For me, it’s because I went the whole route of espresso machines, semiautomatics, automatics, etc etc before I got all fed up with shitty Italian “support” (they don’t even answer the phone). I only bother with a good grinder now (Kitchenaid). Oh yeah, I also keep a hot water thermos plugged in anyway so aeropress is easy.
It isn’t better, except in a downsizing your life getting rid of giant appliances sort of way.
I don’t even use a kettle, I just nuke water in the microwave. Kettle boils water faster, but it’s just one more thing I’d have to possess.
Oh, okay, I get that.
I have plenty of space, and I also make my morning coffee for multiple people. So it doesn’t sound like the Aeropress would be a big benefit for my individual situation (sounds like it would be awesome for younger me though).
Sure. When you said you were “tired of the whole thing”, I thought you were in a similar frame of mind to me, looking to excise extra crap from your life. That’s why I suggested the penis pump. I mean, aeropress.
That was funny. :)
No, I didn’t mean everything, just trying to find an espresso machine that is semi-reasonably priced but still makes decent espresso (and without having to spend hundreds more on some special grinder).
There’s still a tiny part of me that thinks about getting one of the $500ish Brevilles because it has a built in grinder, but I bought an expensive Breville coffee machine in the past, the thing broke about two years in, and it was far too expensive for such shitty quality (and for them to not back it and repair it without trying to charge me hundreds more).
I can’t speak to their coffee makers, but the Breville toaster oven is truly the Cadillac of toaster ovens. It’s my favorite appliance, I use it more than my Vitamix.
I wonder if your listening to the coffee snobs a bit too much? I am not looking for a perfect espresso at home, but think it might be interesting seeing what I can do. A lot of what I have read/seen suggests you can do fine with the Encore and and a Breville.
I’ve used Jura’s superautomatic machines for about 15 years now, two machines over that time period. Both still work but there was a time when I had two homes and wanted one for each, so I’ve ended up with two.
They are not cheap, that’s for sure, but they are very very good. The one thing about price is that the key to espresso machines is whether they can actually generate steam in volume. The cheap machines generally don’t, so you’re basically running hot water through finely ground espresso roast coffee.
Jura has a few models between $800 and $1000 new, most are much more than that. On the other hand, you can buy a used / reconditioned one from several providers for as little as $600.
Here’s an example:
I have a Rancho Silvia machine. When it worked, it made very good espresso, and probably great cappuccino, but I never could figure out how to make good frothed milk (that’s not the machine’s fault though). As noted above, it required a lot of cleaning, the grinding of fine-ground coffee for espresso contributed to the mess as well, and ultimately, it simply stopped working. We’ve looked on the Internet and found some videos on how we might get it working again, but it will involve disassembling the unit, and it’s put together really tightly so I’m not looking forward to that.
tl;dr, Not really worth it. I’m not a coffee expert, I am fine with my Melitta filter pour or French press coffee, and the effort to keep and use a non-automatic espresso machine seems out of line with the results. I have not tried an all in one or automatic unit though.
I don’t have experience outside of Jura. With the Jura machines:
- you have to empty the grounds bin every X shots of espresso
- you have to put water in the tank and fill the bean hopper
- periodically (every few months) you have to run a cleaning cycle
- I wash the lower receiving tray assembly whenever I dump the grounds
They want you to use a costly water filter that must be replaced a few times a year, but the workaround for that is to use purified / bottled water to keep calcium out of the works. Beyond that, they’re pretty maintenance-free. I had one machine failure years ago; in that case I called Jura, they sent me a shipping label to sent to them, the fixed it and sent it back.
Their machines make espresso and also standard coffee to multiple levels of strength to taste. Some of them have automatic milk steaming with an add-on milk tank, so you can make a cappuccino with the push of a button (after filling the milk tank of course). I have that set up but stopped using it years ago, because I evolved to drinking iced lattes after living in Phoenix and Florida for so many years.
Hmm. I just saw this:
It promises a more espresso-like drip from an aeropress, thanks to allowing additional pressure, and not letting water through until you start pressing. i have a stainless steel filter that also limits water flow, but this may be more effective. I know some people do the inverted-aeropress thing, which I’ve never done because it seems messy, but this would definitely allow that to be a little neater.
Or it might do nothing.
I have and use that exact thing myself! It works great. No need to invert and risk burning yourself.
Some people prefer the taste of coffee aeropressed through the paper filters, as it removes some of the oils in the beans, it’s smoother. Coffee pressed through a metal filter after a full minute steeping is strong stuff. I always drink over ice with a bit of almond milk so it works for me.
Note the human body simply isn’t strong enough to generate 9+ bars of air pressure without the mechanical advantage of a lever, so it still isn’t real espresso. You do get a little bit of crema with freshly roasted beans, and otherwise it tastes like espresso to me, so the difference is minimal.
Unfortunately I know exactly what you mean. I think the rubber plunger is getting worn on mine, because if I am not careful it comes loose on the inversion. Burned myself a couple of times now.
So far, all the Fellow stuff is pretty good, so I will have to try this.
If you like how the coffee tastes with your old metal filter it’ll taste the same with the Fellowes, the only real advantage is that you don’t need to invert. And you get a bit of crema, but that doesn’t impact the flavor.
I will echo that Jura’s are very, very good superautomatic machines. You hit on the maintenance in another post (I find it super low maintenance considering they everything they make), but yes, probably are outside of context when looking for a sub-$500 machine.
I have had a Jura Z9 for three years now - it cost an arm and a leg, but it makes espresso drinks better than any chain I can go to (local craft coffee houses do beat it, for sure though).
If you go to the Jura website, they usually have factory direct opened/returned/repaired models at a decent discount, and their customer service is top notch.
I mean, I get a nice little crema French pressing Costco grounds in a $15 Target press.
Ok ok sorry, I’ll leave the thread. We all need hobbies ;)
My office has a Rancilio SIlva that I use on a regular basis. It takes a little bit of practice to use, but it has commercial-grade components, and has survived sustained daily use by dozens of people a day for several years.
The guy who researched and bought it claimed it was the best consumer-level product available, but it’s fairly expensive, even refurb.
I know I’m a bit late, but I would echo the line that an espresso machine is more a hobby than a drink machine I think. Personally, I have a Nespresso Vertuoline, their new take on pods, larger coffee capacity, can make multiple sized coffee drinks, and uses a spin process to help bloom and extraction. We also collect all the pods and send them back for recycling.
As for coffee, we just bought the Breville Precision Brew to mimic pour over to replace our old Chemex, and have a Breville burr grinder to handle the grinding parts.
My Silvia has lasted for, gosh, 20 years, with daily use and minimal upkeep. Basically replacing the shower head every so often and the ring that seals the basket every less so often.
She can be a bit demanding, mainly in terms of getting the grind the right consistency. I finally got tired of dealing with grinders and now I just buy coffee a pound at a time and let Starbucks grind it with their machine.
-Tom
Yep. This is what I keep trying to say!
A Silvia or Gaggia plus a decent grinder can make perfectly serviceable espresso without completely breaking the bank.
Sure there are some caveats. They aren’t great at milk drinks. They take practice (especially without a PID). They certainly aren’t automated.
But you could be perfectly happy with one for many years & it isn’t too crazy expensive to find out.
Diego