# Is a Fracino machine right for me?



## BongoSteve (Apr 10, 2012)

Hello everyone,

So this is my first post here, and i do appreciate that this question has been asked a thousand times over, but from all of the reading which I've done here (of which there's been a lot in the last few weeks) you seem to be a very patient bunch, and offer good advice. So the big question for me is, am I thinking along the right lines for buying a new machine...?

At the moment I am using a Cafetiere/Aeropress to brew coffee, which I am enjoying. I also have a Porlex hand grinder which I am using to grind as necessary. I do have a cheap Krups Espresso machine in the kitchen, which I have played about with a bit, but have given up on, to replace with a new machine which can make coffee I actually want to drink.

I am looking to be able to make mostly latte's and cap's as that is what I have enjoyed drinking to date, when out and about in restaurants and cafes. To be honest, I've never really experienced drinking a decent espresso itself - I've only tried a couple and found them to be overly bitter (although I'm guessing thats more down to how they were made). I have therefore been thinking along the lines of the Fracino machines, as they seem to offer good options for making mostly milk drinks, being dual boiler or HX machines. I do intend to experiment more with making and drinking espresso's with a new machine, but I know the steaming will be an important aspect of the machine for me.

My main questions are really:

What other options are there other than the Fracino machines. My budget would be up to around the £600 mark. Am i better of looking for something better on the used market?

If I am thinking along the lines of a Fracino, is the dual boiler Piccino my best option, or is it worth spending a little more for the Cherub or Heavenly (although I am thinking the Heavenly may be on the big side...)

Living in Edinburgh, are there decent local options of places to be looking to buy from, or am I really looking at going down the onlline shopping route (which isn't a problem...)

Thanks so much in advance for taking the time to read this, and for all your wisdom!


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Welcome to Coffee Forums UK BongoSteve

Great to see you're considering your options.

As you've already got a grinder that's a great start

It will see you right for a while.

A Fracino Piccino is a good place to start for that money and will suit the purpose of producing nice espresso as the base for your milky drinks quite nicely.

You may soon realise that an electric grinder is required and you'd need to allow at least £140 for the cheapest models that will grind fine enough for your needs - like the Iberital MC2 or one of the Baratza models for not a lot more.

Alternatively, you could squeeze a new Rancilio Silvia and grinder in for that sort of money.

There are many options and the final decision will come down to use - how many drinks per day will you be making?


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## BongoSteve (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks for your reply Glenn









To be honest use will be relatively light, probably only a couple of drinks a day - but I've got eager friends and family who would readily drink a capa, so on these occassions would probably be looking at making 4 or 5 drinks in a row. I had originally considered a Silvia, but i wondered if I bought one whether I would struggle to cope on these occassions as it a single boiler machine, and also whether I would be looking for another upgrade from the Silvia after a couple of years (Might still end up that way!







) I'm not experienced in using the machine though so I might be wrong, and it could be perfect for what I want

I was also thinking about grinders and done a bit of reading and thinking along the lines of a Eureka Mignon when I could save up enough. But in all honesty I was thinking about this for after the espresso machine. I guess many would argue the other way round though...


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I have a pretty naff machine (Gaggia Cubika) and a pretty good grinder (Iberital MC2). Part of the reason for this is that I had a hand grinder and when it came to experimenting with the grind and amount it dawned on me quite how much elbow grease I would need. Have a go at knocking down your hand grinder to the setting required for espresso and see if you can see yourself coping with that every time you would like a coffee, for me I wanted to be able to enjoy the process, not lament the effort going into it so much I never made the drink.

This does of course depend on the individual, some love the process of grinding by hand.

