[Closed] Best home coffee machine?

and hijack: are those "senseo" things any good or not? I use french press and stove tops and love them, but sometimes would love to just press a button to get a nice coffee. Local shop doing a senseo for £25.

Gaggia Classic.

senseo never seems to make it warm enough

i sold mine and reverted back to a french press, where you just press to get nice coffee.........

but i'd like a machine that made a wee high octane espresso

Gaggia good IMHO

I stick with the french press as the hassle of washing the fiddly little machines became too much hassle.

Depends on how much effort you want to put in. I would never want a Senseo as they just seem a fancy way of making an instant. I LOVE my Gaggia Classic and it is part of my weekend routine to have a few well made coffees using freshly ground (using a burr grinder) beans and lots of frothy milk.

In fact it was my birthday at the weekend and all my presents revolved around either alcohol (a bottle of wine) or coffee (lots of beans, tokens to spend in my local coffee appliance shop) 🙂

Ohh, and I recently tried the Tesco own brand coffee beans - surprisingly good and a third of the price of the renowned Illy beans. Certainly represent very good value for money IMO.

But of course that might seem a faff to you so perhaps a Senseo would be more your thing (I hate the taste from them though - never been impressed when drinking them at friends' houses).

Gaggia Classic or Rancilio Silvia are the usual suspects for "serious beginner" espresso machines.

I picked up a second hand Gaggia for £100, ooh, 4 years ago. Used daily and it's been nigh on faultless.

I used to like the Gaggia classic but it malfunctioned (went live and nearly electrocuted my husband!) so we got a Pavoni instead. The Pavoni isn't just stunningly beautiful to look at but makes the most fantastic coffee, much better than the Gaggia! We are reluctant to go away because we miss the coffee at home too much! As said in other coffee threads, grinding the beans freshly before making the coffee makes all the difference! It is probably just a bit more than your budget but in my opinion worth every penny!

Ultimate home machine is

[img] [/img]

It will cost you over £4k though 😕

Gaggia Classic & duralit burr grinder here

Gaggia Coffee Deluxe here. Think it's the same internals as the Classic. We've had one for about 7 years which (apart from regular de-scaling) has been faultless with daily use. It came direct from Gaggia UK as a refurb so a bit cheaper than the shop price.

A few here: http://www.gaggia.uk.com/gaggshop2.htm

Check out
[url= http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer ]coffeegeek.com/consumerreviews[/url]

I got a Rancilio Silvia and love it. The major downside is that the wife doesnt get out of bed now until I make her a cappuccino !

Had several cheap espresso machines over the years (mostly morphy richards I think) none of which lasted more than 1 or 2 years. Finally got a Gaggia classic which is much better and seems much better built and more durable. The Coffee is better and hotter and the machine is more controlable with better steam production etc than any of the cheaper ones we had previously. It should also last long enough to be better value in the longer term. Short of a professional machine I don't think it could be bettered.

I've got a Jura Ena 5 it's very good but a bit over the budget shown. I did have a cheaper machine that broke down alot and this one touch wood so far has been excellent and produces consistantly good coffee

http://www.xpresscoffeeuk.co.uk/section.php/58/1/jura-coffee-machines

Gaggia Classic is great for espresso, I don't drink any other type of coffee though so if you need anything else I can't comment

Another vote for the Gaggia classic. Mine's been used daily for 5 years and still going strong. Be prepared to descale every six months and replace the seal yearly.

Friends I stayed with in Geneva recently had one of these. My gf loved it and is thinking of getting one.

[url= http://www.nespresso.com/precom/home_uk_en.html?&nedlogin= ]Nespresso coffee machine[/url]

I have a Nespresso machine and its awesome. I got a basic one for £100 from John Lewis and got £30 cash-back!

They come with a selection of pods so you can decide what you like.

The only thing some might not like is that fact you can only get the pods directonline from Nespresso.com.

It's the best non-coffee shop coffee i've ever had too.

Another vote for the Gaggia Classic but I think the Rancilio Silvia is also a bit of a legend......

A good grinder is also very important.

thanks folks...oh if you get the chance and come across them....'Blue sumatra' beans amazing....

I have a Nescafe "Dolce Gusto" cheap but I love it.

Gaggia Classic here again. Good for what we need.

