Thread: Thinking of getting a new espresso machine

Go here........ Coffee for Connoisseurs Coffee Beans Coffee Brewing Coffee Machines Espresso Coffee

The RANCILIO SILVIA if you don't need a grinder

Or the LELIT COMBI if you want a machine with a built in grinder.

Both are excellent machines with Brass Boilers

This is just up my alley.
I actually have an Isomac and a Mini Mazzer grinder.

I use it constantly and love it.
Took 4 kg's to run grinder in with the conical blades but they gave me 2 kilos of cheap coffee just to grind and chuck.

Once you are going full manual, you really have to get a good grinder.
Mine grinds as I need it and every bag I put through, it needs slight tweaking. It may need to be finer, more or less etc.
When temperature changes and or humidity, they all effect the coffee.

I suggest buy only small bags of coffee, say 250gm and never ever put them in fridge or freezer-- Old wifes tale!

Wipe out hopper on every new bag to get rid of oils and back flush machine as often as possible.

They make a little mess but when you pour a good cup, Oh my god, its bliss.

Make sure also you have full cream milk available, get a small jug for milk and one that bellows out towards the bottom. This enables more of a vortex action for frothing milk.
With milk also, its important to never overheat it. Max of 65-70 degree C. Anything after that splits the milk and will taste burnt, if you like it hot or aunt Nelly is used to her instant being boiling etc. Pour some hot water in and preheat cup that way and than chuck water out.
For long blacks, hot water in 1st, approx 75% and than top with a double of expresso. Coffee always last and once the coffee is ground and in the hot handle, make it staright way, don't let it sit in the group, it will burn.
A short black should take 20 seconds to pour 30ml.

Wow, what a rave. Too many years in hospitality I think.
Oh, and use good filtered water or better still, reverse osmosis.

Enjoy-Let me know if you need help purchasing, I still own a bar here in SA, I can get trade prices. Postage may kill it a bit though.

Thanks, this is more like the info I need.

What model Isomac is that?

The Isomac TEA II looks good and I found a slightly smaller model which also seemd to be good.

I have a Sunbeam EM-480 grinder which I bought 2 years ago. I tossed up between it and the Mini Mazzar and I don't regret the choice. It's an excellent grinder and once bedded in and the adjustment setting worked out it has performed very well. No doubt I'll go through another adjustment phase with a new machine doing the brewing.

I only buy 250g bags - this is the grinder's hoper size which helps - and they never go near the fridge or freezer. When I get near the end of the bag I'll run the grinder out and clean the mechanism and hopper. I take these poor grinds in to work for me to use in the Breville machine in the crib room.

Our house is always airconditioned so constant temperature and humidity is pretty good. I keep the coffee in a cool dry place in a cupboard in the bag until I open it for the grinder.

I have a blind screen to back flush the Gaggia after every use. What is the procedure for doing it with the Isomac?

Didn't know about the trick with the milk jug shape, will have to look into that. I did know about the temperature and I've got pretty adept at knowing when its hot enough.

As for water quality... Bundalene and Stuuu can back me up here... let's just say that it is unfortunate that they have to treat it by law. I haven't needed to descale the Gaggia since I bought it about 10 years ago. I have done so but with no noticeable difference or any discharge. We have one of the best water supplies in Australia if not the world. Not like in SA

The Aldi one only costs about $60 and does everything you could want.

Originally Posted by dmdigital

Nothing to do with Land Rovers but I do like my espresso just as much as my Defenders and living here it's not like you can just pop out to a nice cafe for a coffee.

My 10 year old Gaggia Classic may need replacing I'm thinking and as I'll be in Melbourne for a few days next month I thought I'd have a look at something a little better.

I'm thinking maybe a VBM or Isomac. So what has anyone got or recommend?

Reading through the coffee forums does my head in. There's some really serious coffee lovers out there

Yes.

Yes, yes.

Lucky bugger.

Don't think you can go wrong with either of them, nice big boilers, do either of them have them fancy pid controls?

