# New house, new setup! Help please :)



## Sharpe (Feb 6, 2021)

Hello everyone. I have been reading a good few posts about newbie coffee lovers (like myself) asking for help and advice on a new coffee set up. However, they haven't really covered what I was looking for so I though I would make a new post.

I currently have a Sage Barista Express which was the best machine I could really think of getting with my past room constraints. However, I am moving into a new property which is much larger, and I thought this was the perfect time to upgrade.

My Budget for an espresso machine and grinder is £2500 but depending on the options presented I might be persuaded to go a little higher.

The machine I was looking at was the Rocket Giotto Evoluzione Cronometro R and a Baratza sette 270wi grinder (I would like a niche zero but they seem rarer than rocking horse @$*& at the moment). Is this a well paired set up? The only thing I was not sure about with the espresso machine was the plumbing it in part. The area I live the water is classed as "soft" and therefore, I was unsure if I needed a filter system? Should I get a plumbed in machine or a normal tank setup?

What are your opinions on the proposed choices I have made and what alternatives would you suggest?

Also What retailers would you suggest I purchase my setup from? I currently plan on using "Bella Barista".

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Sam.


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## Iamsami (May 15, 2020)

Hi Sam, welcome to the forum! So much info to digest on here but well worth the hours reading.

IMO, You do pay a premium for Rockets 'name' and lovely style. 
Maybe something like a Bianca could be considered? It's got enough tech and with its pressure paddle, it should keep upgraditus at bay for a long time!

Grinder wise, I did a lot of research and Sette's seem great when they are working. Reliability issues came up time and time again. I ended up with a Mingion which is great, but tbh, I would bite the bullet, sign up to the Niche and wait the time.

Enjoy the process and of course the coffee!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Sharpe Welcome to the forum... @Iamsami speaks a lot of sense when suggesting the Lelit Bianca and I think it will give you more than the rocket in the long run, it also has a really quiet pump implementation. With the grinder I would suggest waiting a few weeks and see what's around, there's some new stuff coming out. Or if you can't wait, spring for the Niche.


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## Waitforme (Dec 13, 2020)

Hi, welcome to the forum, this place will end up costing you money. You'll soon realise you need things that you didn't know existed not so long ago.😂 I certainly did anyway.

I'm loving my new Bianca and Eureka Specialita.

Some of the reasons for me choosing the Bianca was to put off upgraditis, loved the looks with the wooden accents, plumbable, quiet, gets great reviews, small footprint if plumbed but with the option of relocating the tank to sides or back if not.

Specialita is a very popular grinder , some very OEM looking single dozing mods being made / investigated by fellow forumers.

£2500 opens up a lot of options 👍

Enjoy the hunt.


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## Sharpe (Feb 6, 2021)

The Lelit Bianca Dual Boiler - Paddle PL162T looks awesome! This will most definatly be at the top of my reading up on list for the next few days.


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## Sharpe (Feb 6, 2021)

As far as the grinder I would love to get the Niche Zero. However, I don't have a clue how to go about getting one! I have ofc googled but everything seems out of stock etc.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Its a hell of alot of money for a heat exchanger machine imo. You're paying for the name.

Have a nosey at dual boilers.

What type of coffee do you like? Do you switch it up alot? As in need single dosing?

There are some cracking grinders out there, and the grinder will make the biggest impact in terms of flavour.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Just to add our very own @BlackCatCoffee who sponsors the forum has some belting machines, and offers a forum discount too, which on a machine can be a great saving.


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## profesor_historia (Sep 1, 2020)

DavecUK said:


> @Sharpe Welcome to the forum... @Iamsami speaks a lot of sense when suggesting the Lelit Bianca and I think it will give you more than the rocket in the long run, it also has a really quiet pump implementation. With the grinder I would suggest waiting a few weeks and see what's around, there's some new stuff coming out. Or if you can't wait, spring for the Niche.


I am a bit curious, what new stuff? . I have been reading about the G-IOTA which looks impressive but there is no so much info.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

@Sharpe most dont like the sette due to plastic gearing issuse.

