As the title says, I have the opportunity to buy a lightly used (PID) Brewtus II and am wondering if I should make the deal happen. I know it's a good step up from my PID silvia but my major concern is that in a year from now I'm going to want a "better" machine. Not because I need the new car smell but because I'll feel a new machine will improve what's in the cup. I haven't decided how much hype is valid when discussing notorious machines the like the speedster and gs3, but I have a difficult time believing that one receives much added benefit in the cup by spending that much. On the other hand I don't want to go through 4 machines to find out my present thoughts are wrong.

I know I'm wanting a DB with a PID but question if I should hold out for a rotary pump, or some other feature I'm overlooking. I'm also kinda curious to see what the new Vibiemme Junior DB has to offer.

I know that's a mess of a post but that's what's on my mind. So if anyone can comment on my thoughts, implied questions, or the machine in question I would greatly appreciate your time.

I haven't used the Brewtus specifically other than a shot or two at a friend's house, but that general class of machine is a huge jump from the PID Silvia in my book so I would imagine the Brewtus would be a dramatic improvement (and I like the Silvia quite a bit relative to many others on the boards). Once you get to that class upgrades are small from there on out, so you may get upgraditis, but you will have covered most of the ground between starter machines and GS/3/Speedsters already.

Do it. You know you want to.

But seriously, as da gino says the Brewtus is such a huge jump from a Silvia then anything after that is fine tuning really. If you did get the Brewtus and decide it's not for you would you go back to the Silvia? If the answer is no, then there is not much to think about I reckon.

And so what if you want a "better" machine in 12 months time? A lot of people change machines just because they can or they enjoy it as a hobby..I do. Financial (and partner) constraints aside, there are no rules here.

Just go for it I say .

...I'm not sure about describing the Speedster as notorious though?...

In my opinion, once you're in an E61-style HX and have temperature control down (either using the "water dance" or EricS' thermometry), you're 90-95% of the way to current, home-friendly machine nirvana.

[Edit for clarity: Once you have moved up to that level,] If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, you'll likely get a much more significant improvement in the quality of your shots with something like a Compak K10 or Mahlkonig K30 than you would by spending $1500 more on the machine, even if you've already moved up to the Vario / Super Jolly level. With good coffee and decent technique, the differences were immediately obvious to me, both in flavor and in forgiveness.

Another thing to consider is that I expect that "pressure profiling" will be the hack-de-jour over the coming years and then, eventually, making it into pro-sumer machines. Those thoughts took both the GS/3 and the Speedster off my "Most Wanted List," even after the grinder purchase.

Thanks a lot for your comments that's exactly what I needed to hear. Would there be a big jump in espresso quality if I went from my vario to a Compact K10? Is the difference worth the expense? I just love the small footprint of the Vario and would really like to stay in that same size category.

In spite of my "its all about the grinder" leaning, the Silvia to Brewtus jump will be much bigger than the Vario to K10 jump. That said, other than size, it is hard to imagine regretting getting a K10 and getting upgraditis based on performance or durability.

Hugh is on the button again. You are not exactly doin' it hard with the Vario so focus on the machine for now.

That's what I would do anyhow.

Then again, any excuse to buy more machinery .

Moving from Silvia to just about ANY HX machine DUAL BOILER *1 will be a jump not only in the quality of espresso but in convenience as well. Be aware, that once you have the ability to go from brewing right to steaming and back, you will be addicted. You can't go home back to a SB again.

The Vario will serve your needs admirably. Down the line you can always upgrade the grinder. Depending on the price (offset by the sale of the Silvia) of the Brewtus and its actual condition (as opposed to its stated condition), I recommend that it is a better choice to upgrade the machine rather than the grinder at this point.

An accessory I highly recommend is Eric's group thermometer. It will be great help towards consistency with the E-61 group of the Brewtus II (or any E-61).

*1 I missed that.