The good, bad, and ugly in coffee and espresso

12 Feb, 2008  No Comment

Gaggia 35004 Carezza Espresso Machine, WhiteGaggia 35004 Carezza Espresso Machine, White
Buy new: $199.99

Good: The best buy in espresso. The same as the Gaggia Baby/Classic but minus a solenoid valve (makes the grounds drier/cleaner). Sells for $200 usually. This and Gaggia Espresso are the best <$300.

Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless SteelGaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel
Buy new: $499.95

Good: The Carezza but with the nicer chassis and drier pucks. Is it worth it? The Baby is the same machine but with a plastic casing for $50 less.

Rancilio Silvia Espresso MachineRancilio Silvia Espresso Machine
Buy new: $595.00

Good: Along with Gaggia, the best sub-$500 home machine. Pricey compared with a Carezza. Pair it with a Rancilio Rocky grinder.

FrancisFrancis! X1 Espresso Machine, OrangeFrancisFrancis! X1 Espresso Machine, Orange

Ridiculously overpriced, but stylish. About the same espresso as a Gaggia Carezza. For the same money, consider going up to a Bezerra, Expobar, or Quickmill HX machine.

FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine, WhiteFrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine, White

Okay: Overpriced, nonstandard portafilter a minus, but takes pods easily as well as ground. Same espresso as the Carezza provides but much more beautiful! Get a 57′ tamper too.

Krups 867-42 Il Caffe Bistro 10-Cup Coffee/4-Cup Espresso MakerKrups 867-42 Il Caffe Bistro 10-Cup Coffee/4-Cup Espresso Maker

UGLY: I owned this machine. Lacking a pump and boiler, its “espresso” was cold, burnt coffee. What a rip off.

Krups 888-43 Caffe Centro Time 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Espresso MachineKrups 888-43 Caffe Centro Time 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Espresso Machine
Buy new: $299.95

UGLY: As bad as the Bistro, but a hundred dollars more. It should be a crime to sell this machine.

Gaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder with Doser, BlackGaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder with Doser, Black
Buy new: $217.49

Good: The least expensive semi-commercial grinder capable of a consistent and properly adjustable espresso grind. Or spend some more and get a Rancilio Rocky, Cunill Tranquilo, or Mazzer Mini.

DeLonghi EC140B Espresso and Cappuccino MakerDeLonghi EC140B Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
Buy new: $79.99

Fair: Better than Krups, and similar to Briel ES15BF, but buying this over a Gaggia Carezza is like buying a Miata over a BMW Z3 to save $300. (Sells on Ebay for $45.)

Krups FNP112-42 Espremio Espresso/Cappuccino/Latte MakerKrups FNP112-42 Espremio Espresso/Cappuccino/Latte Maker
Buy new: $46.31

UGLY: Same deal as the above. Avoid Krups for espresso, and any pumpless model like the Capresso 302.01. Will make fair coffee, like any $5 drip maker.

I-Roast #40011I-Roast #40011
Buy new: $199.00

Good: Espresso is impossible without freshly roasted coffee beans. The I-Roast 2 is amazing. Get some beans at sweetmarias.com and make the best coffee of your life.

Bodum Pavina 9-Ounce Double-Wall Thermo Glasses (Tumbler), Set of 2Bodum Pavina 9-Ounce Double-Wall Thermo Glasses (Tumbler), Set of 2
Buy new: $14.99

Revolutionary: Shot glasses for espresso. Larger cups for cappa or latte or coffee, NEAR PERFECT HEAT retention, but cool to touch, and no condensation. Fragile, but cheap to replace.