by jlhsupport on Sun May 02, 2010 10:53 pm
Since it is my job to know and understand the differences in espresso technology, I'll offer you the same advice I am trying to train our sales staff into understanding. If you are truly looking to purchase a super automatic machine, understand that you are giving up one key element in the entire process: mano (that's you). Super automatics take away most of your control over brewing espresso, and this is by design.
For the manufacturers to squeeze in a bunch of technology inside a small box and charge $700 to $3000 (relatively modest compared to $9K-$12K for your average commercial super auto), they have to set strict upper and lower limits on what you can do with the machine. There is a dual purpose for that thinking: one is for the non-hobbyist, as Jim put it, and the other is to keep the user from trashing the appliance.
Temperature is one factor that has the tightest limits. On most machines, there is only one temp setting, and there's no way to surf it. The best you can hope for is to run some rinse cycles (if available) to heat up the brew unit as much as possible, which happens to be confoundingly placed beneath or offset from the thermoblock boiler. All the rising heat from the boiler is wasted rather than being used to keep the brewing unit hot. I have tried to express to the product designers at the big 3 (Jura, Saeco, and DeLonghi) that the first one of them to find a solution to that shortcoming will gain tremendous market share over the others. I can only hope that one of them will put something out like that in the next couple years.
Two other very limiting factors are grind and dose of ground coffee. These machines cannot accept a pure espresso grind for a host of reasons. Number one is it would make too much of a mess inside and cause premature failure of the motor or other moving parts. Some brands grind finer than others (DeLonghi and Saeco are finer than Jura). They are also very limiting on dosage of ground coffee. Sure they give you the right range (6 to 9 for a single; 12 to 16 for a double), but there are large leaps between the mild, medium, and strong settings. Next, by design, these machines are made to produce consistent beverages, so they have a built in pressurized brewing system. There is no way around that system, as these companies are catering to different clientele than are the serious semi-auto manufacturers. Everything they do is designed to take the user out of the equation as much as possible.
The other major limitation is the ability to make the killer milk froth. The thermoblock boilers these all come with don't have a reserve of steam from which to release into your pitcher. A thermoblock is a big chunk of aluminum with an embedded heating element and a stainless steel pipe running through it to heat your water. The upside of this design is that you always brew with fresh water assuming you put fresh water into the tank. The downside is less than stellar temperature stability throughout the brew and the anemic steam power. 6 to 8 ounces is all you want to attempt to froth in a pitcher at a time. The more expensive ones almost exclusively have auto frother/steaming attachments. Those tend to do fine for the outward appearance of the froth, but the texture in your mouth is definitely different than that of manually frothed milk. They also cannot get steamed milk for lattes very hot (typically below 150 degrees), as the steam/milk/air mixing ratio is set in a manner to avoid scalding milk to the internals of the mechanism.
People ask us if these machines will produce the same espresso they can make in a good semi-auto, and we of course say no, but at least with a super auto, you always know what you are going to get in your cup. That being said, not every espresso blend is going to like a super auto, so don't expect that the beans you have grown to love in your Solis will taste the same in a super auto. They might be close, but there's no guarantee.
If I were to recommend for you one of these machines, it might surprise you to hear from a dealer that you shouldn't pick one of the more expensive ones. Don't get me wrong, there are some nice ones, but it has more to do with what you want it to do for you. The entry level units tend to make as good (good is a relative term here) of an espresso as the top end units within a brand. I find that the Saecos (Gaggia and Saeco are the same company) and DeLonghis create the most drinkable espressos, but Saecos only brew singles, which is good for some people and annoying for others. DeLonghis produce the best espresso shot temperatures because they have the best brew unit rinsing system. Not every Saeco has one, and the Juras leave way too much water in the lines afterwards. If you want to froth your own milk, Saecos and the one DeLonghi that still has a steam wand all do better than the Juras. The Juras are quieter and prettier, and they do hold your hand through most every step, but they do take you out of the equation more than any other brand. If you decided on one of them, I would seriously recommend looking at their refurbished offerings. It's like getting a brand new machine with a few scuffs.
Joshua Stack
JL Hufford
. I will add that I've never owned one, but on those occasions where I've sampled espresso made on the super-automatic machines at Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table, it's been pretty bad. I think they're pretty liberal about letting you try them out, though, so you should bring some beans into one of their stores and see if you agree.
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