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  • automatic machines

    hi everyone
    i was researching to buy a auto coffee machine when i came across coffee snobs. needless to say i became a member i am intrested in peoples advice on auto machines. i understand that i am comprimising on taste to go for an auto machine that a sacrifice i have to make. i was looking at the saeco range but i am a little unsure now. also i liked the gaggia machine i would love to hear the pros and cons of going auto and what to look for in a machine. i too was only looking at twin boilers etc until i read the article on the problems with frothing milk. also do auto machines deliver hot coffee as this seems to also be a issue with them

  • #2
    Re: automatic machines

    lemcop,

    Hi and welcome to CoffeeSnobs...

    The main reason most of us warn against super automatics is the reliability. Yes the quality of the coffee wont be as good.... but unless you want to spend several hundred dollars a year on service to keep it going- only consider a Jura. The other makes just arent made to the same build quality..... and you will have lots of problems (and ongoing expense).... they are extremely complex bits of kit - built for a price - and therefore unreliable.

    Jura are a lot more expensive (and there is a reason for that).... so either look at a Jura - or have a serious think about a normal machine - cheaper, far more reliable and far better coffee.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: automatic machines

      Originally posted by lemcop link=1180516219/0#0 date=1180516219
      hi everyone
          i was researching to buy a auto coffee machine when i came across coffee snobs. needless to say i became a member i am intrested in peoples advice on auto machines. i understand that i am comprimising on taste to go for an auto machine that a sacrifice i have to make. i was looking at the saeco range but i am a little unsure now. also i liked the gaggia machine i would love to hear the pros and cons of going auto and what to look for in a machine. i too was only looking at twin boilers etc until i read the article on the problems with frothing milk. also do auto machines deliver hot coffee as this seems to also be a issue with them
      I am the Saeco frothing hell poster and I want to say that my Saeco is performing nicely now. I am 95% happy with my purchase now as I am aware of trading taste for ease and do love the ease!

      Since I got my milk right, not perfect but better than some caffes, Im a happy camper. I use the expresso for making iced coffees and over icecream too....I just love food!!!!

      I tend to cover the tiny microscopic hole on the wand and my milk frothing has been good. I get a very fine creamy froth with hardly any visible bubbles. I try to cover it all with lots of choc. powder and it looks good to go. It is hopeless for art but that could be me.

      Maybe one day I will get the whole manual setup, but Im in no rush at the moment.

      ps I think the beans you use play a big part. Beans that taste great at my fave. cafe tasted ave. on my machine. It is hard to get a strong tasting coffee so I think you need strong tasting beans, nothing delicate. jmo

      Please tell us what you end up doing.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: automatic machines

        One more thing, my machine has already gone back. I dont think they really did anything as part of the problem was my method with the wand. But to their credit they picked the machine up and delivered it back at my request. Had they not I would have made life very annoying for them since my time is worth so little! :-?

        I also paid for 5 years extra insurance, which the sales person insisted I would need.....and at the time I thought....this is not something you want to hear before you buy a machine!!! . But I bought anyway even though the sales staff were all nodding about how these things always break down and you need insurance!!!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: automatic machines

          My Saeco is going on pretty well too! Convenience is the key to me.... may be Im just too lazy I bought mine from Saeco directly, the warehouse sale, its a very GOOD bargin but they din provide any extended warranty (pay of cos) otherwise I would have bought it too. Good luck to me!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: automatic machines

            ive had a delonghi auto machine in my retail shop for 2 years. I convinced my non-coffee drinker business partner we needed it for classes etc. I got the one with the milk jug/auto froth - kinda hopeless for frothing milk, but i just press a button and walk away so it suited my needs. you can adjust the grind, the length of the pour etc so from that pov i think its good. makes very hot drinks, I have the temp set to medium b/c it was too hot. cost over $1500 but now i think theyve come down to just under $1000. the jura and saecos I looked at did much the same thing but for an extra coupla grand because they were deemed "light commercial" as opposed to domestic. would def get one with a wand but at the time i was worried about spilling jugs of milk on the floor of the shop... my coffee machine guy who sold me my commercial machine thinks theyre all rubbish but put the right beans in them and some some care and I think theyre great - the jura people told me I couldnt put Merlo beans in their machine (too oily) so I walked out. probably not true but the coffee she made for me in the showroom was so ordinary I wasnt interested.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: automatic machines

              People like autos because they think learning to use a semi-auto machine will be hard.

