i'll throw a spanner in:rolleyes: we bought a cheap sunbeam jobbie, $200 i think about 5 years ago still going strong too, and it makes a great coffee, i regularly buy coffee's from the snazzy Cafe's with their big industrial size machines and still find that they are not any better than the ones i make at home:confused: granted it may be the type of coffee their using, but really if your gonna shell out the big bucks you'd want something thats going to do a great job and i personally don't think that there is much difference in the end product:rolleyes: just a little more elbow grease

a mate has one of the fancy auto ones (about $1000) and that isn't any better either, they just don't seem to make them strong enough:mad: no matter how much coffee you use

There is a rule of 3's. Green beans last for 3 years, roasted lasts for 3 weeks and ground beens last 3 minutes.

Ive been a huge fan of Merlo beans for the last 5 or 6 years. I always bought them fresh straight out of the roaster and after a week the crema would always noticeably diminish.

So, methinks the rule of 3s be out a little.

You are right about the supermarket coffee though, stale crap. Even the Illy in the vac cans, not baaaaad....but absolutely nowhere even close to fresh beans.

Cheers,

Jake

Ive been a huge fan of Merlo beans for the last 5 or 6 years. I always bought them fresh straight out of the roaster and after a week the crema would always noticeably diminish.

So, methinks the rule of 3s be out a little.

You are right about the supermarket coffee though, stale crap. Even the Illy in the vac cans, not baaaaad....but absolutely nowhere even close to fresh beans.

Cheers,

Jake

Jake , Try grinding a little finer after a week

i'll throw a spanner in:rolleyes: we bought a cheap sunbeam jobbie, $200 i think about 5 years ago still going strong too, and it makes a great coffee, i regularly buy coffee's from the snazzy Cafe's with their big industrial size machines and still find that they are not any better than the ones i make at home:confused: granted it may be the type of coffee their using, but really if your gonna shell out the big bucks you'd want something thats going to do a great job and i personally don't think that there is much difference in the end product:rolleyes: just a little more elbow grease

This is what I am getting at. I have had soooo many bad coffees out and about and the coffee at home is better in most all cases and is consistant. Our machine has adjustable grind, tempertaure and variable amount ground and best of all it cleans itself (apart from regular major cleans). I certainly have noticed variation in beans, the current ones we have are crap (Harris, yes I know, don't buy from a supermarket!) so I will certainly be getting some fresh roasted ones next.

But I can't resist new gadgets...

Whoops!!!!!!

Ive been a huge fan of Merlo beans for the last 5 or 6 years. I always bought them fresh straight out of the roaster and after a week the crema would always noticeably diminish.

So, methinks the rule of 3s be out a little.

You are right about the supermarket coffee though, stale crap. Even the Illy in the vac cans, not baaaaad....but absolutely nowhere even close to fresh beans.

Cheers,

Jake

I bought Illy once (before I knew better) and thought it was better than (insert other supermarket coffee here) but I wonder if i imagined it was better because of the price difference. Also Illy add nitrogen (or someting) into the tin to "keep it fresh". Maybe Illy is good in Italy but by the time the roasted beans are packaged and shipped to Australia and the time it spends in the warehouse and on the shelf is anyones guess.

Sometimes I wish I was ignorant of all this because when I am visiting (even my parents house) I don't want a coffee because I know that it is stale. I often get tea instead (Tea from supermarkets is probably stale too but I'm not as fussy compared to tea).

Looks like I have become a coffee snob

This is what I am getting at. I have had soooo many bad coffees out and about and the coffee at home is better in most all cases and is consistant. Our machine has adjustable grind, tempertaure and variable amount ground and best of all it cleans itself (apart from regular major cleans). I certainly have noticed variation in beans, the current ones we have are crap (Harris, yes I know, don't buy from a supermarket!) so I will certainly be getting some fresh roasted ones next.

But I can't resist new gadgets...

i find it extremely frustrating, im always hopeful that next coffee i buy will be a good one but im constantly let down:(, in actual fact i don't think ive ever bought a coffee thats better, ive had ones on par......maybe

but like you say Leon it is a new gadget, and if i were to buy a new machine it wouldn't be because im expecting a better coffee, it would merely be a new shiny machine to play with and show off to my friends:D

I bought Illy once (before I knew better) and thought it was better than (insert other supermarket coffee here) but I wonder if i imagined it was better because of the price difference. Also Illy add nitrogen (or someting) into the tin to "keep it fresh". Maybe Illy is good in Italy but by the time the roasted beans are packaged and shipped to Australia and the time it spends in the warehouse and on the shelf is anyones guess.