Nespresso magimix milk.....Makes the best frothy coffee you can imagine...
I know as i got one for my birthday last weekend.

They are top of the shop.Retails at £179.99
You can also buy all flavours as they come in a little pod.
Although you have to buy them online.But thats not a prob.

If you want the ease of a pod machine, but with 'proper' coffee, and your budget is £400, have you considered a bean to cup machine?

I went from a standard espresso and grinder setup, to an awesome seimens bean to cup thingy, partially cos I couldn't be bothered with the faff any more!

I tell thee - makes a lovely cup, and the lack of cleaning hastle puts it right up there as one of my all time favourite gadgets!

DrP

Nespresso here as well. Simple Krups machine and very small. Capsules bit pricey at 25p each plus but coffee superb and no mess. Internet service for capsules very fast but charge for delivery.

I've got a Nespresso got it of Amazon came with the free milk frother though that was nearly 2 ago. Gets used every day, I just like the no mess simplicity of it.

Gaggia Classic here as well, had mine for 8 years and it still turns out superb, also have a Gaggia burr grinder (discontinued now).

If you want a real deal gaggia UK do recon sales of returned units, see link below.

[url= http://www.gaggia.uk.com/ ]gaggia uk clicky[/url]

Hit on "shopping"

For superb coffee and an essential stuff such as a bottomless filter try here

[url= http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/ ]happy donkey clicky[/url]

[img] [/img]

Above is a bottemless filter, THE best way to improve crema, that and fresh ground beans of course, oh and a decent tamper

Just a quick warning to avoid Tesco coffee beans - they'll have too much robusta beans to make proper espresso. If you can't be bothered with burr grinding (an inexact science with home machines), then Illy pre-ground is yer only man - but is horrendously bad value for money. Don't confuse strength of taste for quality.

this is what I have and I love it

[img] [/img]

simple, effective and beautiful

nice bit of kit is that

Rancilio silvia?

Try the forums out at toomuchcoffee or coffeegeek.

If you're after great coffee, freshness matters. There are a lot of roasters about. My favorite is hasbean.co.uk

Cheapest good coffee machine for under £400? A simple cafetiere with a decent grinder. You want a decent burr grinder. Rancilio Rocky is nice and OK for home. Never buy ground coffee from a supermarket. It's just stale.

With a £400 budget I'd be looking at a bean to cup machine.

Probably a reconditioned unit from Gaggia. They've got a Titanium for £499.

I've had a Gaggia Titanium for about 3 years. They're expensive but so far it's made over 4500 cups. It makes great espresso and cappuccino. Same quality every time at the press of a button. It even throws away the waste and rinses itself. The best kitchen gadget I've ever bought.

I'd love a decent mchine and a grinder - always fancied a pavoni - but its the size of these thing when put in a moderatly size domestic kitchen that is always the deal breaker for me especially when the oh does not drink coffee.

ok, its narrowing down....as this is my first foray into machines, which would be the best for cappucinnos (need to pacify the missus!)

Jura Impressa F70 - possibly stretching the budget but I Lurve it.

for cappuccino's there is an optional milk frother that lets you set the frothiness of the milk from latte to almost pure froth.

Just a quick warning to avoid Tesco coffee beans - they'll have too much robusta beans to make proper espresso

Anyway -why not try for yourself anyway - £1.99 is worth a punt. (That suggestion is aimed at anyone, including Darcy, who seems to prefer to assume it isn't a good coffee rather than find out for himself (although he did read once that Illy are good beans so assumes they are) 😉

we have a siemens bean to cup machine, was £400 and is fab.

which would be the best for cappucinnos (need to pacify the missus!)

The Gaggia Titanium has a milk frother attachment as well. It takes the milk directly from the bottle into the cup. No waste.

If you want to make a lot of cappucinnos then a twin boiler machine really helps. Otherwise you have to wait for it to heat up so you can froth the milk after you've made the espresso. Then it's too hot to make more espresso.

When I had a Gaggia Classic I found the heating up/cooling down a pain.

Oh and Hasbean is a great source of beans.

When I had a Gaggia Classic I found the heating up/cooling down a pain.

Oh and Hasbean is a great source of beans.

Without getting too geeky about this (I probably am though)

There are a few "must do's" in my view in the following order for consistant expresso which is the basis for all other drinks, latte etc.

