Coffee Appreciation

Nope. It's about as fast as you'll get. I have an E61 grouphead machine, and it also takes around 20 mins. Use an Aeropress when you are in a hurry like I do.

or this

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Or this?

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hmmm....

Get a good secondhand deal or wait for the half price discounts just before xmas.

Yes. Great machine that can make superb coffee.

I have a spare one but can't really be arsed getting it out to sell.

do it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32736366

Is the iberital MC2 still considered the best entry level (but not turd) auto grinder? Birthday time is approaching and thinking of asking for one. They don't seem to be stocked that widely any more

I like mine, fiddly to setup but once going is good enough for my needs. Happy Donkey still stock?

@StevePeel the bike coffee cart (?) looks superb. I've had a sneaky peek at the branding. Looks ace.

They do indeed:
http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/iberital-mc2-grinders/

Do you have the doser or auto version? And am I right in thinking the basic difference between the two is that one measures a grind by weight if beans and one by time of grinding?

Anyone have any opinion on
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sage-Heston-Blumenthal-Barista-Express/dp/B00CI32S9I

Or is there anything can I get that is similar/ better for less money/ ideally from John Lewis.

Auto, as I don't want to only work in multiples of 7g. I still weigh grinds using mini scales (cheaper than price difference between doser and auto).

Interesting reading:

http://www.jimseven.com/2015/05/21/an-analysis-of-nespresso-part-i/

I have a Ranicilio Rocky grindeur going spare if you fancy a bit of a project.
http://www.lfgss.com/comments/12269829/

The sage is a good grinder, for £200 its a bargain.

Ah cheers, yes we're really happy with the branding, he's such an amazing talent, full of great advice too.

We've got our first event on Sunday, a cat 2/3/4 road race with the HQ in a proper bricks and mortar clubhouse so it's a good opportunity to check it all works smoothly and to see what the demand is like. If it's as cold as this weekend we should be onto a winner.

Belatedly, but you can also use a timer plug, and leave it switched on overnight (but with the timer off), and then get it to turn on 30 min before you need it

Anyone got recommendations for a nice coffee shop in Barcelona?

Gorilla (in Gracia), Satan's Coffee Corner, and Nomad are all good.

Satan's also do a great Japanese breakfast; @edscoble will agree with me!

Some of the staff in Satan's Coffee Corner speak English, and sometime, ride a bicycle, maybe on the pavement predominantly.

Just ask kati for more places to eat/see/ride, she go there more than I do.

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I have an opinion on all bean-to-cup fully automatics.

They're great for as long as they work.

Extremely consistent espresso for very little hassle.

But, they are complex and each individual component is a balancing act of compromises on space and cost. Take them apart and too much is plastic... but that's OK, it's never the plastic that fails. The grinders are OK too. What fails are the self-cleaning mechanisms, the solenoids, etc. Stuff which should be cheap to fix, but because of the complexity of these machines the cost to repair usually works out just shy of the cost to replace... and as the cost to repair only addresses that one component it's usually best to replace.

The several I've owned have been DeLonghi (x2), Sage (x1) and Saeco (x1). Always the £500 > £1k range (the more expensive machines purchased cheaper during promotions).

They've all averaged 22 months of service before failing.

Yes, I followed the maintenance plans, diligently cleaning and descaling on a monthly basis. These machines are just doing too much for the price point... the business-grade versions are rock solid, the home versions have too many compromises for cost.

Are they worth it? Yes. But as a 2 year disposable product that you may get a longer life out of.

If you're using it daily for 2 people (as we were) for 2 years, then a £500 machine amortises at a cost of 34p per use. Expect to amortise between 35p > 50p per use.

On that basis... consumer fully automatics are rather good value. Giving a total cost of ownership similar to Nespresso but much better coffee during it's lifetime and you have far more say in the coffee you buy.

But in the long-term, people who have a dedicated grinder, espresso machine, etc... they can get their equipment to last 5+ years with low maintenance costs and will amortise closer to 10p per use even on much more expensive equipment.

Thus... I view the consumer fully automatic as an alternative to Nespresso but with fresh coffee and incredibly consistent espresso.

Oh, and of the ones I've owned... the DeLonghi lasted longest. Always 2+ years before any hassle... the current one is showing some self-cleaning issues at the moment and is close to 30 months ownership and will soon need replacing.

But yeah... view them as a Nespresso alternative, not an alternative to separate high quality machines.