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I’m reasonably happy with decent instant coffee but do appreciate nicer stuff. Now I’m at home working I would like something to make said nice coffee to go in the kitchen.
However it’s only me that drinks it and maybe 2-3 a day ish. And I need something that looks really really good. We have a 1950’s styled kitchen (my wife is very artistic and it does look amazing) and it has to match the Dualit toaster and Kitchen Aid mixer in its styling or I can’t have it in there. And I would agree with her too - I installed the kitchen and don’t want to ruin the looks of it!!
So I’m thinking reasonably compact, chrome maybe?, classic styling, nothing boxy and black modern plastic etc. I’ve never had a coffee machine so is there anything that fits the bill?
I have tried a couple of those coffee pod type machines at other people’s houses and don’t like the taste of them and the cost of them is a bit much too.
Budget is flexible for the right thing.
The simplicity of a Bialetti mokka pot seems approriate here.
Unless you're after a full bean to cup gadget in which case I have nothing to add.
Kitchen Aid do a coffee machine which I believe is pretty much a Gaggia Classic inside, but with retro looks. They seem to have some reliability issues though.
You'd need a grinder etc and to nerd out a bit though to get the best out of it.
Just get an Aeropress and stick it in a cupboard.
Vintage Faema President if budget isn't an issue 😛
https://www.ebay.it/itm/303385287274?hash=item46a32c1a6a:g:0QkAAOSwt35d4u8t
+1 on Bialetti or similar
If you want to match your Dualit toaster, then the Dualit coffee maker is available. A quick google puts it at around £200 (but probably can be found cheaper with a bit of searching) so its at the budget end of the coffee machine spectrum
That Faema President is a thing of beauty.
Despite my own suggestion, it is difficult to justify doing anything other than the Bialetti for your requirements.
Just get an Aeropress and stick it in a cupboard.
Personally I'd just go for a Cafetière but use the same approach if "styling" was an issue.
I'm with Frogstomp. You need to decide if you want good coffee without fuss or a kitchen ornament.
My kitchen is tiny so real estate is at a premium. Aeropress wins out easy.
Cafelat Robot for that 50’s look and feel. Takes a bit longer than boiling a kettle, and can get the best out of pre-ground coffee.
My friend has a similar set-up. She went full Kitchenaid and got a matching espresso machine - the compact one. Looked great, but she said the coffee wasn't that good and swapped it eventually for a Sage Bambino. Not a perfect appliance match, but small and works with most things.
Or go full in and get a La Pavoni Europiccola .
For the real 1950s look, get something that uses piston pressure... hold on... photo hunt...
Aesthetics aside you need to decide how convenient you want your coffee. I've been there and done it with manual espresso machines, mokka pots, Aero presses and all do decent coffee...well as decent as the effort you are prepared to put in also consider the clean up after each brew, but I just wanted a single button press so went bean to cup. Working from home its easy, put cup under machine, press button, 20 second later you have coffee, no clean up and machine immediately ready for next brew. No faffing with wet grinds or rinsing or anything. More than decent enough coffee for me with decent beans, enough settings to 'tune' the brew to your liking then its set and forget. But not sure what retro looking bean to cups there are out there at sensible money.
Any of the La Pavoni manual espresso machines. They all look the mutts nuts!
http://www.myespresso.co.uk/shop/espresso-machines/manual-lever/
I have a Gaggia Classic, it's utilitarian in its looks but makes a lovely coffee.
For the real 1950s look, get something that uses piston pressure… hold on… photo hunt…
Yeah, think Fellini films. No button pushing going on, pulling on levers ftw .
It looks like Smeg do one that looks 50s ish.
The other brand that springs to mind is Francis Francis who do some apparently well-performing espresso machines that look a bit retro.
Even a Gaggia classic isn't particularly plasticky?
Not sure it's quite the right style, but if you are looking for a feature:
Can also be had in brass. A bit spendy though.
Aeropress has powered me through lockdown. Quick, easy to clean and store, cheap enough to spend money trying different coffees
It depends on your budget as some of the really fancy looking machines can be very very expensive. I went with a Lelit Mara X as it was the most compact of the HX or dual boilers. It stays on all day so that I can make coffee and my wife uses the hot water tap for her tea rather than boiling the kettle. Coupled with a Sage grinder it's got us through the last year of lockdowns and home schooling and delivered a good coffee every time.
https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/ should have something that does what you need and fits the style you want.
2 points to make from me:
A "dosing grinder" like the Iberital MC30 is a really useful thing to have. Just grind the beans for the cup, every time.
Coffee equipment is like a dishwasher: it takes ages to justify to yourself the large cost and space required but the moment it conks out it only takes a second to decide on a replacement.
Without getting too speedy the DELONGHI DEDICA Might fit the bill
The silver version was £150 last week
Flair pro 2 plus a decent hand grinder, manual, what's more vintage than manual? Also, pressure guage is a step up from a lot of the la pavoni machines where you go by feel!
