# My espresso machine & grinder fail



## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Hi

despite making the effort to join a coffee forum to get advice on what espresso machine and grinder to buy, i still decided to totally ignore all your advice...

so i brought an gaggia gran prestige... I thought how bad can it possibly be.... Omg what a cheap pile of rubbish...

On/off button didnt work properly

coffee and water didnt come out everytime it was meant too.

the porta filla handle thing is so cheap and nasty, the first espresso i got was ok, the next three were awful, for no reason i can think of whats so ever... The crema was so thin on all of them...its been boxed up and being sent back for full refund... & then read gaggia dont even make it, its phillips apparently...

then i spent 2 hours stomping round the city to buy a quality grinder... Got the delonghi kg79 for £36... Got it home, ground some coffee then it never worked again..... So, extremely high on caffeine with a slightly sweaty brow i took that back to john lewis for refund...

I cannot believe £210 will not make me a decent espresso in my own home....

so i have just brought a bodum grinder for £100 and im over the moon with it, couldnt find a bad review so at least i can have some nice freshly ground coffee, and luckily i did listen to you regarding rave coffee... Its lovely... And freshly ground beans rule...

anyway, gonna stick to french presses for a while, at least i get good coffee every time..

How much different is the gaggia classic..? For £40 more will it really make much difference? I know you get the pro porta filla and selenoid valve etc... Is the espresso more consistent?

Oh well.... Knew i had made a mistake when i took it out the box... :-(


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

You fido pick up a very good used gaggia classic for around £100


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Yeah, think thats what ill do...


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

I think you would struggle to grind fine enough for the classic with the bodum grinder too.

You really do have to spend a bit to produce espresso.

How about an aeropress instead? You cna get some really nice coffee from them, and only £25


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

''I cannot believe £210 will not make me a decent espresso in my own home....''

Its doable.... but an even bigger ask is to make a decent one repeatably


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Really? It grinds so fine though... Like dust

cant be bothered... Its just not worth it.. Think i may get an aeropress, been looking at those


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

What model bodum grinder is it? Where did you see the reviews? (Without wishing to dampen your excitement bodum never springs to mind when I think of good grinders - irrespective of price)


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Burnzy said:


> Really? It grinds so fine though... Like dust


It's not just a case of being able to grind beans into dust. To make a good grinder it needs to be able to grind the beans into uniform size grinds, it needs to offer you the ability to make very fine adjustments, it needs to be repeatable and also not clump. It's a hard task and that is why you get what you pay for. Cheap grinders are cheap for a reason. You can maximise your spend by looking for second hand. You'll do well to ask for advice from forum members - we've made the costly mistakes already so you don't need to as well.

At the end of the day you only get out what you put in (crap in = crap out).


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

I watched a video of the gaggia mdf grinding for espresso and that had clumps, apparently its a sign of freshness...

i got the bodum 10903 ... About £100, couldnt find a bad review, one guy on you tube said its one of the best home grinders he's used... Its good enough for me anyway, there will always be better... it grinds lovely, looks and feels high quality...

i dont need it for espresso now anyway, so for french press its perfect, what more would i need? Put the beans in, set to coarse, press 10 seconds and i have a lovely portion of freshly ground gorgeous smelling coffee....

When i win the lottery i will buy a decent espresso set up... But i just dont have £500 to 700 to spend on a set up yet... I just didnt think it would be this hard to get a decent espresso... My £40 tassimo machine makes a better espresso than my £179 gaggia and £100 grinder... Its utterly ridiculous.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

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Burnzy said:


> My £40 tassimo machine makes a better espresso than my £179 gaggia and £100 grinder... Its utterly ridiculous.


