Gaggia Classic for me. Not bad, but somewhat inconsistent.

go to Espresso Machines; Espresso Coffee Makers; Coffee Makers from Wholelattelove: Capresso, Jura, Saeco, Gaggia, Rancilio, Nespresso and do some comparisons. and eventually, you'll be persuaded that the grinder is more important than the machine. Mazzer jr for me.

Oh and your espressos will only be as good as the coffee you use. If you're a bud light guy, buy starbucks beans. If you're a dogfish head guy, get Klatch or Counter Culture Coffee (toscano espresso blend is amazing). Doesn't cost much more and delivered to your door.

I bin down the road of beans...they have to age a coupla days after roasting then you have about a 3 or 4 day window to use them before flavor starts to fall off...after awhile who cares....

Wow that is steep. Sorry if I'm derailing this thread, but they are just so interesting.

We were visiting a friends house one evening when he brought out the coffee bong (vacuum brewer). I have to say it is quite the conversation piece if you've never seen one work.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1277865982.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1277866001.jpg

Espresso runs under $.25/cup at my house. In the past 3 years, we've run 8589 cups of coffee (according to the stats menu). I get about 20 cups out of a $2.94 ($3.44 bag with a $.50 coupon) bag of 8-o-clock 100% Columbian.

$0.0699+$0.147~$.22/cup

Yes, I drink a lot of coffee/espresso...I expect together we drink 10 cups per day, including our part time worker and friends who drop by.

wow - you should move to the PNW - you'd fit right in

A couple of high end machines you may wish to consider, the Rocket E61 and the VBM. I've got a VBM and a mini mazzer and make better lattes than 9 out of 10 cafes. Make that 19 out of 20 cafes. Google VBM coffee for pics. You may need to buy second hand to get the price into your price bracket, or spend a bit more but the rewards are excellent :)

The VBM is a excellent quality machine...in the same price range as the Salvatore...and using the same commercial quality components..flip a coin...

J, for an interesting change of pace you might try Mae's beans. Fresh-roasted daily, available by the pound or half-pound at the front counter. It's quite good, comparable to Peet's French Roast and Caffe Appassionato but with even more flavor if that's possible..

http://www.maescafe.com/article.espx?show=12249&slot=&show_related=

:)

Thanks for the ideas guys.

A really cheap alternative - not a joke - $25
 

No laughing please - I bought a $40 Mr. Coffee espresso maker after my wife proposed that that would make more sense than brewing a whole pot that she only had one mug from. And she like lattes. I did the shop saavy scan at Target and many proclaimed it was worth 10x that by comparison. (Other reviews complained about the short "6 inch" cord - it is 2 ft or so and wraps underneath, duh!) The first one quit heating on the first use and I returned it to find it on sale for $24.99.

I made my wife a latte each morning this spring - waiting for her as she stepped out of the shower - good points. I don't drink coffee. She says they are better than the Starbucks latte's.

Mr Coffee Machine - $40

I have the machine figured out. If I fill with the right amount of filtered water it will stop producing espresso and leave the right amount for steaming that days mix of milk and soy milk. Very simple and it paid for itself in A WEEK.

I just lost an Isomac Relax that I've had for ... 8 years? I've had that machine forever, and I've made a LOT of coffee with it. If you can get used to the heat exchanger, it's worth spending just a little more than your $500 budget.

Under that line, there's not a lot that's real good. The features that matter are the ability to precisely control shot temperature (either a PID-controlled boiler or a way to monitor/control shot temperature), an E61 grouphead, and, if you're into milk-espresso drinks, the ability to froth and pull shots simultaneously.

Sure -- a cheap machine may pull better shots than the kid at *$, but when you get a good shot from a well-built machine, even the non-snobs can tell the difference.

Just my $0.02.

Dan

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