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I recently invested in an espresso machine for the house, and stumbled into a world of maniacal obsession and devotion to making espresso that I thought only existed in the world of motorcycling.
Got a Saeco Aroma - a decent starter machine with a pressurized portafilter. Consdered the Rancilio Silva or whatever it's called, but it's too sophisticated for me.
Anyhow - thought I'd toss it out there and see who else has committed a few spare brain cells to espresso.
I love espresso! I don't believe I've devoted quite as many cells as I have not yet taken the plunge on a machine. It would just be another thing for my children to ruin. I go to my local coffee spot(Coffee Merchants) every Saturday to grab a shot or a latte on my ride though.
Big ups on the machine! The closest I've come is to buy a toddy brew pitcher to cold brew espresso for homemade iced lattes. It's nice for those, but not near the machine you have as I still have drop a bit of coin to get it hot.
I recently invested in an espresso machine for the house, and stumbled into a world of maniacal obsession and devotion to making espresso that I thought only existed in the world of motorcycling.
Got a Saeco Aroma - a decent starter machine with a pressurized portafilter. Consdered the Rancilio Silva or whatever it's called, but it's too sophisticated for me.
Anyhow - thought I'd toss it out there and see who else has committed a few spare brain cells to espresso.
I enjoy a nice cup, but i'm no connoisseur. I've got a Krupps cafe combi, and a Cuisinart grinder.
Recently however the wife has become fascinated with the art of coffee and just bought $100 tamper, tamper box, some special expensive grinder and a new double boiler machine because mine doesn't make "real espresso".
I don't understand it...but damn she makes a good cup of coffee.
You should try Manic coffee just east of Bathurst on the north side of college st.
you know it bud... no idea what kind... my brohter has a machine and makes us full cups of it espresso when we are in the garage late durring the week... other than that i drink alot of GREEK coffee... my girl is greek so she makes it... strong stuff! but good...
me... i am happy wiht a few monsters and a can of chew!
My recipe; 1 part French, 1 part Sumatra, half part mocha java.
Steam the whole mild with a dollop of 1/2 & 1/2 in the cup, and pour the espresso into the foam.
I like a dry foam, so I build it up from the top (the milk will get hot soon enough).
every morning I stop by the cafe down the road and get a single shot. its important to get it with the cup of chilled seltzer in order to enhance the taste on your palette.
Some really good shops/roasters in town. Ruta Maya is my favorite-their Cubanita blend is awesome. I run Cafe Bustelo (cuban) at home; my mechanic friend got me hooked. Really good for early morning/late night thrashing ;D
You don't have to live in Winnipeg to have poor taste in coffee. People line up in their cars 15+ deep at the drive through.
Tim Hortons drive-throughs are probably responsible for a few thousand tons of hydro-carbons each day across the country. The idea of lining up for more than 2 minutes for a coffee is nuts (although it takes me 5 minutes to make one espresso at home!)
I bought a Delonghi espresso maker the day after I landed back in the states after a vacation in Europe, about 5 years ago. I have a cup or two every day, with the cup after dinner usually being accompanied with a little Black Sambuca. ..you can say I have a slight addiction to the stuff
Lusted after an auto machine for years, then when my wife wanted to get pregnant with our second she asked me to stop drinking coffee cause one of her friends said it made the old swimmers lazy (prob bullshit but stick with me here). The upshot was I agreed as long as I could drop some coin on the auto machine of my choice once the deal was sealed. approx 12 weeks later i was the proud owner of a Gaggia Synchrony Compact, and 9 months later the proud father of Patrick John. Maybe the coffee has some influence cause he weighed in at 9lb 10oz, where my daughter who is 3 years older was 8lb 3 1/2oz. A few people said the Compact was light weight and wouldn't last, but 5-7 cups a day for the last 3 years and its still as good as the day I bought it, the trick with any of these machines is to use filtered/ bottled water which negates the descaling process and keeps the boilers tip-top.
You don't have to live in Winnipeg to have poor taste in coffee. People line up in their cars 15+ deep at the drive through.
Tim Hortons drive-throughs are probably responsible for a few thousand tons of hydro-carbons each day across the country. The idea of lining up for more than 2 minutes for a coffee is nuts (although it takes me 5 minutes to make one espresso at home!)
Is your automatic a boiler unit? I've read that a lot of the fully automatic are thermoblocks. One of the reasons I chose the Saeco Aroma was the stainless boiler. The Rancilio Silvia has a brass boiler and 2 thermostats etc. but was 2x the price.
The Saeco's portafilter is very forgiving, allowing me to use pre-ground or even blade-ground coffee, but one day I'll invest in a decent burr grinder. I've bought a couple cans of Illy, including some decaf for late-night cravings. Nice stuff, but will head to Mavic this week to get some new stuff to taste.
2 different guys at 2 different shops said that all Gaggias had brass boilers and plumbing, hence the price premium over the otherwise equivalent Saeco models, which were stainless. The whole and sole reason for an auto machine is that I am LAZY, have a Chronic caffeine addiction and hate instant/ plunger/ coffee bag coffee. Percolated or drip filter is OK, but my true love is the un-sugared, un-milked short black. The beauty of the short black (when made well), is that it can be enjoyed at any time of year (hot or cold) and solicits awe from womwn and 'you're nuts' looks from guys
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