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  1. #451
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    Quote Originally Posted by reckless toboggan View Post
    For that price/product category, there's nothing that really competes with Breville for machine quality and durability, brew quality and control, and simple and straight forward functionality.

    Although tonnes of wanna-be-baristas will likely chime in and tell you to buy some finicky, unrlaible, 20 year old Italian made machine, ya know, for the fashionable street cred.

    But if you're looking for a quality functional piece rather than a show-off look-at-me peice, Breville does good utilitarian work.
    see post #824

    https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...presso+machine
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  2. #452
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    Oct 2003
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    my concern with any combo machine, is that if the grinder dies the whole machine is also dead.

    maybe a simlar price point, but a separate grinder AND machine?

    Like a combo ski/binding. if you blow a ski edge, the bindings are junk too.


  3. #453
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by mntlion View Post
    my concern with any combo machine, is that if the grinder dies the whole machine is also dead.

    maybe a simlar price point, but a separate grinder AND machine?

    Like a combo ski/binding. if you blow a ski edge, the bindings are junk too.
    The version of the Breville I've had for the last decade or so doesn't have a grinder, which I prefer.

    But of the integrated grinder in your machine dies, you can get a separate grinder and still use the machine for brewing.

    Ideal? No. Potentially more costly? Potentially. Although the built in grinder in the Breville at work has been going strong for 5 years and still works as new.
    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    the situation strikes me as WAY too much drama at this point

  4. #454
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Bottom feeding
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    10,828
    My buddy has a more expensive version, I think the Oracle? Anyway, I used it for 4 days and I loved it. I have a Rancilio Sylvia and Rocky grinder for my main machines. I'm thinking of getting one of these Breville combo units for the ski house.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  5. #455
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    1,887
    I cried a lot when I bought my la spaziale, but it was the cheapest of the decent direct plumb machines. Having lived with direct plumb and a true commercial machine, I don't regret the obscene price/weight. Wouldn't ever go back.

    If you're going to spend 500 bucks on a Breville, try it side by side with an entry level commercial machine. Do the same with grinders. Control variables and decide for yourself. But don't do that if you want to save money.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  6. #456
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    3,230


    This is my set up. Nothing fancy but the gaggia is a workhorse and the grinder is separated from the machine which I was told was the right way to go as discussed above. No experience with the breville so can’t give any help on that.

  7. #457
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    Driving2VT
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    espresso making mags?

    Quote Originally Posted by zion zig zag View Post
    Anyone here use a Breville Barista Express? Seems that's the one that comes out on top on most reviews sites in the price range I'm considering.

    Also, how much of a pain in the ass is a home machine? I'm pretty big on setting up the drip coffee maker the night before so that all I have to do is flip on the switch and wait, but I do enjoy good espresso. Wife works from home and says she misses being able to make a mid morning latte on the office machine.
    It all depends how much you care. Will that machine make an enjoyable shot/drink, sure. But it is like anything else.....there are degrees of enjoyable and that machine is only going to take you so far.

    Anything that is going to climb you up the potential quality ladder will be (much) more costly and more time intensive.

    I know of no reason not to buy it if you are ok w / a decent coffee experience but I do know there is a looking glass that won’t get you through.

    This comes from someone who spends way too much time and money on espresso. I run an Expobar Office Lever and a Rancilio Rocky and in the market for a grinder upgrade.

    I upgraded from mtnwriter’s exact set up which is great for the price point but has major limitations I spent years (arguably better off) unaware of. I would go there before a single unit.
    Uno mas

  8. #458
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    3,230
    Please don’t enlighten me (for the time being at least) about what I’m missing.

    Now if you decided those 179 ON3Ps were the wrong choice, tell me more!


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  9. #459
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    1,887
    Quote Originally Posted by Doremite View Post
    It all depends how much you care. Will that machine make an enjoyable shot/drink, sure. But it is like anything else.....there are degrees of enjoyable and that machine is only going to take you so far.

    Anything that is going to climb you up the potential quality ladder will be (much) more costly and more time intensive.

    I know of no reason not to buy it if you are ok w / a decent coffee experience but I do know there is a looking glass that won’t get you through.

    This comes from someone who spends way too much time and money on espresso. I run an Expobar Office Lever and a Rancilio Rocky and in the market for a grinder upgrade.

    I upgraded from mtnwriter’s exact set up which is great for the price point but has major limitations I spent years (arguably better off) unaware of. I would go there before a single unit.
    I love my Eureka grinder and the wife loves it even more as it doesn't wake her up.

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  10. #460
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    Jun 2005
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    espresso making mags?

    Quote Originally Posted by mtnwriter View Post
    Please don’t enlighten me (for the time being at least) about what I’m missing.

    Now if you decided those 179 ON3Ps were the wrong choice, tell me more!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    See, if you spend enough on coffee you can justify almost any impulse ski purchase.

    At 30,000 feet the gaggia can pull a great shot but isn’t the most durable machine. I went through two before going for a more costly and hopefully more durable machine. Likely going into year 8? w my Espobar getting 3-5 out of each of my Classics. It runs forever for some. I just didn’t get the longevity or consistency I wanted.

