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My Coffee Obsession
Jul. 8th, 2005 09:37 amI stayed up until 1:00 in the morning last night reading reviews and forum posts at coffeegeek.com. *stabs eyes out*
Why did I do that? Why??? I was perfectly pleased ordering my Starbucks Barista for $200 off ebay until I clicked on a review link that led me there. The overwhelming majority of reviewers had this to say: "The Barista is a decent machine if you get it one sale [as I am], but you'll outgrow it in less than a year and find the pressurized portafilter [the thing which holds the basket for the espresso grounds and hooks to the machine for the water to run through] will limit your ability to make a better shot. Save yourself the time and money and spend an extra $50 [if purchasing the Barista at full price] on a Rancilio Silvia."
Which is, apparently, the closest you can get to a commercial machine at home for under $1000. And the benchmark by which all home espresso machines are judged. The Silvia is golden -- no one has a bad thing to say about it. From the brass broiler to the milk steamer, to the apparently awesome shots of espresso you can get from it. They sell for around $495. Way, way, way beyond my budget.
And not only that, but it seems that the actual espresso machine is not nearly as important as the grinder you invest in. Which can run you anywhere from the lower end ($125) to the best of the best (over $300). What?? My plan was much simpler -- buy the espresso and have the coffee shop grind it for me, store in air tight container, use as needed.
As usual with me and kitchen gadgets, my lust for new and awesome gadgets got away from me last night, and I kept mentally trying to figure how I could afford the Silvia...which I can't. I also can't afford a grinder for home. Not yet.
My new tentative plan? Buy the Barista, use it and experiment with whether or not it's "enough machine for me" -- all I want is the ability to make my latte's and mochas, after all. If it turns out I want more machine later, I'll save up for the expense. Oh, and stay the hell away from coffeegeek.com for the time being. Thos people are obsessed, and they suck me right in with their rhetoric.
A couple of questions:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kieyra (or anyone else who has a barista), do you tamp, and if so how much? The barista's portafilter is pressurized, meaning apparently you're not supposed to tamp? A bunch of people rec'd ordering a non-pressurized one from Saeco. Thoughts? Also, is it true that the Barista takes four minutes to properly steam 20 oz of milk?
Also, when ordering the ground espresso from, say, Starbucks, I've heard that a #4 grind is perfect for the Barista. Does this make sense to you Bux workers? If I went in and said "I need this ground to a #4?" would that make sense? Also, what beans make the best espresso? How do I khnow what to get?
Why did I do that? Why??? I was perfectly pleased ordering my Starbucks Barista for $200 off ebay until I clicked on a review link that led me there. The overwhelming majority of reviewers had this to say: "The Barista is a decent machine if you get it one sale [as I am], but you'll outgrow it in less than a year and find the pressurized portafilter [the thing which holds the basket for the espresso grounds and hooks to the machine for the water to run through] will limit your ability to make a better shot. Save yourself the time and money and spend an extra $50 [if purchasing the Barista at full price] on a Rancilio Silvia."
Which is, apparently, the closest you can get to a commercial machine at home for under $1000. And the benchmark by which all home espresso machines are judged. The Silvia is golden -- no one has a bad thing to say about it. From the brass broiler to the milk steamer, to the apparently awesome shots of espresso you can get from it. They sell for around $495. Way, way, way beyond my budget.
And not only that, but it seems that the actual espresso machine is not nearly as important as the grinder you invest in. Which can run you anywhere from the lower end ($125) to the best of the best (over $300). What?? My plan was much simpler -- buy the espresso and have the coffee shop grind it for me, store in air tight container, use as needed.
As usual with me and kitchen gadgets, my lust for new and awesome gadgets got away from me last night, and I kept mentally trying to figure how I could afford the Silvia...which I can't. I also can't afford a grinder for home. Not yet.
My new tentative plan? Buy the Barista, use it and experiment with whether or not it's "enough machine for me" -- all I want is the ability to make my latte's and mochas, after all. If it turns out I want more machine later, I'll save up for the expense. Oh, and stay the hell away from coffeegeek.com for the time being. Thos people are obsessed, and they suck me right in with their rhetoric.
A couple of questions:
kieyra (or anyone else who has a barista), do you tamp, and if so how much? The barista's portafilter is pressurized, meaning apparently you're not supposed to tamp? A bunch of people rec'd ordering a non-pressurized one from Saeco. Thoughts? Also, is it true that the Barista takes four minutes to properly steam 20 oz of milk?Also, when ordering the ground espresso from, say, Starbucks, I've heard that a #4 grind is perfect for the Barista. Does this make sense to you Bux workers? If I went in and said "I need this ground to a #4?" would that make sense? Also, what beans make the best espresso? How do I khnow what to get?
