# Another 'my first decent setup' query - £700



## JackBlackmore (Nov 1, 2015)

Hi all,

Please don't judge but i've been enjoying espresso for the last year from a Delonghi Icona machine and a... Philips blade grinder... and it's finally got to the point where I think it's time to upgrade.

We've budgeted £700 for a grinder and machine but I'm pretty set on the Baratza Vario as a grinder as I also use an Aeropress and it seems to be really dependant on grind quality.

After the vario it should leave around £350 for an espresso machine, we don't really drink many milk based coffees and it's normally only for me and my partner, sometimes a few more. I was originally looking at the Silvia but after reading reviews here a lot of people are saying it's not much of a step up from the Gagglio Classic? I'm not against getting a second hand machine but would ideally like something that will not need updating within a year (I've got a wedding to save for so this will be the last chance!)

We also really like the look of the lever machines but I'm not sure it's the best ideal for our first proper machine.

Any recommendations would be more than welcome! Thank yous


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

Welcome

Looks like a sage duo temp could be right up your street?

have you considered one of those?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

The only lever machine within your budget would be something like a la Pavoni. That brings with it a bit of a learning curve regarding temperature and consistent extraction pressure, though lots of people do love them once they've got the hang of it. A spring lever machine is probably easier but much more expensive. Pump might be the easiest for now.

The general consensus on here does seem to suggest that the coffee that can be made on a Silvia can be made just as well for less on a Gaggia Classic. I've not tried to swap back and forth between espresso and brewed, but of those that have, if I remember correctly, they seem to say you're better off spending as much as you can on a grinder fir espresso and using a hand grinder for brewed. Seemingly even grinders that are easy to adjust back and forth don't actually produce good grinds at both 'ends' of the grind size scale.

Before I got my current setup, I had a little Mazzer and a Classic that was modified with the better steam wand from a Silvia and with a PID controller to help take some of the uncertainty and timing out of the temperature instability inherent in a machine with a relatively low mass group and 100ml boiler. It did actually give pretty decent results, but the hardest thing about these small machines is getting consistency. The fact that milk steaming is secondary to you does help a bit though, meaning a single boiler machine isn't quite the handicap it was for me as a dyed-in-the-wool cappuccino / flat white drinker who has a straight espresso maybe 1 time in 10.


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## JackBlackmore (Nov 1, 2015)

I haven't actually looked at any of the Sage machines, I've probably incorrectly dismissed the Sage machines so will do a bit of snooping.

I've read the grinders can be difficult to switch between settings but was hoping that the vario would be decent at espresso and filter grounds but this may be too much to ask?

I don't know much / anything about 'dialling in' at the moment but there's a roasters in Bristol (Extract) that do real superb coffee and also day long barista courses that I gonna get down to.


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## AL1968 (May 3, 2015)

JackBlackmore said:


> I haven't actually looked at any of the Sage machines, I've probably incorrectly dismissed the Sage machines so will do a bit of snooping.
> 
> I've read the grinders can be difficult to switch between settings but was hoping that the vario would be decent at espresso and filter grounds but this may be too much to ask?
> 
> I don't know much / anything about 'dialling in' at the moment but there's a roasters in Bristol (Extract) that do real superb coffee and also day long barista courses that I gonna get down to.


Extract Coffee is brilliant, their coffee is great and you'll get loads of help and advice, I'm speaking from personal experience.

Get the best grinder you can for your money, use it for espresso, as you'll have to adjust the grind minutely as you move through a pack of beans or change variety anyway so making big changes between espresso and pour over or French press grinds will be a real pain to dial back in, again personal experience.

I went with a Eureka Mignon great value for the money. Buy a hand grinder for the coarse grind.

I started with a Francis Francis and found it made decent coffee before upgrading, but have a look at all the machines others have/will recommend. You'll get more bang for your buck buying second hand, check out the classified section on this forum.


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