Hello, Home-Baristas!
I am an 18 year old High School Senior, and I love espresso. At home, my family owns a Rancilio Silvia and Rocky Combination. I have a great local roaster who roasts great blends. I have good technique, and can prepare all kinds of drinks.

However, I am moving away for college next year, and will be living in the dorms. No sink, no real amenities except a water fountain. It would be hard for me to take the Silvia/Rocky to the dorms. I don't want to annoy my roommate anyway (hope he likes coffee-or at least the smell!)

I am considering the Illy FrancisFrancis Y1 (the Iper espresso one). I can afford the machine, and I can afford the pods. I have never tried any Illy Espresso, however. There is no coffee shop on my campus that offers a good shot, nor are there any baristas nearby, other than starbucks, scooters, crane coffee, etc.
I know that Illy is often "shunned" by this community, but it is looking like a good option for me. I just have a few questions:

Is the Y1 reliable? Would it last me through college pulling 2-4 shots per day? (~5 years)
Can I pull more than 1 shot per capsule? (I think I can from watching review videos)
This question is particularly important - I love entertaining with drink making, and I hope to be able to sell some drinks in college for a couple bucks.

I just hope the espresso is decent. I want to focus on latte art and drink making right now, as opposed to *great* coffee. Ill save that for weekends/holidays at home with Silvia. When I get my first real job, I am going to get a roaster, upgrade my Silvia/Rocky, and go nuts with coffee and espresso.

Thanks!

If you're used to fresh coffee from a silvia, I kind of doubt that pods from a Y1 will make you happy.

What about a hand grinder, and then see if you can find a used gaggia or lelit?

You see some pretty good prices at coffeegeek sometimes, when someone upgrades from this class of machine to a better one.

Randy

Having a small espresso machine in a dorm room should not be too difficult. Water from a fountain will be sufficient for filling your tank. You just need a pitcher to carry the water back to your room. Or you could use bottled water. A small hand grinder, a tamper, some cups, and some coffee, and you're in business. You also need a place to clean up, wash cups and baskets and so forth. The bathroom on your floor should do.

One of the dorm rooms I lived in when I was in college had a sink. I had a percolator and I perc'd two or three pots of coffee a day, and the sink made it easy for me to keep my percolator clean. Another room I lived in didn't have a sink, but the bathroom down the hall was still adequate for washing my coffee pot and cups. Most dorm rooms aren't spacious, but I always had enough room that I could have devoted a square foot to an espresso machine, if I'd had one.

The size and specs of the Lelit make it seem like a reasonable choice for a dorm room. I don't know how well it performs, but you might search for reviews. It's a little more expensive than the Illy, but the cost in consumables (coffee) will be lower, as pods are rather expensive.

Gah, there is so much to consider.
I can't take my Silvia/Rocky with. I am wondering if I should just get another good machine, or downgrade.

I know I could live with the coffee, but if I don't like it, I am screwed and out 200$.
Another big point for me is reliability. If I spend the money now, chances are, I won't have money for the next 4 years (unless I work a lot-which I plan on doing). I need a machine that will last me a long time...Which is why I was leaning towards the Illy.

Any more input?

A French press pot makes excellent coffee, is inexpensive, and lasts virtually forever with care. It also takes little space. It's not espresso, but French press coffee is nevertheless satisfying. If I'd known such things existed when I was in college, I'd have bought a hot plate to heat water and a French press pot.

I can't speak to the reliability of espresso machines generally. The Starbucks Barista Athena machine I bought in '97 lasted until this year, although I'd have been better off if it had failed many years ago. I'm just now about to buy my first high-end machine. I wish I could give you better advice.

You might want to read some threads that discuss inexpensive machines. Here are some.

Looking for a cheap(ish) but decent starter espresso machine
Help! $1000 budget for espresso machine & grinder
Basic inexpensive espresso machine recommendations
Best espresso gear on a student's budget

EspressoFiend wrote:I need a machine that will last me a long time...Which is why I was leaning towards the Illy.

Why would the Illy last any longer than a well-maintained Gaggia? I second the hand grinder suggestion, paired with a compact entry level machine. I had a Gaggia in my dorm room as I described here. It isn't too hard to carry your water tank to the nearest sink to fill it or to bring your drip tray, dirty portafilter, and dirty cup to the bathroom or floor kitchen, and this extra minute of walking to running water is well worth it. If anything, you're more likely to get upgradeitis with the Illy, especially if you're used to good coffee from a Silvia. If espresso is out of the question, the french press, pourover drip, or AeroPress are the way to go (*but don't forget the grinder*). The aeropress and pourover may be easier to clean than the french press, but with good technique and fresh beans all three will give you great cups of coffee.

godshot wrote:You might want to read some threads that discuss inexpensive machines. Here are some.

Looking for a cheap(ish) but decent starter espresso machine

Hey! That's me! If anything, the fact that I went from total newbie ("looking for $100 15bar pump machine") to a Gaggia, a Ponte Vecchio, and commercial Elektra restoration project in under three years should be evidence that it's worth making the step up. Am I wrong in calling my Gaggia a gateway machine?

aindfan wrote:Hey! That's me!

Wow, it's crazy how fast one goes from "I can't spend more than $500" to seriously weighing the merits of a several thousand dollar kit!

EspressoFiend wrote:I just hope the espresso is decent. I want to focus on latte art and drink making right now, as opposed to *great* coffee.

Back to the point of this thread, espresso requires more expensive gear and more coffee. If you're on a tight budget, a good manual grinder + French press + excellent coffee cannot be beat. If you really want espresso, searching on budget yields a number of good threads. BTW, a recent recommendation to the entry price point is the mypressi TWIST. Prima Coffee was advertising it with a manual grinder for less than $200. Add a stovetop steamer and you're still under $300.

PS: An espresso setup would make a wonderful graduation gift.

HB wrote:Wow, it's crazy how fast one goes from "I can't spend more than $500" to seriously weighing the merits of a several thousand dollar kit!

When I saw that, I thought: "No, there's no way I have several thousand dollars of coffee equipment!"

...then I started running the numbers, and I'm well on my way. As for seriously weighing the merits, you're absolutely right. Time flies when you're drinking great coffee.

And Josh, as for the latte art, don't worry about that. Three years, three machines, and hundreds of dollars of contemplation later, I can hardly pour a heart (let alone a rosetta). But because my morning espresso tastes delicious, I get very little practice steaming. (Also, the cost of the materials to make an espresso are far lower than those to make a latte if budget is a concern.)