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Best Coffee Maker

If you're talking about espresso, there are a number of entry level machines. As a low priced entry level espresso machine, when ratings are done, the De Longhi Retro gets the best ratings in it's price range...$100-$200. I have had several De Longhi's and for the price they are great.

A step up and the Gaggia Baby Class (~$600, but you can get it for less) and the Rancilio Silvia are generally highly rated. The Silvia is not user friendly and is fussy and hard to learn to use (but those that do love it!), but very well made with superior materials. I have the Gaggia, also well made and easy to use.

Remember, in DECENDING order of importance, great espresso needs:

Great beans
The best grinder (never the one with blades...a conical burr grinder)
A proper tamp... proper pressure for the grind and the machine (get a steel tamper, the plastic one are useless)
and finally...the machine.

My suggestion, if you are going to be making espresso, is get a less expensive machine, a very good grinder (at least 30 settings), and spend your money on GREAT BEANS!!!

The best $3000 machine with a $1000 grinder will make crappy coffee if the beans are crappy (GIGO). A mediocre machine, with properly ground and tamped SUPERIOR coffee beans will make a very good espresso.

BTW: I don't know diddly about cappuccino or latte (I only drink straight espresso), so I can't give any help in use of the streamer.

Finally, a terrific source of information about coffee in general, and espresso specially, try the website www.sweetmarias.com.

Have fun and enjoy whatever soffee you decide to use.:D
 
filmbuff said:
The best coffee maker ever, if you really like coffee, is the Starbucks Barista. It's no longer in production so you have to look for one on eBay; they run about $75-100 for a good one.

Image
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Bought this at a thrift store a few months ago for $15. Actually, new they went for around $250 or more. I was surprised how good it works and how great the coffee tastes. A french press also makes rich tasting coffee with less hassle.
 
For straight up coffee, IMHO nothing beats a Bodum french press. For espresso, I swear by Bialetti stove top espresso makers. Now, if you are more the Gizmo kind of guy I would say either a jura or nothing.... jura is the Miele of coffee makers IMHO...
 
Shrink said:
If you're talking about espresso, there are a number of entry level machines. As a low priced entry level espresso machine, when ratings are done, the De Longhi Retro gets the best ratings in it's price range...$100-$200. I have had several De Longhi's and for the price they are great.

A step up and the Gaggia Baby Class (~$600, but you can get it for less) and the Rancilio Silvia are generally highly rated. The Silvia is not user friendly and is fussy and hard to learn to use (but those that do love it!), but very well made with superior materials. I have the Gaggia, also well made and easy to use.

Remember, in DECENDING order of importance, great espresso needs:

Great beans
The best grinder (never the one with blades...a conical burr grinder)
A proper tamp... proper pressure for the grind and the machine (get a steel tamper, the plastic one are useless)
and finally...the machine.

My suggestion, if you are going to be making espresso, is get a less expensive machine, a very good grinder (at least 30 settings), and spend your money on GREAT BEANS!!!

The best $3000 machine with a $1000 grinder will make crappy coffee if the beans are crappy (GIGO). A mediocre machine, with properly ground and tamped SUPERIOR coffee beans will make a very good espresso.

BTW: I don't know diddly about cappuccino or latte (I only drink straight espresso), so I can't give any help in use of the streamer.

Finally, a terrific source of information about coffee in general, and espresso specially, try the website www.sweetmarias.com.

Have fun and enjoy whatever soffee you decide to use.:D
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Trust me folks...This guy REALLY knows his coffee...:)
 
Macman45 said:
Trust me folks...This guy REALLY knows his coffee...:)
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Yes, need to keep that in mind when buying my next machine. And it reminds me on this little fellow from TV :D:
 

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Maybe OP should state what kind of coffee making he has in mind. There are so many ways to make a good cup of coffee.
If it should be rather cheap: buy a grinder (an electric burr grinder as mentioned earlier) and a french press. That, and buy good beans, not at a supermarket but in a coffee store. Cheap beans (and commercially ultrafast roasted) are the biggest mistake in coffee.

(I for myself love my WMF 800 black full-automatic coffeemaker... ;-) )
 
fwhh said:
Maybe OP should state what kind of coffee making he has in mind. There are so many ways to make a good cup of coffee.
If it should be rather cheap: buy a grinder (an electric burr grinder as mentioned earlier) and a french press. That, and buy good beans, not at a supermarket but in a coffee store. Cheap beans (and commercially ultrafast roasted) are the biggest mistake in coffee.