The tassimo doesnt really make espresso. It makes a palatable 'espresso type drink'. Espresso is very hard to pull off to a repeatably good standard in the home on low range kit, it can be done but it takes skill, experience and practice.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

The bodum grinders are rubbish, there you go I've said it! It will not do justice to your gaggia and I am not surprised that the tasimo is giving a nicer shot. As gary said espresso is not easy to do, it takes skill and practice and attention to detail, couple a decent grinder to your classic and you will knock the spots off that tasimo, but you could benefit from training ( if you are serious about this) if not sit back and enjoy the tasimo.

The bodum is jog really a great brewed grinder either, but hey oh what do we know!


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

I think that Burnzy is either just taking the piss or really doesn't understand what espresso is. To compare espresso to those damn awful machines which produce caffeine based drinks from plastic pods or bags filled with brown dust and make "crema" from forcing the diluted brown liquid through a tiny hole. Then, to think you can buy any old grinder - let alone something for 30 odd quid - and expect it to actually grind well enough. Surely he's just being sarcastic and doesn't really believe this. He and his friends are sat around a PC and laughing at these poor geeks who spend great amounts of cash on - and worse time talking about - making a coffee!

As for the bodum grinder, it'll probably be good for coffee until you need a really consistent very fine grind, like for, oh espresso!


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

It can be easy to get frustrated when you've spent money and don't get what you're expecting.

Thing is, as explained, you can't just buy some random gear and expect to make good tasting, real espresso overnight.

Even when you have the gear you have to learn how to use it and underastand certain principles about coffee extraction.

If you're not in the least bit geeky in nature then stick to French Press, the aforementioned grinder and fresh beans, at least you will be happy with what you're drinking.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Whoa whoa LOL!

Thats exactly it, I'm just frustrated,

the gaggia i brought was a pile of rubbish, cheap and tacky and no matter what grinder i brought it would be hard to get good espresso every time from it.....

I don't use the tassimo anymore, i haven't for ages.. To me, the tassimo made a nicer tasting espresso type drink over a genuine espresso made with a £279 set up...thats a tad bit annoying, Sorry, thats all im saying, i know the tassimo is awful, thats why i decided to get a proper one.

I'm not here to offend anyone, I understand there are lots of variables to making a good espresso every time and it takes practice.. But that £50 phillips machine i brought stamped with the gaggia name is an insult, im no coffee expert obviously, but i did expect half decent espresso out of it. i would of kept it and learnt to improve it... It was the leaking and general tacky feel that put me off...

But i should of listened and got the classic... I know that now, well i knew that the minute i took it out the box..... I would order one now, but just cannot afford the grinder needed... So ill wait till i can..

What on earth makes you think I'm sitting round a pc with my mates trolling a coffee forum? Come on!

Gutted the bodum grinder i brought is rubbish... But it will do me for french press... So I'm pleased with it... I agree it probably wouldn't be suitable for higher end espresso machines but for pressurised cheaper models it would be fine... Or so i hear... But to be honest how good my coffee is tasting grinding fresh every time is really cheering me up...

and i have a hob espresso maker which will do for lattes... For now...

until i get my delonghi.......... Kidding...


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

this was the first one i watched.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

then this,

then endless positive reviews on amazon, i assumed it was a half decent grinder, also priced at over £100 i assumed it was ok.... Thats about the best i could afford anyway.

like i said, it feels quality and it grinds consistently....

So, if it doesnt go fine enough for espresso, (not sure how much more finer it could possibly go) what would the outcome be on the final shot? Watery? No creamer? Taste? Would it make the shot undrinkable...? To a non expert could i really tell?


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## Atilla (Mar 31, 2014)

I'd say that you need to listen to more advice here.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Brunzy -

Here is a Nespresso machine with 250 reviews that say its amazing, that doesn't mean it can make proper espresso.

The grinder you have bought, for its price will be ok for french press, and in its price range its not a total waste of money (CC - what would you suggest for coarser grinds in this £100 price bracket). By far and away buying fresh beans will be the biggest difference to your coffee, you could smash them apart with a hammer and it will give you better tasting coffee than buying pre-ground. This is why the bodum reviews so well, its from a company that has marketing force behind it, so is trusted by the consumer, and it breaks apart beans, as far as "joe average" goes this is a 5-star product.

