Advice on upgrade - La Pavoni or semi-automatic

[-kk-]

Hi Guys,

been reading the posts here for awhile, and now have a question for you guys. I have been relying on a trusty krups machine for my daily, machiato's and cappuccino for the past ... 12 or so year (!!), and am looking to upgrade the machine to go along with my recent upgrade in address.

I have a thing ot two about making a decent cuppa, having have a small obsession with it (I know, doesnt reflect in my choice of modest equipment) and also have friends that are equally excited about the brown sap we call crema.

Having had some experience with a Silvia, I had initially plan to purchase a Silvia/Rocky (doserless) combo. However, after looking around at the prices etc, Im also toying with the idea of LaPa Europiccolo Pro / Macap M4 (or MC4) combo.

My concerns about the LaPa revolves around handling and maintaining a manual machine. From what I can tell / read, shot consistency is ... well, crap at best. and there just seem to be a lot of complaints about breakdowns, things not working etc.. The pull factor is of course to sheer sexiness of the machine, and to have more control over the shot I pull (which may not be a good thing!).

Price-wise, Im looking to spend no more than 1000 Euros for a grinder/machine combo (am getting this on my trip to spain in a few months time, I live in Asia, selection is v limited). For this price, aside from the LaPa/Macap combo, is there any other semi-automatic I should be looking at? I doubt I can get a HX machine under E1000 ?

enlighten me, oh wise ones.

cheers,
kelvin

[-kk-]

btw, just to give you an idea, Im also looking at vibiemme domobar super as possible options (not sure the prices in Europe?? Ive only seen one website in Holland that stock I version of it, but not much details). I think others like the quick mills andreja might be out of my budget.

I'd really like to get the best i can afford, as I think it'll save me in the long run.

kelvin

[Paul L]

Kelvin,

I am delieghted with my Macap 4 one-year on. Alongside it I lived with a Gaggia Cubika for my initial apprenticeship having spent years somewhow in the kind of Krups world you mention. This first stage was a huge step-up, so was picking up a second-hand iRoast for £70. I quickly outgrew the Gaggia however which had a certain consistent mediocrity to shots and so I moved on. I spent 6 months with my Pavoni and it was fault free, not a single problem but again I felt my palate wa soutgrowing the taste.

In your position if I could not afford to stretch to an E61 HX, I would be looking machines such as the Expobar Pulser which enjoys a good reputation or a Nuovo Simonelli which a professional roaster said pulled shots to rival most things on the market in his hands. I believe these would come within budget and still allow a Macap and possibly a roaster too.

Good luck with your choices.

[HB]

My concerns about the LaPa revolves around handling and maintaining a manual machine. From what I can tell / read, shot consistency is ... well, crap at best. and there just seem to be a lot of complaints about breakdowns, things not working etc.. The pull factor is of course to sheer sexiness of the machine, and to have more control over the shot I pull (which may not be a good thing!).

Many Lever Espresso Machines forum followers are pleased with the La Pavoni; the leader of the LMWDP, Steve Robinson, has been using his for over 10 years. Are recent models as robust? Good question, if you want to pursue that angle.

But "Should I go Lever?" is the fundamental question I would address first. I have an Elektra Microcasa a Leva solely for the pleasure. Sadly I've been too occupied to use it for the last couple months. I do however appreciate the "pull factor"... it's a joy to admire, love the quiet of its operation, and the clarity of the espresso. No reviews are in progress, so I plan to get back to the lever thing. My only caveats are that you must enjoy the process as it's more exacting and accept the small-crowd capacity of such a lever machine. An HX espresso machine is hard to beat value-wise for back-to-back shots serving a group - especially if there's milk drinks involved. Mark recently wrote up the Vibiemme Domobar Super and had good things to say about it.

[-kk-]

thanks for the reply guys.

Paul L, read your writeup on the brewtus on TMC, and I have to say... very tempting. If I can swing for something like that, that would definitely be ideal. Main contenders for that price range for me would be the isomacs, Andreja (very sexy!), and the brewtus II. Also have a local line on a cimbali jr grinder, but all said, this combo will cost me at least twice as much as the silvia/rocky combo!! no small change!! Thanks for suggesting the Pulser, never seen it before, and they're made in Spain too! Will look them up.

Dan, After reading many MANY articles and experiences on the web, I leaning towards a semi-auto. A HX or double boiler setup would be perfect, but all depends on budget. May add a manual down the road but I think a semi is more practical for me.

Decision, decisions. It is VERY tempting to just inflate the budget after having browsed through a site like this, I'll tell you that. Suddenly its 'normal' to spend 1000 quid on a coffee machine (!!).

Im also looking at ex-display or 2nd hand stock from reputable dealers (or forum member?), so if anyone has any lead, I'd appreciate if you can hook me up

I still have a couple more months to do some research, but i think that will just induce more pain and make me feel the need to spend more

cheers,
kelvin