Ok, I thought I was undecided before...

[annp]

Just for the heck of it, I peeked over at Teme's blog today and discovered - the sneaky guy - he got his GS3. Now I'm sure his location as opposed to being here in the US has something to do with it, and who knows what other planets lined up for Teme, that he got his first. I'm glad for him because I know he will share information, even if he won't share his machine <g>.

But he did. And I was gearing myself up to do something about replacing Anita this month. I've been on the GS3 list for some time now. Who knows if its the right list or if I'm in the right place on the right list to even get a GS3 before my kid graduates from college - or heck I graduate again (I'm collecting degrees like I collect grinders) or whatever!

Cannonfodder and Dan's review did a really good job on selling me on Elektra. I'd even considered a Synesso for a week or two, but couldn't justify the bucks for the household modification issues. The Synesso's steam wand sticks up really high and may or may not interfere with opening a cabinet as well.

I figured the Elektra was worth the hassle of plumbing in and changing some power stuff around. My deal was I'd reward myself with ordering one as soon as I got the tax stuff done - it'd be some encouragement to get with it.

But now Teme has his GS3 - the DOG (I'm just kidding!) and I could possibly, the possibility is closer, have one too! And I wouldn't need to plumb it in right away, or hassle with my SO and the electrical work - and my Rancillo bottomless portafilter might even fit.

Arrgghhh!

What to do, what to do?

Ann

[mattwells]

What to do, what to do?

Honestly, wait on the GS3. If I could I would.

[HB]

What to do, what to do?

If you have the funds and patience, wait. It's that simple. You might get an alternative and be thrilled, but judging from your comments, it sounds like you'll be haunted by doubts of what could have been.

That said, I spent a week with the La Marzocco GS3 and although I was thoroughly impressed, it only solidified my opinion that the espresso machine is not the gating factor on my exceptional espresso quotient. If I had a couple grand burning a hole in my pocket, I'd upgrade the grinder (a Mazzer Robur for example) before thinking about a GS3.

Inquiring minds want to know: What about the GS3 makes it worth nearly five grand to you? If you're willing to spend the money, why would waiting a few months more matter?

[annp]

Inquiring minds want to know: What about the GS3 makes it worth nearly five grand to you? If you're willing to spend the money, why would waiting a few months more matter?

If I tell you - you have to promise not to cast aspersions on my coffee drinks!

I make huge, ungainly milky drinks that would make most classical baristi run screaming to Mc Donalds for a "latte."

Yes, I know its wrong to make a drink out of 2, 2.5 oz triple shots and 12 oz of milk. (mine)

Or 1, 2.5 oz triple and 16 oz of milk. (my SO's)

But I like them that way and no cows or coffee farmers were harmed in making those drinks. And its a free country, and so far, no one has gotten jailed for ruining the essence of espresso. Starbucks is still around!

So, as you can imagine, I need more than normal milk steaming capacity. Anita does ok with my 12 oz - I get decent microfoam, but she is too slow and falls off a bit with any more. Sadly, there aren't too many E61 machines with truly huge boilers out there, but Elektra. I'd probably be fine with a 3 liter boiler, but who makes one?

Oh - and I got totally spoiled steaming milk on a commercial machine. Once I adjusted to the initial force, wow! Perfect, amazing microfoam in pretty much any quantity in the pitcher I might dream up.

As for the coffee part of all of this - I'd really like to have more control/quantification of temp. I tend to drink coffees as espresso that like to be extracted on the low side of the scale. While I've been able to guess on Anita with lots of straight shots and experimentation with the cooling flush, knowing AND controlling would be way cool. I could do the EricS mod on Anita - and if I stayed E61 I would, but I'm told Elektra isn't quite compatible.

A double boiler machine will allow me to steam milk w/o affecting coffee temp.

The jury is still out on preinfusion. It sounds like a grand idea, but I don't have enough data.

Rotary pump. Now I may be totally misinformed about this, but I'm told that extraction during the first part of the shot is better with a rotary pump. Oddly enough, the majority of higher end machines are rotary pump, so perhaps there is a reliability issue as well. Rotary is certainly quieter with an E61 machine - which is good if you've got Elektra and are doing the water dance.