For just about everyone here Espresso is a kind of hobby, no matter how much you spend on your machine, to get proper espresso there is still a bit of faff involved, if your knee jerk reaction to this is that you cant be bothered to learn all this then I would say its probably best to stick with nespresso type things, or french press.

IF you want to be able to achieve great espresso at home then you will need to shy away from the reviews on the average consumer site and stick to advice given on foums like this one, you will get a lot further with a lot less frustration


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Yeah i agree, i just dont have the money too, im just a tad disappointed that i wasnt able to get good espresso for £279, thats all, was never mean to anyone... Never blamed anyone, except myself...... Ive just learnt that espresso is an art and takes a substantial investment.. Its also a tad horrible when you spend £100 on a grinder and people say its rubbish, im sure it is to them and its not good for professional espresso.... But I'm pleased with it for brewing... For a amateur palette like mine anyway.

But saying all that i now know that £100 in the coffee grinding world is crap...... And unfortunatly for me, that means im out for now....


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

You can get great espresso for less than £200. You can also, however, get awful espresso for £10k. Take heed the advice given on here, a lot of people know what they are talking about.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

D_Evans said:


> Brunzy -
> 
> Here is a Nespresso machine with 250 reviews that say its amazing, that doesn't mean it can make proper espresso.
> 
> ...


Thankyou,

yeah i am fully prepared to learn the art, it was just as my machine leaking and not working properly and i had coffee everywhere... My knee jerk reaction was very much i cant be bothered...

I just need the funds to get the necessary equipment thats all...

i live for coffee, my wife brought me a tassimo a year ago, i used it just with espresso pods now and again....i made that tassimo comment out of anger.... Im not one of these people that think tassimo pods and starbucks is goof coffee.... I always go to my artisan coffee house and have recently discovered pact, rave and other gourmet freshly roasted coffee houses.... And realised i was missing a trick by not grinding my own beans.... Please dont think im not serious or understand the importance of quality...

I just didnt think it would be quite so expensive to get good espresso at home....

I joined here to get advice... I pretty much ignored and made some major fails... I know that..... I appreciate amazon reviewers are not the best.... But stupidly i just thought £100 would be ok....

Thanks for reply though, i appreciate it... It seems i have offended some members somehow....


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Burnzy said:


> Yeah i agree, i just dont have the money too, im just a tad disappointed that i wasnt able to get good espresso for £279, thats all, was never mean to anyone... Never blamed anyone, except myself...... Ive just learnt that espresso is an art and takes a substantial investment.. Its also a tad horrible when you spend £100 on a grinder and people say its rubbish, im sure it is to them and its not good for professional espresso.... But I'm pleased with it for brewing... For a amateur palette like mine anyway.
> 
> But saying all that i now know that £100 in the coffee grinding world is crap...... And unfortunatly for me, that means im out for now....


For less that £200 you can get a S/H Classic and Iberital MC2 which would have got you great espresso once you had spend time using it and learning the ins and outs and seeking advice on here.

We get people come on here all the time who have shop-bought a £300 espresso maker and we try to let them down as gently as possible that without proper fresh ground coffee, and a grinder to do that with, they have to spend a bit more yet. Most machines on the home market are there to make pre-goung 'look' good but still make a god awful shot of espresso.

If you still have an opportunity to take back your bodum grinder then take all the money you were going to invest, read about what your best options are here and then re-invest in the right things.

