Should I buy a HX .. ?

[BISHY Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BISHY]

Just new to the forums and reading a lot.

Looking for for my first prosumer machine.

Im down to two choices. One is HX and one is double boiler.

Im not sure which way to go and would love and advice from the knowledgable people here. Hoping this question can sort of be answered but here goes. Hx or DB ?

Some points so far...

HX
pressure stat for temp control
has a e61 group head
pre infusion
allow 30 min warm up but can use a timer at the power point for morning start up.


DB
has a PID for boiler temp
shot timer too which is nice
quick start up time without using and addition timer.


Is is one going to perform better ? I'm really unsure which will serve me better. I drink milk based drinks. Weekdays on 1 or 2 a day. Maybe 3 on week end days.

My my debate in my head is pressure stat vs PID. Do I need e61 and how much can it effect the shot. Will the timer be OK to use and not effect anything. I do like the added feature of the shot timer on the DB machine.

Is there any other considerations in a machine I should consider as major?

Any any help would be really appreciated as I'd really like to pull the trigger on a new toy ASAP!

[TC . Find all posts View Profile Close TC]

Welcome Bishy,

FWIW, my opinion is that your brief is pure HX. Have a read over Buying Guide- Espresso machines | Talk Coffee for some reasons...

Both will be great, the DB is probably overkill, but you should ultimately choose the one you like...

Cheers

Chris

[BISHY Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BISHY]

Reading your buying guide..

what if I do move to espresso shots only later down the track. I'm not sure where my coffee journey will take me just yet. At the moment I like more nutty flavours and not the fruity flavours. Will the HX still be the better option? Is this based on the low volume I require?
Is the e61 something that is more a factor in shot taste?

[Yelta Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Yelta]

Evening Bishy, welcome to Coffee Snobs.

I'm a long time HX machine user, I pull shots and make cappuccino's daily.

A well set up quality HX machine is very temperature stable, and will do everything you need now and well into the future, I don't feel a PID is necessary.

The E61 group head has been around for a long time and is a proven performer, accessories i.e. baskets, tampers, replacement seals are readily available.

Single boiler E61 machines are reliable and produce excellent coffee, because of their design are relatively easy to maintain.

You ask "Is there any other considerations" very definitely, to realise the potential of any good machine you will also need a decent grinder as well as good quality fresh beans, Compak and Macap are very popular quality grinders (Chris can help here) and freshly roasted beans are available from right here on Beanbay
CoffeeSnobs - BeanBayGood luck with your quest.

[BISHY Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BISHY]

Thanks Yelta.
After reading your reply I am more inclined to go with the HX machine now. Although I change my mind like my underpants. I do realise and understand I need a quality grinder and fresh beans are a must.


Thaks * ****. One of the machines i like is on your list in the buyers guide

[symphonie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close symphonie]

From the descriptions it seems that you're comparing e61 HX and Breville DB (shot timers etc).

Personally some of the factors holds me back from purchasing an e61 DB;

1. I only drink 1-2 coffees a day which means water can go stale in the boiler unless you flush a lot. unlike with HX you always get “fresh" water from the tank.

2. I drink milk-based coffee mostly. DB will probably not make much difference in the cup.

3. I live in an area where tap water is sub-optimal to say the least. 1 boiler is easier to descale than 2.

4. DB generally is lot dearer than HX. (apart from Breville and Expobar).

[BISHY Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BISHY]

Thanks symphonie. No I'm not interested in the breville line. Italian or German quality only

[KopiOkaukau Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close KopiOkaukau]

In my humble opinion, I tend to more like HX than DB machine for health reason, because the HX machine drawing fresh water direct from water line, but not the water from inside the boiler. Correct me if I am wrong

[Dimal Mal Find all posts View Profile Close Dimal]

Not really a problem with quality Dual Boiler machines...

The Brew Boiler is normally much smaller than the Steam Boiler so proportionally, water turnover is quite high when in regular use...

Mal.

SNAP!!

[DiBort Site Sponsor Find all posts View Profile Close DiBort]

Bishy;

I found that this is very personal DB or HX will do the job with not a problem.

You are welcome to come and see as and try both machines

Regards

Renzo

[BISHY Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BISHY]

Hi Di Bartoli

thank you for the offer. From your sig you are in Bondi. I am in Wollongong. I MIGHT come up but it is a long way to travel.

I think I am leaning towards a HX as advised now more and more.

The PID and shot timer were two things I really liked but now I'm thinking once adjusted the pressure stat or PID I don't think I will actually change the temp. For what I read the pressure stat is very stable once set with the e61.
I think I want the e61 too near the top of the criteria list.
The shot timer would be nice but not a deal breaker really over the above mentioned.

[DiBort Site Sponsor Find all posts View Profile Close DiBort]

Hi Di Bartoli

thank you for the offer. From your sig you are in Bondi. I am in Wollongong. I MIGHT come up but it is a long way to travel.

I think I am leaning towards a HX as advised now more and more.

The PID and shot timer were two things I really liked but now I'm thinking once adjusted the pressure stat or PID I don't think I will actually change the temp. For what I read the pressure stat is very stable once set with the e61.
I think I want the e61 too near the top of the criteria list.
The shot timer would be nice but not a deal breaker really over the above mentioned.

Hi Bishy,

Thanks for your reply

No problem if you can't make the trip to Sydney. As said, the right recommendation is subject to the individual's circumstances, far more detailed than what this medium can cover. To narrow it down to the right E61 HX for you, feel free to use our Quest tool to do exactly that: http://bit.ly/1mj6n0A

Regards
Ofra

[flynnaus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close flynnaus]

I think it would be worth the trip to Bondi Bishy. You're making a fairly major purchase. You will get good advice from specialists and it will help with your decision to see the machines in real life with a bit of hands-on or demo.

Do you already have a good grinder? You don't want to pair a high quality espresso machine with a sub-standard grinder.

[DiBort Site Sponsor Find all posts View Profile Close DiBort]

Great advise, flynnaus. We're delighted to assist over the phone, email, online chat, tailoring tool or in person.

[Stan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Stan]

I used to travel from Nowra to Sydney for a hamburger, more than a few years ago