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What if you just want a great tasting coffee without too much hassle?

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  • #16
    If you are happy to convert to a long Mac, or flat white, perhaps a aeropress or delter press, paired with precision handgrinder. It's a bit of manual work, but with good beans, a excellent brew can be had for under $150. Plus you can take it with you for work brews. Run bottled water in your kettle, and it's a 5min job to make a morning brew.

    No steamed milk option though... Your option may be a microwaved small amount of milk

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    • #17
      The aeeopress doesn’t really appeal as it seems to be more for plunger style coffee.

      I looked at Rancilio Silvia and can’t afford it so I’ll have to buy one of the appliance type of machines.
      Would love some suggestions!

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      • #18
        Get the Sydney set posted to Melbourne for $50 [emoji16]

        Otherwise, Breville BES870 is your best bet for $500 new with warranty...

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        • #19
          100% agree get the Silvia and grinder posted to Melbourne! That's a great deal

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          • #20
            Not sure. Knowing my luck something will happen to it in transit and end up not working.

            I have no back up if there’s a fault.
            The BES870 is coming up at $689

            Sorry for all the questions but does anyone know if breville make one like that without the grinder?
            Last edited by Carmen00; 25 June 2019, 12:05 AM.

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            • #21
              The BES840 is pretty the same thing without the built in grinder

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              • #22
                Easy to use, high quality, supported by a good sales and service network, capable of great coffee and affordable are all things that tug in opposite directions, so for your budget you are going to have to be realistic about what you can get and what your priorities are.

                I owned a breville dual boiler and a friend had a breville smart grinder. Support from breville was attrocious. The smart grinder basically stopped grinding; it was as though there as a plastic shaft or cog in it that just broke and slipped. My dual boiler started leaking steam. I called breville and they could help with neither. The best they could do was point me to one of their authorised service centres. The service centre told me that the boiler on the machine was leaking and I was up for $600 to replace it. That seemed very dubious to me; previous espresso machines that I had with similar symptoms had only ever needed soemthign like a pressurestat or a safety valve replaced, so the idea that a whole boiler needed to be replaced seemed a bit much. I didn't have time to quibble with them, nor had I done the work of trying to diagnose and fix the problem myself - that was the point of going to the professionals. I suspect that the service techs probably just wanted to replace a block unit with a whole bunch of stuff attached to it, rather than servicing or replacing individual parts. Anyway, the problem reoccurred just outside the warranty period on the repairs, so I quickly decided there was no sense throwing good money after bad and got rid of the machine. My friend's smart grinder we just turfed; it wasn't economical to fix it, but disappointing that it only hacked a few years' use. Pity, since the dual boiler delivered incredible performance for the money.

                So you have some decisions to make.

                If you want push button super convenience where the machine is fully automatic, you are probably going to trade off total quality and the mechanical complexity of an all in one means that it will be more likely to die sooner.

                There are a few second hand machines and grinders around that look like pretty sensational value. I'd take the compak or macap grinders at sub $300 over a tiny sunbeam or breville conical any day of the week, since they should last a fairly long time. I have a macap at work that is 10 years old; it needed a capacitor replaced, but otherwise has been great. That silvia for $350 also looks like a steal. Of course, it has limitations in that you have to temperature surf and have to wait for it to heat up to steam. You can't really do multiple milk coffees back to back. But it's internally very simple and should be repairable. If you are handy, when you have some more cash down the track, you can PID the silvia.

                No one has yet mentioned the most important point - you will need beans that are fresh and that you like. Put a lot of effort into trying lots of different things and making an informed decision based on a broad assessment of what is on the market. There are many commercially available coffees from roasters who all market themselves in a similar way that are not very good.

                Good luck!

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                • #23
                  Thanks for all the advice everyone!

                  Excuse my ignorance but can I ask how a Silvia machine would be better than a breville? Is there anything that it does differently or better that I wouldn’t get from a store bought machine like breville or whatever?

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                  • #24
                    I've had a Breville Smart Grinder since they first came out. My original one died a few months back and I have another now. They are better grinders than people think. Breville have a factory outlet in Fitzroy and they are on special at Harvey Norman etc from time to time. I have a little Europiccola lever machine so I can't help much with machines.

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Carmen00 View Post
                      Thanks for all the advice everyone!

