-
Thanks for this. And @disq too. I read about the gaggia classic and thought the new ones after Philips/saeco reversed the abomination it had become didn't need the wand upgrade anymore? Watching the vid on sub £500 machines now.
Any opinion on the sage barista express other than get out you heathen?
JumboFrames-
Any opinion on the sage barista express other than get out you heathen?
I like mine, 2-3 coffees a day, small kitchen so small footprint is great, ready to go quickly, leaving to pre-heat longer etc seems to convey no taste benefits (to me) which perhaps you would expect due to inbuilt pid (selling point to me over gaggia classics etc). Steaming/heating milk also seems to 'work'.
Benefit from not changing coffee too frequently as dialling in to the coffee a bit tricky.
I dont/havent had patience to fully optimise but am getting in my view very drinkable coffee, espresso and milk-based.
I upgraded from moka pot with hand grinder (and drill bit conversion). I also have an aeropress and havent used either since getting SBE over 12 months ago.
-
Any opinion on the sage barista express other than get out you heathen?
In addition to the comments above, a friend of mine got it last week, took some time to properly dial in (apparently the main grinder setting is inside the hopper and the side dial only microadjusts within that setting) but since it's a popular choice, there's a community around it all trying to get the best possible coffee out of the machine (listing workarounds to achieve that and so on) and he's a happy camper so far.
sidewinder
disq
That’ll get you a more than adequate setup, in my opinion. Milk drinks can tolerate a less than perfect espresso and still turn out a very good cappuccino or flat white. You’ll be impressed with just a Gaggia Classic and coffee ground by the roaster. If you choose a Classic, you’ll need to change the steam wand on it from the panarello type to a plain steam wand from a Rancilio Silvia (about £15) to do good milk.