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28 minutes ago, richieb said:

OK - this is tough for me but lets get serious. Say I want to begin brewing expresso - from start to finish grinding to brewing how much $$$$ does this require? And lets keep it real 'cause like with everything it can be taken to a ridiculous extreme. 

You could probably get a decent machine and grinder for under $500 combined.

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1 hour ago, dtel said:

Good deal, I don't understand when people say some wives have a problem with certain speakers, there are not allowed, or something similar. So if it's your hobby and make you happy why just NO for an answer ? Would they rather you take up a hobby of  watching strippers ?  OK bad example, I could understand that one also.....:ph34r:

Good idea.....if I get in trouble I'm blaming you :D

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I briefly interrupt this coffee discussion to share this pic of our family DC/Marvel mashup last night.  The boys loved being superheroes of course.  Little bits was Superman.  He’s one month today.  Time scoots.  

 

On the coffee note - we had that white machine on the cart in the Tonys coffee corner (gray box).  It worked well - we got it as a wedding gift and my wife was a barista for a while so that worked out pretty well for me!  

 

 

9348109C-8824-41E4-BF8E-D04CC07B54CE.jpeg

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1 hour ago, akdave said:

I briefly interrupt this coffee discussion to share this pic of our family DC/Marvel mashup last night.  The boys loved being superheroes of course.  Little bits was Superman.  He’s one month today.  Time scoots.  

 

On the coffee note - we had that white machine on the cart in the Tonys coffee corner (gray box).  It worked well - we got it as a wedding gift and my wife was a barista for a while so that worked out pretty well for me!  

 

 

9348109C-8824-41E4-BF8E-D04CC07B54CE.jpeg

Great pic, did the kids get a bunch of candy? Love the stone!

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12 hours ago, richieb said:

OK - this is tough for me but lets get serious. Say I want to begin brewing expresso - from start to finish grinding to brewing how much $$$$ does this require? And lets keep it real 'cause like with everything it can be taken to a ridiculous extreme. 

I'd put it at about $800-1,200 for a very solid set up of grinder, machine and accessories. I'd liken this to a set of Heresies with separate solid state amp and preamp and the CD/DVD player you already have sitting under you TV. The sky literally could be the limit just like if you were going to Jubs, bi/tri-amp and a turntable with a cartridge that costs more than a decent used car.

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I like strong black coffee, but have never had enough exposure to espresso to feel the need to have it on a regular basis.  The cost and space demands on our small kitchen preclude acquiring an espresso machine.  Nonetheless, I’m interested in the details of putting together a turn-key system, @richieb.  The comparison to a Heresy based system makes sense, @rplace.

 

Regarding “expresso,” a consultation with La Leche League might be in order, but that ship sailed for us decades ago. ;)

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11 minutes ago, DizRotus said:

I like strong black coffee, but have never had enough exposure to espresso to feel the need to have it on a regular basis.  The cost and space demands on our small kitchen preclude acquiring an espresso machine.  Nonetheless, I’m interested in the details of putting together a turn-key system, @richieb.  The comparison to a Heresy based system makes sense, @rplace.

 

Regarding “expresso,” a consultation with La Leche League might be in order, but that ship sailed for us decades ago. ;)

Check out coffeegeek.com.  I spent a lot of time there when I purchased my stuff.  You can spend as much or as little as you like.

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Agree on Coffeegeek.com if looking to buy something Whole Latte Love https://www.wholelattelove.com/ is a pretty good place to compare things. Obviously they are trying to sell you stuff but they do have some good comparison tools and how to videos. Lots of sales, easy returns, refurbished stuff.

 

At a high level you can buy an automatic machine that you push a button and it does everything for you. Think Home Theater in a Box. I think most people here would gravitate towards a semi-automatic machine where you control things like the time the water runs through the beans but the machine controls the boiler.

 

I'm actually in the camp that feels the grinder is at least half of the story if not more. I set out to buy a grinder I could live with for years and years to come. I bought a machine that was relatively cheap but still gave me enough control to see how I liked the process and a DIY upgrade path should I choose. I knew long term I'd probably replace the machine. I have not yet, but after 2.5 years I'm thinking it might be time. Temp is a big deal. Better machines have a PID to control the temp. Mine just has a thermostat probably only good to 5-10 degrees (light goes on and off for ready/not ready). With a PID you can have temps set to the single degree or less.

 

I have a smoker for BBQ. I see a lot a parallels between good "Q" and coffee. You can make a 55 gallon drum into a smoker and spend all night sitting around it and feeding it and watching the temp on a analog dial go up and down. Or you can buy some over the top contraption with fans, PIDs, etc. to keep the temp exactly where you want it. Both produce good BBQ....if you know what you are doing. Both can produce crap. Fiddling with it and getting better and better over time is a good part of the fun. With BBQ and coffee you get to consume your hard work. I still get brisket out at restaurants NEVER ribs. I've yet to have any ribs out that are better than mine. My pulled pork is sublime. My brisket is suspect. I'll get a cappuccino or flat white anywhere, I rarely get straight expresso out unless I know it is a coffee shop known to be fantastic when I travel.