The Bodum will be OK for your french press, and you average cup, if you had any intention of experimenting with roasts and brew methods it would start to become inadequate, or "crap"









Edit: I dont think you offended anyone, I think maybe your equipment choice did







but seriously, I dont think anyone meant any offence, were always happy to help if you want to heed the advice.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

D_Evans said:


> For less that £200 you can get a S/H Classic and Iberital MC2 which would have got you great espresso once you had spend time using it and learning the ins and outs and seeking advice on here.
> 
> We get people come on here all the time who have shop-bought a £300 espresso maker and we try to let them down as gently as possible that without proper fresh ground coffee, and a grinder to do that with, they have to spend a bit more yet. Most machines on the home market are there to make pre-goung 'look' good but still make a god awful shot of espresso.
> 
> ...


Lol, yeah the equipment offended me... I was just really frustrated as i was soooo excited all week....

i dont know why, but i am really paranoid about buying second hand... I don't know why, I'm just paranoid that people are selling it because something is wrong with it.... I guess it would be a way of getting a decent set up cheaply...

Thanks i will wait a few months and buy those, i have learnt my lesson believe me... If i want espresso in my home, its the gaggia classic and iberital MC2.... And i cant wait to learn and try to master it.... Espresso making facinates me even more now i know how complex it is....

Thanks again i really appreciate it and sorry to everyone for mentioning tassimo and espresso in the same sentence


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

All of my stuff has been 2nd hand so far and I've not had any problems with any of it.

If you buy your stuff from this website you know it will have been well looked after, or the seller will say what's wrong with it. No one on here is out to diddle another forum member.

The reason stuff gets sold is the same reason you will sell your Bodum and Gaggia - upgrading to something better as you learn to appreciate the coffee making/tasting experience.

Welcome to the forum btw, you are in the best place to grow your interest!


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Thanks milanski.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Agree with Milanski, I learnt that trading online could be a great thing to do with AVForums, and the Classifieds here are just alike in that no-one is out to shaft you, and other members here would quickly pick up on a dodgy sale. Add to that that generally speaking the machines we recommend (i.e. Gaggia Classic) are not only solidly built, but easy to diagnose and repair should the worst happen.


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

In fact, if you're talking a Classic and starter grinder, you are almost better off going second hand from a site like this one where people have cared for their equipment. You will lose very little money if/when you decide to sell it on. Also, these units usually come with extras or modifications and improvements.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

My personal experience , wait long enough , and read as much as you can. There are lots of bargains to be had, once you have done your homework. If you cant find about whether your future purchase is any good just ask on this forum. Trust me someone will take the time to answer any questions you may have.

you don't have to spend a kings ransom to get a modest setup at home, and you are going to find your coffee journey difficult at times, but nearly everyone one on this forum has come across the same hurdles you will come across,and this is where this forum shines above all others ,fellow members will be able to lift you up ,share their advice and give you the best guidance to get you back on your journey.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Burnzy said:


> i dont know why, but i am really paranoid about buying second hand... I don't know why, I'm just paranoid that people are selling it because something is wrong with it.... I guess it would be a way of getting a decent set up cheaply...Thanks i will wait a few months and buy those, i have learnt my lesson believe me... If i want espresso in my home, its the gaggia classic and iberital MC2.... And i cant wait to learn and try to master it.... Espresso making facinates me even more now i know how complex it is....
> 
> Thanks again i really appreciate it and sorry to everyone for mentioning tassimo and espresso in the same sentence


Starbucks = shite

Instant = better than stabucks

Tassimo = Better than Instant

Iberital MC2 = poor

Eureka Mignon = Reasonable Minimum standard grinder

Gaggia Classic = Poor, but just about required minimum machine (sorry classic owners)

Do not for a moment think you are entering at anything but the lowest possible level with a Classic and MC2 and I would counsel against getting the MC2


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

where does the Bodum sit then Dave


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Daren said:


> where does the Bodum sit then Dave


Unfortunately, the Bodum needs to be placed on the Inventors chair...then said inventor wants to be forced down onto it. You might as well use a hammer to grind your beans! in fact I'm bloody sure most of the decent hand grinders absolutely knock spots of the Bodum....but hey, I never want to really speak my mind about these things


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

No - go on - please tell us what you really think, speak your mind (I'd love to hear this!)


