hey guys, i love coffee but now only on generic nespresso machine...if i wanna get a full set for home use what do i need? and what do u guys recommend
Heh heh...need quite alot of stuff...
1. Freshly roasted beans, optimized for espresso.
2. Good grinder with good burr set (not blades)
3. Pump driven espresso machine using non-pressurized portafilter basket. (Don't get cheaper steam driven ones u see at best denki)
4. Good quality tamper (heavy, metal one will do. Must be of a good fit into the filter basket)
5. and most importantly...the knowledge and skills!
I would recommend going to as many cafes as possible (those that roast their own beans) and trying out their straight espresso, for you to get a rough idea what is a good espresso. If it taste comparatively nice to you (compared to other cafe) its a good espresso. If its too bitter, thin, sour, unbalanced etc, then its a bad espresso. DOn't be psychoed by people saying espresso is very sweet like honey, maple syrup etc or else you will be chasing a fairy. Espresso is generally a bitter beverage but well made espresso is pleasantly bitter. Also becareful of tasting fatigue. Drink too cups and they all taste the same.
Some cafes: Nylon (Personal fav cos they know what they are doing and their espresso is balanced to my tastebuds), oriole, common man, papa palheta, highlander, geisha, liberty. Use bean hunter app to find more.
After you roughly know what a good espresso taste like then read some books first (Scott Rao, David Schomer, etc) and some forums (Home barista, coffee geek, coffeesnobs) and some coffee blogs (jimseven) to educate yourself. Take opinions in the forums with a pinch of salt....some of the discussions are very informative but some opinions are misguided at best.
After that then look around the local scene to see what gear is available. Can consider buying online and shipping for some stuff. Visit the cafes who sell their gear and don't be shy to ask and discuss (Highlander, papa palheta, etc)
Warranty and after sales repair is very very important because machines do break down and need servicing. So becareful with online retailers unless you know the machine can be serviced locally .
For a decent set up i recommend a moderately large burr grinder of at least 58mm (flat or conical, the jury is out on this). For machine a HX machine should be enough, good steaming and temperature stable if you keep to a routine of flushing the grouphead before pulling a shot.
Single boilers are ok if you are on a tight budget (rancilio silvia) but you will need to have a more precise brewing routine as those machines are not temp stable and less forgiving. Need to wait a while to start steaming too.
If you just want to jump into the deep end and get an ultimate machine just go Jimmy Monkey and order a Slayer. They can customise it for you too.
Good luck!
