# Newbie Intro and guidance



## Raiyne (Sep 3, 2015)

Good afternoon all,

I'm a lover of good espresso and am hugely privilleged to have Colonna & Smalls in Bath as my local go-to coffee house. Having seen the wonderous coffee he produces and really apprciating the skill and talent they and all of you guys on the forum put into your craft I have decided I need to do coffee justice at home!

After a long process (involving expensive shoes!!) I have convinced my wife that the current set up of a Gaggia Cubika Plus and Kitchenaid grinder is not really cutting the mustard. Reading all the advice on the forums and compiling my list of dream set-ups i have narrowed the playing field down to either a Rocket R58 or Nuova Simonelli Musica Lux paired with either a Eureka 75e or a Mazzer Mini E type A.

My questions for all you knowledgable people out there are:

A) are grinder/machine pairings important - i.e are some grinders more suited to certain machines or just "good" grinders in general?

B) are those machines grinders a good start?

I only really drink Espresso (probably 2-4 a day) and occasionally make a latte for the wife so its certainly not going to be a lot of coffee going through but I do want the best I can manage!

Many thanks in advance!!


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

I would get over to Bella Barista and try out the various machines

Different grinders give different results - better would depend on personal taste and if you prefer darker or lighter roasts

I havent used a Mazzer Mini but the general feeling is that there are better grinders out there for the money

Good luck with your quest


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## Raiyne (Sep 3, 2015)

thanks,

Its all very confusing for someone new to the cause, so many variables, I think the Eureka may be the way forwards but am always open to suggestions. I think I am more of a darker roasts kind of guy, I prefer the chocolate/treacle type tastes in a bean to the light sparkling berries etc.

Just looking forward to a long adventure trying to brew the best espresso I can!


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Hi Raiyne, I wouldn't worry too much about dark and light to start off with. Opinions vary a little on what works well for which roast type and I can't decide from one day to the next what I like .

For the equipment, you may have seen that we have a "For Sale" section on the forum which is second hand equipment (usually) being sold by members, if you participate in discussions and so on you'll be able to access it after a certain number of posts. A Musica is in there, I think. For grinders, the 75E sounds like a better grinder than the mini but I don't have direct experience of either. It's a good idea, if you can get up to Bella Barista to see some first hand - they have a deal on the 75e at the moment - from what I understand.


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## Raiyne (Sep 3, 2015)

jlarkin said:


> Hi Raiyne, I wouldn't worry too much about dark and light to start off with. Opinions vary a little on what works well for which roast type and I can't decide from one day to the next what I like .
> 
> For the equipment, you may have seen that we have a "For Sale" section on the forum which is second hand equipment (usually) being sold by members, if you participate in discussions and so on you'll be able to access it after a certain number of posts. A Musica is in there, I think. For grinders, the 75E sounds like a better grinder than the mini but I don't have direct experience of either. It's a good idea, if you can get up to Bella Barista to see some first hand - they have a deal on the 75e at the moment - from what I understand.


Thank you you for the replies; I definitely think I need to get hands on with all the equipment and see what works for me, but all your set ups have certainly inspired me!


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## Jp19810 (Apr 20, 2014)

Hi Raiyne,

Welcome to the forum.

I purchased a Eureka 75e from another member off the forum a couple of weeks back and have been so impressed with it, upgraded it from a Mazzer Super Jolly and the flavour complexity has been so much improved so would highly recommend it.

Jon


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## Raiyne (Sep 3, 2015)

Jp19810 said:


> Hi Raiyne,
> 
> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jon, always nice to know I'm at least on the right track! I have been looking at the Eureka and I believe on Bella Barista they come with the upgraded Ti burrs so that seems like a cheeky bonus.


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## Jp19810 (Apr 20, 2014)

They definitely do come with the titanium burrs and also come with a 2 year back to base warranty. From my dealings with them in the past their customer service is excellent, so can't go wrong really. The warranty is also transferable if you decided within the 2 year period to change grinders.

Hope this helps

Jon


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

I've relatively little to compare with but it's a nice grinder to live with.


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## Drusy (Sep 8, 2015)

I'm a newbie too, and really appreciate this info, but is there anywhere in London to try out Machines? Bella Barista is a long drive for me.

Thanks, Drusy


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## Raiyne (Sep 3, 2015)

I don't live particularly close to Bella Barista either but I think I might have to make the trip to really get up close and personal with the machines and just see which feels better, thanks to everyone for offering advice, I can't wait to start improving my shots!!


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## se-po (Aug 21, 2015)

Welcome.


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## PeterF (Aug 25, 2014)

Forget the Mini Mazzer. A used Mazzer Super Jolly will give far superior results as will the Eureka 75E Titanium. The Grinder is the most critical piece of equipment. You will always get better results with the best grinder you can afford and a more modest coffee machine.


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