MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Sorry for the very STW thread but I think I'm looking for a decent bean to cup coffee machine as I've ran out of ideas for things to ask for as christmas approaches, plus I'm getting bored of instant. I'm not gonna ask for anything extortionate like a Gaggia or something, budget is probably £100-150 if that'd get me anything good? google doesn't seem to have been too helpful this time. Something with a steamer on it would be useful.
I may just go for a nespresso but I've always found the coffee from my dads one a bit bitter, have they got any better yet?
The delonghi machines for about £45 are excellent. Just get some decent ground coffee. Way way better than any of that nespreso/ tassimo nonsense and unlimited choice. You will get the usual stovetop, cafetiere and aero press advice around here though....
My Mrs bought me one of [url= http://www.johnlewis.com/cuisinart-dgb900bcu-grind-and-brew/p230880816?sku=230880816&kpid=230880816&s_kenid=62270dfb-8a95-3d08-52ff-00001a9ed134&s_kwcid=402x31143&tmad=c&tmcampid=73&kpid=230880816 ]these[/url] last Christmas from John Lewis. It makes a good cup of black coffee (it' doesn't make poncy cappucinos or any of that nonsense). It took a bit of trial and error to get it producing coffee exactly how I like it, and if you don't make more than a half pot it doesn't stay warm for hours in the insulated flask.
I like the timer feature because I can get up to fresh coffee in the morning. It does what it says on the tin, without much fuss.
I have a bean-to-cup machine (a discounted Delonghi Magnifica that was about £300 I think) here in my London flat. My wife thought that sort of money was extravagent for a coffee maker but wouldn't be parted from it now. Previously we used a Krups grinder and a normal filter machine and that gave decent results but the bean-to-cup is definitely better as well as faster. I've seen cheaper bean-to-cup machines occasionally but I've no experience with them.
We have a Tassimo machine in our Edinburgh place and with the right coffee that's also decent enough. We've found the selection of coffee's for it in the UK a bit restricted but there were better ones in the supermarkets in France so tend to buy in bulk when we're over there.
Obviously personal choice here, but I prefer Nespresso to anything else and the convenience factor cannot be ignored. My bean to cup machine got used once a week if it was lucky, but the Nespresso machine churns out coffee every single day without fail. It's the closest to maintenance free you can get for a decent cup of coffee.
As for the actual coffee, there are literally dozens of Nespresso blends to cover all tastes and many of them are certainly not bitter. I can't stand bitter coffee and wouldn't entertain one if it was.
I've just had a look on the Argos site (I got my discounted machine from Argos) and they're listing a De'Longhi ESAM2800 for £229 at the moment which looks like a bargain if you could stretch the budget a bit.