Re: Which espresso machine to buy
About automatic machines:
Over the course of a week, youll find yourself altering your shot time and volume to compensate for small changes in bean age/staleness, tamp pressure, etc. I find it best to stop the shot when its starting to blonde; not after a certain exact time, or when a certain exact volume has been dispensed.
An automatic volumetric machine doesnt compensate well for these small variances.
Using an automatic machine doesnt really save you any time either. With practice, you can use the 25 seconds of pour time to steam your milk (keeping one eye on the pour to check for blonding).
Heres how I justify cost:
If you & your wife buy a cafe coffee most days of the week, that will quickly add up to about $50/week.
Your beans and milk will only cost about $15/week, so youre saving about $2000/year by making your own coffee at home!
The VBM Junior is an awesome machine, but there are many very similar "HX" machines, so you can choose one to suit your taste (look & feel).
For grinders, people have said the K3T is great, and (for a bit less money) the Eureka Mignon is also excellent.
About automatic machines:
Over the course of a week, youll find yourself altering your shot time and volume to compensate for small changes in bean age/staleness, tamp pressure, etc. I find it best to stop the shot when its starting to blonde; not after a certain exact time, or when a certain exact volume has been dispensed.
An automatic volumetric machine doesnt compensate well for these small variances.
Using an automatic machine doesnt really save you any time either. With practice, you can use the 25 seconds of pour time to steam your milk (keeping one eye on the pour to check for blonding).
Heres how I justify cost:
If you & your wife buy a cafe coffee most days of the week, that will quickly add up to about $50/week.
Your beans and milk will only cost about $15/week, so youre saving about $2000/year by making your own coffee at home!
The VBM Junior is an awesome machine, but there are many very similar "HX" machines, so you can choose one to suit your taste (look & feel).
For grinders, people have said the K3T is great, and (for a bit less money) the Eureka Mignon is also excellent.

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