Hi all,
Thank you for taking the time to read this and thanks in advance for any help.

Back in the mid 90s I worked at Starbucks as a barista, it was so long ago that it was before they automated everything and one actually did have to have some technique to pull a shot well. So back in the day I did know how to pull shots, and have been disappointed with home machines but have been unwilling to drop the cash to get better results.

My home espresso background is that several years ago I was given a DeLonghi espresso machine which pretty much sucked but I used it every day anyway. It was super light and in order to even get the portafilter in it I had to essentially wrap my entire body around the machine while turning the portafilter in, it was rather comical actually. Anyway, that machine lasted about a year, was replaced twice under warranty for a leaky gasket, and the third time it quit I upgraded to a Cuisnart espresso machine which was much better, I could actually put the portafilter in without much physical effort, pretty fun, really, and the espresso tasted MUCH better and even had crema and didn't taste burnt. Yay. So a few weeks ago the Cuisnart suffered some sort of electrical problem and was replaced under warranty, the replacement arrived and didn't work out of the box, the second replacement arrived but I haven't opened it yet because I decided to try to find something that might last a lot longer and give me better espresso than my current setups have been.
So here I am. I've been using a french press since the Cuisnart died and I'm really missing my daily latte. I dream about it all day long and make trips to coffee shops now, I've never done that before. I've been reading and re-reading posts and I think I've decided that I want an HX machine, but I'm afraid I'm over buying. I should mention that while I make lattes daily, I've never used the steam wand on either machine I've previously owned because there wasn't really enough power, I just heated the milk in the microwave. I'm sure I'm going to barista hell for that, but there wasn't a better choice.

I started this journey by thinking that I'd get a Silvia/Rocky combo, then a PID Silvia because I'd like some temp consistency right away while I'm working through learning how to pull a good shot at home, then I decided about the PID Le'Lit because it's supposedly faster warm up than the Silvia.
So then I read more and decided that since what I really make is lattes, and rarely straight espresso, maybe something that's better for steaming milk and pulling shots is really what I want, so now I'm stuck on the Bezzera BZ02SDE at 1st Line. I'm leaning towards the Baratza Virtuoso Preciso grinder. I know that Virtuoso wasn't greatly reviewed for espresso, but it looks like the new burrs on the Preciso work pretty well. If they had the Le'lit in stock I'd probably just go for that. (Does anyone have thoughts about the Anasco I-Mini? It was another in the thought process.)

Basically what I want is a machine that will last, isn't difficult to maintain, and will be easy to use (after the learning curve) in the morning when I'm in a hurry. (By difficult to maintain, I mean I don't want to have to take it apart and do repairs or add any aftermarket things, I wouldn't PID a machine myself for instance.) I don't have a ton of morning time which is another reason I'm leaning towards the Bezzera, I want to be able to crank out drinks for me and my husband. I don't really want a hugely long warm up time. What can I say, I'm not very patient in the mornings. I also don't want to go through the shopping craze again in a year or two, either because I want to upgrade or because it's broken, I really want something that will last for a long time. But I'm a little intimidated also, reading the posts makes it seem an impossible task to pull a decent shot, and I'm afraid that I'll spend a bunch of money and not be capable of pulling good shots at home. I won't blame the machine, though, I'll blame myself for overspending.

Anyway, thanks for letting me air my thoughts, and any advice is greatly appreciated!
Julie

Julie,

Welcome to HB!

I'm right up the road from you (in Ogden) and would gladly let you pull shots using my Cremina/Vario to see if a lever may be what you are after. Having owned a PID'd Alexia (SB) and a Vertano (rotary HX) I switched to just the Cremina (manual lever) a year ago and haven't looked back. I also had a Gaggia Factory (2 to be exact, same as a La Pavoni Professional) that I used for a few years prior to the Cremina.

Why a lever might be right for you:
- Fast warm-up (pulling shots in 10 minutes from cold start)
- Great steamer (Cremina takes me 15 seconds for my 5 - 6 oz cap; expect about 25 if making a 10 oz latte)
- Simple to maintain (lube the seals once every few months; about 10 mintues of labor at most)
- Long lasting (my Cremina is a 1985 model)
- Counter friendly (small compared to other machines)
- Less expensive over the long haul (find a pump machine for the price of a lever that is still going strong after so many years)
- With no pump these are the quietiest machines you can use that will also steam

Why a lever might NOT be for you:
- Not the choice for making 5 or more drinks in a row
- Learning curve to pull exceptional shots, though it's much easier than you'd expect (even easier if using a spring lever)
- Probably should not run on a timer to avoid warm-up times

Others to consider:
- any lever, manual or spring (La Pavoni, Elektra Microcasa, Ponte Vecchio, ....)

