# What did you start with?



## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Seems like the majority on here have decent setups but go on, make me chuckle with what you first started out with. Was it something resembling the swan retro or maybe some other plastic beaut. Reminisce at your leisure


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

A Bialetti french press that I knocked over and smashed within 60 seconds of unboxing it and a Starbucks Christmas blend.


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## BlackCatCoffee (Apr 11, 2017)

Ascaso Dream + preground coffee and the funny thing is I thought I had bought the top of the line.

Truth is I would have been better off with a £30 hand grinder and a French Press.......


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## lhavelund (Dec 28, 2018)

I think I was fortunate to find this forum early, and got a good deal on a Quick Mill Verona, and bought a Mignon Mk2 alongside it. I very quickly got sick of the latter and ordered a Niche. I'm still using those right now, but should have something new to post on Monday!


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Oooo, what's coming on Monday?

I keep having my head turned by the niche.


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Alex duetto 2 DB and Compak E5


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## KingoftheHeath (Nov 22, 2019)

Instant > French press > Moka pot > Gaggia Classic > Lelit Bianca.

Pre-ground > Hario hand grinder £20 jobby > Eureka Mignon > Niche


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## richwade80 (Aug 25, 2017)

Krups Vivo! Used it all through university and then here in Bath till the group head split. It was plastic.

I did enjoy using it though.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KingoftheHeath (Nov 22, 2019)

richwade80 said:


> Krups Vivo! Used it all through university and then here in Bath till the group head split. It was plastic.
> 
> I did enjoy using it though.
> 
> ...


That reminds me that I had a Philips Senseo in a very small office (3 people). Loved that thing, it actually made a decent coffee


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## richwade80 (Aug 25, 2017)

KingoftheHeath said:


> That reminds me that I had a Philips Senseo in a very small office (3 people). Loved that thing, it actually made a decent coffee


I recall it made nice coffee. I've no idea how. My friend had a Francis Francis and we thought we were so bourgeoisie. No idea what coffee we used. Probably Illy or Lavazza. I think the baskets were non pressurised. It was never descaled and never stopped working. Maybe Leeds water was ok. In Bath it would be dead in a few months.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KingoftheHeath (Nov 22, 2019)

richwade80 said:


> I recall it made nice coffee. I've no idea how. My friend had a Francis Francis and we thought we were so bourgeoisie. No idea what coffee we used. Probably Illy or Lavazza. I think the baskets were non pressurised. It was never descaled and never stopped working. Maybe Leeds water was ok. In Bath it would be dead in a few months.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Haha. I remember buying burnt-to-a-crisp beans, pre-ground, using them in my Moka pot with zero technique and thinking I was an absolute connoisseur.


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## KingoftheHeath (Nov 22, 2019)

richwade80 said:


> I recall it made nice coffee. I've no idea how. My friend had a Francis Francis and we thought we were so bourgeoisie. No idea what coffee we used. Probably Illy or Lavazza. I think the baskets were non pressurised. It was never descaled and never stopped working. Maybe Leeds water was ok. In Bath it would be dead in a few months.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The Francis Francis does look pretty cool to be fair


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## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

Hario hand grinder and AeroPress/Chemex (that was 2015 I think?) 
Lido 2 and same brewers plus V60, Clever, Kalita Wave
Feldgrind replaced Lido 2
Got Sage Duo Temp Pro - great machine
Got Santos No4 grinder - first flat
Got Ceado E37s - first big flat
Got Niche
Got Londinium R and Mahlkonig EK43S - awesome

LR and EK43S has been the longest standing set up (around 20 months), I couldn't be happier and I don't need a feel I'm missing out on anything.

I was missing the research and trying something new feeling... So I got into audio stuff instead. It's a modest set up, but gets job done.


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Jony said:


> Alex duetto 2 DB and Compak E5


 Wow, Alex is pretty. Are you UK based? Can't seem to find one in £s


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Ahhh, I forgot the Tassimo I had! It felt all wrong.


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## darsuke (Jul 24, 2020)

Don't judge me, I've a gaggia classic arriving. 
But if this wasn't bad enough last one was a dolce gusto, a bosch b2c and a nespresso.


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## JJackson (Jul 27, 2020)

Started with the newbie delonghi dedica, now looking to upgrade into more 'real' espresso


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## siliconslave (Feb 18, 2020)

Started with a presso (now called ROK espresso) and pre-ground, then added a dualit grinder in around 2004 - Actually worked pretty well as i remember it, although not so much when you warmed vodka and put it through... that was interesting


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## JJackson (Jul 27, 2020)

My friend actually recently bought the ROK hand grinder, at its price point it gives great results.

Was the vodka a shortcut to espresso martini or just mucking around? (i suspect the latter!)


