Hello HB!
I'm a newbie to the espresso world and have been reading extensively on hb to learn about the art of making espresso. After a couple months I finally bought my first machine, a Gaggia Old White Coffee paired with a vintage dienes hand grinder. It's a humble and low budget set up to start but overall I've very happy with the result. My goal going in with this setup is if it can produce better espresso then 95% of the espresso I'm buying at coffee shops then I consider it a win. I also like to make cappas for my wife and I and so far she's loving the cappa. As a side note I do roast my own beans and have only been using SO. So if you are a newbie looking to get started on a smaller budget that its possible to produce good shots and have fun while doing it. However I do look foward to one day owning a nice lever machine

Good to hear. Home barista training is a journey and everyone takes a different path. I started with a Moka pot, then got into espresso with a Mypressi Twist and modified Hario Slim hand grinder. Not an ideal setup, but I made it work with a lot of work. Then I invested in a Vario grinder and that helped a lot, particularly relieving me of all the manual grinding. Then I made a big leap to my HX machine and commercial grinder. And I'm still learning lots.

The best thing about better equipment is the greater consistency, better control over the important variables and less workarounds.

Enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole.

Welcome to the HB family, for what a welcome from another newbie is worth!

It's great to hear your story - it's very easy to talk about your $4000 of machine, that's fed by your $2800 commercial grinder - and there is nothing wrong with any of that. But it can intimidate many. For those who want to go that way, it's excellent, and I really do like to learn about their gear and experiences. That said, the bean grows from the earth and coffee is the drink of the people. Making tasty espresso on a modest rig requires great skill and a decent amount of luck.

I think most folks here got their start with modest setups. Probably everyone owned a blade grinder, for those bold enough to admit it. I did! That's the beauty of these forums, there is room for everyone.

However I do look foward to one day owning a nice lever machine

Any of the commonly-available home levers, paired with a good Dienes or one of the new high-quality hand grinders, can set you up with great espresso. I started with a home lever-hand grinder combo 10 years ago and I've been satisfied ever since. I upgraded to a knock hausgrind one year ago as much because I loved the concept as anything else. Someday I'll get a larger-burr hand grinder but life is pretty good in the espresso department already.

So just enjoy the journey, and thanks for sharing the experience.
PC

Cool, enjoy the Journey!

kaldi61 wrote:Making tasty espresso on a modest rig requires great skill and a decent amount of luck.

I struggled...and often gave up...on making good espresso for many, many years (since 1981). It really wasn't until I discovered HB 5 years ago that I was finally able to get the info necessary to make good espresso.

Making good espresso with my Riviera or Pavoni is actually quite easy once you understand the relationship between the coffee, grind, tamp and pull. I give this site all the credit for that. Thanks HBers!

+1 riocruz