Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 53 total)
  • Espresso Machines – mines just died
  • EddieFiola
    Free Member

    I’ve had a trusty dualit coffee machine for 13 years now. However this morning it decided to end it all.
    Back in the day it cost about £400, so in a similar price range what’s good these days?
    I’ve seen some Rancilio (spelling) I don’t need a bean grinder, just a good machine.
    So singletrack, let’s have some advice.

    Thank you

    llama
    Full Member

    Had a silvia for about 4 years. Seems built to last, solid and heavy, nice chunky switches and nothing fancy looking. Good results but you need to get the right grind, temp etc (as with all machines)

    Only thing I would say is that if you are going to be using the steam regularly, it takes a while to get to temp, by which time your lovely crème has started to disappear

    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    My Gaggia Classic is 16 years old now, and still makes good coffee, although it leaks water and steam from several places these days. They went through a bad patch but I understand the new 2019 ones are good. But when the Classic finally dies, I’ll probably get a Ranciio Silvia.

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    supersaiyan
    Free Member

    Sorry for your loss. Died how, though? Is she resurrectable through a descale and some new parts?

    Else, Rancilio Silvia or Gaggia classic is always the answer here. Silvia with an Auber PID if you’re feeling fancy or don’t want to temperature surf.

    locum76
    Free Member

    Give that shit up and get a stove top coffee pot for proper satisfaction.

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    Looking at the price of a haggis classic you can make a small additional investment and go Delonghi bean to cup. A lot less faff and loads of adjustment to time it to produce an espresso to your exacting specifications.

    somafunk
    Full Member

    I’ve had 4 different gaggia machines over the past few years and they all leak/break eventually, a couple of years ago i bought a sage duo temp pro (£300 ish) and it makes a far better espresso than any of the gaggia’s.

    rickon
    Free Member

    I’ve been running a Sage Barista for over 3 years, very decent machine, really good burr grinder, and spare parts are easy to come by cheap.

    Tinners
    Full Member

    Had a Gaggia Classic for 20+ yrs. The steam wand dripped and leaked for the last 5 yrs and it could only generate enough steam for 2 small lattes in the end. Beyond descaling and many bits practically welded in place. It was superb for most of its life.
    It’s been replaced with a Silvia. Superb machine, easily as good as the Gaggia at its best. The creamy microfoam it better and loads of capacity for doing more than 2 cups when we have guests. I agree that you have to wait a minute before using the steam wand. Main (minor) downside for me is that the water tank empties relatively quickly, you can’t easily see the level (without removing lid). Although you can easily top up the water, if you’ve not used it for a few days and want to change the water for fresh, the water tank is a real fiddle to get out.
    I’d buy another Gaggia again if they build them as good as my 20yr old machine. I’d also buy another Silvia, which, although more expensive, is a better machine in terms of power and microfoam.

    kiwijohn
    Full Member

    I’ve got that Sage, though it’s called a Breville here.
    It must be 9 years old now. Still works a treat.
    It nearly went in the bin a couple of times, but youtube videos & a couple of O rings saved it.

    marp
    Free Member

    I too have that Breville! Have had it 3 years or so, and it hasn’t missed a beat, even after being shipped back to the UK when we moved home…

    We had one at work that was pretty well<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”> used (20+ cups a day), and it never missed a beat for the 2.5 years i was there..</span>

    Digger90
    Free Member

    Our beloved DeLonghi Dedica has just died – for the 2nd time. The first one lasted 1 year and its replacement less than 2 years, so we’re not getting another one. However, we loved the taste of the espresso it made (as did many visitors).

    We’ve also had bad experiences with Gaggia Classics (in contrast to many here on STW) – we had 2 Gaggia Classics within a 3 year period 2014-2017.

    Honestly, we’re not doing anything wrong with the machines, we make 6-8 espresso’s per day at most, and that’s it. We take good care of our stuff and our machines all looked almost like new.

    Anyway, we just need a simple espresso machine for making espresso. We don’t need bean to cup, we don’t need a milk frother, we don’t need any fancy gubbins.

    What’s STW’s recommendations these days?

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    I’ve got a Silvia. It’s a good, solid machine, not had any faults. Makes great espresso. I froth the milk before I make the espresso, though, so I probably need to be burned alive.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I wish my Gaggia Dose would die, it’s rubbish, but it continues to work. Must be 15 years old.

    we make 6-8 espresso’s per day at most

    Blimey.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    we had 2 Gaggia Classics within a 3 year period 2014-2017.

    Will those be the post-takeover ones then (where all the brass internals were swapped out for cheaper alternatives? My Classic is around 18 years old I think and still going strong (as above, it does have a couple of minor leaks, but that was my fault as I slightly botched the steam wand upgrade).

    When mine dies I want a Sage – but only because I have a Sage grinder and I want it to match.

    ransos
    Free Member

    My Classic is 12 years old and going strong. I recently replaced the main seal and upgraded the steam wand, but apart from that, all it’s had is irregular cleaning and descaling.

    bigginge
    Full Member

    I got MsGinge one of the Sage Bambino pro espresso machines and a smart grinder pro for her birthday. They make a lovely cup of coffee and the espresso machine is ready to go just a few seconds after being turned on which has turned out to be much handier than it sounds.

    https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/espresso/bes500.html

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    I also have the Sage, it replaced a Dualit. It is a lot better than the Dualit.