Sometimes I wish I was ignorant of all this because when I am visiting (even my parents house) I don't want a coffee because I know that it is stale. I often get tea instead (Tea from supermarkets is probably stale too but I'm not as fussy compared to tea).

Looks like I have become a coffee snob

I've never quite understood the appeal of Illy other than branding. I've tried it a few times both off the shelves and at Illy coffee stores. It really, really is mediocre. The "Bose" of Coffee.

Got the Stradavari Pro today. Will try making some coffee tomorrow morning, hope it won't be too hard...

Thank you guys for all the help!!!!

Very nice!! hope you didn't skim on the grinder and some FRESH beans!

Got the Stradavari Pro today. Will try making some coffee tomorrow morning, hope it won't be too hard...

Thank you guys for all the help!!!!

May the crema be with You .

More like art for the kitchen than a fully functional addiction feeder So when's the coffee GTG?

A good "espresso" machine is all about "Kpa"

Once the balance is understood between "grind size", "Kpa" and expectations, a good "coffee" can be had from a many machines. I had a Delongie (spelling may not be correct) and then bought a super-duper jobby. The only way I got ther best out of the last was drinking lots of coFFFFFFFFFFFeeeeee, sorry my fingers seen to go overtime these days..................................

If you balance the size of the grind to the KPA of the machine, paradise! even if it costs $3k or $300.00.

Viv Le' opinion.

I've never quite understood the appeal of Illy other than branding. I've tried it a few times both off the shelves and at Illy coffee stores. It really, really is mediocre. The "Bose" of Coffee.

Because it can be stunning, but not when its been on a boat for six weeks. Illy were the first Italian roaster to use arabica, and if you get their fresh stuff in Italy it is to die for.

Just had my first coffee from my new Stradivari. Got the French blend to try and it was indeed very good. Took a while to get the steam working and did not get enough crema. However, the aroma and the taste still linger on in the mouth after 30 mins.

I was told to get the grinder later after I have learned to use the machine...

Any good place for coffee beans?

Any good place for coffee beans?

http://www.merlo.com.au/home.htm

I dont know how good it is mail order, but they really do pride themselves on freshness so I reckon it would be pretty good.

Any good place for coffee beans?

Where do you live?

Hi Mr. Gimlet,

I live in Glenhaven near Castle Hill.

Jake,

Thanks for the link, I will check this out.

Have had a Rocky doser for 6 years now, no clumping experienced ever.

Jon.

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.

Manual allows complete control over the process which equals much better espresso.

So what is it that the manual ones do that is different (better?) than the fully automatics?

Bit of a learning curve but not that difficult.

Jon.

Leon read Mr Gimlet's Answer in post #11 , Manual machines have the potential for great coffee ,However the operator needs to be prepared to learn how to get the best from it

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.

I've also got a Breville Roma, been quite happy with it.

There was a comparison in Choice a year or so ago and the Breville & Sunbeam models came out very well, even trouncing models closer to the $1k mark.

(I was told to get the grinder later after I have learned to use the machine...) bad advice, you will never get anything close to the best out of it buying pre ground coffee, buy a good grinder, freshly roasted beans and you won't believe the difference.

Jon.

Just had my first coffee from my new Stradivari. Got the French blend to try and it was indeed very good. Took a while to get the steam working and did not get enough crema. However, the aroma and the taste still linger on in the mouth after 30 mins.

I was told to get the grinder later after I have learned to use the machine...

Any good place for coffee beans?

Geez JCR, that was a quantum leap from the request in your original post:eek: The pictured machine is a thing of beauty, full marks, please keep us informed as to you progress as an amateur barrista, I hear lever machines take a little coming to terms with but once mastered the results are fantastic.

And do yourself a favour, invest in a decent grinder soon, I assume you already have a good quality tamper?

Jon.

Got the Stradavari Pro today. Will try making some coffee tomorrow morning, hope it won't be too hard...

Thank you guys for all the help!!!!