This is the awkward part, which I've just come to deal with, this week. Continuing my education may require me to move out of Atlanta for a while. While I can probably adapt any apartment I rent to a flo-jet and 5 gallon bottle, 20 amp power in a rental *might* be a problem. The G3 is potentially far more portable than Elektra.

And I don't mind waiting for the right machine if it is going to happen. I still get much more amazing results out of Anita than I ever did from my old Saeco, so honestly, she is not that hard to live with - but I can see room for improvement.

And hey, from what the nice people at the distributor told me yesterday, it looks like I can drop my GS3 money into a 5 month CD : )

Plus, lastly - and perhaps this should be first, I am a total and complete geek about the oddest things.

So - unless you know of any other machine that fits my requirements, I'll continue to enjoy Anita for Some Time More.

Oh, and whats a Mazzer Robur and why do I want one (oh my god, not ANOTHER grinder!) and can you quantify why its better and easier to use than my Macap?

EDIT: I just googled "Mazzer Robur" LOL - ok, thats lovely but umm, just a wee bit of overkill for the 74.1 grams of coffee I grind in the morning? Terry looks like he could let me have one for 2274.30! I don't see a doserless option though...

Ann
who needs to write a 10 page research paper today...

[danblev]

...why would waiting a few months more matter?

This is one of the best guidance I have seen - thanks.

I would probably wait another year when they fix the first round issues.

[cannonfodder]

There is nothing worse than spending years thinking 'what if...' If you heart is set on the GS3, then get it. I thought long and hard about the GS3, I have used commercial LM's and they do pull a wonderful shot. The double boiler makes temperature management a no brainer and it was designed for home use, hence the house friendly plumbing and power options.

The Elektra is a single group commercial machine, a fact it shows by its power requirements, boiler size, plumbing requirements and foot print. That 6 liter boiler steams like a rocket and pulls shots as fast as you can work the machine. I cast my lot, got the A3 and am perfectly content.

Given your situation, the GS3 may be a better fit. I decided to go with A3 and pocket the extra cash for a future upgrade to a Mazzer Kony. I kept asking myself, will I get a $2000 better shot from the GS3, my mind kept saying no.

[another_jim]

I was getting tired of the classic E61 group. It makes great shots, is forgiving, and totally beats about 90% of the groups out there, despite being over 40 years old. But it is like a comfortable bass-reflex speaker, great sound, but not all that accurate reproducing the high end tastes of lighter roasted, high grown coffees. So I started looking for something new.

I thought hard about the GS3 too; it is undoubtedly a masterpiece of compact, super-quality design. But the shots I had from it at the SCAA, while terrific, were not revelations. At the SCAA Homecoming, an event Marshall Fuss puts on every year in LA for amateurs, I was more impressed by the "old tech" Aurelia than the "new tech" GB5 (which shares the new LM group with the GS3) when pulling the super-fruity organic blend SB was debuting. I actually keep getting better shots handed to me from the old LMs, although this may be a barista familiarity issue. Finally, I was the most impressed by the way the A3 pulled at the espresso-in at last year's SCAA, although I never got a chance to use it with a terrific coffee.

My problem with double boilers is that they can't change temperature on the fly, while an HX can, simply by flushing more or less. If I'm playing with several coffees, that is critical for me. Oddly enough, the super-great Aurelia and Appia machines are so rock stable that it's basically impossible to change temperature at all. So that was out too. Finally, I prefer pour over machines, since I'm an apartment dweller and generally not that enthused about having to buy commercially sized equipment just to get top line quality.

I went with the Elektra Semiautomatica mainly because it has the same group bell and group water path as the A3 (the semi's group bolts directly to the HX and boiler, so has a different distribution block from the thermosyphoned A3). Turns out the machine is not even close to being great in temperature and pressure stability, but it's good enough. The reliability of the pstats in the production run I got was also less than steller. But the taste clarity of this group design trumps these shortcomings and provides a shot quality I love.