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Thecatlinux said:


> My personal experience , wait long enough , and read as much as you can. There are lots of bargains to be had, once you have done your homework. If you cant find about whether your future purchase is any good just ask on this forum. Trust me someone will take the time to answer any questions you may have.
> 
> you don't have to spend a kings ransom to get a modest setup at home, and you are going to find your coffee journey difficult at times, but nearly everyone one on this forum has come across the same hurdles you will come across,and this is where this forum shines above all others ,fellow members will be able to lift you up ,share their advice and give you the best guidance to get you back on your journey.


Sound advice!


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

DavecUK said:


> Unfortunately, the Bodum needs to be placed on the Inventors chair...then said inventor wants to be forced down onto it. You might as well use a hammer to grind your beans! in fact I'm bloody sure most of the decent hand grinders absolutely knock spots of the Bodum....but hey, I never want to really speak my mind about these things


Lol bad times. :-( why is the mc2 bad? Just curious..Just read some reviews, (not amazon user reviews lol) saying that its only £10 more than the bodum


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

DavecUK said:


> Unfortunately, the Bodum needs to be placed on the Inventors chair...then said inventor wants to be forced down onto it. You might as well use a hammer to grind your beans!


Wow. Just, wow! Very apt indeed.


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## emin-j (Dec 10, 2011)

In defence of the Bodum







I bought one a couple of years ago before I seriously got into espresso and used it for French Press and filter which it did an excellent job and still does !

But.. espresso is out of its range


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

emin-j said:


> In defence of the Bodum
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yay...  also i have nothing to compare it to.. So for me at the moment its great...

Ive just been reading how important the grind is for espresso.... Yep, i have made some terrible mistakes... Come september i am going to seriously invest... Till then its me, the bodum and the open road


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

The more i say "bodum" the funnier it becomes... Do you think starbucks use a bodum ? ;-)


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Just to reiterate a point, no one is offended on here by your comments, or your kit, unfortunately people do buy things based on reviews and not hands on experience, I would recommend that anyone tries before they buy if at all possible and gets the very best kit based on the budget that they have.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

DavecUK said:


> Do not for a moment think you are entering at anything but the lowest possible level with a Classic and MC2 and I would counsel against getting the MC2


Dave, its a statement like this that would put me off it all together if I could only ever justify a small budget.

The lowest possible entry level is, for me, nespresso, or the kind of machine the OP originally bought.

With practice it is possible to get a good shot from the classic, yes you can forget about it when it comes to consistency and really tuning the machine, but were talking a LOT of money before these become viables.

Dave, given the budget of £250, which is no small outlay for some of us, what would your advice be? forget espresso all together until you can save £7-800 that you need for the step up from the "basic" classic?

If a new buyer can stretch their budget just a bit, then a Mignon or Mazzer Mini might be on the cards, but without serious investment the step to HX or DB is a big stump of cash that most newcomers siimply cant afford.

Edit: I think perspective is important here. When I had my MC2 and Classic I was getting drinks out of it that I (at the time) thought were great, and were getting me "best coffee I have ever had" comments from friends. Now I have a better machine and grinder I can see how much nicer the espresso is, and how the Classic and MC2 were 'poor' in comparison.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

D_Evans said:


> Dave, given the budget of £250, which is no small outlay for some of us, what would your advice be? forget espresso all together until you can save £7-800 that you need for the step up from the "basic" classic?
> 
> If a new buyer can stretch their budget just a bit, then a Mignon or Mazzer Mini might be on the cards, but without serious investment the step to HX or DB is a big stump of cash that most newcomers siimply cant afford.


No of course not, my advice would be use a carafe until you can save around £400-£500 and buy some decent second hand gear. I recently sold a Fracino Heavenly to a forum member for £250, add a grinder to that, even a brand new Mignon for £265 and you got some seriously good kit for £515 or under 500 if you buy a good used grinder. Much better than a Gaggia and Iberital MC2 any day of the week.

