Hi guys,

Been away a couple weeks and had a bad flu and cough for a week, now I am back to normal.

I have a Nespresso machine for a few years and find it easy to use and the coffee is good. However, up till now, I still have not found one bean that I really like from the capsules. Now I have found one bean, from a Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong, and they can get me the beans.

I am ready to invest on a good machine that is not too hard to use. Please, all experts here, help me to find the right machine.

I would suggest the Rancilio Silvia or the Lelit Combi.

http://www.siennacoffee.com.au/silvia.htm

http://www.coffeeco.com.au/Espressopage.html

And if you've got some time get into this forum and have a good read.

http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums

Sylvia makes great coffee , Its group head( the handle and the bit it plugs into)comes from their commercial machines .Making 6 cups at a time is easy . It is a single boiler machine so there can be waiting for the steam to be ready , A dual boiler machine has the second boiler for the steam and there is no waiting for the steam to be ready , Accordingly they cost a lot more , Grinders are just as important too , I use the Rocky from the same company . Alan at coffee co has available less expensive ones that do a great job.

Would suggest having a good read of his site . Much information in Jakes link

You want to talk to JohnA or Mr Gimlet. Or you can head to the coffee snobs forum

I have a cheap Sunbeam, about $200, that I got for Christmas. It does a very good job. Not as good as the Rancilio which I used to have access to at work, but still makes a nice coffee.

DS

http://www.home-barista.com/

Another forum for you to try. This is very like asking what audio system to get. My wife is the expert but a few suggestions.

Do you want a freestanding or plumbed in machine. Any preference for heat exchanger, dual boiler, lever.

Your beans and the grinder are the source and you may be surprised how much a good grinder is part of the equation. Allocate some funds here.

There are as many opinions as there are in audio. Good coffee is not guaranteed by simply buying the most expensive machine.

There are esoteric high quality machines,Kees van der Westen, Synesso and La Marzocco commercial machines that can fit into a domestic space. Many other companies produce machines that can produce great coffee and last the distance.

Kevin

Yeah, give us a budget and performance criteria - like, will you ever make cappucinos for eight people in one go?

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for the info.

I just want a machine on the kitchen bench. Some auto ones can do grind and brew at the same time. Walked pass DJ and saw some fancy ones called Jura, from $1K+ to $3K+, some serous machine and of course money here. Are they good?

Have ago at this JCR. I dont know the price, but I want one myself. They have some other interesting models too.

There is a coffee machine called the Pasquini Livia which is supposed to be one of the best machines available for the domestic market, and these Bezzerra machines are (also supposedly) pretty much the same machines. At least they are sold and supported here in Australia and are 240V, possibly a problem with the Pasquini.

As other have said too, a good grinder is a must. With poorly ground coffee your 10K (or whatever) machine is worth nothing.

http://barazi.com.au/content/view/140/127/

Cheers,

Jake

Hi,

Budget? Up to $2K?

Walked pass DJ and saw some fancy ones called Jura, from $1K+ to $3K+, some serous machine and of course money here. Are they good?

No. They have the advatage of being automatic - think your workplace or office, people want to push a button to get a good coffee and that's where the automatics come in. To make a great coffee you need a manual machine (technically a semi-automatic) and they range from entry level machines with aluminium groups to virtually commercial machines.

You need a grinder to support your machine: the grinder is more important than the machine in terms of dollars spend but (like hifi) there's no point spending 10k on a grinder and fifty bucks on the machine.

If you can afford around $2k for the machine and grinder, the world of top-end domestic machines should be pretty much your oyster. And they do break down - so make sure you buy from someone who can provide aftersales supports.

Alan Frew's site, coffeeco.com.au, will give you an idea of the price brackets - he's picked one machine to support in each bracket and his prices are realistic street prices. At the end of the day, most of the difference between reputable brands at the same price point is styling, and Italian machines are a bit pricier than spanish.

The Rancilio Silvia/ rocky combo is a benchmark standard, as is the Giotto/ Mazzer mini.

I am not a regular drinker but do enjoy a cup when feel like one.

Not very often that I have to serve eight cups at a time. I am not really that crazy that I have to have the best or turn the kitchen inside out. However, knowing coffee making is an art and I am willing to learn and invest progressively.

Hi,

Budget? Up to $2K?