The point is that if one were to ask lots of people what their "no-compromises" dream machine is, the answers would be all over the map.

[annp]

The point is that if one were to ask lots of people what their "no-compromises" dream machine is, the answers would be all over the map.

And from your desription, it sounds as if the GS3 wasn't yours! Neither was Elektra - which I totally understand, as I consider apartment hunting out of Atlanta.

It also sounds as if you do much more experimentation with coffee than most folks (makes sense!) so having the ability to change temp on the fly is much more critical than it would be for the home barista who pretty much sticks with espresso blend/roast.

I tend to go a few months here with one coffee, a few months there with another. I very seldom have more than one coffee at a time. Still, the ability to dial in coffee by grind and shot temp is pretty important. Changing grind, I've got down - as the number of reference marks made in 'white out' on my Macap indicates!

So the question that Teme will hopefully answer if he ever gets around to making a shot on the GS3 - is how difficult, possible or practical is it to change the temp?

Given your situation, the GS3 may be a better fit. I decided to go with A3 and pocket the extra cash for a future upgrade to a Mazzer Kony. I kept asking myself, will I get a $2000 better shot from the GS3, my mind kept saying no.

I can see for your needs Elektra was perfect - and you wouldn't ever regret the purchase. And a Mazzer Kony is a pretty spectacular grinder to spend that extra money on. And Elektra or GS3 - I probably would loose in a shot shootout to you!

Again I'm actually really happy that its Teme who has that first machine and that there is going to be several months before they ship to the US. If Teme is still struggling a few months from now - I'll know both my educational fate (do I have to temporarily relocate) and my upgrade path by then.

Thanks for being a sounding board, you guys...!

Ann
who wrote an outline for a 10 page paper AND bought a 5 month CD online yesterday!

[another_jim]

I tend to go a few months here with one coffee, a few months there with another. I very seldom have more than one coffee at a time. Still, the ability to dial in coffee by grind and shot temp is pretty important.

Then it makes sense to go for a machine that can be tweaked minutely to get to the completely perfect shot.

[cannonfodder]

The best machine on the market is the one in your kitchen, be it an old e61 box or Speedster.

Jim, stop by the house one day and you can pull all the shots you can stand on the A3 and dine of venison loin.

[another_jim]

The best machine on the market is the one in your kitchen, be it an old e61 box or Speedster.

Jim, stop by the house one day and you can pull all the shots you can stand on the A3 and dine of venison loin.

(homer sounds) ... Venison loin in espresso sauce.

[cannonfodder]

Don't know about the espresso sauce, but an overnight marinade in some red wine, a quick sear to medium rare over a hardwood charcoal grill served on a bed of brown rice, some cubed skillet cooked red potatoes cooked in a little duck fat and steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce sounds darn good. Boy I love being a hunter. Works good with hickory smoked salmon that dad caught as well. Been working on my sushi skills but sushi grade yellow fin is pretty much impossible to find in Ohio.

But back to the espresso machine, only you can decide what the best option for you is. Look at the specs, inspect your unique situation and decide what will work best for you.

[another_jim]

potatoes cooked in a little duck fat

Wow, the last place on earth to get real french fries.

[annp]

This morning Teme seems to have managed to get his GS3 working - and the temp control adjustment from the front panel dialed in. Hmmmm. I like that idea... We shall see where it goes.

As for cooking, yes, well, I do that too. Less time with 17 units of classes this semester, but I still make something big a couple of times a week.

I convection roasted a turkey yesterday (I cheated and used the oven's automatic temp probe feature), that came out perfectly. Tender, moist - tasty.

Sadly, all our turkeys come from the store, unlike Cannonfodder's!

I was making my 5:45 drink before my first class this morning and was thinking just how grateful I am for Anita, even with the things about her I'd like to improve. If I could never upgrade - it wouldn't kill me, I still made a perfect drink this morning that was quite tasty. Nothing I ever really could do on my old Saeco.

Still, Jim's machine sure wins the award for coolest looking!

Ann