Geezus don't people listen.... I sat for hours reading about the different Espresso Machines on
WWW.wholelattelove.com. I even e-mailed them and talked to them about machines. I called SALVATORE for christs sake before I selected a machine.
Even WLL thought the Salvatore was the BEST. Its HANDBUILT IN AMERICA.....using commercial machine parts, what the fk more can U ask for (They are built to order, so your machine has your name on it). Yep its expensive but I've used the thing for over 2 years without a hicup. But that Super duper whatyamacallit machine cost some dinero to....doesn't it?
I'd say there is about a 2 week learning curve with the Salvatore....ya learn how to hold the frothing cup at roughly a 17* angle with the frothing tip just submerged for the best froth...
The second thing is to buy a Mini Mazer Grinder, that thing runs so quiet you can't hear it. It will grind coffee beans from the size of boulders right on down to dust...If I were an adventerous soul I suppose I would try and find the ultimae grind for each type of coffee bean I use, but I just have set it and am done. One suggestion just grind the beans your going to use immediately.
To tell U the truth I never order coffee out anymore and when I visit friends their coffee just doesn't cut it anymore... So I guess the Salvatore spoiled me...
\
Oh BTW: for our cheap SOB friends on this Board who are playing the Under Up Manship game...I too had a Krups French Press machine for over 10 years, before it gave up. I looked for another cheap machine to replace it with, yet remained unsatisfied with anything I saw. Then the one thing I noticed when reading the reviews by people who had bought High End Machines on WLL, was that many of them had graduated from cheaper machines and were very happy that they did. Like the difference between night and day.....