(I for myself love my WMF 800 black full-automatic coffeemaker... ;-) )
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Excellent points made. Supermarket coffee is almost always Robusta beans, very nasty stuff. If you're going to spend money on beans, I suggest looking at illy brand beans... for drip, press, or espresso. Very expensive, but, IMO, worth it.
 
Illy is a good brand - but you can get it in supermarkets too :confused:.

Studied with the son who drank his own brand..should be a good sign too. Usually I buy Lavazza..but for no special reason.
 
twietee said:
Illy is a good brand - but you can get it in supermarkets too :confused:.

Studied with the son who drank his own brand..should be a good sign too. Usually I buy Lavazza..but for no special reason.
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You can't get illy in the supermarket. Unless you're lucky enough to live near a gourmet shop which stocks it, you have to order it...adding shipping costs to the already heady price.

A lot of folks swear by Lavazza, so it's a matter of taste (and pocketbook). Many of the Lavazza blends have more Robusta in them for my taste... I prefer 100% Arabica. But all of this is totally subjective - if you like Lavazza, then it's fine for you!:D

EDIT: In the spirit of full disclosure...I am a total lunatic regarding coffee. I used to use illy, but now...wait for it...I roast my own beans. I thought it only fair that you know what kind of nut you are dealing with!!
 
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Shrink said:
You can't get illy in the supermarket. Unless you're lucky enough to live near a gourmet shop which stocks it, you have to order it...adding shipping costs to the already heady price.

A lot of folks swear by Lavazza, so it's a matter of taste (and pocketbook). Many of the Lavazza blends have more Robusta in them for my taste... I prefer 100% Arabica. But all of this is totally subjective - if you like Lavazza, then it's fine for you!:D
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Well, I'm living ~3h from Italy so maybe that's why Illy is in some of the supermarkets here. Agreed - 100% Arabica is the way to go..actually I'm about to make one now..this thread is exquisit! :D



re your edit: Good! A lot of my friends do that too..I think they're showing off/exaggerating but I'd do that roasting too just for the ritual - and the smell! Maybe I'll ask you some questions later on as I'm in the process of figuring out which machine to get.
 
twietee said:
Well, I'm living ~3h from Italy so maybe that's why Illy is in some of the supermarkets here. Agreed - 100% Arabica is the way to go..actually I'm about to make one now..this thread is exquisit! :D
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WOW, are you lucky to be able to get illy in the supermarket. Here in the States, the stuff in the supermarkets is all Robusta...and the pre-ground is WAY past it's prime...stale crap that tastes like burnt tires (tyres, for you out-of-towners ;) )
 
It's ~30€ /kg = 38$ for Illy. How much do you have to pay? That brand always gives me a good feeling as they are sponsoring my old school - and make good coffee.

And I just remembered the brand a friend suggested for a machine: Baresta. What do you think in general about those?
 
twietee said:
It's ~30€ /kg = 38$ for Illy. How much do you have to pay? That brand always gives me a good feeling as they are sponsoring my old school - and make good coffee.

And I just remembered the brand a friend suggested for a machine: Baresta. What do you think in general about those?
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Sorry, I don't know anything about Baresta. If your friend likes it, than it's probably worth a look.

I paid about $25 (€15.60))/kg, plus $9.00 (€7.02) shipping, totaling about $34.00 (€26.53)/kg.

I don't know if you have VAT where you live, but that might explain some of the difference in price. It's surprising to me that it costs less here per kilo (excluding shipping) than across the pond...unless it's the VAT as I mentioned.
 
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Shrink said:
I paid about $25 (€15.60))/kg, plus $9.00 (€7.02) shipping, totaling about $34.00 (€26.53)/kg.
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VAT is included..19%. But that's what I pay at the supermarket, online it's less of course. But have to check that, maybe I'm wrong here. As I said I usually buy Lavazza and there 1kg is about 17€ (21$) incl. VAT. I'll look that up later.
 
twietee said:
VAT is included..19%. But that's what I pay at the supermarket, online it's less of course. But have to check that, maybe I'm wrong here. As I said I usually buy Lavazza and there 1kg is about 17€ (21$) incl. VAT. I'll look that up later.
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Lavazza is very popular, and is always mentioned when excellent coffees are discussed. I don't know if the particular blend you buy includes much Robusta...small amounts are often included in espresso blend because it beefs up the crema. For me, anything more than 5-7% Robusta effects the taste negatively. As mentioned, I prefer 100% Arabica, even though, all other things being equal, it does not produce the same thickness of crema as Robusta.

