Don't over look the 20% discount you can get by purchasing the BDB from BED-Bath&beyond.

baristainzmking wrote:Another vote for keeping Gaggia for steam and getting the robot. This little machine just can't pull a bad shot. I start work super early and making a shot with a robot and adding hot water from my kettle (to make Americano) takes no time.

I'd be lying if I said I've never pulled a bad shot. I had to work at it but I did it--ya know forget to move the grinder setting back after pour over, super high bar shots aren't that great but I had to look at the sun--and such but yes a very forgiving machine. In a long life of consumer purchases one of the ones I'm most pleased with.

Oo! I'll vote for Robot plus your current machine for steaming too!

I started with Silvia and it's good in its ways but today I wouldn't recommend it to people unless they got a good used one for less money.

Or yeah, read more about what people say about BDB and find one on sale with a coupon sometime. Anything with some plastic will have some haters but it sounds very competent and people here seem to have success either repairing them cheap or getting warranty work, or they find them reliable.

thirdcrackfourthwave wrote:I'd be lying if I said I've never pulled a bad shot. I had to work at it but I did it--ya know forget to move the grinder setting back after pour over, super high bar shots aren't that great but I had to look at the sun--and such but yes a very forgiving machine. In a long life of consumer purchases one of the ones I'm most pleased with.

I have to admit, I haven't had an issue with forgetting to move the grind settings, but the robot seems to forgive all the things that i don't do right in the morning! No rdt, now wdt, no preheating... My Bianca would never stand for that!!!

baristainzmking wrote: I have to admit, I haven't had an issue with forgetting to move the grind settings, but the robot seems to forgive all the things that i don't do right in the morning! No rdt, now wdt, no preheating... My Bianca would never stand for that!!!

It is really unfair, I mean the grind settings BEFORE the coffee come on now. Yup have never done rdt and don't do wdt with Robot. I will pre-heat--just toss the pf over the kettle IF doing light roast, which is not very often. I do think about pre-heat if I was going to do extended pre-infusion but that doesn't seem necessary either. This whole thing reminded me I need to move the setting now.

For someone who just wants to make a couple of Caps a day, I really don't think having to use multiple machines to accomplish it is the best advise, no matter how fun the Robot may be. My vote is for the BDB with the BB&B 20% discount.

The Quick Mill Silvano is something I'm looking at, smaller & still has a PID. Although, I don't know if this is more an issue. It says, "When brewing, you have to keep boiler temperature below the steaming temperature (there's a 40°F difference). If you don't, you'll burn your espresso." This probably (buying a new machine) won't happen for a while.

+1 for the BDB for the reasons listed above.
The Robot seems like a nice machine to pull shots, but I wouldn't see myself using 2 differents machine just to make a latte in the morning. But eh, that's just me!

It's on the back burner of my mind possibly way down the road, but I'm having enough issues trying to pull decent shots lately--really don't want to go on a whole different learning curve. Plus, no, don't have the room for one for one machine to make espresso, the other to make steamed milk & micro foam.