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9 minutes ago, CECAA850 said:

That's where I bought my machine and grinder.

Me too. What did you get? My Gaggia Classic while good, even given its recent inconsistencies, has me itching for something new.  I think their rewards program is actually something useful. I've tried different coffees on the cheap from them with rewards points. That is how I found out about Atomic.

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54 minutes ago, rplace said:

Agree on Coffeegeek.com if looking to buy something Whole Latte Love https://www.wholelattelove.com/ is a pretty good place to compare things. Obviously they are trying to sell you stuff but they do have some good comparison tools and how to videos. Lots of sales, easy returns, refurbished stuff.

 

At a high level you can buy an automatic machine that you push a button and it does everything for you. Think Home Theater in a Box. I think most people here would gravitate towards a semi-automatic machine where you control things like the time the water runs through the beans but the machine controls the boiler.

 

I'm actually in the camp that feels the grinder is at least half of the story if not more. I set out to buy a grinder I could live with for years and years to come. I bought a machine that was relatively cheap but still gave me enough control to see how I liked the process and a DIY upgrade path should I choose. I knew long term I'd probably replace the machine. I have not yet, but after 2.5 years I'm thinking it might be time. Temp is a big deal. Better machines have a PID to control the temp. Mine just has a thermostat probably only good to 5-10 degrees (light goes on and off for ready/not ready). With a PID you can have temps set to the single degree or less.

 

I have a smoker for BBQ. I see a lot a parallels between good "Q" and coffee. You can make a 55 gallon drum into a smoker and spend all night sitting around it and feeding it and watching the temp on a analog dial go up and down. Or you can buy some over the top contraption with fans, PIDs, etc. to keep the temp exactly where you want it. Both produce good BBQ....if you know what you are doing. Both can produce crap. Fiddling with it and getting better and better over time is a good part of the fun. With BBQ and coffee you get to consume your hard work. I still get brisket out at restaurants NEVER ribs. I've yet to have any ribs out that are better than mine. My pulled pork is sublime. My brisket is suspect. I'll get a cappuccino or flat white anywhere, I rarely get straight expresso out unless I know it is a coffee shop known to be fantastic when I travel.

 

Wow, gotta say, you and and I sure do think alike when it comes to coffee and BBQ....And, seeing that you have a Gaggia Classic, which we do as well, I'm sure you know how important it is to do a regular "tear down" to clean out the accumulated minerals in the machine.  Regular maintenance on those is critical.

 

Also, as far as the grinder, I clean our Gaggia grinder by running white rice through it about every two weeks.  The rice absorbs the coffee oils (start grinding, then let it sit for a while, then finish), and helps to keep the blades sharp.  Then run a small clean out batch of beans through to get the remainder of the rice bits out.....it works.

 

And, BTW, yes, my go to smoker is a homemade 55 gallon drum, which works perfectly....(but I don't have to sit around it all night...)

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15 hours ago, richieb said:

OK - this is tough for me but lets get serious. Say I want to begin brewing expresso - from start to finish grinding to brewing how much $$$$ does this require? And lets keep it real 'cause like with everything it can be taken to a ridiculous extreme. 

Certainly don't want to seem to want to talk you out of it, but.....Just like anything else, there's a learning curve too....not just the equipment.  How fine to grind, how much coffee to use, how much pressure to use when tamping down the coffee, only using FILTERED WATER.  And maintenance....leaving a dirty machine will screw you up in a heartbeat....it's not difficult, it's just a matter of getting into a routine for a couple of extra minutes, that's all.

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28 minutes ago, rplace said:

Me too. What did you get? My Gaggia Classic while good, even given its recent inconsistencies, has me itching for something new.  I think their rewards program is actually something useful. I've tried different coffees on the cheap from them with rewards points. That is how I found out about Atomic.

I have a Rocky Rancilio grinder and an Isomac Relax machine.

20160722_182415.jpg

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Good tip on the rice @jimjimbo. I bet that works like the Grindz product. I use the descaler on a regular basis and I've completely replaced the group head/gasket/screen once. I've never actually taken the boiler or internal guts apart. I did just see a WLL video on tearing down the boiler and soaking in descaler/hot water and scrubbing with a wire brush. Maybe that is my next move.

 

I actually take the top burr out of my grinder and clean it with the rest of my stuff in Cafiza. I blow out the rest of the grinder with compressed air. That is what a support guy from Baritza told me to do. Never turn it upside down and tap it to get the grinds out...the bottom burr will fall off the drive mechanism.

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