Downgraditus? - Page 10

by **misterdoggy** on Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:04 am

I went for the sexy looking chrome super domobar, but keeping it shiny is an occupation.

If I get (and when) a GS3, I will get it with the black sides. As little chrome as possible.

I had a Rancilio S24 which had Red sides and matte chrome and was much easier to keep clean.

by **da gino** on Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:40 am

Endo wrote:Am I right to assume there are 2 groups:

1. Chrome or brass, E-61, levers, exposed plumbing (aka "The Romantics").

2. Stainless, boxy, buttons, digital readouts (aka "The Modernists").

(I'm in category 2 by the way).

Nope unless you are allowed to be in both groups. I lean a little towards the first, but I love the boxy stainless, digital look, too.

by **r-gordon-7** on Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:47 pm

Endo wrote:Am I right to assume there are 2 groups:

1. Chrome or brass, E-61, levers, exposed plumbing (aka "The Romantics").

2. Stainless, boxy, buttons, digital readouts (aka "The Modernists").

(I'm in category 2 by the way).

Well, I'd agree with the "2 groups" part, but believe the groups are "married" & "single"... which I believe essentially equates to Marshall's spot-on comment (post #6 at the beginning of this thread, some 4 pages back...)

by **Marshall** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:30 pm

I have two thoughts about this thread.

1. The accounting here has been terrible. An espresso machine is a capital investment and should be looked at the same as a car purchase. Its true "cost" is the purchase price, less its depreciated value when you sell it or trade it in. A $1,200 machine that you sell five years later for $600 (a conservative price), has cost you $600 or $10 a month. This is a reasonable cost for an espresso lover who can afford the original investment. The accounting does not, of course, apply to people who collect machines. (For simplicity, I'm leaving out expenses associated with ownership.)

2. Up until the introduction of the GS/3, espresso has been a pretty democratic hobby. You don't have to be a hedge fund manager to afford the best or nearly-best range of machines. That will change over the next few years as new models of single-head pressure-profiling machines with advanced temperature control designs come on the market. I hope the (mostly) convivial online spirit is maintained as more and more of these ultra-luxe machines appear.

by **Psyd** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:04 pm

Marshall wrote:1. The accounting here has been terrible. An espresso machine is a capital investment and should be looked at the same as a car purchase.

"Speak for yourself, John..."

I spent, at the time, what I thought would be the absolute maximum I would ever consider spending on an espresso machine when I bought my $7890 MSRP machine. If I ever sell it, it will be for exactly, if no more than, what I initially spent on it. Both of my Majors will sell for well over what I initially laid out for them.
None of them were purchased with the investment considered. All of them were considered something that I wanted, and happened to fall into money I had not budgeted for something else at the time.
If I were going to consider capital investment, I'da been flippin' houses this whole time.
Each of us has his own reasons and situations. To try to sum up this whole group into two camps is always going to be only marginally true, and almost as wrong as it will ever be right.

by **Marshall** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:54 pm

Psyd wrote:"Speak for yourself, John..."

If I were going to consider capital investment, I'da been flippin' houses this whole time.

I think you misunderstood. I was only using "capital investment" as an accounting term for something that has a residual value. I wasn't advocating speculating in espresso machines.

by **Psyd** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:15 pm

Marshall wrote:I think you misunderstood. I was only using "capital investment" as an accounting term for something that has a residual value. I wasn't advocating speculating in espresso machines.

No, I was understanding the use of the term, just (in my case) how it didn't apply. I wasn't suggesting that some folk aren't concerned in this area, but that, at least in cases like mine. That tends to be a lot further down the road than "what kind of coffee can I make, what will the portability, plumbability, durability", and even, "How cute is it gonna be". Most of these things tend to pop their heads up in coffee kit selection far sooner than, "I wonder what I'll be able to off her for when I tire of her, and her looks start to fade?"
Some people buy dogs to breed them, some buy dogs to hunt, I rescue mutts for family members.
I ain't saying that there aren't those that look at the value redemption of their kit, but that there is a bit more to it than that for a whole raft of us.

by **Marshall** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:45 pm

An espresso machine for me is just that: a machine for making espresso. I find them fascinating, sometimes beautiful and like to discuss them, but am happy to trade when something significantly better comes along.

by **Psyd** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:07 pm

Marshall wrote:I find them fascinating, sometimes beautiful and like to discuss them, but am happy to trade when something significantly better comes along.

Ya know, I used to say the very same thing, but since I still have three espresso machines, two Rockys, two Majors, and three hand grinders, I'm starting to think I was just foolin' myself. :lol:

by **Marshall** on Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:14 pm

Psyd wrote:Ya know, I used to say the very same thing, but since I still have three espresso machines, two Rockys, two Majors, and three hand grinders, I'm starting to think I was just foolin' myself.

Marshall wrote:The accounting does not, of course, apply to people who collect machines.


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