# First real setup: Got a good deal on a Barista Express. Should I take it or keep looking?



## NewbieOneKenobi (1 mo ago)

Hello, good folks. I've stumbled upon a good outlet deal on a Barista Express (875). Essentially, it costs the same as a Duo Temp (or Gaggia Classic New) and much less than an Infuser. It has a noticeable but not catastrophic crack in the water tank and may be missing a filter basket or two and perhaps the shaver but is all right otherwise and carries a full two-year warranty.

So, should I take this deal or keep looking? Alternatives for the same or similar price would essentially be based on combining a J-Max or Lido hand grinder with a used Ascaso Arc or Dream (the PID-less version), for which there seem to be plenty of sellers in my country and the prices are usually low (as opposed to Gaggia, Lelit, etc., and absolutely forget Rancilio).

White I really like about the Barista Express is all the settings and controls, similar to the super-autos (Jura E75 and S7) I had been considering before. I like the automated dosing, the espresso-tuned grinder settings, temp control, the convinience of having access to and being assisted (led by the hand, more like) with all this. I also like the way this is supposed to be simply a good machine that makes very tasty coffee.

What I worry about are the 54mm portafilter (would prefer 58 but perhaps 54 is easier for a beginner struggling to tamp), the potential for being loud (I live in a block of flats with poor acoustic insulation and often work at night or very early in the morning; don't want to be unkind to the neighbours), and, if I stretch it, the grinder perhaps not being optimal.

But perhaps this would be better for me, as in less overwhelming, compared to a grinder with like 50 steppings or stepless regulation — which I can always buy later, already having a nice machine in the BE, so, well, yeah, upgrading the integrated grinder while keeping the brewer would be the logical upgrade in a year or two if I wanted better taste or more control.

What I don't care about is the milk wand or the 30 seconds to start up vs the 3 on the Bambino.

I also worry a bit about losing out on the taste I could theoretically get from the Gaggia Classic if I did everything right, but of course I'm not going to, at least not consistently and definitely not for a long while. So might as well use the Barista Express to learn and perhaps switch to something else later. And then there are those older Ascaso machines without a PID that I could combine with a J-Max and replace with something better when they eventually die (while keeping the portafilter, baskets and tamper, which may well be worth half as much on their own as you usually pay for the machine).

To complicate things a bit further, my mother lives on a different floor in the same apartment house, and we already visit daily because we share a cat who loves to travel and travel often, and I've just bought her a nice high-entry-level electric grinder that's suitable for espresso. So I might as well pre-grind for myself once or twice a day while I'm there picking the cat up or bringing him back. Not ideal perhaps but perhaps a day-old pregrind would be reasonable to pair with a fifty-to-hundred-quid used machine, where the money saved could be invested in better beans, which could even make more difference.

What would you suggest I do in this situation? Apart from seing a therapist about my decision-making process; I already know this. 

Thank you in advance for your kind advice. I'll be happy to fix you an espresso or latte if you pass by my town some day, after I learn it. (I already have the milk skills, just struggling with unpressurized baskets, naked portas, etc., as someone who has never owned a burr grinder yet.)

(And my apologies if this is the wrong subforum.)


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

The only problem with the 54mm filter baskets is that you are stuck with the sizes Sage supply. Some other makers use 54mm but they wont fit correctly as the rim is too large and that has to be reduced some how to use them. Using other than Sage baskets seems to appeal to people who want to get more grinds in than the Sage double can hold. Blisteringly strong coffee and milk drinks I would suspect. Probably too strong for many.

I did get the machine to produce consistent shots via the buttons. Small variations that for me didn't change taste. The dose of grinds and preparation etc needs to be pretty consistent. Only clue I can give on that is the pressure gauge. It has a sector marked that at the high pressure end is followed by dashes. Stay within that sector, maybe a tiny touch past it and it should work. Sage suggest the needle at 12 o'clock when brewing. I always had to go higher. A dose of beans can be weighed into an empty grinder which helps keep that constant. Eventually what went in comes out. Initially it may be a bit short - check weigh and add more beans. The quality of the grinds may improve with use as with any new grinder.

The style of water heating used does need regular descaling but at least it's easy to do. They are more prone to scale problems than boilers but it hits those too eventually and more work to fix, Usually needs spanners and various amounts of dismantling.

When pulling a shot try running a little steam first and then pull the shot when the machine allows. This helps preheat internal parts.

Not totally sure but if you look on Sage's spares pages I think a new water tank can be bought,


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