1: Good beans no older than a month (store in the freezer and bring them out as you need them)

2: Grind as you need only

3: Get a bottomless filter, it makes a huge difference (honest)

4: Get a good quality tamper for an even solid tamp

5: Get a short measure glass with a line on to time the extraction (this is getting geeky)

6: If you get the right bean grind consistency, the consistent tamp your extraction (before coffee appears to flow from the filter) should be 8-12 seconds, then the flow should be another 8 - 10 second which should get you to the measure line on the shot glass.

The crema will be amazing, the taste bitter sweet and amazing.

I'll get my coat now !

Rancilio Silvia & Rocky here. Very happy with them.

IMO, there's a massive difference between the supermarket & mass market (Illy, Lavazza) beans & freshly roasted beans you get from the specialist roasters.

Since Hill & Valley stopped doing small quantity mail order, i've been buying beans from Monmouth in Borough Market whenever i pass it. Their organic espresso blend is very nice.

I think that a milk frother attachment (where it takes milk staight from the bottle) is available as an accessory for the Gaggia Classic.

Regarding the Classic - a good tip for keeping the steam hot is to not wait for the "ready" light to go out - just time it for 25 seconds, which will keep the boiler on so you get continous steam. Very handy if you have lots of milk to froth.

I had a Nespresso for Xmas a few years ago off the missus and love it.
It gets used every single day, mostly for Esspresso on the way to work but makes great Latte/Cappuccino on the weekend when I've got a bit more time to drink them.

I guess on this forum it's the equivalent owning a Specialized bike instead of some off-one but that's the way I roll

I think that a milk frother attachment (where it takes milk staight from the bottle) is available as an accessory for the Gaggia Classic.

Don't worry bling bling I ride a Marin, how do you think I feel 😉

Is that so? I have been looking recently and cannot find one. Any linkies?

There's something in the owner's manual about it...

Is that so? I have been looking recently and cannot find one. Any linkies?

It's a bit hard to find as it has the easy to remember name of [url=Cappuccinatore Automatic Milk Frother]Cappuccinatore[/url]. It's good but £50 is a bit steep.

Don't worry bling bling I ride a Marin, how do you think I feel

Big up the Maxwell House crew!

Don't listen to him. Unless you are an expert (which he either is, or thinks he is)

LOL. Thank you so much for biting m_f...you have such a great memory. 😆

LOL. Thank you so much for biting m_f...you have such a great memory

😉

Another vote for a Gaggia Classic. Refurb unit from Gaggia UK and coffee from Fremantle market (fresh and ground to perfection!). Only problem is my machine is in the UK so I'm using a Bialetti stove top for my coffee at the moment.

Just been into my local shop for some bits and apparently Gaggia UK do not exist anymore - Philips are in the final throes of completing a takeover of operations.

Just as a top tip if your going to make the most of making your own espresso then you'll need to get geeky about it. Its actually quite difficult to make really good espresso on a small scale. I ran a coffee shop for a while and we were testing and adjusting the machines (mainly the grinder) through the day to account for temperature an humidity.

Its a labour of love, an art. The best option, logically, from a coffee drinking point of view, is probably to spend your money at your local independantly owned coffee shop as long as the staff there take pride in their work.

However

Making your own and being good at it is a pleasure in its self.

Before buying a machine consider going on a course. When we set up the cafe we spent thousands of pounds on this

[img] [/img]

2 head stainless steel commercial Gaggia machine. I honestly loved it :-S

As part of the purchase deal we had a guy come up and do a days training with us. It made all the difference and really set me off on a path.

Just looked up the guys website and its here http://theperfectcup.co.uk

I'd recommend anyone who has a passion for making their own espresso to go on a good course. It certainly made a big impact on me and everyone else who attended.

On a course for individuals you should recieve guidence on what to look for in a personal machine.

For instance the pureist in me could never use one of the automatic milk 'frothers'. I hate 'froth' for a start. Part of the art of a barista is making a deep rich dense foam.

A quick google search popped this up http://www.gaggia.uk.com/training.htm

Hope this helps

Ian

man, thsi is getting to be the best thread ive ever started...top tips and handy hintastic...

lookng at the Rancilio Silvia but afraid to tell the missus the price...

Was in the market for a Gaggia Classic on the refurb site and they appear to have sold out!