For $500 (very nice used La Pavoni) - $1300 (restored Cremina) you could get a great machine capable of exceptional espresso.

Definitely just one person's opinion, and I assure you there will be others. If at all possible, try before you buy!

Best of luck.


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Hi Merle!
I'll wave to you, I'm playing a concert in Ogden tonight at Weber State.
A lever machine isn't something I'd considered, but I'll look into those just to throw another wrinkle into my obsession!
Thanks!
J

I think you would be very happy with the Bezzera, they are a good HX machine and it sounds like you would be very capable of getting a great coffee out of it. The steaming ability will be a pleasant surprise too!

The Bezzera BZ02 is well regarded and seems like a good machine for the money. If it were my decision, I'd spend a bit more and get the Bezzera BZO7, because it looks better, has a nice steam wand and bigger drip tray, plus an electrically heated group. Either machine would work well for you though.

The Baratza Preciso is relatively new, so I don't think there's much info about how it performs yet. It looks good on paper, especially since it has more steps in the fine range for dialing in espresso shots. The Vario is more money, but is a proven performer and compares favorably to grinders costing twice as much or more. So if I were you, I'd get the Vario, but the Preciso would probably work well too.

Of course, none of this matters if you don't get fresh beans from a good roaster. Check the FAQ's on this site for a list of recommended roasters. Mediocre, stale beans will make bad espresso even in the best machine and grinder. But good fresh beans will really sing with a decent machine, good grinder, and reasonable technique.

Good luck and have fun.

Here is some info on the Preciso
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/articles/quickshots/522923
The first post links to a review by Mark Prince of CG, of the Preciso

At the end of the review, there is this link, to a comparison of the Baratza grinders
http://www.coffeegeek.com/pdfs/Baratza%20Grinders%20%20SM.pdf

Based on this, I would have no problems buying a Preciso, but I am happy with my Vario

BTW, if I were to buy an HX machine, the Bezzera's would be on my short list, I don't think you can go wrong wiwith this combo.

Randy

Thanks so much to everyone for your replies!
Randy, those were the two articles I read that led me to believe that while the Preciso hasn't been in the market very long and so there aren't many real people user reviews, it would probably be an ok grinder for me. I know one isn't supposed to skimp on the grinder, but after I decided to go to HX I already blew my budget so I feel like I have to cut somewhere. It's good to hear someone say they wouldn't have a problem buying it.

Merle, by the way I forgot to ask you where do you get your beans locally?

Thanks again for all the help. I do feel like I'm looking at more machine than I probably need, but I really don't want to upgrade in a year.
Julie

yardkat wrote:Merle, by the way I forgot to ask you where do you get your beans locally?

Julie

Julie,

I have an espresso subscription to Counter Culture Coffee and have two bags of their Toscano blend delivered monthly. I also home roast with a Behmor using beans primarily from Sweet Marias; blends are Liquid Amber and Espresso Monkey.

Being in SLC, you can get great fresh beans from Caffe d'Bolla (roast their own) or get PT's coffee fairly fresh from Cafe Noir. Hope this helps.

*gulp*
This morning I bit the bullet and my poor credit card is crying, but I ordered the Bezzera bz02 and Preciso grinder.
I'm excited, and looking forward to it's arrival, but also intimidated, and feeling some remorse about the $$$, so if anyone would like to offer words of comfort or user suggestions I'm open to hearing them!

For instance, can I put the Bezzera on a timer to be plenty warmed up by the time I wake or is it unnecessary? What kind of cleaning regiment do these types of machines require?

Thanks again for help in the decision making process!
Julie

PS. Merle, do you know anything about Salt Lake Roasting Company coffee? I've been in there to order drinks but have only bought beans there once.

Don't worry you'll forget the purchase in about 2 months and in at most 6 months you will be ready to spend 3 times as much without any guilt. That is sick addiction this hobby is.
Congratulations on new machine.