Coffee Grinders

Which coffee machine should I get - Gaggia Deluxe or Classic?
Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
The fish live their existance by going around in circles with their mouths opening and shutting all the time.

Or until they are electrocuted...

The classic is a better machine, it has a solenoid valve that releases the pressure after brewing a shot, meaning you don't have to wait to remove the portafilter for a consecutive shot. With the deluxe, you have to leave it for a minute or so, else the spent grounds will decorate your face. They will produce equal quality espresso. The best machine in this class is the rancilio silvia, but it's around £300. The grinder is much more important than the machine, a £100 machine and £200 grinder will produce better espresso than a £1000 machine and £60 grinder. Recommended grinders are the aerolatte (budget, £80) the gaggia mdf (£140) and the rancilio rocky (£180) or for the ultimate, the mazzer mini (£300?)

I've just watched 'Traffic' for the first time with Michael Douglas & Catherine Tasty - Jones isn't it (rather than innit) and as well as being quite a movie and a half, I also noticed a similar coffee grinder in a Mexican scene to the Turkish one I bought myself years ago at a flea market for tuppence-farthing, and it still works brilliantly, though I suspect electrically ground beans are far more betterer, innit ?

Fritz Von Green Beanz Heinz

I've got an old cast iron grinder in the van from the 50s that I use in the moka pot there which works brilliantly, It's no good for espresso though. Espresso shares many similarities with audio - think of the grinder as the source. For the ultimate in home espresso, look up the versalab machines - US$10,000 machine and I think the grinder's $4,000. And yes it is the same maker as the turntables.

Chaps

Both Mrs Mick and I agree that freshly ground coffee beans taste better than Illy powder and expresso taste better out of the Villeroy and Boch rather than Illy cups.

The search for the roaster goes on.

Regards

Mick

Mick,

We have a large collection of hand-painted Villeroy and Boch ceramic Christmas decorations that we decorate our Christmas tree each year.

This year we bought a collection of V&B festive trinket boxes in which we placed handmade chocolates. These were put at each person's place setting at dinner.

I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I felt the need to share this with someone and you seem like the right person to listen.

Try Ken Wilson's page for info on roasters, but like I said, they're not cheap (and reliability doesn't seem good with home roasters). I went down to Cambridge last weekend and found a place called the coffee shop which sells fantastic espresso cups. I bought a couple of single demitasses with walls about 8mm thick. Very satisfying. They had these thick-wall cups in many sizes and also some double shot cups coloured with gorgeous bright pigment - red, blue, gree, orange etc.

Count'd

That sounded very civilised.

Regards

Mick