But you really need a big grinder. I reckon a fat machine makes it easier to make a good coffee, but the grinder makes all the difference. My really good home grinder didn't even compare to the La Cimbali.

My Giddy Bloody Goat....there are some sad b@stards on here and, I am one of them. Don't have a 'portable' espresso machine so, my Lavazza has travelled with me and seen all the same bits I have seen. I keep it well scrubbed and the rubber seals have stood the test of time and my abuse.

Mozambique, with their Portuguese past has great espresso; the best I have yet to try in Africa.

Timor was distinctive with it's home grown coffee.

Afghanistan was....only what ground coffee I could get out of Dubai.

Ghana was a coffee snob's desert....Nescafe is the only coffee available.

Uganda and Kenya have some great beans and I enjoy trying the different varieties. I stock up well on ground coffee to last my time in Mogadishu. The Italians and the Portuguese left their mark in Mogadishu and I have yet to try it but, the locals tell me of a local coffee with ginger in it...I'll try any coffee at least once.

In the end though, I love getting back to Melbourne. For me, Melbourne is coffee paradise.

Originally Posted by big guy

This is just up my alley.
I actually have an Isomac and a Mini Mazzer grinder.

I use it constantly and love it.
Took 4 kg's to run grinder in with the conical blades but they gave me 2 kilos of cheap coffee just to grind and chuck.

Once you are going full manual, you really have to get a good grinder.
Mine grinds as I need it and every bag I put through, it needs slight tweaking. It may need to be finer, more or less etc.
When temperature changes and or humidity, they all effect the coffee.

I suggest buy only small bags of coffee, say 250gm and never ever put them in fridge or freezer-- Old wifes tale!

Wipe out hopper on every new bag to get rid of oils and back flush machine as often as possible.

They make a little mess but when you pour a good cup, Oh my god, its bliss.

Make sure also you have full cream milk available, get a small jug for milk and one that bellows out towards the bottom. This enables more of a vortex action for frothing milk.
With milk also, its important to never overheat it. Max of 65-70 degree C. Anything after that splits the milk and will taste burnt, if you like it hot or aunt Nelly is used to her instant being boiling etc. Pour some hot water in and preheat cup that way and than chuck water out.
For long blacks, hot water in 1st, approx 75% and than top with a double of expresso. Coffee always last and once the coffee is ground and in the hot handle, make it staright way, don't let it sit in the group, it will burn.
A short black should take 20 seconds to pour 30ml.

Wow, what a rave. Too many years in hospitality I think.
Oh, and use good filtered water or better still, reverse osmosis.

Enjoy-Let me know if you need help purchasing, I still own a bar here in SA, I can get trade prices. Postage may kill it a bit though.

Mate, with dedication like that, I am going to let you make me a coffee one day soon...

Which bar?

That machine is the Isomac millenium.

Back flushing is same, a blank in the handle and do as normal.
Every now and than I use chemical through it to clear the lines.

They take 20 min to warm fully, sometimes you have to blow off some steam first to stop vapour locks and boiler will not pressurise.

Also its imperative to tamper the coffee to roughly 15kg of pressure once the ground is in the handle.
Always have a hot handle too.
Get a measure device under it also so you can time the run for 30ml.
Once you extract more, it gets bitter.

I got you pm and will get some prices.

A good grinder will make a huge difference to the end result.
I mean huge and glad I spend more on mine as I planned to use a standard one for $350. I spend I think $1100 and boy was I happy.
Long after the price is forgotten, the coffee just speaks for itself.

That, my bike, the Landy disease and only wearing diesel jeans are my only vices. So why not. Well, there is the single malt whisky, lifes too short to drink house wine and several others but I let them just run their course.

I suggest you don't rush, try out several blenders in shops and see for yourself.
Put yours on fleabay and get some more cash if you feel stretched, it will be worth it.

Love my coffee. I often take machine and grinder with me on trips and people 1st laugh and then they line up for a cuppa, on one trip, people paid me 2 bucks a cup, I took 3kg with me and it paid for all my fuel and camping fees.