Espresso for Dummies
Written: Mar 23 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: So easy to use, I can use it with great results.
Cons: Tempting to show off non-existent barista skills to friends.
The Bottom Line: Make buying this machine your last trip to Starbuck's, and enjoy your espresso at home on the cheap.
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| indintruk's Full Review: Estro Barista |
I like coffee; ocassionally a shot or two of espresso in the afternoon. I don't like waiting in line at Starbuck's behind half a dozen people who are ordering their wimp drinks, especially since I only want regular coffee or a shot of espresso (a double, not 'dopio'). If you got a $4.00 a day Starbuck's habit, you got more problems than you think.
So, why the heck would I put out my hard earned money for an espresso machine? I certainly didn't want to become "one of those people". You know the type; they own all their own barista equipment, roast their own beans, and tend to sound like they're looking down their noses at the rest of us 'regular guys'. Well, I like espresso. But, I don't like hanging out with espresso and latte types. And before I go any further, let me say that I do not drink lattes, cappucinos, frappes, ice mochas, or any of those less than manly drinks.
I have a Bialetti stove top, but it's really only good for camping/hunting and fishing trips (you hear that you latte sucking wimps?-camping, fishing, and hunting). I'm a bit rustic in nature, but I do know good coffee. And really, who can deny that properly prepared espresso is the ultimate in good coffee? So, I knew that I would need to find a good machine. Boy, how hard could this be?
Along about the end of last year, I began my search. I read all the reviews here, and on coffeegeek.com. I decided that I would have to sift through what was knowledge, what was firsthand experience, and what was just plain snobbery. I also knew that I would need something with a pressurized porta-filter, because I ain't spending $400 on a grinder.
I initially thought I could get by with a DeLonghi EC460. It was a pretty good machine, but it had a chronically leaky boiler head, no matter how many times the seal was replaced. And don't even get me started on the Krups XP4000 (disaster from start to finish). Okay, so I'm going to have to spend a few hundred bucks on a machine.
Once again I began my search. I don't do anything but straight espresso shots, so I wasn't concerned with how well a machine would steam or froth. But, the steam wand is a standard feature, and you're going to pay for it whether you use it or not. So you may as well find a machine that does do a good job steaming and frothing, so you can at least impress your hooty-tooty friends. I don't have friends, so I don't need to impress anyone.
After driving myself crazy, I went down to Starbuck's. You see, they ocassionally have these big sales on all their brewing equipment. And their Barista espresso maker was marked down to $249 (plus you get a free pound of beans with it), nearly two hundred bucks off the regular price. The machine has a pressurized porta-filter, so it's not too extremely picky about a lot of the factors that give higher end machines fits. And, it is also ESE (that's espresso pods) capable. The thing looked sturdy enough, and comes with a two year warranty, so I took it home. It's also made by Saeco, and they have a pretty good reputation as a company who makes coffee equipment. Also means spare parts should be plentiful.
This machine is extremely easy to set up, even for such a non-afficianado as myself. You take it out of the box, take the instructional video out of the water resevoir (there's even a little sticker on front telling you to do this), fill it with water, follow the instructions for priming it, and you're ready to go. Operation of the machine is simple; like I said, for dummies.
First of all, there are only three buttons, and one of them is the on/off button. The other two are for the brew cycle, and the steaming. But, be careful of the brew button; it does not shut off automatically, you have to do that yourself. Simple; push it to brew, push it again to stop brewing. If it were any easier, it might actually be hard. The other button, you push if you want to steam some milk. You push it, then turn the knob on the left side of the machine in the direction of the arrow. As for detailed instructions on doing this, that is all included in the manual. And it that isn't easy enough, you can call Starbuck's customer support line and have someone talk you through it until you get it right.
No matter the grinder you use, as long as it gets it down to even a fairly coarse espresso grind, this machine will work. I use a Krups GVX, which actually grinds fine enough for non-pressurized units. I set it two clicks up from its finest setting, and I use two scoops (the scoop is included with machine) of ground coffee. Now, here is where it is either as easy, or as complicated, as you want it to be. The Barista is self-tamping. It uses water pressure to tamp the grinds to the right consistency. You only have to make sure you leave 1/8-1/4 of an inch of space in the top of the filter basket to leave room for the brewhead to tamp the grounds. Personally, I like to tamp the coffee well and good beforehand. This produces a darker, thicker crema (yes, this machine produces genuine coffee flavored foam-also known as crema). I called Starbuck's to ask if this will hurt the machine, or shorten the life of the pump in any way. They assured me that it wouldn't, and as long as espresso was coming out in a slow steady stream, I was okay.
I will warn that this machine produces a sloppy wet puck in the filter. But, other pressurized port-filters I have seen do the same thing. Other reviewers have noted dripping from the steam wand, but I haven't had that. I have had slight drips from the brewhead while it warms up, but have been told that's normal. I highly recommend running a blank shot through the empty filter to preheat it, and preheat your cups. And remember, one shot is one ounce. Most demitasse cups are two ounces, so make a double shot (two scoops of coffee) if you are brewing directly into your demitasse cup.
This machine brews better espresso than I have had at Starbuck's, and without the hassle of waiting in line behind all the nuisance coffee drinkers. And, though I don't personally use milk in my coffee, I have tried the steam wand, and it works very good. It is easy to steam and froth milk with this thing, even for a caveman like me.
Like I said, your hooty-tooty friends will be impressed.
So, is it worth $249? You betcha it is. Espresso any time I want, and with any blend of coffee I want, without having to go and interact with the kind of chai latte drinking fruitcakes that are turning up in ever increasing numbers at this nation's coffee shops. And with the customer support and two year warranty, there is a whole lot of peace of mind that comes with it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
indintruk
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Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 1 member
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