please help suggest a quality commercial espresso machine!

[ElPugDiablo]

given the senerio of trying all different machines with all different coffee(s) ( assuming you arn't going to be so foresightfull to bring your coffee: are you?)

You are going to be comaring apples to oranges, and pears, and kiwis, and cantilope. Each coffee can be different in each machine. Ita takes a skilled person ( professional) to set up the gring and time for each machine, grinder and coffee combinations varie from place to place and machines to machines.

I would rather have the local suport and support of my roaster. I can make killer espresso with any prosumer, commercial or most any machine but it'll take me time to get it to perfection.

I roast; therfore I am.

That is a very good point, you should expect support from your roaster. If your roaster carries espresso machine, and carries the espresso machine you want.

And yes I'd bring my own beans because I know my beans, I know what I want them to taste like, and anyone who is going to open a coffeehouse need to know what his/her espresso should taste like. Furthermore, when buying one of the main equipment for the coffeehouse he or she should do so with upmost hands on experience. I just bought a back up machine 3 months ago. I went to a large distributor in my area and I tried all machines in the showroom that were within my price range including Spaziale, Cimbali, Nuova Simonelli, Faema and Rancilio. I use the same steepless Macap grinder that he special ordered from Macap so that the grind quality is the same. I spent a lot of time pulling shots, taste and adjusting grinder, when I sorted through all of them I bought what I thought was the best for me. I think it is a fairly decent apple to apple comparison.

If the excuse for not doing so is it takes a skilled person to adjust a grinder and get use to a new machine. Well, if a person is going to open a shop this person is going to be a professional. Shouldn't this person know how to do all the things that are required in order to be a professional?

As a roaster, did you buy your IR-3 based on green beans suppliers' recommendation, or did you try one out to see if it is the machine for you? And as a roaster, how do you buy your green beans? Do you roast and cup samples from different suppliers or do you rely on the support of one supplier?

 

[morrisn]

I hate lever type, especially Nuova Simonelli's full on or full off only type, so as much as I like Aurelia's other features

While Nuova Simonelli does have the option of full on or full off when the lever is pulled down it also has the option of full operator control if you push up on the lever. Personally having used both lever and knob controls I find the lever much easier to use with more control.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

I hate lever type, especially Nuova Simonelli's full on or full off only type, so as much as I like Aurelia's other features

While Nuova Simonelli does have the option of full on or full off when the lever is pulled down it also has the option of full operator control if you push up on the lever. Personally having used both lever and knob controls I find the lever much easier to use with more control.

You are correct about push up on the lever. My problem with such mode is that one hand has to be on the lever at all time. My idiosyncrasy is that I steam milk with both hands on the pitcher. The lever on other machines seem to allow users to take hand off the lever while having less than full steam.