Note I did say a classic was the minimum, not great, but the minimum. The Iberital MC2 though...it's really not good enough.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

This is pretty sad.

Most of us started with basic setups and thought they tasted great (and compared to starbucks they do).

It's all a learning experience and there is loads of fun to be had trying to make a espresso on a basic setup.

Enthusiasm should be encouraged not thwarted.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

DavecUK said:


> Note I did say a classic was the minimum, not great, but the minimum. The Iberital MC2 though...it's really not good enough.


For you palette, maybe not, but for someone who is just starting out it really is different.

I think the best way to put it is that for circa £300 you can get a setup that many (most?) of us here were happy to learn on. This setup simply isn't good enough to take you through really learning about espresso, and you will likely upgrade in the future, but as a starter kit, for a newcomer, it really isn't that bad.

The best advice I think we can give is that this will get you to the basic level of 'good' espresso at home, it will leave a lot to be desired in the eyes of anyone who knows better, but its a perfectly acceptable starting point....


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## kikapu (Nov 18, 2012)

I realise now that the mc2 isn't really good enough and would always recommend if someone can go for a better grinder they should. But at the time with my Classic I was making decent drinks and learnt a lot using. This also enabled me to see if I would actually enjoy all thr faffing around, dialing in the grinder, back flushing, sour shots, bitter shots. Etc

I think it's easy to forget that some people will think get espresso machine put in coffee make lovely drink but this isn't the case! It takes effort and some people will try and decide its not for them but at least with an mc2 and classic let's them try the process for as cheap as possible.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

I think anyone that has £1000 set up at home will always say a £300- 400 set up is rubbish and it probably is..

From what I've been reading the skill of the barista is the most important factor, then grinder, then coffee, then machine. Machine last shocked me a bit...

i realised i went into this not knowing anything about true espresso making at home and just thought i would make good espresso... I watched some vids last night about pressurised portafilters and non-pressurised, I watched one taken apart and read reviews on some of the higher end grinders...

No wonder i got bad espresso, i had no clue what i was doing, and brought bad equipment.... =disaster

what a valuable lesson i have learnt, and i feel quite stupid to be honest.. Espresso making is an art and takes skill and practice..

i will buy a classic, cause i think i could achieve decent espresso from that with practice and skill.. But i will spend alot on a premium home grinder.... Will have to wait a few months... But i have a much better understanding all ready and cant wait to start my espresso journey.

Really do appreciate everyones help and advice, i wont make the same mistakes again

Then ill put the bodum in the classifieds


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Excellent news....

I'd put cofee eve before grinder , if you make supermarket coffee beans with a £2k grinder still gonna taste bad .

your right though grinder is very important as are the skillz to use the great you have .

this has been a great thread to read , humourous , thoughtful , the journey for new members and people - looking at advice , not looking at advice







, realising the info on here is based on real life experience of equipment (rather than sales reviews or review in newspapers etc ) and is therefor infinitely more valuable when buying equipment .

we may not always agree on what you should buy ,but most of us know what isn't great value


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Burnzy said:


> I think anyone that has £1000 set up at home will always say a £300- 400 set up is rubbish and it probably is..


That's simply not true Burnzy - in skilful hands a £3-400 set-up can produce espresso to equal a £1000 set up, it's just very hard (and often lacks consistency). I've tasted superb shots from a classic so would not call it rubbish.

Spending more buys ease and consistency - but only in the hands of the right person.


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

The biggest difference between my mid-range machine and my Classic was consistency. You can't control temperature stability on the Classic which is one of the most important parameters. A better machine allows me to make coffee after coffee without heating problems and each shot is consistent. What you can do though is develop a routine with the Gaggia Classic, a 20 minute warm up, a flush and flicking the switch when the light comes on, which will allow you to pull a very very good shot - if your coffee and grind are up to scratch! But as I - and others - have said, if you buy second hand, you will lose nothing on resale so there's no risk really.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

I think that there is too much snobbery these days and people don't realise that the actual skill of the barista is paramount. I've known great baristas that can make even the lowliest setup sing.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

From my experience from what its worth ,

not so long ago i started to put together my own set up so i didnt have to keep going round my friends and use his.