    Digger90
    Free Member

    6-8 espresso’s per day in a family of 4 isn’t much.

    I hear good things about Sage. Am looking at the Bambino Plus and the Duo Temp Pro.. both at John Lewis.

    stevious
    Full Member

    I’ve not watched this, but I trust James Hoffman’s approach to reviewing stuff:

    Twodogs
    Full Member

    Rancilio Silva with a PID. Had mine for 15+ years and it’s been faultless (fingers crossed) and makes perfect espresso. Not sure about the water tank being fiddly to get out..you just take the lid off and lift it up

    Yak
    Full Member

    Rancilio Silvia. Very good. Yes there is a little lag from espresso temp to steam temp, but a twin boiler jobbie was out of my price range.

    superlightstu
    Free Member

    I replaced my leaky Gaggia Classic with a Sage Bambino at the start of the year and wished I’d done it sooner. The coffee is more consistent and the quick warm up plus automated cleaning cycles make it much easier to live with.

    If you’ve already got a decent grinder then the Bambino or Duo Temp would be a good replacement for the Dualit. the Bambino has a smaller form factor and was on offer when I bought, which is why I went with it. the minor downside of the Bambino was it expected the use of a pressurised basket whereas the duo temp is designed for a non-pressurised basket – a pressurised basket is supplied with the bambino so its not a problem.

    shinton
    Free Member

    Anyone see last week’s Gadget Show where the £30 filter machine beat the top of the range £17k machine?

    Worth a watch on catch-up.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Anyone see last week’s Gadget Show where the £30 filter machine beat the top of the range £17k machine?

    They got espresso out a filter machine ?

    dmorts
    Full Member

    I got a Sage Duo Temp Pro from Currys on Black Friday last year for ~£200. Probably worth waiting until BF this year if you can, if you’re thinking of a Sage

    furryaardvark
    Free Member

    Its a lot of dosh for a decent machine. You’re all caffeine junkies. Whats wrong with a kettle or a stove top pot/percolator ?

    I drink tea. much better for me.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Whats wrong with a kettle or a stove top pot/percolator ?

    I drink tea. much better for me.

    Yes based on the first part , I’d believe the second part.

    Nice espresso is different from stove top /percolator

    slowol
    Full Member

    As above no it won’t replace you barista machine but what it makes is drinkable (even my coffee snob brother admits this) and will get you by whilst you fix or buy a new machine. Also easy to take on holiday, use with a camping stove etc. Recommended extra tool if you don’t have one already.

    P.S. yes cooker / kitchen needs a clean but it’s Wednesday and I’m supposed to be working.

    grum
    Free Member

    For maximum niche points get a La Pavoni Europiccola lever espresso machine.

    swdan
    Free Member

    I have a Sage Bambino plus, picked up from the German service centre on eBay for £190 delivered. Was a brand new open box return, never been used so was spot on.

    I like it, it’s generally well received and gets pretty good reviews, including by those really into their coffee (that’s a YouTube rabbit hole right there).

    It’s not customisable like the Gaggia or Rancilio, it is what it is but that makes it easy to use and apparently if you do your own grinding and non-pressurised baskets produces really good results.
    I just use supermarket coffee (lavaza) and dual wall baskets and am happy with the results. My pallette is clearly not that refined!

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    I just use supermarket coffee (lavaza) and dual wall baskets and am happy with the results. My pallette is clearly not that refined!

    I think it’s worth trying a variety of different sources and types – doesn’t have to be expensive and you’d be amazed at the results, a real rainbow of flavours on offer!

    toby1
    Full Member

    For maximum niche points get a La Pavoni Europiccola lever espresso machine.

    Flair espresso are cheaper and just as good. Very manual though so wouldn’t suit 6-8 shots in a day in my experience.

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    Flair espresso are cheaper and just as good.

    Not actually the same type of thing – that Flair doesn’t have a boiler or a steam wand.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    @slowol – I believe you need one of these there.

    redmex
    Free Member

    I like my Rancilio but I’m sure bits were made in an old BMC factory in England, the floor pan is like a rusty subframe from an old Morris 1100 or the cills, the wings

    pocpoc
    Free Member

    Give that shit up and get a stove top coffee pot for proper satisfaction.

    This. £10 from TK Maxx. Spend the other £390 of your money on bike bits and save a load of worktop space. If you’re really feeling tight then I picked one up recently from a charity shop for £3.50 and gave it a good clean.
    Yes, it’s not true espresso, but it’s a damn strong shot of coffee that can then be made fancier in whichever way you want. In my case with a small drop of milk because I’m not man enough to take it straight black.

    Superficial
    Free Member

    Stove top coffee /= Espresso

    It’s fine if you like stove top coffee, I personally find it bitter and mostly undrinkable. Aeropress is better IMHO. Neither are espresso though.

    If anyone spots a decent deal on a Sage Barista or similar, please let me know / do a PSA. I regret not ordering one when they were half price last year. I’m gonna cross my fingers for a Black Friday deal.

    toby1
    Full Member

    that Flair doesn’t have a boiler or a steam wand

    Cheers, I hadn’t actually looked at the LaPavoni to see what it had, would be nice if it had a pressure gauge for the group head. Looks pretty decent for the price I’d say, but I love a niche coffee product 🙂

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    but it’s a damn strong shot of coffee

    If you just want strong coffee. Just do it Turkish style save your 10er even.

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