to_do_list
Don't know about this model but would love to know the secret of making a home coffee on one of these machines taste like a "shoppe" one.
Friends of ours have a Gaggia...very expensive...but the coffee...well...not quite as good as our old fashioned cafetera....and therefore can't justify the expense...
Friends of ours have a Gaggia...very expensive...but the coffee...well...not quite as good as our old fashioned cafetera....and therefore can't justify the expense...
I have had the same dilemma for years, whether to sacrifice hundreds or even thousands of dollars to buy one of these fancy espresso coffee models that produce a consistent level of coffee.
I used to work in a cafe years ago after finishing university and before I found a real job and having learned the basic tricks to make good coffee, I must say I still come pretty close with my sub $100 model with 15 bar pressure. The key factors include;
1.buying fresh roasted and ground coffee from local coffee suppliers 250 grams at a time.
2.having it ground to the right grade (you can also take your filter to the shop so that they can grade it) by telling the shop which machine you use.
3.keeping the coffee in a freezer in an airtight container and only take it out to use each time.
4.when you place the coffee in the filter basket making sure you use the tamper to compress, and wiping the excess off the rim so it doesnt contaminate the machine with hard to clean baked-on coffee.
5.keeping the coffee maker clean so bacteria doesn't grow and spoil the taste. Clean the top section where the steam comes out of and especially the nozzle. Nozzle needs to be cleaned with detergent after finishing as milk will ferment.
6.warming the machine to its peak temperature by doing mock runs with no coffee in the filter before the real serve
7.doing only 1 real cup of coffee at a time as the machine will run out of puff (cheap pump inside can't handle repeated requests) So switch off and wait before starting again.
I can't guarantee it but my guests always comment on my latte, cuppacino, short black and how so much like the cafe it is. Good Luck.