[i]Another vote for the Gaggia classic. Mine's been used daily for 5 years and still going strong. Be prepared to descale every six months and replace the seal yearly. [/i]

6 years, never touched other than a quick wipe down every now and again. Depends on yer water I presume.
Maybe dies quicker if you use the steamer thing, never have.
Can't recommend the Classic highly enough.
Pennine water, fresh coffee (2 parts Illy, 1 part Lavazza Rosso, pinch of salt) and [url= http://www.coffeetamper.com/english/tamperstore.asp ]Reg Barber-ed[/url] into submission = best coffee EVER. FACT.

AndyP - do you not even descale it?

I live in a very soft water area (North Yorkshire) and we have a 7 year old kettle with not a bit of limescale in it. Yet I descaled my 2 year old Classic last week for the first time (as well as cleaned it thoroughly). The difference is actually very surprising - to the crema, the pressure from the wand and also the head is much easier to remove.

[i]AndyP - do you not even descale it?[/i]
nope, there's no scale to remove

I live in a very soft water area (North Yorkshire) and we have a 7 year old kettle with not a bit of limescale in it. Yet I descaled my 2 year old Classic last week for the first time (as well as cleaned it thoroughly). The difference is actually very surprising - to the crema, the pressure from the wand and also the head is much easier to remove.

Yep, poor crema from my Gaggia is always cured by descaling and cleaning the machine. I've just ordered pulycaff and a blind basket to properly backflush it. And a fancy tamper plus tamping mat because I'm a ponce.

nope, there's no scale to remove

Another Gaggia Classic here.

Good tip on the bottomless filter, will go order me one of those.

We have a Saeco Odea Go, bean to cup, we are impressed with it,and comes in under £400.

http://www.coffeeitalia.co.uk

I use this to clean my machine once a month, its superb

[img] [/img]

[url= http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/puly-caff-powder.html ]Puly Caff clicky[/url]

The bottomless filter is a seriously good investment.

I've taken it apart a couple of times as I was expecting (through reading stuff like this thread) to have to replace gaskets etc. It's ****ing spotless..

I've taken it apart a couple of times

What is the benefit of these bottomless filters? I can't see the comments for looking...

M-F the idea is that the coffee from extraction passes straight out of the filter directly into the cup and not via a spout on the filter head.

Taken from Happy Donkey site:

[i]In use the bottomless produces more crema on an espresso shot, this is due to the fact that the coffee, on it's journey to the cup, or shot glass, meets with less metal than it would when used with a traditional portafilter, that utilises a spout.

Crema is purely a product of the oils in the coffee beans, which is why it floats on top of the poured coffee liquid, as it heats it effectively foams.

Any loss of temperature on the coffee journey from filter basket to cup, will not help the volume, or the consistency of the crema, which is noticeably thicker when produced with a bottomless.

These portafilters are used for many reasons by different people, commercial coffee machine owners tend to buy them to allow bigger takeaway cups to fit underneath the basket, enthusiasts use them because they know the value these items hold with regards to making better espresso.

Coffee or Barista trainers use them as a training tool, as if you get the tamp wrong when using them, they tend to spray odd lines of coffee in varying directions, causing a bit of a mess.

The big advantage of the bottomless in relation to tamping is that because they do not have a spout, they are easy to lay flat on the tamping mat, giving a perfect base on which to tamp on [/i]

[img] [/img]

Crematastic !

Ahh I see. Makes sense, if somewhat geeky. But then I buy expensive bike bits 'just 'cos' too so I may get one some time.

🙂

check the image on my last edit

If you want to spend less (plug time).... I am trying to sell my:

Ascaso Arc (full metal construction with brass boiler - it's a step up from the small Gaggia in construction terms)
&
Rancillio Rocky grinder (very, very, very good indeed)
&
Reg Barber tamper (deeply posh coffee squishing!)

I was looking £280 for the lot, but am open to offers 😉

(it's in the Classifieds bit too, but several pages down now)

Was going to say - I had been swithering about going for a Rancillio Silvia myself (I just couldn't justify the expense last time), kept looking... almost about to buy (which would have meant keeping the grinder, naturally)... and then accidentally ordered a Jura bean to cup job instead! Well, I came into some unexpected cash, and have always wanted a Jura 😉

(Even a cheap one like I ordered!)