And, at the end of the day, it's all a matter of individual taste...there are certainly no rights or wrongs in such a subjective area as coffee.:D
 
Shrink said:
Excellent points made. Supermarket coffee is almost always Robusta beans, very nasty stuff. If you're going to spend money on beans, I suggest looking at illy brand beans... for drip, press, or espresso. Very expensive, but, IMO, worth it.
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Sorry, I can not fully support your argument. In Germany most supermarket coffee is mainly arabica coffee. Generally speaking, arabica coffee is more pleasent to drink, BUT there are quite excellent robusta beans as well as there are awful arabicas. Check your local coffee supplier for a premium pure javanese robusa coffee and be surprised!
If you have a coffee shop (no, not like those in the nederlands!) near by, check if they have coffee which was roasted in the shop or in a small local company. The use much more roasting time compared to the industrial roasted coffee, resulting in a richer flavor.
If you have no real coffee shop near by, Illy is quite a good choice. ;-)

A good starting point is -as always- not buying the cheap stuff. Remember that they a cheap for a reason. And don't spend too much, "blue mountain" may be great, but it's not worth it for every day use. (And its still cheaper than buying your daily cup at starbucks...)
 
Shrink said:
I don't know if the particular blend you buy includes much Robusta...small amounts are often included in espresso blend because it beefs up the crema.
Click to expand...

Think I've the Caffècrema (70/30) at home..but it's nearly finished so I'll give 100% a shot.

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Happybunny said:
Hey there is nothing wrong with our coffee shops! :D
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Hands down - no competition! :D
 
fwhh said:
Sorry, I can not fully support your argument. In Germany most supermarket coffee is mainly arabica coffee. Generally speaking, arabica coffee is more pleasent to drink, BUT there are quite excellent robusta beans as well as there are awful arabicas. Check your local coffee supplier for a premium pure javanese robusa coffee and be surprised!
If you have a coffee shop (no, not like those in the nederlands!) near by, check if they have coffee which was roasted in the shop or in a small local company. The use much more roasting time compared to the industrial roasted coffee, resulting in a richer flavor.
If you have no real coffee shop near by, Illy is quite a good choice. ;-)

A good starting point is -as always- not buying the cheap stuff. Remember that they a cheap for a reason. And don't spend too much, "blue mountain" may be great, but it's not worth it for every day use. (And its still cheaper than buying your daily cup at starbucks...)
Click to expand...

As far as my comments about supermarket coffee, I was ONLY referring to those in the States. I sorry if I didn't make that clear. I'm sure that the supermarkets in other countries are very different from the one's here.

I would also agree that the very best Robusta is as good as, or perhaps superior to, the very worst Arabica. Once again, I must mention that we are talking about a very subjective area...taste (literal and figurative!). I would never suggest that there is TRUTH here, just each individual's preferences.

OT: I'm concerned about the coffee shop situation in the Netherlands. I'm reading about restrictions being placed on them...especially the part about excluding tourists and visitors from having access. I recall with great fondness (a little blurry, but fondness) my visit to Amsterdam many years ago and a delightful visit to a coffee shop around the corner from my hotel.:p
 
Shrink said:
OT: I'm concerned about the coffee shop situation in the Netherlands. I'm reading about restrictions being placed on them...especially the part about excluding tourists and visitors from having access. I recall with great fondness (a little blurry, but fondness) my visit to Amsterdam many years ago and a delightful visit to a coffee shop around the corner from my hotel.:p
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Still OT.:cool:
The coffee shops of Amsterdam are not effected by the Wiet Pass.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wietpas

The whole law looks like it could be thrown out in 2013.:D
 
twietee said:
Think I've the Caffècrema (70/30) at home..but it's nearly finished so I'll give 100% a shot.[?QUOTE]

Just a quick suggestion since you said that you were shopping for a coffee machine.

If it's an espresso machine you seek, be sure to check the warm up time! Some machines (e.g. Rancilio Silvia) ) take up to 30-40 minutes to warm up. Not convenient for that first morning coffee.

The Gaggia Baby Class takes 6 minutes. Even less as you can use the machine as soon as the Ready light is on (about 2 minutes.) I suggest waiting the 6 minutes so that the brew group and the portafilter get hot.

One note on the Gaggia...if you use the steamer to make cappuccino, almost all the reviews are very negative about the Gaggia steam wand. It is not an issue for me as I only drink espresso,and , therefore, never use the steamer. Just a caveat...:D

Addendum: I can't emphasize enough the usefulness of www.sweetmarias.com as as resource for all information about coffee, machines, grinders...just about everything coffee related. Check out the "Library".
Click to expand...
 
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