Good morning coffee enthusiasts! I would really appreciate your advice about the best semi auto models you would propose. I just sold my La Marzocco GS/3 paddle group and need to go with something smaller and with a lot less time to wait for the machine to heat up. There are so many machines with a large price range that i'm really confused. I need a simple, fast machine that will give me about the same infusion results that the machine i had if possible. Thanks for your help!!!
Stephan

Hi fellow Canuck. What kind of grinder do you have? This might affect machine recommendations. Also, what's your budget, expected usage pattern, needs, and wants?

I just don't understand the logic of people having huge machines like that on timers - then complain about the wait

Well that's not so easy as you're comparing basically a commercial high end DB machine here. Arguably under the right conditions any decent machine can get into this range so to speak. However don't expect the kind of consistency and forgiveness of that. Since you've used DB now going 'back' to HX would probably be a downgrade, I know I'm spoiled and can't go back to HX cooling dance.

May I suggest a lower model DB like a r58, LaSpaziale, ECM thing. That or a lever like a londinium l-1, bezzera as most tend to not have huge boilers. Plus that has to be the simplest design. If I had the counter clearance I would totally do the lever thing. Even still the aforementioned are physically the same size if not bigger, really the GS/3 is quite unique in its diminutive dimensions for a fully loaded rotary DB machine.

Now if you're just after a simple tiny machine, why not a LaPavoni lever?

Or in about the same space as a GS3 you could house a Cremina and a Maximatic! Plumb out those drip trays and that would be pretty nice. Maybe I should take some of my own advice...

So you need something smaller, semi-auto, and with less heat up time...

Let me ask you this. What's most important... please order in terms of priority:
1. Size: What is the desired size range?
2. Warm up time: What is desired time?
3. Semi auto : /or is a lever like the Cremina okay?
4. Cost: How much would you like to spend. Guessing if you sold a GS/3 this is a lower factor.
5. Shot quality: GS/3 is high, guessing you want high quality as well.
6 Capacity: Is a single boiler okay like a PID Silvia? Or do you want more volume, and ability to brew/stream.


Without knowing your answers:
A Cremina sounds like your best bet for size and warm up time. As long as you can work with a lever - they're not bad . It will give you great quality, in a small package, with quick warm up, with it's main compromise being capacity. About 3 shots (maybe 4) per session before you get into having to cool the machine.

Olympia Maximatic

Get a Breville! That's 1/6 the price of your GS/3 MP. I wish we could have traded!

That's doesn't meet his smaller size requirement. Surprisingly, my GS/3 is just a bit deeper than my Breville DB (BDB), but the BDB is much taller overall and about as wide.

I'm another vote for a small home lever, such as a Pavoni (the first generation are the best, in my opinion) or a Cremina. If you prefer a pump machine, the Elektra Semiautomatica and the Olympia Maximatic (and its clones) come to mind as high-quality heat exchange machines in a small package.

Or if you want to preserve the temperature control you have on the GS/3, in a much smaller package, get an open-boiler lever like a Caravel and run it off of a PID. Add a stovetop Bellman steamer for milk drinks, and the whole package can be easily put away in a cabinet if you are trying to maximize counter space.