# Well that escalated quickly!



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

So it took 2 months of posting (and a couple of years lurking) to catch the upgraditis bug pretty badly.

At the start of the year I had a Gaggia Classic and an Iberital MC2, I could make pretty crappy coffee regularly and occasionally something drinkable.

I figured I'd upgrade my grinder, after all, it's only one thing, the classic is fine. So along came the SuperJolly for about a week.

The SJ was too much faff for me and very low on the wife approval scale, especially for an unapproved purchase that I hoped to sneak in without her noticing!









So, a quick call to the silver tongued sales lady at BellaBarista and this little beauty arrived









Well that was far too much of a grinder for the little Classic, I wonder if a new machine would be noticed?

Hmm, an ebay item for a hardly used Cherub.









Hardly used this week more like! tripping the safety switch if it was left on for extended periods of time, scaring me with it's energy usage (damn those smart plugs)

A quick fight with ebay Customer service and a refund on the way I was on the look out for a new machine. I knew I had an old Cherub but even so I couldn't deal with the energy usage of the HX Cherub or the noise of the firing up the boiler every time it bought things back up to pressure. I knew I didn't want a single boiler so that left me looking for a quieter dual boiler.

I wanted an Expobar Rotary, unfortunately Crem had no machines at all that they could sell Andy at Van and Roast so back on the phone to Claudette! Oh dear...

That was an expensive phone call!

A quick rearrange of the kitchen later, remove the kettle move other stuff around, I'm sure if I tuck it in the corner no one will notice or kill me!









So now I have an ex display Alex Duetto IV, I can now make crap coffee one after the other and occasionally make something that's half drinkable. The steaming power is great, the ceiling and cupboards are marvelling at my inability and I'm sure with practice it will all come good


----------



## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

To quote Life of Brian.....

"You lucky lucky Bastard"


----------



## ahirsty (Jan 9, 2014)

That's an impressive upgrade path! I'm sure you will get a lot of enjoyment out of the Duetto. The problem with all this expensive kit is when you make a bad drink you only have yourself to blame!


----------



## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

Their is someone looking for a grinder around £500, is that the Zenith? You could let him know what you think of it, it looks smart


----------



## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

> very low on the wife approval scale, especially for an unapproved purchase that I hoped to sneak in without her noticing!


What does she have.... a dog and a white stick?

If you think your purchasing is ambitious, hoping your wife won't notice is a whole other level


----------



## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

Wait till she comes home with Jimmy Choos. You won't be able to say anything?


----------



## Rawk (Nov 17, 2014)

Lmao, I hope I don't end up down that same route quite so fast, I think my wife would kill me. She's already given me that 'what are you buying now?' look, but I think I got away with it....


----------



## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

grumpydaddy said:


> What does she have.... a dog and a white stick?
> 
> If you think your purchasing is ambitious, hoping your wife won't notice is a whole other level


Where in Plymouth Grumpy? My brother stays in Plympton


----------



## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Haha, great post, I'm not sure anyone had flown down the upgraditus path quite so quickly as that. Better get good at making coffee quick so you can convince the missus the empty bank account is worth it


----------



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

grumpydaddy said:


> What does she have.... a dog and a white stick?
> 
> If you think your purchasing is ambitious, hoping your wife won't notice is a whole other level


Do you think she'll notice the credit card bill too









It didn't look that big in the photos until I saw it next to the MC2. Then I started to panic.

Her reaction was pretty priceless though!

For some reason she thinks that the Duetto is ugly in comparison to the Cherub, which surprises me.

But then her favourite bean is a lavazza decaf so I'm fighting a losing battle!


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Lovely machine, well done on resolving the issue with ebay.


----------



## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

mremanxx said:


> Where in Plymouth Grumpy? My brother stays in Plympton


Stoke


----------



## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

grumpydaddy said:


> Stoke


I'm shite at geography but I don't think Stoke is near Plymouth









Only being nosy mate, thought you might have been in the core and knew him as alot of ex core guys stay in Plymouth.


----------



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

A small evolution that somehow didn't get me into trouble!

I went with the "It's quieter and smaller" line and it appears to have worked.

Now I just need a smaller hopper!


----------



## Zephyr (Apr 19, 2015)

Congrats, Lovely machine


----------



## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Nice looking 'little' corner.


----------



## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Very good! I'm lucky. My wife has decided that the coffee I make is better than she gets anywhere else so the whole thing is now more than tolerated. OTOH I do get loud cries of "COFFEE" at regular intervals...


----------



## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

2 very impressive bits of kit there man. I very much doubt your coffee is anything other than lush now. Had a coffee out with the Hotmetalette earlier and they had a Ceado. She caught me looking wistfully at it. Then we had another coffee in the pub after lunch which bode well when I saw the Mythos. That was until we were served 'latte' that was just below boiling point with huge bubbles. So it's possible to make bad coffee with good kit but takes effort!


----------



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

I get the same now, it's nice to not just be making coffee for myself but bean consumption has gone up a fair bit!

The only issue is her insistence on using almond milk which is a bit interesting to get microfoam!


----------



## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Love the set up, gonna have to upgrade my grinder soon now i see that beaut' !


----------



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

I know full well where you are coming from with the poor coffee and good kit, I have no excuses now, it's all down to me if the coffee sucks! Although the scariest thing was making a coffee today for another forum member. Talk about pressure!!


----------



## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

What is it with wives and almond milk!?!


----------



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

NickdeBug said:


> What is it with wives and almond milk!?!


I think it's their way of getting back at us for buying loads of coffee kit!


----------



## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

Chockymonster said:


> I know full well where you are coming from with the poor coffee and good kit, I have no excuses now, it's all down to me if the coffee sucks! Although the scariest thing was making a coffee today for another forum member. Talk about pressure!!


you could have done a quick cheat to test their palate


----------



## doolallysquiff (Jul 26, 2014)

Chockymonster said:


> I know full well where you are coming from with the poor coffee and good kit, I have no excuses now, it's all down to me if the coffee sucks! Although the scariest thing was making a coffee today for another forum member. Talk about pressure!!


Who Would that be?

Does anyone recognise big brother?


----------



## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

doolallysquiff said:


> Who Would that be?
> 
> Does anyone recognise big brother?
> 
> View attachment 14122


Hope you're not in too much trouble!


----------



## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Chockymonster said:


> Although the scariest thing was making a coffee today for another forum member. Talk about pressure!!


So you can imagine how I felt when I sold my Classic to Glenn of all people, and had only had my R58 for about a week when he came round to collect it. He's a very polite gentleman, that I think we can say with some certainty!


----------



## doolallysquiff (Jul 26, 2014)

@Chockmonster

It was nice to meet you, today. And many thanks for the flattie. In trouble, no but the smaller brother has to go, so I've be warned, told and instructed. I might try to keep it, though. So watch the for sale thread! I did around 100grs dialling in. The first lot went all over the kitchen


----------



## greenm (Oct 27, 2014)

Lovely set-up indeed !!


----------