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## siliconslave (Feb 18, 2020)

JJackson said:


> My friend actually recently bought the ROK hand grinder, at its price point it gives great results.
> 
> Was the vodka a shortcut to espresso martini or just mucking around? (i suspect the latter!)


 very much the latter


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Delonghi Icona + cheap supermarket pre-ground.

Didn't even get Starbucks quality results.

Added a Zassenhaus Z grinder and Starbucks Beans and slightly improved.

Upgraded to an Iberital MC2.

Then quickly bought a Pavoni and then very quickly a Eureka Mignon and eventually got an Expobar DB. Soon after got a Ceado E8. It's funny how much money you throw away on the upgrade path.


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## ScottM (Jul 26, 2020)

Started with a Delonghi Dedica a few years ago, but it was always unpredictable whether it would taste ok.

Discovered the Aeropress last year and manage to make some tastey coffee at home.

Now I want nice espresso, but this time I am fully prepared to do more than press a button.


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## JJackson (Jul 27, 2020)

@siliconslave The world needs experimentation! You never know, you might have created the new taste sensation!


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## AJP80 (Feb 29, 2020)

It all started for me in the eighties with my mum's percolator and pre-ground coffee. The aromas that thing gave out filled the house. I've been drinking too much of the stuff ever since. I only invested heavily though in the early 2000s, with a Gaggia Baby Twin and a Kitchen Aid grinder, which was soon replaced with a Mazzer Mini. Around about 2008 I bought an Alex Duetto and soon replaced the mini with an Elektra Nino. I gave up on espresso in about 2013, switching to pour over, and replaced the Nino with an EK43S in 2020 (I started the year with the intention of downsizing my grinder!). I've just started to dabble in espresso again with the acquisition of a La Pavoni.


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Do you do any cappuccinos with the la pavoni?


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

At uni doing my undergrad in about 2006, got an Alessi Inka cafetière as a moving out present (still have it actually) and a tiny one cup Moka pot off an Italian mate from my bar job.

Whittards of Chelsea monsoon malabar and Tesco preground French roast. Coffee so dark that a chain smoking Frenchman from the 1970s would still be able to taste it... Thought I was so refined! 😂

Got married 5 years ago, realised our John Lewis voucher was about to run out a couple of years after that and I fancied a coffee machine. Saw their range in person and how plasticy they all felt, then found the forum and promptly bought a used old Gaggia Classic instead of a delonghi or Sage.

No regrets as it has been a lot of fun, but I have had and sold a lot of bits in the past three ish years. Didn't expect to like the coffee and the tinkering so much! 😉


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

And the John Lewis voucher was spent on some coffee paraphernalia I take it...


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

Jony said:


> Alex duetto 2 DB and Compak E5


 @Jony - Really, you don't ever do anything by halves! 😂

That is a monster starter set up...


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@BaristaofBards - No actually, it was spent on nice towels & bedding.

Plus an IPod nano so I could use it while messing about with my kettlebells and not be too upset if I accidentally dropped a 32kg one on top of it.


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Money well spent all round!


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## DRAXXMENVONE (Jun 19, 2018)

Was so happy with my £30 Delonghi! I was still using it at work until a year ago!


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## thawhat (Jul 29, 2020)

Started strong with a Barista Express. By all means not the best machine but it's a great start. Got it for £285 used on Ebay... what a steal!


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Northern_Monkey said:


> @Jony - Really, you don't ever do anything by halves! 😂
> 
> That is a monster starter set up...


 No point starting at the bottom, I knew what I wanted so got it plus my football bet came in so £900 went on those two😂plus few hundred more, then the Vesuvius I wanted new. Then all this Lever chat got the juices flowing, so stepped out of line and chose a Vostok.


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## LiquidLogic (Apr 16, 2020)

Interesting idea...
My coffee journey has looked like the below. I've always avoided instant as it's rancid!

Method:
French press > Aeropress > Moka > Gaggia Classic

Grinder:
Pre-ground > Bodum Bistro Burr > Niche

Beans:
Any pre-ground > Pact "fresh" pre-ground > Taylor's whole beans & occasional fresh roasted beans > exclusively fresh roasted beans.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Jony said:


> No point starting at the bottom, I knew what I wanted so got it plus my football bet came in so £900 went on those two😂plus few hundred more


 What football result was it?


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Would have to go back and Check. Was 2017 or 2018 not sure why you ask


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## BaristaofBards (Jul 24, 2020)

Apologies for the intrusion. Thought it might be Wycombe getting promoted because who would have thought that


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## Garys (Dec 10, 2020)

Dualit 3 in one type with pre ground' I'm such a philistine that I think it's quite nice coffee but will be upgrading anyway so I can discover even better. Never been to a costa only have espresso after a meal in a restaurant, but like the idea of a hobby type thing.


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