Espresso Machine or Coffee Roasting

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
simple127
Posts: 18
Joined: 8 years ago

#1: Post by simple127 »

Hello,

How did you start your coffee journey? Did you buy your espresso machine first and slowly graduated to roasting your own coffee?

If you have $1000 to spend what would you do?

1.) Buy espresso machine and grinder
2.) Buy a coffee roasting machine, hand grinder and drip accessories?

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CoffeeBar
Posts: 644
Joined: 10 years ago

#2: Post by CoffeeBar »

Well, as for me I started my coffee journey with La Pavoni Europiccola 1963 model with a Pharos manual grinder. I think this is a good start.

For coffee beans, I would suggestion you buy your local fresh roasted beans first. If you could master how to extract good coffee and latte art, maybe next you could try to learn how to roast. :D

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avid
Posts: 85
Joined: 8 years ago

#3: Post by avid »

I tried roasting with a popcorn popper and was blown away by the results so I went full monty. Coffee drinking has become a major, fun adventure for both the DW and me. Do I have upgradeitis like everyone else, no doubt. If I was to change one item it would have been to purchase a Breville Dual Boiler. At the time it seemed to far a bridge to cross. Will I be scratching the upgrade itch anytime soon, doubtful.

$295 Behmor 1600+ Bed, Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon
$479 Baratza Vario
$465 Breville Infuser (Amazon currently $409)
$85 BonaVita temp controlled kettle

Grand Total $1324

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drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14345
Joined: 14 years ago

#4: Post by drgary »

simple127 wrote:Hello,

How did you start your coffee journey? Did you buy your espresso machine first and slowly graduated to roasting your own coffee?

If you have $1000 to spend what would you do?

1.) Buy espresso machine and grinder
2.) Buy a coffee roasting machine, hand grinder and drip accessories?
I would be interested to know how you think of these two options. Why would you want to do 1 or 2? Where are you currently in your appreciation of coffee and espresso? What's your ultimate goal? Knowing these things will help us address this part of your journey.

To answer your question about my own start, I began with espresso machines and began roasting later. If I had to do it over again, I would start with roasting because that would have gotten me more quickly into an appreciation of coffee while learning to affect coffee flavors closer to the source.

And yet, things go how they go. I don't regret getting into espresso machines and discovering the joy of restoring vintage levers -- or the friends I've made on the way, because a coffee hobby is a great conversation starter and an enjoyable focus of entertaining.

There is also the option of rolling up your sleeves to buy used and cobble together gear, as I did. You can assemble a heat gun/bread machine (Corretto) roaster for about $125. A Phidget data logger is $120, and there might be less expensive alternatives. That's plenty enough to roast decent quantities of coffee and learn roast profiles by plugging thermocouples into Artisan and your computer. A used La Pavoni lever espresso machine can be had for a few hundred $ and a completely restored vintage one for about $500 shipped, better than the ones now made. Search for a used grinder, replace the burrs or get a LIDO E hand grinder, and you're within budget.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

poison
Posts: 474
Joined: 18 years ago

#5: Post by poison »

Most people don't roast their own beans for a reason. It's not easy to do well, even harder to match the level of the best roasters, and it doesn't save you that much money. That being said, it can be a lot of fun, and it's not too hard to beat most of the junk out there.

salcangeloso
Posts: 57
Joined: 9 years ago

#6: Post by salcangeloso »

I'd definitely go with a Sette/Vario and then as good of an espresso machine as you are able to get with the remaining money (used Silvia, etc). Roasting is cool, but it's a pain and if you want espresso then drip isn't a substitute.

Theoretically you could go with a roaster, used Silvia, and then a Pharos or Lido for espresso as well as the drip accessories, but seems like you should try to cover fewer bases with that initial $1000 and be happier with the gear you buy. Lots of people go manual and then realize they don't love cranking beans first thing in the morning... before they've even had their coffee!
HG One / '85 Cremina / Thor 49mm tamper

portamento
Posts: 377
Joined: 16 years ago

#7: Post by portamento »

It depends on your goal. If you are a perfectionist, or really want to focus on making the best possible espresso, it can be helpful to start with a known quantity (i.e. professionally-roasted coffee with a good reputation) so that your attention can be on getting your equipment, technique, and palate dialed in. That's what I did before ever touching a roaster.

That said, you might as well jump right into whatever gets you most excited. All of it is fun and interesting... or alternatively a frustrating rabbit hole if you're the impatient type. Whichever angle you start from, $1000 could be just the beginning :wink:
Ryan

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simple127 (original poster)
Posts: 18
Joined: 8 years ago

#8: Post by simple127 (original poster) »

drgary wrote:I would be interested to know how you think of these two options. Why would you want to do 1 or 2? Where are you currently in your appreciation of coffee and espresso? What's your ultimate goal? Knowing these things will help us address this part of your journey.

To answer your question about my own start, I began with espresso machines and began roasting later. If I had to do it over again, I would start with roasting because that would have gotten me more quickly into an appreciation of coffee while learning to affect coffee flavors closer to the source.

And yet, things go how they go. I don't regret getting into espresso machines and discovering the joy of restoring vintage levers -- or the friends I've made on the way, because a coffee hobby is a great conversation starter and an enjoyable focus of entertaining.

There is also the option of rolling up your sleeves to buy used and cobble together gear, as I did. You can assemble a heat gun/bread machine (Corretto) roaster for about $125. A Phidget data logger is $120, and there might be less expensive alternatives. That's plenty enough to roast decent quantities of coffee and learn roast profiles by plugging thermocouples into Artisan and your computer. A used La Pavoni lever espresso machine can be had for a few hundred $ and a completely restored vintage one for about $500 shipped, better than the ones now made. Search for a used grinder, replace the burrs or get a LIDO E hand grinder, and you're within budget.
I am a newbie when it comes to coffee. I just started drinking coffee for less than 6 months. I liked latte or any sweet type coffee (hot or cold). I recently had the opportunity to taste a freshly roasted coffee and I was blown away. I ordered an air crazy to try and roasting my own coffee. I currently have a portaspresso system on order.

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drgary
Team HB
Posts: 14345
Joined: 14 years ago

#9: Post by drgary »

Portaspresso should give you good quality for grind and espresso making. It'll be cumbersome compared to a quality home espresso machine, but still a nice choice. I don't know if the Air Crazy will be satisfactory. Roasting, kind of like baking, takes precision. You might try buying beans from someplace like 49th Parallel, because you won't easily be able to match their quality.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

LukeFlynn
Posts: 1293
Joined: 10 years ago

#10: Post by LukeFlynn »

poison wrote:Most people don't roast their own beans for a reason. It's not easy to do well, even harder to match the level of the best roasters, and it doesn't save you that much money. That being said, it can be a lot of fun, and it's not too hard to beat most of the junk out there.
I agree with this principal quite a bit. Most of us don't do any of this home coffee shebang for cost reasons, we do it because it's rad and we enjoy it.

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