Hi
In a seperate topic:
http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1230675734/0
I was complaining about bitter shots on my trusty Sunbeam 6910 - so ended up buying a VBM Domobar SuperLever from TalkCoffee.
I have had it for about a week and it has been a serious adjustment from the Sunbeam. My observations are not meant to criticise either machine but just cover off some of my experiences. Although I am a total coffeesnob, I had never even seen any of the prosumer machines until Chris walked me through his show room. From all the hype - the two machines that I was interested in were the Giotto and the VBM. Various people have covered off the pros and cons of each, so wont go into that. I selected the VBM.
The things I have really had to adjust to in moving from what those critical people call an appliance to a "real espresso machine" are not all positive. Armed with some of the stuff that Chris showed me, and diligently watching the ECM demos by Scotty Callaghan, I set to work. the 12 points that follow have been my experiences:
1. I have burned myself about 50 times in the last week and had to explain to my 19month old that everything on the coffee counter is HOT. I cannot believe the temperature of the silver beast. Everything is hot hot hot. But the cups get warmed nicely
2. The sunbeam has a great water refill system- had to invest in a funnel for the VBM (also bought a water filter - for such an expensive machine, I suppose a Brita jug is a small investment).
3. Have had to become a lot more vigilant with cleanliness and maintenance (i.e maintain the investment) - plus the damn thing is so shiny you can see water/coffee/milk spots everywhere
4. It is NOISY but I like that - the wife said - I turned it on, it made some noises so I turned it off.
5. The steam power is unbelievable and could remove skin. The speed and ease of getting microfoam is fantastic and it actually makes the milk taste so much sweeter. It is also a lot easier to screwup, as it takes 10-20 secs rather than a minute or two.
6. My tamp / dose technique has had to change completely. Have had to underdose compared to the sunbeam overdose as the shower head is so low. I threw away a lot of coffee as I could not even get the portafilter to engage. The machine is a lot more sensitive to getting dialled in properly. Swearing has been involved. I went through 500gms of Chris urban blend very very fast.
7. The difference between a bad and a good shot - both visually and from a taste perspective is much wider on the VBM than the Sunbeam. I have been battling with consistently with both the shots and the milk.
8 The taste and mouthfeel of the espresso is completely different on the VBM (in a good way).
9. The low water light is a waste of time on the VBM (it engages when you have run out of water). I think the sunbeam is way ahead on this one. You can see the water level and it beeps at you when you are low, but could still manage to finish your shot!!!
10. The VBM is damn heavy!!!
11. The startup time is very different between the two machines. I am going to have to invest in a timer.
12. With a sunbeam in your kitchen, people say - you like your coffee. With a VBM on the counter, people look at you and shake their heads.
In a seperate topic:
http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1230675734/0
I was complaining about bitter shots on my trusty Sunbeam 6910 - so ended up buying a VBM Domobar SuperLever from TalkCoffee.
I have had it for about a week and it has been a serious adjustment from the Sunbeam. My observations are not meant to criticise either machine but just cover off some of my experiences. Although I am a total coffeesnob, I had never even seen any of the prosumer machines until Chris walked me through his show room. From all the hype - the two machines that I was interested in were the Giotto and the VBM. Various people have covered off the pros and cons of each, so wont go into that. I selected the VBM.
The things I have really had to adjust to in moving from what those critical people call an appliance to a "real espresso machine" are not all positive. Armed with some of the stuff that Chris showed me, and diligently watching the ECM demos by Scotty Callaghan, I set to work. the 12 points that follow have been my experiences:
1. I have burned myself about 50 times in the last week and had to explain to my 19month old that everything on the coffee counter is HOT. I cannot believe the temperature of the silver beast. Everything is hot hot hot. But the cups get warmed nicely

2. The sunbeam has a great water refill system- had to invest in a funnel for the VBM (also bought a water filter - for such an expensive machine, I suppose a Brita jug is a small investment).
3. Have had to become a lot more vigilant with cleanliness and maintenance (i.e maintain the investment) - plus the damn thing is so shiny you can see water/coffee/milk spots everywhere

4. It is NOISY but I like that - the wife said - I turned it on, it made some noises so I turned it off.
5. The steam power is unbelievable and could remove skin. The speed and ease of getting microfoam is fantastic and it actually makes the milk taste so much sweeter. It is also a lot easier to screwup, as it takes 10-20 secs rather than a minute or two.
6. My tamp / dose technique has had to change completely. Have had to underdose compared to the sunbeam overdose as the shower head is so low. I threw away a lot of coffee as I could not even get the portafilter to engage. The machine is a lot more sensitive to getting dialled in properly. Swearing has been involved. I went through 500gms of Chris urban blend very very fast.
7. The difference between a bad and a good shot - both visually and from a taste perspective is much wider on the VBM than the Sunbeam. I have been battling with consistently with both the shots and the milk.
8 The taste and mouthfeel of the espresso is completely different on the VBM (in a good way).
9. The low water light is a waste of time on the VBM (it engages when you have run out of water). I think the sunbeam is way ahead on this one. You can see the water level and it beeps at you when you are low, but could still manage to finish your shot!!!
10. The VBM is damn heavy!!!
11. The startup time is very different between the two machines. I am going to have to invest in a timer.
12. With a sunbeam in your kitchen, people say - you like your coffee. With a VBM on the counter, people look at you and shake their heads.

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