Coffee Appreciation

Anyway of telling if these are alive or dead?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/everpure-water-filters-brita-purity-600-coffee-machine-vending-/270830802134?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item3f0ec614d6#ht_500wt_1287

I'd buy a new one and have peace of mind.

That's a good point, not cheap though.

I wouldn't re-use a water filter of unknown origin but the heads are expensive so it's worth a punt. Cartridges don't come cheap though.

Something like the smallest 3M system on www.coffeehit.co.uk would be better suited. Cartridge should last at least 12 months.

Found this thing on fleabay, looks interesting, some form of very ornate percolator.

There's a haggis something on The street, Wilton way, close to the George.

^ great work there on iphone autocomplete. It's a gaggia on the street, on wilton way, hackney, e8

Cup warmers?

Cup warmers?

Nope, they are been dispensers.

Garrrrrrrrgh TOO MUCH DELICIOUS COFFEE!!!!!

pukes

http://www.londoncoffeejobs.co.uk/?p=15202. The role will involve delivering coffee to our customers in London 3-4 days a week

On a different note - I need a sensible upgrade path for my current coffee set up. I'm currently using a Gaggia Baby Class and it's just too difficult to get consistent shots. Same dose, grind and tamp gets me somewhere between "not bad" and "bleargh!" on the taste scale. I'm ready to get something that gives me better control of the variables of the machine.

I've done some reading of the recommended coffee sites and they all pretty much start with the Rancilio Silvia as the starting point before quickly moving up to silly ££ spec. This seems to infer that that;

1) anything below the Silvia is not serious enough
2) there is nothing else in the same category

Are there alternatives out there to the Silvia that I'm overlooking?

What grinder are you using?

Porlex hand grinder. And I have scales so that's consistent as well. Been using the same Monmouth organic espresso beans for a while. There has been lots of up/down tweaks on dose and grind and I'm at a combination where I get the fewest number of bad shots; the bad ones are really horrible and bitter. I do think it's a temperature thing.

Porlex hand grinder. And I have scales so that's consistent as well. Been using the same Monmouth organic espresso beans for a while. There has been lots of up/down tweaks on dose and grind and I'm at a combination where I get the fewest number of bad shots; the bad ones are really horrible and bitter. I do think it's a temperature thing.

OK cool, you're right, it does sound like a temperature problem. Those machines are a bit tinny and flimsy and have very poor thermal stability. A Gaggia classic is between your machine and a Silvia - you get an over-pressure valve and a proper heavy brass portafilter which helps things along no end. They're still not great on the temp management side though.

See if you can get your hands on a commercial gaggia pf, (someone on here has a couple of redundant ones!) and see if it fits, that will improve matters. Also read up on temp managing a single-boiler machine if you haven't already.

I would save for a Silvia at least. It has a big heavy brass grouphead and a bigger than average boiler. Size matters when it comes to temp managing a machine.

Cheers bombcup. I was hoping that you could pimp something like a Gaggia Classic into something closer to a Silvia, but if that's not an option then I'll keep an eye out for the RS.

How much of a difference do the portafilters make and why? Just curious as that's not a discussion I've seen before.

Just 99p. Fuck yeah.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rancilio-Group-Espresso-Coffee-Machine-/250912472520?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item3a6b8c7dc8#ht_1425wt_1258

^that should do the trick.

A heavy pf, as opposed to a flimsy pot-metal one retains a lot of heat and is thermally stable. Once it's hot it stays hot and takes out a temperature variable. It also halps to insulate the rest of the grouphead by not radiating so much heat away. A lightweight pf is really peaky; when it's cold it sucks the heat out the water messing with your brew temperature and if you pull another quickly after it's likely to be too hot. You just don't really know where you are with them.

You are the font of all java knowledge. Thanks bombcup.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coffe-Machine-made-Itally-Brugnetti-Aurora-model-Simona-/200663214216?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3589937772340970560#ht_500wt_1287

Would anyone be willing to grab this from Stoke on Trent if I win it, until I can come and get it from you?

What you offering? Hope it's not more than £50

Correct- that would be my top end.

I just want the parts- and I'll only bid if the seller confirms that it has the pump and related gubbins.

Are you bidding on it because you need the pump? Mate, a pump will turn up at some point, there's loads of other stuff to be getting on with in the meantime. Get all the pipework off, boiler out, descale and polish all that lot, strip the frame, repaint or powdercoat that, refinish the bodywork then worry about the electrics when you refit it all.

It is wise to fully rewire a machine if restoring one over 10 years old. A wiring diagram will turn up then you can rip the whole lot out and start from scratch.

I've got a pump and motor in the shed. I was kinda hoping to hold on to it but if you haven't found one by the time you're ready to fire the machine up you can have it for the £30 I paid for it.