                      Excuse my ignorance but can I ask how a Silvia machine would be better than a breville? Is there anything that it does differently or better that I wouldn’t get from a store bought machine like breville or whatever?
                      The main benefit of a Silvia was it's durability and ease of repair, especially for DIY capable people. The biggest drawback is brew temperature control. It is essential to learn how to temperature surf to get any sort of consistency and avoid burnt coffee especially. You also need to understand why and how to keep the boiler primed (full) at start-up and especially immediately after steaming to avoid damaging the boiler heating element. The Silvia gained a big following when it was a $400 machine and priced for entry level users. Now as a $900+ machine many consider it to be overpriced. If it included a long overdue PID at the price, it would be a no brainer. Many people fit an aftermarket PID to get around this shortcoming but when you take into account the cost, you may as well start shopping for other machines in the $1000-$1500 price range.

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by CafeLotta View Post
                        The main benefit of a Silvia was it's durability and ease of repair, especially for DIY capable people. The biggest drawback is brew temperature control. It is essential to learn how to temperature surf to get any sort of consistency and avoid burnt coffee especially. You also need to understand why and how to keep the boiler primed (full) at start-up and especially immediately after steaming to avoid damaging the boiler heating element. The Silvia gained a big following when it was a $400 machine and priced for entry level users. Now as a $900+ machine many consider it to be overpriced. If it included a long overdue PID at the price, it would be a no brainer. Many people fit an aftermarket PID to get around this shortcoming but when you take into account the cost, you may as well start shopping for other machines in the $1000-$1500 price range.
                        Temperature surfing doesn’t sound so good. I know I’d end up with burnt coffee!

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Carmen00 View Post
                          Temperature surfing doesn’t sound so good. I know I’d end up with burnt coffee!
                          To put it in perspective, maybe have a read of this..............https://www.home-barista.com/espress...ng-t45807.html

                          P.S. Should have read your first post before posting the link. Probably way too much information for what you're after! Apologies.
                          Last edited by CafeLotta; 25 June 2019, 02:18 PM. Reason: P.S. added

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by Carmen00 View Post
                            Hi everyone, I’m a new member and would like to ask about coffee machines.

                            I love coffee and I usually drink a strong latte.
                            I’ve been looking at getting a coffee machine but after reading the posts on here I’m a bit overwhelmed!

                            It seems that pod coffee machines and anything completely automatic isn’t popular here.

                            I think I’d like a manual machine but after speaking to a friend that has one, she doesn’t think it’s worth the effort and the mess and is going back to a pod machine as she’s time poor like me.

                            I’m a nurse and do shift work so I’d like to make one in the morning but there’s no way I want to fluff around for 20 minutes when I start work at 7am navigating a coffee machine.

                            Does anyone one have any suggestions for machines that don’t make burnt and bitter tasting coffee but also don’t require a bachelor degree?!!
                            Are automatic ones really that bad?

                            I’ve has many horrific coffees at cafes with professional machines.

                            Thanks!
                            I empathise Carmen, my wife, an ex nurse has a similar attitude to your friend, she enjoys good espresso and can use my setup, however she cant be bothered stuffing around with the "espresso process" only drinks cappuccino when I make it for her, otherwise happily drinks instant.

                            With the work schedule you mention I doubt any machine would suit you, why not buy a pod machine, or perhaps a plunger/French press with a grinder until your in a better position time wise to come to terms with an espresso machine.

                            French press is quick and easy with minimal messing around.

                            If you buy a decent grinder it will also do the job when you buy a machine, of course you will also need good quality freshly roasted beans.

                            Good luck.

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                            • #29
                              Originally posted by Yelta View Post
                              I empathise Carmen, my wife, an ex nurse has a similar attitude to your friend, she enjoys good espresso and can use my setup, however she cant be bothered stuffing around with the "espresso process" only drinks cappuccino when I make it for her, otherwise happily drinks instant.

                              With the work schedule you mention I doubt any machine would suit you, why not buy a pod machine, or perhaps a plunger/French press with a grinder until your in a better position time wise to come to terms with an espresso machine.

                              French press is quick and easy with minimal messing around.

                              If you buy a decent grinder it will also do the job when you buy a machine, of course you will also need good quality freshly roasted beans.

                              Good luck.
                              I’d happily buy a pod machine but aren’t they meant to be the worst?

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                              • #30
                                We have a assortment of pods and machines at work. Even if I pull a pod apart and take the grinds and put them in my aeropress, I cannot get a good drink (reduced brew time and all).
                                My workmates ask why I don't just use the pod machine. I usually split my coffee with them so they can understand and make own comparisons. Everyone prefers my fresh ground beans and aeropress to the pod drinks they are getting.

                                Aeropress is much cleaner and easier than french press. A temp controlled kettle is handy, but not obligatory.

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