help: which coffee machine?

[aleksek]

hi there,

I'm new in this forum so firstly hello

I love coffee I am a coffee drinker I love it for its smell, taste and color. So far I have been using at home a normal plunger (and I was happy with it! - please don't judge me ) but now I'm ready to upgrade. I was thinking about:
- Breville Bravista Express or
- Giotto Premium

Usage:
I'm drinking 2 cups of latte in the morning and then some 1 or more during the day. My husband only one at home and then he is off to work (where he might go and buy himself another cup ).
I know he will Ok the Breville (around 750$) but Giotto is like 2-3K$... are there any arguments for Giotto that speak for this machine?

Any advise? Help? Thoughts?

Thanks
Aleks

[KopiV]

Hi aleksek

Welcome to the forum, I personally would be leaning towards to Giotto. There is lots of info on Breville machine and Giotto's in this forum, i would recommend reading through what some owners would have to say about their machines to get some insight before making a decision.

[TC]

Hello aleksek,

You may also wish to consider the Rocket Espresso Appartamento. It's reminiscent of a Giotto V2 internally and is at a lower price point.

It's a great machine and is currently our biggest seller. If the budget is not there, keep an eye peeled for a good pre-owned one. With a real machine you get longevity. With an appliance, planned obsolescence.

Cheers

Chris

[Brewster]

Hi aleksek and welcome to this forum.
I've owned an appliance brand machine and when paired with a quality grinder and freshly roasted beans, it was more than capable of producing great coffee.
As Chris points out, it's the longevity or lack of it that comes into play. Ongoing support/service generally evaporates soon after warranty expires and newer models come onto the market.
Prosumer machines, whether new or used, offer quality build and ongoing support when purchased from a reputable dealer (read site sponser .
I now have a prosumer machine bought from a site sponser and I know I have all the things mentioned above.
Don't forget to allow for a quality grinder if you don't already have one, as this together with fresh beans is arguably more important than the coffee machine.
Most site sponsers have great documentation on their web sites to explain the differences in the machines and to help you choose the right one for you.
The best advice I could give anyone is after you have done a bit of research, if at all possible, visit one of our site sponsers. They are ready and willing to demonstrate various machines and offer unbiased advice. If you live too far away, then give them a call.
Good luck with your search. Look forward to seeing what you end up with.
Mal

[flynnaus]

Hi Aleks

If you enjoy the coffee you make, then no need to apologise. Nothing wrong with plunger coffee.

There is plenty to recommend the Giotto as a quality machine and is a popular machine. I would advise you to steer away from the Breville. You will get a lifetime of use from a quality espresso machine like the Rocket Giotto whereas the 'appliance' machines are generally lucky to last longer than 5 years. They are designed that way. It's also advisable not to buy machines with a built-in grinder like the Breville you listed.

Best idea is to pay a visit to a vendor of quality machines, preferably one that has a good range and can demo the machines. Keep in mind that if you go for the Giotto or similar, you will need to buy a grinder with an extra $500+ outlay. There are other quality machines such as the Lelit with a lower price that can produce excellent coffee and might make your husband more agreeable.

[Boggas]

Hi Aleks

I can also vouch for spending a bit more on a Prosumer machine.

I started on appliance machines and while they did produce some great coffee they just didn't last. In the long term they certainly cost me more money than if I had gone Prosumer from the start.

As for which machine would be suitable? that is going to be down to which machines you like the styling and functionality of. I would start by doing some research on the differences in single boiler, HX, and Double boiler machines (plenty of info on this forum) and then get to the showrooms and have a play.

As others have said please don't neglect the grinder, it would be a shame to spend a large sum on a prosumer machine only to be disappointed by the results due to an insufficient grinder.

I hope that helps..... good luck

[ScottyF]

Aleks

Another vote in support of going with a prosumer machine over an appliance machine. Build quality, steam pressure, short cycle time between extractions when making multiple coffees, durability, ease of repair and parts replacement are all really strong arguments for going with a quality piece of machinery. Prosumer machines also hold their value quite well when it comes to resale if you ever wanted to upgrade down the track.

