I am looking to upgrade from my Baby Gaggia and will be in Dana Point next week. I am trying to find a store where I can see/try lots of new toys(semi-auto and lever). I'm looking around the $1,500 range, but willing to go either way.

So can anyone help point me in the right direction?

Thanks

Not sure where Dana Point is, but both Salvatore and Astra are actually made in southern CA, and both companies are great.
Rob

Salvatore is a little north of LA, and Dana point is Orange county, south of LA, so I would guess it's a 2 hour drive or so, each way, with no traffic. Astra is in the valley, a little closer, but probably 1.5 hours each way, so still a drive.

I don't know of anything in Orange county, for places to go look at machines. There was a thread about shopping in LA, a couple weeks ago.

Randy

knotthead17 wrote:So can anyone help point me in the right direction?

No such animal. In some of the better coffee bars you will find a small selection of machines on a shelf, not connected and not intended for sampling. The local manufacturers and dealers (Astra, Pasquini (for La Cimbali and Pasquini) and the semi-local Salvatore) have machines to try, but only their own.

I think that's pretty much what you find in the rest of the country outside of Seattle. Buyers of serious home machines normally find themselves purchasing on the Internet.

Marshall's correct. I live 5 minutes from Dana Point. There isn't anything I could find near by. I actually drove up to where Salvatore is last weekend. Traffic was good, and it took about 3.5 hours. Your best bet is probably Astra, as the other poster mentioned, but it's still a drive (I only do it when I have to or if I'm motivated ). Good luck.

Thanks for all of the help. I have been searching online and that's what I came up with as well. I guess I will just have to stop by Seattle in the near future.

I met a woman at the SCAA convention who indicated she intended to open such a shop in downtown LA but I don't know if anything ever came of that. I tried to make sure she knew about this board so hopefully she'll let us know if it happens.

Ira

Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, and even Peet's & Starbucks are -- sadly -- the "best" one can do in the average situation. And for someone serious about espresso equipment, I can recommend none of the above.

As Marshall quite rightly points out, manufacturers like Salvatore (Solvang), Astra (Canoga Park), and Pasquini (LA) only carry, understandably, their own machines.

In alphabetical order, I have purchased equipment online from, and have been very pleased with the service I've received from:

• 1st-Line Equipment, New Jersey;
• Chris' Coffee Service, New York;
• Espresso Parts NW, Washington State;
• Orphan Espresso, Idaho;
• Stefano's Espresso Care, Oregon.

Based upon the comments of other regulars here (and elsewhere), I have no qualms about recommending the following, also in alphabetical order:

• Great Infusions, California (Santa Cruz);
• Vaneli's, California (Rocklin)

Good luck!

Cheers,
Jason