"Best Lifetime Coffeemaker?" and that "Coffee-cart before the horse coffee thing?"
Bruce, I'm going to say up front, that I appreciate your question. Selfishly, I'm going to use this opportunity to "soapbox" a bit. As legitimate as asking for "Best Anything" may be, I've always believed that it should be preceeded with a good foundation in the art, science and application of the subject, as well as the inquisitor's background, current setup and future needs; all this prior to addressing the question. I'm afraid this is almost a blog..... not a reply. And for that, I apologize up front.
So Bruce, I was confused with your post; not fully understanding the "written short-hand" you used. For example, you used the terms and phrases, "coffeemaker", "...great CUP of coffee", "automate the process...", "good frothing for creme (maybe you meant crema?), and the metal qualifier "stainless steel", but never spoke to what type of "brewing method" you preferred, or specifically what beverages you wanted from your dream machine. I'm surprised noone else asked you to add more details to your post? Again, I think I just missed something here.
It does appear that you've traveled, possibly to Italy. And one of your baselines for "good coffee beverages" might be the Northern Italian demitasse espresso, served in a variety of shops, and by street vendors. Most people that have been to Europe ask me about "duplicating" that taste. And because our family is Brasilian, on my wife's side, our friends include Italian-Argentineans, who are the first ones to put me to the test when they find out I'm involved in specialty coffee. And the three drinks that I'm most asked about would be the straight espresso, cappuccino, and the Americano. All three can be made with an "Espresso Machine." But there are so many other brewing methods for the enjoyment of coffee. And I'm wondering if your interests also include drip/pour over, and other ways to extract those essentials oils from the grounds?
Regarding that "lifetime machine..." When someone asks for a "coffeemaker for life"...... I have to smile. That's like the inclusion of "for better or worse, for richer or....", well, you get the idea. I'm afraid we Americans are more into shorter and shorter replacement cycles, both with our appliances and, unfortunately for some, our mates! Just like the cars that I've owed over the years, my list of coffee brewing equipment is almost as long! I'll add that my progression in coffee brewing gear started with single boiler machines and blade grinders, went to heat exchanger espresso machines and cheap burr grinders, and ultimately double boiler espresso machines and commercial burr grinders. It was a progression. And I learned more about coffee as I started from incompetency to what I jokingly say now is moderate OK'ism. And that's just espresso brewing, not my side adventures into drip brewing, which included the Capressa MT500. BTW, Technivorm is a drip brewing device, not an espresso brewing machine. I saw that come up in one reply.
Interestingly, I'm seeing responses that look more like you want an espresso brewing device. I think that's because you name a number of super-auto espresso machine manufacturers. Or maybe I'm still not getting it? Could you want a super-auto combination drip/espresso machine? And then, on top of everything else, your comment about $1k to $2k for a "serious coffee maker" is another issue. If serious refers to "well made" and "meeting brewing standards set by organizations like SCAA"..... well, we in the industry can barely do that with setups costing $10,000. And it's not for lack of good equipment, it's because of our striving to achieve a mastery over the choice of green beans, roasting, and brewing of coffee. The accepted solution is to "de-centralize" the grinding and brewing functions... and that's just the starting point. THEN comes decisions on which machines to examine.
And the disdain you hear when "super-automatic" machines are mentioned, again, it's based on the understanding of just how critical the many variables are in brewing coffee. It starts with the choice of beans, how and when they're roasting, how they're stored, and exactly when you grind the beans. Then comes the science of coffee brewing as pertains to the grinder! And even that's an over-simplication.
My point is..... while I appreciate your quest, it would be much easier for me, (I know, that sounds rather self-centered), to better follow this thread, if you talked more specifically about your current grinding and brewing equipment, what finished beverages you enjoy, and what you've been using for coffee? When family and friends start complaining about their daily coffee at home, or they ask about "best machines, coffee, etc.", I first ask them what they know about coffee. If they're interested, I'll share some background information about coffee, the origins of coffee, the farming and harvesting, grading, roasting, and the preparation and brewing processes. It sounds tedious, but without an understanding of the product and what occurs during the processing, it's hard to address "best equipment." I didn't see much of that, and it's possible you do have a deeper background in coffee than appears in your post. (?)
Again, my apologies for using this thread to, somewhat, vent. We all have to set our priorities in life, and for most, just getting to the "nitty gritty" is understandable. But it's much like sitting with one's doctor who needs to explain coronary heart disease, or diabetis, before discussing one's specific treatment options. Sometimes you just can't jump into the solution without spending as much time discussing the very foundation and elements that will make up the solution.
OK now....... let go the "Wrath of Tongues" as they will probably befall me for my diatribe! :?