Like Boggas has recommended, you would need to factor in a quality grinder if you go with a prosumer machine.

I've previously owned a Giotto, and I got years and years of great coffee from it. I think the Appartamento recommendation from Chris is a really good one. I've seen it in a showroom in Sydney and it looks really nice; Rocket make great gear.

This link is to a YouTube review of the Appartmento by Gail from Seattle Coffee Gear; I like her videos. You can see how genuinely excited she was by the arrival and performance of the Appartamento.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYEhmabfEfs

This clip is Gail unboxing the Appartmento

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGi7waD9qs8

This little clip gives you a sense of what the Appartmento can produce. It's the sort of thing that makes some of us on this forum (maybe, all of us) swoon.

https://vimeo.com/169439139

Gail's review of the Barista Express is here (for the sake of fairness)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Nr-Dftouk

You really can't go wrong by going into the showroom of a site sponsor, depending in your location, and having a look at the range of prosumer machines(including the Giotto and Appartmento), and a grinder. Some vendors will do a deal on the purchase of a machine and grinder and offer some initial training. If you are going from plunger to espresso, getting some skills-based training is really worthwhile. Having a look at YouTube reviews is also a useful and fun way to inform your decision-making process.

I'd hate to see you invest in an appliance machine that you will subsequently be disappointed by. If you look at the likelihood of you getting 10 years out of a prosumer machine, it puts the additional upfront cost into perspective.

Good luck with making the choice. Let us all know what you end up going with.

[TC]

I think the Appartamento recommendation from Paul is a really good one...

Think that was me Scotty.

Paul doesn't sell Rocket Giotto nor Appartamento.

Chris

[ScottyF]

Think that was me Scotty.

Paul doesn't sell Rocket Giotto nor Appartamento.

Chris

Oops. Sorry Chris. I've fixed it my post.

Cheers

Scott

[aleksek]

hallo

thank you all for your advice can you recommend any showrooms in Perth?

I have found something like that:
Espresso Shot Comparison: Breville Dual Boiler v. Rocket Espresso R58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY-MQOHOimQ


and Breville's shot won but that was breville dual boiler. So I have found something like that:
Breville Barista Express vs Breville Dual Boiler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3gmFtVItbU

so if a shot of Breville tastes better for a newbie (as I am) and as per Gail the shots from Breville "taste the same" - why not go for Breville Barista???

Any thoughts? I am lost lol'

Aleks

[TC]

Hello Alek.

Site sponsor Dimattina Coffee have a good range on demo at Osborne Park.

I wouldn't worry too much about an internet comparisons and perceived winners or losers. Nothing scientific about this rubbish. I could easily make a Breville win over a Slayer and then lose to a $5 plunger- or a jar of Moccona instant for that matter.

[LeroyC]

Don't forget site sponsor Jet Black Espresso at Frenchs Forest. If you're looking at the Appartmento and Profitec Pro 500 Charlie can show you both in action.

That's a big trip from Perth to look at a coffee machine!!

[TC]

Don't forget site sponsor Jet Black Espresso at Frenchs Forest. If you're looking at the Appartmento and Profitec Pro 500 Charlie can show you both in action.

That's a big trip from Perth to look at a coffee machine!!

All good...It's ******'s August promo. He's picking up the tab for flights and accommodation as well!

[ScottyF]

hallo

so if a shot of Breville tastes better for a newbie (as I am) and as per Gail the shots from Breville "taste the same" - why not go for Breville Barista???

Any thoughts? I am lost lol'

Aleks

Akeks

A study with a sample size of n=2 isn't a study. You can make satisfying coffee with just about every brewing method.

The link to Dimattina's range is here

Domestic Espresso Machines. - Dimattina

Scott

[artman]

Dimatina were creating a new showroom last time i was there a couple of months back, it might be up and running now. regardless definitely worth a a visit (they always have machines on display).

Re breville vs "traditional" machines, yes something like the dual boiler is capable of a great brew (with the right technique and beans) but longer term i would bet on the traditional going the distance (and not forgetting resale).

Cheers