Astoria big gulp?

[eldub]

Greetings..

Anyone have any experience or comments on the Astoria line of coffee machines? I recently came upon a solid looking used offering at a nice price of the Astoria Big Gulp 2 group espresso machine. I'm intrigued at the possibility of pulling shots into tall cups.

Anyone have any comments or concerns on the model in question?

Is the tall cup feature worth pursuing?

From their website: The Astoria Big Gulp SAE 2 automatic espresso/cappuccino machine features an incredibly high clearance from the cup drip tray to the tip of the brewing spouts. The Big Gulp allows the operator to brew the espresso shots directly into a serving cup as large as 24 ounces.

Thanks,

scott

 

[shadow745]

Astoria has a reputation for being good/solid workhorses. Never used one so no comments from me.

IMHSO any shop owner serious about espresso/espresso based drinks wouldn't offer 24 oz. drinks. I do understand the point of giving people what they want, but when in business I never went over 16 oz. cups unless customers had their own larger travel mug. I really wanted to cap the size limit to 12 oz. but 16 wasn't too bad and definitely the most popular size in our area.

 

[eldub]

I'm primarily interested in offering up to 16 oz drinks. (Don't want to have to provide seat belts to keep jittery customers in their seats after a 24 oz pull. hehe)

I guess my real question comes down to the logistics of offering 16 oz cups from a machine with "normal" head clearance. Is it that big of deal to pull a shot and then transfer into larger container?

Thanks,

scott

 

[shadow745]

Pulling right into the serving cup is ideal because no crema is wasted, less cleanup, etc. but this should only be done if you have a clear view of when to stop extracting. If not, then bell pitchers/shot glasses should be used, then poured into the serving cup.

 

[eldub]

How big of a cup can a person pull a shot into before resorting to a bell pitcher with the standard LM or NS espresso machines?

lw

 

[shadow745]

With the Aurelia a 16 oz. cup was no problem, height wise or being able to clearly watch each extraction. Been awhile since I used the LM machines, but I'd say maybe a 12 oz. cup on them. Keep in mind that cup size varies with volume being equal. My personal favorite hot cup is the Dart Fusion and they are a bit shorter/wider mouth.

 

[eldub]

Thanks again.

I now owe you an entire bottle of adult beverages.

 

[shadow745]

Well thanks for the offer, but I never bother with "adult beverages" as I get all the high I need from espresso. Like other forum members, I just try to help when/where I can based on opinion and experience.

 

[eldub]

LOL I'm not big on alcohol either. However I've always figured I was in the minority on that one.

lw

 

[ellenkarty]

Pulling right into the serving cup is ideal because no crema is wasted, less cleanup, etc.




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[shadow745]

Provided you have a clear line of sight to see exactly what the extraction is producing. Unless you're one of those that believes in volumetric/timed dosing, pushes a button and walks away.... No further comment!