    That grinder can be horribly inconsistent and there is too much range between grind settings for espresso so when trying to dial in extraction time it flies all over the place. I had two. One was horrible and the other I was still using as of a coupe years ago before I was given (score!) the Rocky. I would pull ~four great shots with the Encore then suddenly I wouldn’t be able to return to a satisfactory extraction time. I’d be f’n with it constantly on the same bag of beans. ymmv.

    *edit* that said my disdain for the Encore came when matched w the Espobar so the Classic maybe not as demanding on grind consistency. Slippery slope.
    Uno mas

  11. #461
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Treading Water
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    6,683

    espresso making mags?

    In my estimation, KQ gives sound advice.
    Quote Originally Posted by KQ View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by KQ View Post
    Cooks did a test comparison and this machine came up the winner:

    Attachment 304015


    This was the runner up:

    Attachment 304020



    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    However many are in a shit ton.

  12. #462
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    5,531
    Quote Originally Posted by Doremite View Post
    ... and in the market for a grinder upgrade.
    Baratza Sete

    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    the situation strikes me as WAY too much drama at this point

  13. #463
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    Bend, OR
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    199
    Quote Originally Posted by reckless toboggan View Post
    Baratza Sete
    Sete is a nice grinder, but it’s crazy loud.
    I’m a fan of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro

  14. #464
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    Jun 2005
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    espresso making mags?

    Espresso gnomes have been whispering vario in my ear

    Price point is the hang up of course.
    Uno mas

  15. #465
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by gepmeow View Post
    Sete is a nice grinder, but it’s crazy loud.
    Definitely loud. But so fluffy, consistent day to day, and fall-through clean so very low residuals and low maintenance.
    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    the situation strikes me as WAY too much drama at this point

  16. #466
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    Oct 2009
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    seatown
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    i ended up buying a de’longhi magnifica. high end of what i wanted to spend, but drinking a lot of nice lattes. would recommend.

  17. #467
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    Nov 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by gepmeow View Post
    Sete is a nice grinder, but it’s crazy loud.
    I’m a fan of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro
    What's up Gep! That Breville is crazy loud, (relative). That was my last grinder before getting the Atom. Next time you're passing through PDX, come over for shots.

    For posterity, the Breville is definitely the best under 200.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  18. #468
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    Dec 2003
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    Seattle
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    Quote Originally Posted by shroom View Post
    i ended up buying a de’longhi magnifica. high end of what i wanted to spend, but drinking a lot of nice lattes. would recommend.
    Yep.

    Highly recommend.
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  19. #469
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    BZN
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    Quote Originally Posted by gepmeow View Post
    Sete is a nice grinder, but it’s crazy loud.
    I’m a fan of the Breville Smart Grinder Pro
    +1 for the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Only thing I would change about it would be the ability to grind directly into the french press, but that's asking a lot with regard to form factor.

  20. #470
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    Jan 2008
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    truckee
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    Nice to have a separate grinder if you like French press, Turkish coffee, etc. I don't always drink espresso.

  21. #471
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    271
    We go through 2+ espresso drinks per day and went with the Baratza Vario grinder and a Quickmill machine with an E61 group head, which is what you want if you are trying to make good coffee; there is a reason these machines weigh about 50 lbs. chriscoffee.com sell them and they have closeout deals every once in a while but these are still $1,500+ machines. The good news is they are bullet proof and last forever, we have had ours for over 5 years and everything is easily replaceable by an average user and parts are cheap. Only maintenance is replacing the group gasket annually and cleaning the group screen. I just put in a new pump for $50, this is after about 3,000 shots. Baratza parts are cheap as well, new set of burrs are around $50. Highly recommend chriscoffee.com, they will help troubleshoot any issues over the phone and always have been able to help me figure out what part I needed.
    You Will Respect My Authoritah!

  22. #472
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    1,887
    I'd add a monthly detergent backflush to your maintenance list there as well as soaking the dispersion die in detergent and scrubbing. So would Chris for that matter. A gasket a year? Damn. That seems ridiculously excessive for 2 drinks a day.

    Also E61 (58mm) ain't the only group head out there anymore, especially with the $10k Dalla Corte opting for the 53mm. The latter is also theoretically more forgiving of operator error on the tamp. That said, E61 dominates.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  23. #473
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    Oct 2003
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    Ogden
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    9,109
    Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.

  24. #474
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    1,007
    gaggia classic fan myself, heavily modified to suit my needs . only about 1k for classic + mods and mdf grinder

  25. #475
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    Jan 2008
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    truckee
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    Quote Originally Posted by zion zig zag View Post
    Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.
    These guys are making it way too complicated and way too expensive. For the average person a basic, one pump, non-automatic machine and a burr grinder will do just fine. I've been using a Solis Crema SL 70 and a Saeco Venezia for years (both discontinued, and Solis is out of business I think.) Have had to do occasional repairs and after about 20 years the Solis is leaking and will have to be replaced. If you're a true coffee gourmet you can spend a lot more but the espresso I get tastes better to me than what Starbuck's and Peete's sell. I suppose I could be more discriminating but I'll obsess over bread and brisket and leave the beer, wine, and coffee to other people to worry over.

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