I have been using the Carezza with a Quickmill Stepless grinder for about 2 + years . I make mostly milk/soy based drinks , 1 or 2 per day only. To get better frothing capability from the Carezza, I removed the outer frothing attachment and use only the inner pointed plastic tip ( single hole) . This seems to have improved the steaming capability quite a bit . To improve the reach, I have brazed on an additional 2 1/2 inch brass pipe extension on the main down stem before the plastic tip rather then replacing the whole steam pipe with a Rancilio Silvia pipe. The biggest problem I face is the machine running out of steam power during the texturing phase. I would like to upgrade to a machine with better steaming power. I have read reviews of the Rancilio Silvia , Bezzera BZ02 and the NS Oscar but cant decide which . I am also not adverse to buying used equipment from a reliable source . Budget is around $900

Recommendation please . Thanks

sportflyer wrote:I make mostly milk/soy based drinks...

That eliminates single boiler espresso machines; Jim's recommendations from yesterday's thread Which espresso machine/grinder for $1500 budget? match your criteria:

another_jim wrote:My cheapest "about as good as it gets" espresso recommendation would be the Baratza Vario grinder mated with one of the better entry level HX machines, the Bezzera BZ02 or BZ07, the Quickmill Anita, or the Vibiemme Domobar.

You're in about exactly the same boat as my brother was: he had been using a Carezza and Gaggia MDF for about 5 years, and FINALLY upgraded. His upgrade? Bezzera (the basic one for about $950) and Vario. His assessment is that it's been a massive improvement.

Alternatively, if you can stretch your budget just a bit, Orphan Espresso has a fine looking Fiorenzato Bricoletta... http://www.orphanespresso.com/Fiorenzato-Bricoletta-HX-Espresso-machine_p_3683.html. Looks like a fantastic machine, and anything getting the OE-treatment is bound to be great.

I am leaning towards the Bezzera but cant decide which one. The BZ07 price will bring it close to the used Fiorenzato Bricoletta . Would like to hear comments from people who have used the Fiorenzato machine. In the meantime I need to check the water hardness before buying a more expensive machine .

I am considering getting BZ07 but not sure about the steam knob. According to the online manual I have to hold it down all the time I am steaming. Can this be true? Also can I adjust the amount of steam by the amount of knob movement? Thanks

You don't have to hold it down all the time while steaming as seen above.
You can adjust the steam power with the knob, but when you release your hand it will either "pop" to full power or back into place.

On the early version I tested, the lever had to be held down. It was a poor idea, and was changed in subsequent production runs. This is why you see the contradictory references.

I understand how the steam knob works after viewing the video clip. I am still debating BZ02 vs BZ07. I am wondering whether the universal positioning steam wand and the heated group head is worth the $150 difference? Any recommendations one way or the other will be much appreciated. Tks

Its been a month since I first requested options for upgrading my Gaggia Carezza. I have been reading the various threads and still unable to make up my mind. I have shortlisted the machines to :

Bezzera BZ07 ( need to buy deeper basket? would deeper basket fit in original portafilter holder? )
NS Oscar ( not many reviews on this machine )
Bricoletta Lever or Volante ...." best of the list" but more expensive

Vibiemme Jnr HX and new Anita are outside my budget.

My current grinder is the Quickmill . Do I need to upgrade the grinder as well to a something like Vario or maybe I can do that later since the Quickmill is fairly good.

Any advise to help me make my final choice would be welcome. I would like this purchase to last at least 10 years.

Tks