# Coffee machine for newbie



## maestroman (Mar 18, 2019)

Hi. New to making coffee, drink mostly latte and flat white. Initially considered the De Longhi Elette bean to cup until I did some more reading on this site. Now considering Sage Barista Express, though love idea of Rocket appartamento. Not sure how good I would be at frothing the milk.

Advice welcome.

I'm in Ireland so would like to know about reliable sellers in case of repair.

Thank you


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Hi Maestroman,

Obviously a lot depends on the budget you want to set for it. DaveC has reviewed a specific bean to cup relatively favorably from what I understand (I haven't read it in depth, not for me).

A very important part of any set-up is the grinder that you'll use with it, so you need to factor that into your thoughts as well.

Bella Barista are based in England (Wellingborough, Northamptonshire) so often mentioned as they do offer good warranties etc. I don't know how well it translates to shipping to Ireland but could be worth a look.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

What is your budget - and as jlarkin says, you will need a grinder too. As an example the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, which is an entry level grinder, will set you back about £180 new.

You can sometimes find bargains second hand, but you will defo need a grinder!


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## maestroman (Mar 18, 2019)

Thanks for the replies so far. I've found a deal on a Sage Barista Touch (black truffle version). It has 30% off, reduced from €1200 to €840 (£715). Any thoughts on this?



Dylan said:


> What is your budget - and as jlarkin says, you will need a grinder too. As an example the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, which is an entry level grinder, will set you back about £180 new.
> 
> You can sometimes find bargains second hand, but you will defo need a grinder!


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

It's not the kinda machine anyone who frequents these forums would recommend, but we are a picky bunch. I have a friend who has an Sage Barista Express and he is never going to want to upgrade to a 'better' grinder and machine - he is very happy with the simplicity and compactness of the machine.

I'm not sure if there are an significant advantages to the Touch over the Express, so look into that.

These machines are much more of a 'modern electronics' type thing, and the mass produced nature of them means they are more prone to failure and more difficult to get parts for. Being more prone to failure doesn't mean yours will break, I know my friends one hasn't in over 3 years - it just means they can and are hard to repair when they do.

Another option you might consider is something like a Sage Duo Temp Pro and a separate grinder, like the Smart Grinder Pro. Then if you do hang around these forums, learn about grinders and get tempted by an upgrade you wont be stuck with a machine with the grinder attached to it. The Duo Temp Pro is a very good starting machine, better in many was than the most commonly recommended Gaggia Classic as it is much more temperature stable.


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## MattyH17 (Feb 26, 2019)

Im on my second machine now and chose the Sage DTP. Ive recently bought a Sage Smart Grinder Pro too, which has been the best addition!


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## maestroman (Mar 18, 2019)

You approve of Sage so. I purchased the Sage Barista Touch. The shop had no manual or box and reduced by a further 5%. So i paid £665 (€780). I'm looking forward to making coffee with real beans.



MattyH17 said:


> Im on my second machine now and chose the Sage DTP. Ive recently bought a Sage Smart Grinder Pro too, which has been the best addition!


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## RamonyCajal (Mar 20, 2019)

I am still a beginner myself, but from what I have read Feldgrind might be an interesting (manual) alternative?


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

maestroman said:


> You approve of Sage so. I purchased the Sage Barista Touch. The shop had no manual or box and reduced by a further 5%. So i paid £665 (€780). I'm looking forward to making coffee with real beans.


Make sure you buy your beans freshly roasted (online is the easiest) - this one thing is more important than your machine or grinder. Old beans taste naff out of even the ver best equipment.



> I am still a beginner myself, but from what I have read Feldgrind might be an interesting (manual) alternative?


It's good for brewed, it quickly becomes a chore for espresso.


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## RamonyCajal (Mar 20, 2019)

> It's good for brewed, it quickly becomes a chore for espresso.


I think I am starting to realise this. Before buying the Feld2 I read on some forum that people are able to grind their batches in just 20-30 seconds. It might be that I am super weak or unused to using manual grinders, but grinding my espresso on a 1:7-9 setting (circa 20g) seems to take ages. Or at least way over 20 seconds. Oh well, at least (I assume) the grind quality is decent


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