Since you've admitted to willingly consuming instant coffee, it may be further down the coffee geekery path than you'd like to go, but can I suggest a Rok manual espresso machine:
Sounds like it might fit in with your decor. Other pros:
-can make really good espresso with a good grinder and a bit of effort
-small
-doesn't need a socket
-cheaper than even a basic crap electric machine
Cons
-takes a little of practice to get the best out of it (but difficult to really screw it up)
-more physical effort (though pretty minimal really)
Or as above, Aeropress in a cupboard.
I have a Dedica and with the non-pressurised basket mod and a decent grinder you can make really very good espresso/cappucino etc. It isn't great at getting the best out of lighter fruity roasts but for medium/dark roasts it's totally fine. Not sure it's very retro though.
We have a red Dedica and a red Kitchen Aid and they go together quite well. The Dedica is pretty compact too
Without getting too speedy the DELONGHI DEDICA Might fit the bill
The silver version was £150 last week
I've got one, it's chrome and looks nice.
My only gripe with it is it seems really picky about the grind, amount and tamping.
Slightly too coarse and it's just brown water, too fine/much/tamped and the pump struggles. But it does let you change the volumes and temperature so if you've got a better grinder (that can dispense a measured shot) or happy with pre ground beans then it's great.
I dont, but I'm happy to live with the occasional inconsistent cup.
The steam wand works well too, my previous gaggia just seemed to scald the milk long before it was actually hot or frothy.
I think the kitchen aid one is trying too hard. I suppose we would really want a classic design rather than a forced retro look (which is what I would class the KA as, their mixers are a classic design that hasn’t changed and they are trying to cash in on the looks really).
What about one of the cheaper Gaggia models? They aren’t “retro” I suppose but quite nice looking.
I would like a bean to cup machine but they all look pretty big.
50's
chrome
flexible budget
https://www.caffesociety.co.uk/victoria-arduino-venus-bar-espresso-machine
Wow that’s amazing!!!
I wonder how many people have them in private homes.
I’ve just remembered I have a Bialetti Venus stove top coffee maker I was bought in 2019 and I’ve never used it. I should really give that a go but I don’t get the frothy milk 😢
I really have no idea. 🤣🤣
The Gaggia Classic has had virtually the same design for the last 30 years I think so it's retro but not trying to be retro. It makes a nice latte and is built to last a while
If you're after a hop up from instant, how about a Chemex filter?
https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/eight-cup-handblown-series-glass-coffeemaker.html
Looks amazing, get some pre-ground coffee from Coffi Eryri and make lovely drinkable coffee. While we have a fancy coffee machine at the office, you only really need that kind of thing if you're fussing with frothy milk and the like. A good filter with good coffee will be a mile away from instant. Start there.
not sure on espresso machines if you're new to coffee and have been drinking instant. Lots of faff and grinding needed. Bean to cup would be easiest for you but they're costly. Aeropress has been great for me and there are plenty of ways to use it.
I have a Sage Bambino Plus, it's not retro but also not just a square block with loads of black plastic
Sage Bambino
I like it, it won't please those that like lots of tunability or customisation but I can get coffe I like out of it and it's pretty hassle free. The milk frothing function is really good too. I picked up an open box one on eBay for £190 last year, that was however from the service centre in Germany, Brexit might have stuffed that now
Fyi, I'm also a heathen and just use Lavazza preground from the co-op
La pavoni
so if you’ve got a better grinder (that can dispense a measured shot) or happy with pre ground beans then it’s great.
I dont, but I’m happy to live with the occasional inconsistent cup.
I use scales with the portafilter on to weigh the dose (with a Eureka Mignon grinder and unpressurised basket) and it's pretty consistent. I guess if you are using the type of grinder that grinds finer with more time it would be hard to be consistent.
The pressurised basket with preground lavazza makes for a pretty acceptable cappuccino TBH.
2-3 a day
pfft amateur. +1 to the Mokka if it's just 2-3 a day
In the best STW "the car you need is a Unimog" fashion, the 9Barista stove top pot looks amazing, if frantically expensive.
(I have a Bialetti Brikka which made great coffee, if you can cope with brown water spewing all over the stove top if the threads aren't clean enough)
BigJohn
Full Member
2 points to make from me:A “dosing grinder” like the Iberital MC30 is a really useful thing to have. Just grind the beans for the cup, every time.
Coffee equipment is like a dishwasher: it takes ages to justify to yourself the large cost and space required but the moment it conks out it only takes a second to decide on a replacement.
ha ha - this is so true - We had a mini meltdown at home when the last coffee machine broke (or rather it wasn't working properly, so i "fixed it" for good... stright to the interweb for a new one - no hesitation even though we didn't want to spend any money that month... Im not sure this paints us in a good picture -
In the best STW “the car you need is a Unimog” fashion, the 9Barista stove top pot looks amazing, if frantically expensive.
Wow that looks massively over-built, overcomplicated and ludicrously expensive - I love it. 🙂