Coffee Appreciation

Barista Express £365 at Amazon, John Lewis and AO.

Sage smart grinder and duo temp Pro combo is about £340.

Still over budget, but not by much

Ah. Should have clarified that the Sage models Which recommend are all north of £500

Thanks. Thay one doesnt seem to do long coffee.

I'll just get a delonghi, they wont know the difference.

I have a Barista Express going. Put a mention of it a day or two ago for £250

Can't see that you'd need any of the dual boiler ones unless you need to make loads quickly. The steaming is pretty good on the Barista Express

Does anybody make a bean go cup espresso machine without a milk steamer?

I just don’t need one.

Thanks, though that looks nice, the added element of grinding into a portafilter is not something they want. And it would be going rouge to get that.
Plus I need to order online new (shipped abroad)

Gaggia classic baskets -

What size are people going for? I've got a 14g/double at the moment. Is going to a 21g/ triple just a case of getting more coffee in and out, or will I see anything different flavour wise?

Also, what basket? Is it worth the money for the IMS competition. eBay has baskets from about £4 up, but I can only see the IMS as being noticeably branded/different.

Spurred by your post I finally got around to ordering a 58.4mm tamper tonight, hoping that eradicates any further channelling woes forever... I didn't realise they made them 'til I had a little search tonight, they certainly didn't exist when I bought my 58mm Motta anyway...

More coffee toys... 🤗

I've definitely noticed a difference with their shower screen, would be interested to hear if the baskets offer an improvement as well...

You'll get more coffee in, and if you're sticking to a brew ratio then you'll get more out before it starts over extracting. My brew recipe for an 8oz milk drink is 20g in, 40ml out in 30 seconds, so you'd need the bigger basket for that. If you're mostly using bright, lightly roasted coffees then you're better with a bit less in and a bit more out so you're fine with the 14g basket, it'll probably hold about 17g anyhow.

Wouldn't splash for the IMS baskets personally unless you're using a top end grinder, mind you they're expensive as far as baskets go but still not a huge sum overall so maybe you might want it for peace of mind.

Don't think so, you're in a very small minority in that market.

Jura A1?

i do 19:38 in a triple

Is there a good/ recommend go to for a £100 or less espresso machine?
(Other than a used Gaggia Classic)

Currently looking at Delonghi ecp31/33/35 range

Grand, thanks folks. Will try the cheap triple basket.

Is a 58.4mm tamper the perfect size for the Gaggia then? My 58mm does leave a small gap to the edge of the basket. Is it basket dependent? So many variables....

Jura micro 1.

I have one which I don’t use. potentially for sells.

Just out of interest, how much would you be looking for it?

It’s this model and has been regularly scaled and cleaned. I’d want £350 for it delivered to London, but @%~} has first dibs.

https://beantocupcoffee.co.uk/jura-ena-micro-1-review/

Lovely looking machine but I’ve decided to go with the Sage Barista Express thanks. I’m up north anyway so postage/collection would have been a faff.

What size are people going for? I've got a 14g/double at the moment. Is going to a 21g/ triple just a case of getting more coffee in and out, or will I see anything different flavour wise?

I've got the two single and double baskets that came with the machine. I pretty much only use the bigger basket on mine. 20-22g in and 40-45g out in 30 seconds depending what I fancy. The smaller basket is fussy with its tamping because of the tapered sides and only a little amount too much coffee means it won't go on properly. I get much more consistent espresso with the bigger basket and it seems to be more forgiving about the grind and quantity.

Started following James Hoffmann on YouTube.

It's a black hole. Be careful.

His coffee-derived drink reviews have been very entertaining, as was the IKEA episode. Enjoying geeking out on a topic for which my only qualification is liking espresso. Not inspired to buy or try anything yet, except maybe his french press method next time...

This is how it starts.

Have quit caffeine but still watch James Hoffmann's videos. It can be done!

I quit caffeine 26yrs ago, haven't subscribed yet... He annoys me...