Almico wrote:No intention to hijack, just agreeing with your point that $1300 is not a realistic number for new equipment if you're planning on selling enough coffee to earn a living. Used would be the way to go.

But having started up my own little coffee business I would say the most important factor when starting a coffee business is being able to keep the it running once it starts going. If any piece of equipment breaks down, you are effectively out of business. You need redundancy and a back up plan.

My advice, for $1300, set up a pour over bar. Espresso is really not an good option.

lastofthefamous wrote:Hi Jack. What is a "true coffee shop"? Does it have to at least use 3 Group Slayer, two EK 43s plus one Mythos One for additional blend?

lastofthefamous wrote:A decent single group HX or boiler machine would be suffice for my shop since it's not that big and it's not like every morning people line up to get coffee for their tumbler. I don't mind buying used machine/grinder though, since it would be more reasonable with the budget in hand.

DanoM wrote:I don't know the San Remo line, and I can't find reference to an XL machine, but there is an LX model it seems.

The Oscar is a nice machine, but lacks an OPV and hot water tap. Fine for small shop service I guess, but the limitations are still there.
From what I can see about the San Remo LX it looks to be better than the Oscar, has a hot water tap, and likely an OPV too. For my money I'd look at the San Remo seriously.

You can of course start with that Super Jolly, but a better grinder later could give you better shots and draw in more customers. Of course budgets have to be considered.

Regardless, I think either of your picks will be better than the ROK when it comes to pulling your shots in a cafe. Might put the ROK on a shelf so people can see one of the more simple espresso machines available.

JR_Germantown wrote:I wasn't being snobby, I was thinking simply of a shop whose primary business is coffee (as opposed to a gallery or boutique that also sells coffee)--and it is expected to turn a profit (as opposed to a money pit or hobby venture).
If you have a $1,300 source for used commercial equipment, go for it. But you should probably hold back enough cash to have a thorough maintenance and cleaning before you ask a customer to drink what comes out of it. Used machines can be pretty nasty. But again, when you're bargain shopping for used equipment, you don't get to pick and choose like with new. I'll repeat--find what you think you need, in your budget, and run it by us. (edit: Oops, I see you have. Reading via a phone is like having tunnel vision)

Or, we could talk about what kind of features would be "requirements" vs just "nice to have". About how many drinks per hour (peak) do you anticipate? Is NSF certification required where you do business?

Jack