I listened to other forum members and decided to spend a large part of what I had budgeted on a grinder which I bought out of the sale section off coffee chap for £250. It is a mazzer super jolly and to be honest I am glad i listened to every body , now I know it's not the best grinder in the world , but I do know if I never wanted to buy another grinder again i wouldn't have too as this would be able to stay with me on my coffee journey regardless to what machine I wanted to upgrade too. Its consistent in its grind, its capable too make so fine of adjustment that would suit the majority of people and above all its capable of grinding any kind of coffee bean to make espresso.

sure it has its bad points with retention but that is not hard to get round , spares are available its maintainable, and there is always good resale value. What's not to like . Best decision i made.

Now to the classic , also bought off the forum for £150 , (carper2k) fully tricked out with all the usual extras and a spare handle. Now this is a different thing all together , the best way to put it is , I have had good shots i have had bad shots and I have 'god shots' but most of all I have had a great deal of fun !

I have also learnt a lot about extraction and a few pit falls on the way, sure i have thrown stuff down the sink and sure i have teared what little hair I have left out, because it's driven me mad and went off at a tangent, but once things had calmed down and I had got my act together boy was I rewarded with some lovely tasting coffee.

Everybody's journey is different, and everyone's goals are different but on a budget £400 I have managed to get up and running , I am capable of pulling a shot any day of the week better than any national costabucks.

will I upgrade the classic ?yeah maybe if I can afford too and if I can't afford too i will make do and just try and get better with my technique .


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Thanks guys, what a nice bunch you all are... Im sure you see many noobs come on here and rant similar to what i did.. Im actually really glad i have made those mistakes, its made me respect the art even more. I just popped to my local barista to have a chat to him, he's an absolute artist if you are ever in Norwich, its called strangers coffee. Well worth a visit he makes the nicest coffee i have ever tried. He gave me his number for any advice i need, couple that with you guys on here and i cant go wrong.

I'm very pleased to say i just ordered my Gaggia classic. Next step = premium home grinder.. But for now i am happy to practice on some lavazza or get my coffee ground to order if i have to, not ideal i know, but wont be long until i have a decent grinder., just don't think the bodum will cut it...literally


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

Just to warn you, you may find that none of the shots you produce on the classic with any sort of pre-ground will result in anything palatable.

My tip; forget the L*v*zz* and buy fresh roasted and use a french press/pour over until your grinder arrives.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Burnzy said:


> Thanks guys, what a nice bunch you all are... Im sure you see many noobs come on here and rant similar to what i did.. Im actually really glad i have made those mistakes, its made me respect the art even more. I just popped to my local barista to have a chat to him, he's an absolute artist if you are ever in Norwich, its called strangers coffee. Well worth a visit he makes the nicest coffee i have ever tried. He gave me his number for any advice i need, couple that with you guys on here and i cant go wrong.
> 
> I'm very pleased to say i just ordered my Gaggia classic. Next step = premium home grinder.. But for now i am happy to practice on some lavazza or get my coffee ground to order if i have to, not ideal i know, but wont be long until i have a decent grinder., just don't think the bodum will cut it...literally


Many people have been in your position before, no worries!

Yeah Alex is a top guy. In Norwich also try The Window and Kofra, both also excellent. And Smokey Barn roast excellent beans in the city.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

You should get a pressurised filter in with the classic, I would stick the lavazza in that to get anything at all out of it. Your going to be wanting to drown it in milk and sugar however. Lavazza makes a passable caffine kick in french press/ drip, but all the old stale over-cooked flavours just get extracted with an espresso machine.

