... Wait, what what? You're saying that the Elektra Micro Casa A Leva soundly beats the Dalla Corte Mini? Hands down?

This seems to match up with John's experience with the Bonka vs. my own and Jim's. While we're all using pretty similar grinders, the Elektras seem to render it better than John's La Spaziale. It's funny to think of how important the machine factor could be in someone's favorite coffees. I know my coffee preferences have changed since changing from the Vetrano to the Elektra. Perhaps it's something one should consider when recommending coffees to others...

Oh yeah I hear you brother I can't tell you how many times I switch between my Robur and K10WBC with my various Elektras and Dalla Cortes, chasing after the best results. Then the alarm goes off and I have to wake up.

Sometimes you guys just drive me crazy (in a good way). I really appreciate the advice and content of the discussions here but man the gear envy is almost too much for me to handle. I spend way too much time thinking about how I could possibly ever afford the jump to even an E61 HX much less multiple machines and grinders that some of you guys are enjoying. I know some items are just for review, but sitting on the counter is sitting on the counter.

I try to temper my envy with the idea that I am still just starting and a single machine set is quite enough to keep me busy. Many of you have been doing this for quite a while and have developed skills deserving of the challenge of a multiple machine variable set. For now I'm sure my head would swim with all that gear at hand. Maybe if I practice 20% harder and save all my extra pennies one day my skills and bank account will meet at the corner of E61 and Kony. Until then I will keep trying to get the best result out of the gear at hand while learning from the rest of you.

I honestly try not to focus too much on machine specific advice other than all machines are different and certain options are more favorable than others. As for buying advice I think it is more important to understand the available options in the gear and how they will benefit your personal use preferences than it is to focus on The Best Machine for $X.XX. If you don't have a clue how an HX works, what pre infusion is, or the difference between a vibe and rotary pump it might be better to read some more before pulling the trigger on that PIDd fully plumbed paddle group double boiler.


Gus

One of the things that I have tried to point out -- especially in the "Buying Advice" forum, but throughout HB -- is that what I may think is the best _____________ (machine, grinder, beans), or what may he or she may think is the best, not be the best for the OP. Not only are usages patterns different, which can affect needs, but more importantly our tastes are different. And taste, being subjective (and not objective), means that each of us will (and should) have our own personal preferences.

Or, in other words, "YMMV."

Cheers,
Jason

P.S. Gus, I hear you. Posts like Dan's make me wish I would open up an espresso store if only so as to have multiple grinders and machines to play on . . .

Gus, I hear ya! Now, I have to go pick up the kids. Should I take the Bentley or the Honda Odyssey? They won't fit in the Porsche.

shadowfax wrote:This seems to match up with John's experience with the Bonka vs. my own and Jim's. While we're all using pretty similar grinders, the Elektras seem to render it better than John's La Spaziale.

I would like to point out that we are discussing different Wondo Bonko roasts. I have not had the pleasure of sampling PT's Sidamo, only Klatch's (and Jim's home roast). I did get excellent pours, both on the Vetrano and S1. Dan's post makes it tempting to unpack the Lever Smackdown MCaL (AFAIK still for sale from 1st-line), but I'll try to resist.

While equipment plays a role, I agree with Ken Fox: when you get to a certain level of gear and expertise, it's all about the coffee. For those who haven't tried it, this Sidamo is a major league fruit bomb. Thanks to Jim Schulman for bringing it to our attention.

HB wrote:For me, this is a reminder of what's too often forgotten by those offering advice to would-be espresso machine buyers: You may love your current kit and you may be convinced it is the end-all be-all. But if you've had the opportunity to try lots of different equipment, you'll likely discover that there's no such thing as "the best" espresso machine for all coffees and all preparations, there's only the best of the moment.

The inverse of that: it is a reminder of the benefits of blending and roasting your own coffee to find what works best in your machine for your palate. Few of us have the opportunity to own more than one or maybe two espresso machines at a time and so our equipment choices at any one time are limited, but not so with our coffee.

And let's take this one step further. Don't sit back and accept the status quo of your machine's settings (brew pressure and P'stat/PID settings). Small adjustments can make a big difference once you are close. After my recent backflush I reset the OPV just a little lower and set the P'tat just a little higher and had two excellent pulls this morning.

"If you aren't looking for better than you will never find it... NB- does not apply to wives, only espresso." -RG

Well, I guess it is obvious that we all need several grinders and several espresso machines to fully enjoy different espresso blends, at this level of the hobby. Then it is just a matter to evaluate all the combinations of: grind, dose, tamp, roast, temperature, pressure, machine used, and grinder used for each new batch of beans we use. That should burn through about five pounds of beans to dial it in. Oh I forgot about the weather, ambient humidity and temperature. Better make it ten pounds.

We need to bear in mind that by trying fancier and fancier coffees, we are misusing espresso equipment for non-design purposes. My guess is if we used low end Brasilian and Indo coffees, pulled 7 gram single shots, and added a teaspoon of sugar, all the commercial machines and grinders would produce solid "comfort food" shots that would play in the background just like the most soothing muzak. This is what Italians want from their espresso -- something vastly better than Nescafe instant or Folgers/Mr Coffee at the same low price and the same universal availability.

The joke is that, like proletarian pasta versus boiled potatoes, the Italians did espresso too well. So now we are using the same equipment on high end coffees, and come to it expecting taste revelations. It's not surprising that espresso machines perform in odd and unexpected ways when we use them like this.