well I don't like coffee, so this might sound odd, but if you will read on... :)

[TweetyBirdBrain]

Most appropriate espresso equipment for a newbie

HI,

I don't like coffee. I actually never acquired the taste for the burnt bitter flavour. I do however, love espresso, cappuccino and latte's.

I bought a Ninja Coffee Bar (returning), it says it can make lattes, but it doesn't make espresso, which I think is kinda weird.

Anyway, I'm hunting for an espresso machine, and maybe a grinder? I'm pretty new to the whole coffee thing, normally I just order 1 at the local coffee shop, but I'm thinking of having one daily.

SO here's some thoughts? I'm trying to stay sub-$300

Breville Roma ESP8XL ($100-$170)
Breveille BREBES250XL ($246)
DeLonghi ECP3630 ($160-$240)
Delonghi EC702 ($290)
Phillisp Saeco HD8327/47 Poemia ($225)

Did I miss any others worth considering? What do I pick ? (daily espresso morning)...

Do I need a coffee grinder? Any suggestions? reasonable budget (under $100)

Thanks a bunch...

TBB

 

[TweetyBirdBrain]

Hey some great responses here, Its not that I don't want to spend money, I just for me, I don't see why I need the $1500 machine? that's all. I always thought espresso and coffee makers and tea and all that were pretty basic in nature, had no idea, it needed this or that, or this changed it, or that changed, etc.etc.etc.

SO here goes my next question: (please bear in mind I'm up here in Canada, so if you see something in USD, automatically tack on 40% to get CAD$.

So lets talk coffee grinders? What do i really need to make a good perhaps even great cup of espresso? I have no idea about manufacturers or quality, so I'm just gonna throw some stuff out there


********THESE PRICES ARE IN CAD!!!

Breville BCG600SIL The Dose Control Pro Coffee Grinder ($170)

Breville the Dose Control Coffee-Grinder ($140)

Baratza Encore Burr Grinder ($180
Capresso Stainless Steel Burr Grinder ($80)
Capresso 560.01 ($160)

So I dunno...

For Espresso Machines...I was thinking maybe...
Delonghi EC702, ($290)
Delonghi EC680 Dedica ($315)
SAECO HD8327 Poemia ($230)
https://idrinkcoffee.com/collections/consumer/products/capresso-ec100-espresso-machine-j23-used
Capresso EC PRO ($390)

So...I dunno, I have no idea if De'Longhi, is better than Breville, better than Saeco, better than Capresso,
And a Gaggia starts at $600...ack

Thanks a bunch for ideas.

TBB.

 

[Ikon]

DeLonghi models are good, there are also some types of them with grinders but they cost usually much more than 300$ :decaf: However I heard that it's better to have a separate grinder, not the combined one with coffee maker because such models are rather often bad in their quality :decaf:

 

[Bohan]

Capresso Stainless Steel Burr Grinder ($80)...

I just ordered the Capresso "Coffee Burr Grinder" model 591.05. Many online stores sell it which is what attracted me to it. It has a disk burr, not a conical burr. That means it's louder, it creates static that makes some grinds cling to the container, it heats the coffee up more, and it's cheaper. Since you're pouring hot water over the coffee, I wonder how much the heating from the grinder really matters. I'd like to see a taste test on that. I'm hoping the "upper burr" which sounds like it's made of carbon steel, grinds the beans against ceramic or steel rather than plastic. If it grinds against plastic I'm probably returning it. I should have emailed the company or asked on Amazon before I bought it.

 

[shadow745]

I just ordered the Capresso "Coffee Burr Grinder" model 591.05. Many online stores sell it which is what attracted me to it. It has a disk burr, not a conical burr. That means it's louder, it creates static that makes some grinds cling to the container, it heats the coffee up more, and it's cheaper. Since you're pouring hot water over the coffee, I wonder how much the heating from the grinder really matters. I'd like to see a taste test on that. I'm hoping the "upper burr" which sounds like it's made of carbon steel, grinds the beans against ceramic or steel rather than plastic. If it grinds against plastic I'm probably returning it. I should have emailed the company or asked on Amazon before I bought it.

The grinder you bought will surely have this burr type attached in pic. They are just OK, but a step up from blade 'grinding' for sure. They spin at high speed to spit the grounds out quickly without a lot of precision and usually a lot of static. The nubs on the burrs actually do most of the grinding. The burrs are steel though... Some people use a small file to sharpen all the edges and swear it makes them much better.

 

[Bohan]

The grinder you bought will surely have this burr type attached in pic. They are just OK, but a step up from blade 'grinding' for sure. They spin at high speed to spit the grounds out quickly without a lot of precision and usually a lot of static. The nubs on the burrs actually do most of the grinding. The burrs are steel though... Some people use a small file to sharpen all the edges and swear it makes them much better.

View attachment 7870

Unfortunately, mine didn't work so I had to return it. The timer worked but it only caused the light to shut off at the selected time. The motor never started. I think there's a coating on the steel burr that can wear off and get in the coffee. I'm guessing that plain stainless steel would be too soft, but the coating bothers me a little and it may have already been worn when I received it (see picture). They supposedly test each one with coffee. Maybe that's what did it.



I didn't really want to spend more than that, and I'm unsure about the quality of the hand grinders, plus the minutes of grinding per serving may get annoying. I'm not worried about the heat of blades and I figure I can strain out the fines with a tea strainer. I'm still thinking about it.

 

[shadow745]

There are lots of lower end/cost hand mills from Hario, Kyocera, etc. Many have ceramic conical burrs and will be much better than the cheap electrics. Can't comment on speed as I've never used any of those. I have two vintage hand mills, both cylindrical (not typical box type) that have high quality tool steel conical burr sets. One is a copper KyM and the other is a brass PeDe. They are designed for espresso range grinding (rare and desirable) as they are stepless and have a small capacity. Both are 40+ years old and still work really well. I can grind 18 grams for espresso in about 90 turns, which takes maybe 30 seconds. Keep in mind that the faster the grind for hand mills the more aggressive the burr design/feeding. Only issue is some may lack the hand strength to accomplish this. That is why some hand mills can take minutes to grind a decent volume, but easier to crank.

 

[mayphacaphegiare]

There are lots of lower end/cost hand mills from Delonghi, hario,breville ...

 

[hellohomebrew]

I wonder if the burrs on electronic grinders are better can they apply that to hand grinders?

 

[MikeLoeven]

The grinder you bought will surely have this burr type attached in pic. They are just OK, but a step up from blade 'grinding' for sure. They spin at high speed to spit the grounds out quickly without a lot of precision and usually a lot of static. The nubs on the burrs actually do most of the grinding. The burrs are steel though... Some people use a small file to sharpen all the edges and swear it makes them much better.

View attachment 7870

Yeah I have a Cuisinart DBM-8 same type of grinder and I can attest to the static issue. I had to line my basket with tinfoil to address this