              Its not. Sure, you have to learn and practice at first, but once you get the method down, its easy enough, and you have soo much more control, not to mention the flavour is infinitely better.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: automatic machines

                you think?
                I think there are plenty of people who are just downright lazy.
                that certainly explains why theres a microwave in every kitchen (except mine :P)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: automatic machines

                  ;D Definitely I am one of the lazy one ! I increased my dosage from one cup to four cups per day since I got my automatic ..... well good and bad but I just love the convenience ! :P

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: automatic machines

                    Sharon - Ive got the same problem with my Saeco - bubbling milk. For the first 2-3 months it was fantastic then one day it suddenly changed. I have covered the small hole on the wand with instant success, but does anyone know why this bubbling would happen in the first place? And what the hole is for? Other than this recent problem the machine has been great.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: automatic machines

                      Originally posted by lilli link=1180516219/0#9 date=1183425805
                       I have covered the small hole on the wand with instant success, but does anyone know why this bubbling would happen in the first place? And what the hole is for?
                      Hi lilli!

                      That hole on the steam wand for the Saeco is a breather hole. It is not supposed to be blocked/covered/taped up etc. There is quite a significant difference if you do block it up, as this decreases the amount of steam that comes through.

                      Try this:

                      1. Let the steam come out of the wand for about 10-15 seconds, you will notice a BIG difference with the amount that comes out. It has to build up from the boiler and that is why it "bubbles" so to speak when you immerse it into the milk.

                      2. The tip of the wand should only just be in the milk. Too far in will make it squeal and out to far will of course make those big bubbles, and splatter milk everywhere.

                      See how you go, the steam on these machines make the best microfoam.

                      Hope this helps
                      - Linda

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: automatic machines

                        Thanks for the tips, ill give it a go tonight & let you know how i fare...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: automatic machines

                          Hey guys, I have tried all the suggestions and nothing worked for me except covering the hole. But, maybe this is just because when I cover the hole the wand ends up being in a perfect angle or position. Maybe its a secondary effect from covering the hole.

                          I discussed this with the sales lady who works for Saeco, I see her a lot in HN and Myers. Of course she was reluctant to recommend doing anything that might jeapordise the machine, and who knows if it will damage anything!!! But, to her surprise her machine for display had the hole blocked with caramalised milk and she could not clean it, probably needed a pin! So, in effect she was using the machine with the hole covered!!!!

                          For myself, I am getting a brilliant cup of coffee now, totally brialliant. i get fantastic beans from a roaster that blew my mind!!! And my milk texturising is awsome. I think the Saeco does better with different types of milk too. My personal opinion is that I get a very smooth silky microfoam from a full fat milk. Sometimes I mix half pura lite with half full fat...to try to compromise.

                          Ive noticed that different cafes do the milk very different too!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: automatic machines

                            Originally posted by Maccas_chicka link=1180516219/0#10 date=1183440442
                            Originally posted by lilli link=1180516219/0#9 date=1183425805
                             I have covered the small hole on the wand with instant success, but does anyone know why this bubbling would happen in the first place? And what the hole is for?
                            Hi lilli!

                            That hole on the steam wand for the Saeco is a breather hole. It is not supposed to be blocked/covered/taped up etc. There is quite a significant difference if you do block it up, as this decreases the amount of steam that comes through.

                            Try this:

                            1. Let the steam come out of the wand for about 10-15 seconds, you will notice a BIG difference with the amount that comes out. It has to build up from the boiler and that is why it "bubbles" so to speak when you immerse it into the milk.

                            2. The tip of the wand should only just be in the milk. Too far in will make it squeal and out to far will of course make those big bubbles, and splatter milk everywhere.

                            See how you go, the steam on these machines make the best microfoam.

                            Hope this helps
                            - Linda
                            Linda, do you know for sure that the covering of the hole will cause problems (its such a tiny hole!!!!). I was thinking that the steam is even stronger when I cover the hole. i would love to know why the milk froths better with the hole covered. I was thinkingthat the hole was to encourage big bubbles, as this wand was designed for bubbly froth to appeal to those that just want to see something that looks like froth. Like a fail safe wand even for dummies!!! I dont think the design is to encourage micro foam. Other wands dont seem to have this hole!!!!

                            Meanwhile, for me, the covering up of the hole has transformed my frotyhing to very proffesional hights, and it would be hard for me to go back to bubbles!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: automatic machines

                              Im in exactly the same boat, and now think the hole may have been blocked or partially blocked before it was thoroughly cleaned and resulted in the bubbles.

                              All of the suggestions didnt work, so I resorted back to covering the hole - and am now making good coffees again.



                              Thanks for the help.

                              Comment

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