Please provide the expected use of the machine , Personal , to a few extra when friends are over to needs to work all day cup after cup etc . For double the price of a sylvia you can have better looks

The Rancillio Sylvia is a scaled down professional machine for home use . The most important starts with the beans then the grind then the machine . should convenience have priority then a saceo auto or similar may be the go

For under $2K for machine and grinder, I would highly recommend a machine like mine (Domobar) and a grinder from Compak range. I use a Rancillio Rocky grinder (which is very good) but next time i'll step up to a Compak or Mazzer.

I use a Rancillio Rocky grinder (which is very good) but next time i'll step up to a Compak or Mazzer.

Why Mr G , What is it that they do over an above the rocky?

FWIW, I've had a Saeco Magic Deluxe for about 6 years. Every 18 months or so it goes back for a new boiler. If it died completely, I'd be faced with the dilemma of simply replacing it or getting a proper, less automatic model.

Well, I just hope it doesn't die as I really don't want the hassle of a manual machine. I can't function in any meaningful way until I've had my morning coffee and the sheer convenience of needing to press only one button to get it is a winner in my book.

So, the manual machines might make better coffee, but the convenience of the fully auto ones is addictive. Maybe, one of each is the ideal?

Cheers

Tony

Early in the morning push button hifi is acceptable too, +1 for the boom box, after lunch the playing field changes, Grind the coffee , clean the LP etc

Early in the morning push button hifi is acceptable too, +1 for the boom box, after lunch the playing field changes, Grind the coffee , clean the LP etc

Yep, point taken, MD. Fits with my suggestion that it would be great to have both:)

BTW, the Saeco does freshly grind the beans before making each cup. And if I want to get creative, I can make cappuccino etc. But, personally, I'm not into frothy milk:rolleyes:

Cheers

Tony

FWIW, I've had a Saeco Magic Deluxe for about 6 years. Every 18 months or so it goes back for a new boiler. If it died completely, I'd be faced with the dilemma of simply replacing it or getting a proper, less automatic model.

Well, I just hope it doesn't die as I really don't want the hassle of a manual machine. I can't function in any meaningful way until I've had my morning coffee and the sheer convenience of needing to press only one button to get it is a winner in my book.

So, the manual machines might make better coffee, but the convenience of the fully auto ones is addictive. Maybe, one of each is the ideal?

Cheers

Tony

Tony I use a similar machine at home and I really believe it does more than just a satisfactory job.

I know because I use a commercial unit at work as part of my business.But I really don't want the hassel of a machine ,grinder and something else around to dispense all the ground coffee X amount of times through the day.

Though I admit some of the other machines are quite sexier on the bench than the Saeco.As I went through the dilemma of what type to buy, but I put function above form in this instance and couldn't be happier.

taste is not everythiing - which machine sounds the best? You know that authentic grind, the stea venting, the milk bubling - coffee machines that are all too smooth and modern (and clean) cant be good for the taste?

Must let on I use a italian expresson pot for 2 on our gas stove - and love it - had it given to me 20 years ago and it would have been used at least 2 times a week every week since then (on average)

Why Mr G , What is it that they do over an above the rocky?

Well, the Rocky tends to clump the grinds a fair bit, it's not such a big deal but I do prefer the no-clump grinders. I own the doser version of the Rocky, apparently the doser version has less/no clumping. Despite the clumping it is still very good and consistant.

The aesthetics and finish of the grinder is ok but could be better IMO, note that the build quality is very robust.

Overall the grinder is does the job and does it well and when I bought it there weren't any other ones in the price range that I came across. I heard they have gone up a fair bit in price now.

There must be a high correlation of coffee drinkers and hifi

Like hi-fi you can invest a lot of time and effort to get the most of it. In the end, the best machine for you is the one that gives you the most pleasure in both TASTE and USE. I use a manual machine myself but I'd say unless you have an interest and appreciation, a manual takes way too much effort to be practical.

I actually really enjoy the manual coffee making process

I even enjoy cleaning the machine and making it look all nice and shiny!

We only make a coupla cups a day. Never use the frothie thingy (we just use the microwave to heat the milk)

We use the good old Breville Cafe Roma manual coffee machine (about $180) and a Delonghi helical grinder (about $80)......still manage to make better coffee than the local outlets.

Both have been going strong for over three years. I've seen the inside of both the Breville and a $750 manual Italian machine.....both look to be made of much the same basic components. Only difference was the chassis and the coffee holder....

Given the amount of coffee you don't drink....I'd go for a budget of $300 and spend the change on music.

Thanks guys, for all the ideas and info.

I think I might go for auto ones until I know what I really want next. Any suggestion?