I don’t know if it’s me, and the way that I’m grinding my beans, or if it’s the machine itself, but my coffee is either watery, or stupid-bitter strong (could be ground too fine, clogging the basket). No matter what I try, I just can’t seem to get it right anymore, and I used to be the master at this stuff, getting the perfect crema to top off the shot.
It’s not the beans, for the Caffe Ibis Moon Shot espresso roast is one of the better beans I’ve had the extreme pleasure of brewing into not only the perfect espresso shot, but also as a regular drip coffee.
I’d kill for something like the Saeco Primea Touch, but who has $1800 to drop on a coffee-maker for home use, especially these days, considering the state of the economy.
So for now, I’ll keep dealing with my morning frustration, trying on a daily basis to make that perfect shot once again, and creating that perfect froth on my somewhat less than adequate machine … I know it can be done; I’ve done it before, I can do it again. And I’ll continue to browse and explore and research sites like CoffeeGeek.
I refuse to knuckle under and start spending $4.00 a day at Starbucks.
FWIW, I’ve been using a La Pavoni Europiccola daily for the past 10 years and I really like it. If you’re not familiar with this espresso machine, it’s completely manual. Takes a bit of time to get the hang of it, but makes very good espresso. I paid ~$250 for a refurbished machine in ’98. Not sure what the retail is for a new one today.
Ah the sweetness of addiction. There is nothing better in the morning than a perfect shot of espresso, though I’ll admit my addicition is taken care of by a professional, at least it isn’t starbucks.
If SKF goes under $120 buy 20 shares, you will have you $1800 in a week or so.
You will get a lot of flack here for wishing for an automatic coffee machine but we love our Saeco Primea for daily use – walk up, push the button and savor the consistently good espresso coffee.