccina" Murphy |
<Snip> Thanks Chuck and all else who responded to my question. I have decided that what I really want is a Sylvia and I should not settle for something else even if it means having to wait awhile before I get it. When it arrives, I will try my new MDF grinder with my steam toy and see how much difference it will make. It has to be an improvement. On an unrelated note, I roasted three batches of coffee today including one of the Vietnamese UGH. I am curious how it will compare with commercial roast. I have a feeling that it will be better than lot of the stuff that is out there. Another Mike |
I, too, wonder about all the pronouncements about the "non-standard" description of a 53mm PF. I own two machines which have 53mm PF's (an Olympia Cremina and a La Cimbali MicroCasa), and at least one of them (the Cremina) makes a consistently better espresso than my Silvia... <Snip> |
I want a 53mm Cremina... |
Another Mike,
I don't think you will regret holding out for the Sylvia.
Jim Gundlach
On Nov 3, 2005, at 12:28 AM, Mike Chester wrote:
<Snip>
"The espresso machine is an accessory to the grinder, not the other
way around."
|
I'm just bitter because I wanted that tripple basket. The good thing is I'll have to buy another Thortamper when I get my next machine. (I will soon have a collection going!) Don't get me wrong, my SL-90 is a good machine and I don't regret buying it. I just think the Sylvia is a better one. One thing I really do like about it, it produces the most AMAZING microfoam! -Chuck Is that foam on my nose? Scot Murphy wrote: <Snip> |
A. Mike- "my new MDF grinder with my steam toy"- You're on a roll, sir! The MDF is going to leave you with No Excuses. Just think- a steam toy is practically an inverted Moka pot, however, I did have better results with the thrift store Moka pot- after I cut a new gaske= t out of closed-cell foam silicon(e?) the red stuff. I knew I'd have a use for that stuff some day. I picked up all I could get in bulk about 25 years ago- 4 sq ft or so, 9/64" thick. Gateway Electronics had some priced crazy cheap. OEM surplus for a great price. Used some for Corvair engine gaskets too... Mmm- enjoying some screaming good Panama Cafe' de Eleta. Starting my second 1.5L for today. The fresh TechV brew after 12 hours' rest is an order of magnitude better than this morning after I first introduced the beans to Ho= t in my FR. Cheers -RayO, aka Opa! Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. David Lloyd George |
And that right there hits it on the head why non-58 mm PF can be annoying. If you want to experiment, 58 mm seems to be where all the neat stuff is. At 20:21 11/3/2005, you wrote: <Snip> John Nanci AlChemist at large Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.chocolatealchemy.com/ |
Well....It finally happened. The little pump machine by Mr. Coffee that I've been pulling my espresso with for the past 4 years (and believe it or not...gotten a pretty decent shot from) finally bit the dust. Praise Heaven, my wife doesn't like her latte's made with Mokka as much and I think we may be starting the look for a new machine. I'm looking for something... 1) basic..nothing fancy. 2) the less expensive the better 3) does not need to be plumbed in (we don't own the house and I'm not interested in plumbing -- although if it can draw from a 5 gall. jug, that'd be fine) 4) foams well enough that I can finally get a decent microfoam and learn some latte art (my Mr. Coffee was a little testy when it came to anything like that.) 5) Doesn't have a "bean resevoir" or an automatic grinder 6) Doesn't need a lot of cleaning -- we're talking 6-8 shots a week. (give or take another 10-12 depending on the time of year, mood, etc..) :-) Suggestions? Thanks! Grace and Peace, `tim -- The content of this e-mail may be private or of confidential nature. Do not forward without permission of the original author. -- Rev. Tim TenClay, IAPC, NATA #253 Dunningville Reformed Church (www.dunningville.org) Personal Blog:http://www.tenclay.org/blog |
Hi Tim, My road to espresso went from a steam toy Braun, through a Saeco Classico, through Silvia, aned now a UNIC HX machine which I really enjoy. If I were to do it again, I would go to the Gaggia Espresso that Tom sells as the first major step. That might be all the step you need, and the price is very reasonable...http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.gaggia.shtmlRegards, Brett On 12/4/06, Tim TenClay wrote: <Snip> -- Cheers, Bretthttp://homeroast.freeservers.com |
Tim: You can go to a zillions places and get a passable espresso machine for under 100 bucks. I think buying aMiss Silva from Tom is most likely your best investment from the points you have made on your list. warmest regards, ginny ---- Tim TenClay wrote: <Snip> |
Brett: another great choice, does it froth well? gin ---- Brett Mason wrote: <Snip> |
I have a Zass Knee Grinder -- I grind everything by hand right now and plan on continuing it for now :-) Grace and Peace, `tim On 12/4/06, True, Dennis W. FC1 (CVN69) wrote: <Snip> -- The content of this e-mail may be private or of confidential nature. Do not forward without permission of the original author. -- Rev. Tim TenClay, IAPC, NATA #253 Dunningville Reformed Church (www.dunningville.org) Personal Blog:http://www.tenclay.org/blog |
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