Serious question.

Ms S is a coffee fan, and a machine might make a nice prezzie.

However, I like the taste of cafetiere coffee just fine, is coffee from a machine going to taste £100 better?

Any other advantages?

I haven’t noticed any.
When I’ve put some Mellow Birds in either of them, it’s still tasted the same as putting it straight in the cup.

Have you tried that Star Wars Mellow Birds yet?

Linky.

Each bean has passed through George Lucas’s intestinal tract.

Isn’t that nice?

The missus us the coffee nut here and since the gaggia espresso machine got fixed the cafitierre has lived in the cupboard. To make the most of it get a grinder too.

But why?

Serious question.
Is it the taste? The ritual? The noises? The cost?
WHY DAMMIT???!????

I nearly bought one of these stove top espresso things last week.

Mainly because Inspector Montalbano’s always drinking from one, and it’s the only real difference I’ve been able to identify between us that could explain his success with the ladies.

From what she says the difference is down to the way the water is forced through the coffee rather than perculated. No idea myself tea is my thing. However I do operate the contraption and it is very satisfying. And utility smells better and you get that cremma stuff

Serious question.
Is it the taste? The ritual? The noises? The cost?

possibly. the machines are a different way of making coffee. Its not a better way of making coffee than a pot, but its different process so its a better way of making espresso than a pot. If you’ve got nice beans that work well with a caffieiere then you’ll make good coffee. Good beans for espresso make good espresso. I’ve made the mistake of buying beans from a favourite cafe and taking them home for use with our cafetiere and they’ve made awful coffee -it was a big mistake as we bought a catering size pack!

What mac said. Cafetiere, filter, espresso are all ways of making different coffee, not different ways of making the same drink. It all depends what you prefer, but I like them all.

Proper espresso vs cafetiere? Night vs day….

I suppose for an unsophisticated person, who has an old old Krupps Expresso Machine, and a cafetiere, I make what ever I fancy.

Ie if I am in the mood for a longer coffee, I’ll grind the beans a touch less finely, and use the cafietiere. Then you get a more “brewed” flavour to your beverage,a bit more rounded and smooth.

If however, I need a bit of a wake up, then the Expresso machine gets used, (althouhg I drink it again, long, ie I let the machine fill a normal mug. The taste from the same beans is a little more “concentrated” or somehow sharper and a bit stronger. This morning, feeling a little lazy and not needing to “focus” I had the cafietiere in action, but on a work day, am more inclined towards the expresso machine.

Its a bit like drinking red wine. Get a light bottle of red and chill it, for an acceptable drink, or open, let breathe, for a different drink, depending on mood/food.