Thread: The Little Guy vs Bacchi

Hi Dan, I've never seen the Little Guy in action but I have had the opportunity to see the bacchi in action many times as well as consume the results. It's a magnificent machine. I ended up buying one several years ago and I've NEVER used it. I have a two machine on my bar at home and the bacchi has just graced a shelf among my books. It's disgraceful not to use it but as it turns out... having young children makes one lazy.

(edited: send Danc a Private Message PM instead per our few rules on selling stuff)

Yes it does make you lazy, but coffee is the solution!

And when they get old enough, they are begging to help with the making. And "is there any milk left over for a baby chino?!

Originally Posted by DanC

Hi, I have read many favourable reports about both of these machines. It would be great to get some info from people who have had the opportunity to use both and/or been a long term owner of either. I'm mostly interested in the quality of the espresso and the build quality.
I'm looking for something to use at home for 3-4 coffees a day, the steam wand on the little guy would be nice but not a deal breaker. Sometimes mid week i resort to pre ground supermarket coffee.
Cheers
Dan

I'm a bit late with this response but in case it's still helpful:

I've had a Bacchi for about 3 years. I go through spells of using it but I do more pourover than espresso. Love the machine though. Fairly forgiving to use, makes a nice crema, I can use it on my stove or out back on my Clikstand. Just this moment had one of the best ristrettos I've ever had with some nice Rwanda beans, and me with almost no barista experience whatsoever.

I like the looks of The Little Guy but I can't help but wonder if the grounds aren't exposed to too-heated water like most moka machines, and unlike the Bacchi.

Quick question for the Bacchi users, what's the cleaning process like for these machines? Also, if needing to make more than 2 coffees, is a cool down period required?

Cleaning is pretty easy. Wait until machine cools down, unscrew the screw holding the brewing unit (basket, shower screen etc....these are the only bits that get coffee oils on them), then remove these. If making more coffees, I rinse these, making sure to get water through the dispensing spout. If this is the last use for a while I soak these parts in regular dishwashing water.

If you need to make coffees for 2 (i.e. 2 double shots), you really are best to leave the machine to cool for 10 minutes or so after making the first double shot (otherwise there will be a lot of steam pressure when you unscrew the top).

Originally Posted by pdmeyer

Quick question for the Bacchi users, what's the cleaning process like for these machines? Also, if needing to make more than 2 coffees, is a cool down period required?

As soon as I've pulled the shot I put the Bacchi in the sink and run tap water over it; it's ready for another round in less than a minute. I'm pretty sure I got this from the primary instructions. The metals it's made from do not warp from rapid temperature changes, by design. I clean out the portafilter and rinse out the top screen/spouts and it's ready to go. A couple of times I've unscrewed the top screen and taken a pipe cleaner to the spouts, especially if I've been using the plug on one of the spouts. It takes more time to grind and measure out the coffee than it does to prep the machine.

Thanks for the advice on this Abbrustulaturo & Barry O'Speedwagon. The more I hear about this, the more enticed I am to get one of these. It actually looks like a really good machine for just a home espresso. Bit of a long shot, but does anyone know of where I could get a demo in Brisbane?