Ok about to pull the trigger on a Classic.
Before anyone says 'try this one instead'. I had a Classic for years and loved it (I think I paid £120 for it) however it scaled up then imploded through lack of maintenance. I tried a Cubika and loathed it.
Anyway- cheapest online now is £249 
Anyone know of anywhere doing them cheaper?!!!! Its a very basic machine
I got that down by 25 quid by using Google.
Debenhams online plus voucher code PG7D = £200
Forget it won't work with kitchen appliances.
Hora, did you ever manage to get a decent crema from your classic? I have one and I'm struggling, tips please!!
Happy Donkey sell a frother attachment off a Rancilio that fits a Clasic.
I just make sure I've given the steam element long enough to warm up.
amazon £200 delivered
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaggia-Classic-Machine-Professional-Stainless/dp/B0000C72XS/
Cheers bigjohn, milk is fine, it's the coffee 
Hora, did you ever manage to get a decent crema from your classic? I have one and I'm struggling, tips please!!
BigJohn - have you a link to that attachment? Might make a good Xmas pressie for me
I was looking recently and saw refurbed classic for £175 - google refurbished gaggia classic (think it was whoever 'deals'/services gaggia in the uk now) - didnt look further as went for a rancillio in the end (I loathed my cubika that I had for my 1st machine and I was too afraid that I'd also hate the classic to shell out for it when I know I really wanted the silvia)
doc_blues. They are like night and day. I even tried taking the Cubika back to the shop (I know I know).
Interested to hear more on the Rancillio though. Might as well incase the competition is 'better'..
Try contacting Steamer Trading cook shops in Lewes. They have an outlet store and discount the demo models and shop display models.
I bought a Kitchen Aid blender for £80 notes last week brand spanking new.
Tim
http://www.steamer.co.uk/index.php?pageid=our_stores
The outlet one otherwise it'll be RRP.
Not sur eif they post though.
Tim
Edit £ for £ the Classic looks a good weigh-in against the Rancillio?
Anyone have experience of both?
Got my Gaggia Baby Twin from here
http://www.coffeeitalia.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=gaggia_classic_
Hora, did you ever manage to get a decent crema from your classic? I have one and I'm struggling, tips please!!
Don't use the double basket and use fresh beans.
I have no problem with the double basket. Fresh beans are a must (try HasBean) and bear in mind that different beans/blends will give differing quality/amount of crema. Equally important to a good crema are grind and tamping pressure.
These are great for consistent tamping pressure.
Hmm well I have always struggled - using the double basket is fine *if* it is full, but the coffee is too strong for my taste when full and it is when not fully filled that I struggle with crema.
My problem is that the single basket isn't *quite* strong enough either so all this led me back to where I bought it from (Peter Matturi in Harrogate - same price as anywhere on the interweb at the time) and he said mine is a common problem. Unfortunately he wasn't aware of a basket somewhere between the two sizes which would fix my problem.
So in conclusion - the double basket is fine if you like stronger coffee or are making for two people.
Double espresso for me, so a full basket and no problems with strength!
Double basket, fresh tin of illy and almost a cm of crema mmmm
Yeah that is my problem - I have tried lots of different beans and have settled on Whittards' Guatemalan Elephant (for the time being) and getting the balance just right has proved very difficult - especially as when I overfill the single basket the grounds stick to the plate.
I might try the double basket again at the weekend and jump up and down on the coffee to tamp it down enough (yes I already have a good heavy metal tamper).
Like MM, I've never had an issue with Illy in the double basket. It's the coffee not the machine.
Like MM, I've never had an issue with Illy in the double basket. It's the coffee not the machine.
it fills with water then squirts coffee out really quickly.
The grind is probably too coarse. Do you grind your own? Water should never 'squirt' out, even if you short-fill the double basket.
Yes I do - with a Dualit burr grinder set on the finest setting.
The coffee shop owner ground some coffee for me at a much finer setting using the shop grinder and it wouldn't push through. I accept there may be a point in between the two where the coffee doesn't squirt but it DOES come out.
hora - the cubika (fisrt machine, bought on ebay) was replaced with a saeco via venizzia - they were like chalk and cheese and I was pretty happy for 18 months with the saeco (once I'd doctored the portafilter to remove the pressurisation on it) - you could pull a decent shot of coffee through it. 9 months of hard use whilst I was off work saw it die a noble death.
the rancillio - well thats a whole different league in comparisson (but should be at about £200 more) - very very pleased with it. it has been pretty easy to pull satisfactory shots thorough it so far, even usung non descript espresso beans from waitrose. I'm going to order something from hasbean or borrow some from the deli down the road who roasts his own to see what it is like with other beans. Main issues were getting the grind right from my isomac and havent had much success with creating microfoam yet (but I tend to drink black anyway so not too bothered).... build is solid, buttons have a great clunk to them that I like.
if you were to buy...I'd recommend the guys at hasbean...ordered and was dispatched within the hour, with me 9am next day... have heard bad things about places like coffeeitalia etc (but never used them myself)
The coffee shop owner ground some coffee for me at a much finer setting using the shop grinder and it wouldn't push through. I accept there may be a point in between the two where the coffee doesn't squirt but it DOES come out.
This is where you need to adjust your tamp pressure, i.e. how hard you press down on the coffee. A shot should take 25-30 seconds...any less and the grind is too coarse and/or the tamp isn't firm enough, any more and the opposite is true.
Sorry for the hijack, i want a coffe machine, but not looking to spend hundreds on one. What do I need to look for/avoid?
ta
Rusty - I push as hard as I can on it and it is fine with the single hopper or a full double one. I haven't got the money to spend on a new grinder unfortunately.
Ohh and the coffee shop-ground coffee wouldn't come out even if I didn't tamp at all!
Well you're happy with the results for the single basket anyhow, so I guess it's kinda a moot point
Well *sort of* happy - it isn't quite strong enough and I usually overfill it causing grinds to stick to the filter plate on the machine or not being able to fit the handle on properly. I could really do with a 1.5 sized basket for my taste.
Ok, then switch to double espressos and MTFU! Well, this is STW...
Hi.
I've got a Baby D for sale if anyone is interested.
Recently been de-scaled and used once since. Dont
use it anymore, and is taking up precious worktop
space.
Ok, then switch to double espressos and MTFU! Well, this is STW...
So, without wanting to start a new thread, what grinder should I get for superior performance than my Dualit?
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