# Fracino Rancilio Stockists



## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

Before spending £700 I would like to get close up to the Silvia and Piccino but cannot find a stockist other than online. Can anyone help? Ideally Lincolnshire/Yorkshire/Notts.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

John Lewis are now stocking Fracino machines. Might be worth finding your closest one and phoning to arrange a demo?

Not sure about Rancilio.


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## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Got a Silvia over here in North Lincs, your welcome to come over for a test drive. We are about 40 miles from Retford, near Barnetby Le Wold.

You can be introduced to the monster Mazzer as well.

Don


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

Hi Don,

Thank you very much for the offer. I would love to come over for a test drive, can I get back to you next week when I sort out what i am doing?

Alec


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## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Not a problem.


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

Hi Don,

I will be on "grandfather" duties for two weeks from this Friday. Is there a possibility of me popping over before then at any time to suit you?

Alec


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## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi Alec

I am in every evening from around 5.30 this week, welcome to come over as long as not too late in the evening. Will Pm you my contact details now.

Don


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## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Alec, just in case you miss the message, tomorrow (Tuesday) 6pm is fine.

Don


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

Many thanks due to Don and Sadie for their kind hospitality and demo of Miss Silvia. Don answered all my questions and also some I didn't know I had. I just need to check out the Piccino before I make a decision this may take a while as I am busy for the next two weeks. I will post my decision in due course.


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

Alec, did you manage to get your hands on a Piccino ?


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Don't rule out the Fracino Cherub.

I love mine to pieces. A Silvia was a consideration for me too but the Cherub pipped it. Such fantastic value for money.


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

I have finally bitten the bullet. After increasingly disappointing flat whites from my existing machine ( don't ask) I have today ordered the Piccino from CPS. I have taken a flier on this as I have not seen the machine in the flesh. As space in our kitchen is at a premium I have ignored all the wise advice here regarding grinders and will start with espresso ground ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If as I fear I subsequently buy a grinder I will probably be banished to the utility. Looking forward to a delivery in next 2/3 days.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

If its in your budget, something like the Mahlkonig Vario or Eureka Miguon have a really small footprint.

The piccino will easily dwarf one of these little grinders. Pre-ground coffee will not yield anywhere near the potential of the Piccino.

I'd start the process of making a grinder seem like a really solid investment.


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

I think it's inevitable, perhaps a Xmas present!


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

If you want to experience the difference in quality and control that a grinder makes consider investing in a small manual grinder like the Porlex. It can go in the cupboard or draw when not in use and costs less than £30. It is a capable espresso grinder.


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

almoalmo said:


> I have finally bitten the bullet. After increasingly disappointing flat whites from my existing machine ( don't ask) I have today ordered the Piccino from CPS. I have taken a flier on this as I have not seen the machine in the flesh. As space in our kitchen is at a premium I have ignored all the wise advice here regarding grinders and will start with espresso ground ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If as I fear I subsequently buy a grinder I will probably be banished to the utility. Looking forward to a delivery in next 2/3 days.


Great choice of machine but I fear without a grinder you will still be pretty disappointed. As Mark said there are capable grinders with tiny footprints.

Keep your Piccino happy - don't feed it pre-ground!


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## thomss (May 9, 2011)

I have the Eureka Miguon and find it to grind really well and as said it's pretty compact - although I also have been chucked in to the utility room.

Something to do with woman can't cook when the counter is filled with coffee stuff? - I don't get it myself.


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

You guys have ground me down, do you know how cold our utility is in winter? On a different topic:- we have a plumbed in water filter to strip out the chlorine etc. but we still have very hard water. So my question is "Can I simply descale the Piccino every 2 months and avoid a britta filter and how does water hardness influence the taste of coffee?"


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## RoloD (Oct 13, 2010)

The best solution is to use bottled water - Volvic, preferably, or Scottish spring water. It will cost you a little more, but it is a small expense compared to coffee beans. This will avoid the need to descale and, more importantly, the coffee will taste much better.


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

The Piccino was delivered on Monday well packaged on a small pallet. I now have a nice shiny piece of kit on the worktop and first impression is it is well put together and actually has quite a compact footprint. The first two brews were a washout but after that I have been pleasently surprised, really good crema. Cracking the milk foaming has been more of a challenge but I achieved some success this morning (day 5). I am still using preground coffee from the coffeebeanshop and will make a decision regarding a grinder when I return from the home of great coffee -Australia. I haven't approached the brewing very scientifically I use a volume measure for consistancy and just look for the colour changes albeit a double shot is usually 23 to 25 seconds. Enough for now as I feel a coffee coming on.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

If you really want to enjoy that lovely machine don't leave it toooooooooo long before investing in a grinder.

You'll never find out what it can really do without a good grinder


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## almoalmo (Jul 12, 2012)

Now back in the freezing UK I feel we should have lingered longer in Aus. and SE Asia only consolation is the Piccino is brewing well. I have tried to find UK stockists for the BWT bestcup M water filter the machine was supplied with and it appears only Fracino can supply them at a cost of £16 + £6 delivery!

I guess it's bottled water or a filter jug for me. I am still negotiating over worktop space for a grinder.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Hey almoalmo,

Came back from SE Asia myself mid September after 13 weeks, kicking myself for not staying longer really!

I can confirm buying expensive coffee equipment goes some way to overcoming the blues


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## kklam (Jan 4, 2013)

From past experiences, would I need a grinder from the start if purchasing a Silvia or will supermarket grinds be ok?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

from the start, but you could start with a hand grinder if you don't want the initial expense.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Supermarket grinds will never be ok! lol

But seriously the Silvia is fussy when it comes to grind consistency etc so you will need a decent burr grinder.

Starting point should be the Iberital MC2 or Mahlkonig Vario or Eureka Miguon or something similar.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

take it from someone who insisted that he'd "make do" with supermarket ground coffee. There are many problems with this route:

1- most of it is not ground for espresso and is far too coarse

2- a few are ground finer (taylors esspresso blend) but because of the word "espresso" they insist on making them ultra dark roasts. You can smell the bitterness let alone taste it.

2- once beans have been ground, they dry out, lose their oils and become flavourless very quickly. You want to be using ground beans within a few hours at most. The stuff in supermarkets may have been there months. As a result you'll get no crema, no real flavour and most likely a bitter tasting coffee.

I swore i'd find a way to make do... but i just grew increasingly unhappy with bad coffee. It wasnt worth it. Having a grinder has taken my coffee to something not even as good as starbucks / costa, to something far exceeding anything from either.


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