What I'm leading up to is suggesting you stretch your budget a little to include an MC2 or similar 'entry-level' prosumer grinder. You can pick up a Piccino here for £525 http://www.myespresso.co.uk/product.php/457/fracino-piccino-dual-brass-boiler-espresso-machine and an MC2 for £114 here http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0866-iberital-mc2-auto.html (comes with 500g of coffee, 2 shot glasses (very poor measurement) and a group head brush at the moment) , I may be a little bias as its the set-up that I am planning on getting but I am very similar to you in the amount of coffee I make, but I just want the best when I do make it, when I have the money my Cubika will be on its way out.

You could also shoot ObsidianSage a PM http://coffeeforums.co.uk/member.php?3384-ObsidianSage he just bought a Piccino and has been learning the ropes, so would be good to ask him about it, he seems like a nice chap and I'm sure he would be happy to help









Finally I would pop out to an "espresso bar" in your local area and try a straight up espresso, it may be that you have only ever had a badly made shot, but it may be that you simply don't really like espresso. The flavour is intense and I can only really handle it with almost as much sugar as there is coffee, but that doesn't change the fact that the long drinks made my a good machine will still be way way better than your Cafetiere/Aeropress.


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## coffeebean (Jan 26, 2010)

D_Evans said:


> You can pick up a Piccino here for £525 http://www.myespresso.co.uk/product.php/457/fracino-piccino-dual-brass-boiler-espresso-machine


Myespresso are indeed still selling the Piccino for £525, despite repeatedly being told not to by Fracino. Sellers of the machine have all been given a minimum selling price by Fracino for selling the Piccino which most seem to stick to....but myespresso do not. That, coupled with their questionable customer service reputation, would make them "one to avoid" in my book!


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

coffeebean said:


> Myespresso are indeed still selling the Piccino for £525, despite repeatedly being told not to by Fracino. Sellers of the machine have all been given a minimum selling price by Fracino for selling the Piccino which most seem to stick to....but myespresso do not. That, coupled with their questionable customer service reputation, would make them "one to avoid" in my book!


I was going to mention something along those lines, I hadn't realised they were going against Fracino's wishes in their sale, but as a retailer they do have that 'right'. However Fracino supply service for these machines so after it arrives you are fairly safe, and ObsidianSage bought from there without issue. They may have questionable business practices but at £100+ less than their competitors its hard to find a reason not to buy as the end consumer where it is not your concern how they deal with their suppliers if the end product is the same.


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## Monkey_Devil (Jul 11, 2011)

Thing is, from accounts I've read, the second you get a fault and contact myespresso for warranty, he's incredibly rude and won't help. Manufacturers will generally always tell you to go back to retailer for warranty matters. That's why i bought from fracino. Peace of mind knowing that they have excellent customer service just in case my machine gets a fault.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Of course, its nice to have a good experience from your retailer. Both Fracino and Myespresso are obligated by law to provide one year warranty, for me this is enough peace of mind considering the saving, for others I am sure it wont be and they will want to lay out the extra money for the extra peace of mind.


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## coffeebean (Jan 26, 2010)

As far as I know, if you want to chance myespresso, you won't be able to for all that much longer as Fracino are getting pretty cheesed off with them......as are the rest of us retailers who are trying to make a living giving good customer service and having excellent supplier relations with the manufacturer. Counts for a lot if you do get any problems with your machine!!


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## ObsidianSage (Jan 30, 2012)

Yep I bought my piccino and ascaso mini grinder from myespresso. Had a fault with the led in the power switch on the piccino and having learned from the posts on this forum about myespresso's dodgy after sales service I contacted Fracino directly. However, they referred me to the retailer. On this occasion myespresso sent me a new switch without quibble and I fitted it myself. What I can't say is what would have happened if I'd had a more fundamental problem involving sending the machine back.

Dan

Sent from my Galaxy S smartphone.


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## thjxw05 (Feb 6, 2012)

I have the piccino machine, was going to buy it from said website for £525.00 as it is the lowest price, however reviews on here are mixed so I opted to buy from espresso underground, and for a few extra quid, I know that I just have to pick up the phone and they will help me. No presure when calling them - even picked up on a sunday.

The machine itself if fantastic.


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