Eureka have just released the mignon xl with 65mm flat burrs £550

Or you could go balls out at a lagom p64 £1400 ish 64mm on demand, coupled with a dual boiler machine would be a formidable partnership


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)




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## Sharpe (Feb 6, 2021)

Cuprajake said:


> @Sharpe most dont like the sette due to plastic gearing issuse.
> 
> Eureka have just released the mignon xl with 65mm flat burrs £550
> 
> Or you could go balls out at a lagom p64 £1400 ish 64mm on demand, coupled with a dual boiler machine would be a formidable partnership


 Ohh the Mignon XL looks nice!

Top of the pile at the moment is the lelit bianca dual boiler and either the Mignon xl or Niche (if I can find one).

The lagom p64 is nice! However, I think this is going a little too "balls to the wall" haha.


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## Sharpe (Feb 6, 2021)

DavecUK said:


> @Sharpe Welcome to the forum... @Iamsami speaks a lot of sense when suggesting the Lelit Bianca and I think it will give you more than the rocket in the long run, it also has a really quiet pump implementation. With the grinder I would suggest waiting a few weeks and see what's around, there's some new stuff coming out. Or if you can't wait, spring for the Niche.


 Having looked at a few videos already I can see the lelit bianca dual boiler is by far a superior machine to the rocket! the Lelit is at the top of my list at the moment.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Join the niche order list off thier site, and when bew stock comes available they will email, i believe its for april del so not too long really


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## Bobbrown (Sep 16, 2020)

I have a Bianca and a niche, and, although not cheap, I genuinely believe the Bianca is good value for money and the most feature heavy machine for the price


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## Sharpe (Feb 6, 2021)

Bobbrown said:


> I have a Bianca and a niche, and, although not cheap, I genuinely believe the Bianca is good value for money and the most feature heavy machine for the price


 Where did you purchase it from? If you don' mind me asking ofc.


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## Bobbrown (Sep 16, 2020)

Bella barista


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## Bobbrown (Sep 16, 2020)

Sharpe said:


> Having looked at a few videos already I can see the lelit bianca dual boiler is by far a superior machine to the rocket! the Lelit is at the top of my list at the moment.


 ... although "by far a superior machine" is perhaps a bit subjective. A Kia has far more features for the price than a BMW but many wouldn't say it's by far superior.

I love my Bianca btw, not knocking it at all.

I, like you, looked at rockets first.


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## Chriss29 (Oct 21, 2020)

If you're spending that money do your research on water as the wrong sort will make even an expensive machine worthless in a few years if it scales up. Good news you're in a soft area but I'd test the water yourself to make sure.

Well worth waiting for the Niche by all accounts. They seem to release them every other month so not long at all.

Bianca would be my choice or Izzy Alex at Black Cat Coffee would be my choice 😀


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

Chriss29 said:


> ...Izzy Alex at Black Cat Coffee would be my choice...


 +1 ☝


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## Alpesh (Dec 12, 2020)

I would also recommend the Lelit Bianca. I've had it since early Dec and paired it with a Eureka Mignon Specialita as I didn't want to wait for the Niche. Both purchased from Bella Barista and so far no regrets with either.

Like others I have modified my Specialita for single dosing by remove the hopper and replacing with a short tube and bellows (easy and inexpensive). Others have mentioned that the grinder needs a hopper full of beans to give you a consistent grind at the end but I've not experienced any problems. If I do start to notice this I'll add a weight to gently push the beans down the tube and stop short of the burrs. I entertain often (well usually when there's no COVID restrictions) so the option of adding the hopper back is a bonus as it helps speed up the workflow with timed doses when making back-to-back shots. Also others have suggested they prefer the taste of flat vs canonical burrs (or vice versa) but I don't think my taste buds are refined enough to notice.

Anyway, enjoy whatever purchase you make.


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## -Mac (Aug 22, 2019)

I reckon with that budget, I'd have a Niche (already got) and a Lelit Elizabeth (if you don't want the E61 group head looks and quite as much maintenance) or Lelit Bianca if you do want the looks, as well as profiling with a paddle.

I'm saving for an Elizabeth 'cos I'm lazy.


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