If you have a local and great Barista then pop your classic in your car and take it down and dial in a grind with the beans he uses. Ask himt o grind you up 150g or so, keep this well sealed and although it will degrade as it goes stale it will be leaps and bounds better than the Lavazza.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Thanks aaron, small world... Yeah alex is great, so passionate.

Yeah good plan D, evans... Much better idea than lavazza, im in city every day so may get it ground fresh every 1 or 2 days.... But at least i have 1 part of my set up on the way.... Grinder next, then practice practice practice


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

D_Evans said:


> If you have a local and great Barista then pop your classic in your car and take it down and dial in a grind with the beans he uses. Ask himt o grind you up 150g or so, keep this well sealed and although it will degrade as it goes stale it will be leaps and bounds better than the Lavazza.


Good call!

13char


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Burnzy said:


> Thanks aaron, small world... Yeah alex is great, so passionate.
> 
> Yeah good plan D, evans... Much better idea than lavazza, im in city every day so may get it ground fresh every 1 or 2 days.... But at least i have 1 part of my set up on the way.... Grinder next, then practice practice practice


There is actually a ton of coffee geeks in Norwich, and a LOT of speciality level shops for a city this size! Do check out the other shops I mentioned (especially if you are in the city every day) and you'll soon find them


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

I can vouch for the window , I was in there today for a couple of cappas, got totally wasted, IMOH best coffee in norwich


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Will do, where is the window? Ill go there monday for a shot of nectar


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Cool to know some of you are from norwich... You can just come round and train me up... Ill even let you have a go on the bodum...


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

The Window is on Wensum St near The Glasshouse and opposite The Lawyer, but it is closed on Mondays! Tue-Sat only.

Smokey Barn is on King St just past The Waterfront and open Mon-Fri I think, you can have a coffee, see the roaster in action, buy super fresh beans and Chris is a really nice guy.

Kofra is on Unthank Road (city end) right by the footbridge and The Temple.

Lots of using pubs as landmarks there


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

No way, kofra for me in the morning then, i live up the other end of unthank.... Tuesday ill try the window...

Thanks aaronb


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Yep, its in the old vintage shop! let me know how you get on, I am very impressed with their offering.

If you live the other end of Unthank you are a stones throw from me, I'm in Eaton (near Waitrose) *waves*


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Lol asked Haley (window)to show how she steams milk today, blink and you miss it took 5-10 seconds , learnt nothing... Apart from she insist i must use full fat milk. Was going to go too smokey barn as well today but got totally buzzed out and it was raining. Hope I have enough beans.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Yeah chucked it down this morning, got drenched









Hayley sells good beans too you know!


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

aaronb said:


> Yeah chucked it down this morning, got drenched
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I know I have had at least a kilo and half off her , just working my way through my smokey barn which I am really with at the moment, jumping about a bit but i dont think I can do the hasbeans justice on my setup plus my taste buds are going towards the darkside at the moment. Meant to order some RAve offering but just havent got round to it.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Burnzy said:


> I watched a video of the gaggia mdf grinding for espresso and that had clumps, apparently its a sign of freshness...


I've never heard that and would refute that anyway.

A £30 hand grinder and a £100 Gaggia Classic would be your best route to market

I doubt the Bodum will do the trick for espresso, but for Aeropress and filter coffee methods should be fine


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Haha, yeah its really good to know we have some decent baristas in norwich, i usually go to alex as a rule and am looking forward to trying some others... Thanks for the heads up on those.

@catlinux, got my first bag of rave beans couple of days ago, they are really tasty.. I fancied something less fruity than i usually get, so went for the columbian suarez... Cant wait to order some more.

@glenn.. Yeah agreed, the bodum is serving me well for french press, i am loving the frothy bloom i am getting... But yeah for espresso an upgrade will be in order....... May get lucky on a pressurised filter.... Not sure yet will have to try.


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