Espresso machine or fresh beans in a drip system?

[txaggie9307]

Hey guys,

I had my first good cup of espresso at my buddies house last week and he has an nespresso pixy machine . What I like about his machine is how easy and quick it is.

Do you guys have any recommendations on a good automatic espresso machine?

Lastly, I have never ground my own beans and would like to try some to start out. I have always gravitated towards Starbucks espresso ground coffee. Any suggestions on a similar favor profile?

 

[webmost]

I do espresso every day. Mix it half and half with hot half and half. Use one of these one-cup Italian espresso pots. There's nothing simpler and easier than these. Get one at any department store.

 

[Fitze55]

Hi Kris -

I hope you have been well.

The nespresso pixy machine is similar to what I use which is the Francis Francis Y1. Like the nespresso it is a capsule espresso system. I have been very happy with it during my 3 years of ownership.

In a pinch it does the job. I believe from Illy you can get the machince for $125 if you commit to one year of home coffee delivery.

nespresso and Illy are the big kids on the block so I don't think you could go wrong with either. nespresso has much larger coffee selection whereas Illy has 4-6 different coffee capsule options.

I also have various french presses, moka pots and my drip machine. All have a place in my coffee habit.

 

[thejavaman]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but a moka pot and/or an automatic "espresso" machine that uses pods is nowhere near true Italian espresso. If you're happy drinking it, that's all that matters though.

 

[Sprouthog]

Hey guys,

I had my first good cup of espresso at my buddies house last week and he has an nespresso pixy machine . What I like about his machine is how easy and quick it is.

Do you guys have any recommendations on a good automatic espresso machine?

Lastly, I have never ground my own beans and would like to try some to start out. I have always gravitated towards Starbucks espresso ground coffee. Any suggestions on a similar favor profile?

I have a Breville but there are many good machines. Check out reviews on consumerresearch.com or amazon reviews. Also 2nds or remans can be had at a fraction of retail price. Get a good burl grinder and grind your own. They will stay fresher as whole bean. Espresso or French are the go to roasts for espresso. You can run any beans through the machine but flavors are strongest with those beans.

Have you looked at the toddy? Several friends have them and love them.

 

[wookiemofo]

I walked this line years back before I made my investment. It's my opinion that if you want easy espresso without the fuss and don't mind spending a bit more get a nespresso machine. The Aerocinno's that they sell with them will give you move consistent micro foam them any high end machine will until you learn the ropes.

If you still want a machine, start with an entry level Gaggia or Rancillo, and a good grinder. It's all going to set you back more then a few dollars. But know that if you carry on with the habit, you're going to want/need to upgrade to a better machine. Something like a $1500 Anita and a $700 Mazzer grinder.

It's a very expensive ordeal, but I made the jump over 8 years ago and it's paid for itself.

I had the nespresso machine for a summer and decided I wanted the real thing.

 

[Fitze55]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but a moka pot and/or an automatic "espresso" machine that uses pods is nowhere near true Italian espresso. If you're happy drinking it, that's all that matters though.

Your right. That's the thing though. I don't have the time nor want to spend the $ to get a proper espresso machine.

For the couple hundred bucks the Illy machine fits my desire to have a shot or double in under 10 minutes.

 

[NCost]

I bought a machine 8+ years ago and it's paid for itself in the years of use. I paid $450 at the time as it's a manual type machine but is well worth it. No reason to spend $700 on a burr grinder when they can be had for $60 all day long. You just need it to be adjustable and replaceable grinders. Mine is pretty worn, but I spent $49 on it when I bought the machine and still works great. Just don't use a blade grinder.

 

[wookiemofo]

You do have a good point, i got my $700 burr grinder used for $400. I think when it comes down to it, the higher end machines should be paired with the higher end grinders. For one reason only, if you are going to drop the coin on a high end machine, chance are you are in the business of fine tuning your setup. And that means you want a grinder that will constantly output a high quality grind, something with a stepless setting.

Bottom line, we all enjoy the liquid and there are multiple means to achieve it.

Perhaps an aeropress would work? Paired with a Hario hand grinder.

Pretty popular setup, and quite mobile.