Breville has been great for me...I have (compared to many of the machines discussed here) a middle-ish version, the Breville Barista Express that is a combined burr grinder/espresso/frother machine. It has worked reliably for five years now, and makes a nice cup o' joe w/out issues.
My happiest moment was when my brother-in-law was visiting from Spain and said my espresso's matched up w/cups he's had in his favorite coffee shops across Europe (he tavels a lot for his business).
And yes, I started charging him $6 a shot after he said that.
Can't speak for that particular brand, but it does seem a bit inexpensive for what is (or should be) inside one of these things.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a Jura Capresso C1000 that's probably close to 25 years old now that still works fine. It's been cleaned and self-refurbished a few times (o-rings and a few minor parts here and there). The Jura machines are expensive, but in my experience will last a long time if you clean and maintain them properly. And making coffee a single cup at a time in a machine that uses pressure to force the water through the grounds makes superior coffee. I was unwittingly turned into a coffee snob when I got my first machine.
Hmm, I bet that is what sets it apart from what's available today. Sometimes there's just no competeing with the care that was put into manufacuting in the past. That's not to say it cannot be achieved today, but you're right in that the price probably is in direct correlation to it's ability to perform and stand up to the years (or even to its repairability).
I think in general that's true, but not necessarily in this case. I have three Jura machines and another that was given to my wife. I refurbished that one and gave it to my sister-in-law, who is now also a coffee snob .
Except for my newer Z10, I've had all of them apart at one time or another and the newer ones seem to be built as well as, if not better than, my oldest.
Saeco Philips super-auto's in this house, work good, reliable (mostly), repairable, parts/manuals available, prices okay-ish. Not smart at all.
Oh, and we love the coffee too.
That's what I was getting at with the Price/Quality correlation. The heart stopping $4,800 CAD for the Z10 explains why you're not dissatisfied with the build quality.
Also explains why I don't live in Canada I didn't pay anywhere near that much. My last two Jura machines have been factory refurbished units. You only get a one-year warranty instead of two, but I saved $700 on the Z10 and since I've never needed warranty service, I felt it was an acceptable risk.
Except for the shipping carton, both of my refurbished units were indistinguishable from new, and since they have non-resettable counters of how many of each type of coffee has been made, I can tell both units were barely used. If I recall, the Z10 had around 30 coffees made in total when I received it.
You just have to approach it with the proper logic and reasoning. First, if you have decent credit you can finance for 24 months at 0%, and you can get at least 4% in a savings account, so you're making money on the deal. Who doesn't like making money for doing nothing?
Second, someone you deeply trust and admire in your home automation forum says the thing will last 20 years. Maybe you don't trust or admire said person all that much, so let's go with 10 years. At $3300 that's $27.50 per month. 30 small coffees at Wawa will set you back $59.70 per month, and that doesn't include the cost of gas or the wear and tear on your vehicle. If you drink the "coffee" they serve at Starbucks, you're even further in the red (if you drink the coffee at 7-11 or Circle-K, never mind, you're beyond hope).
So clearly, not having one of these machines is sending you into financial ruin. What kind of wife would want their husband destroying their financial security?
How do you make/obtain your coffee today? If you’re using anything other than beans or the cheapest of ground coffee, an espresso machine will likely be cheaper over the long run. (I’m thinking about any retail solution or any type of pod device, primarily.)
If you are just a ‘black coffee’ drinker, you can get a more basic machine that will taste just as good and last just as long for a lot cheaper. I think I paid around $600 for my Jura ENA. (Several years ago. I think it would take ~$1,000 to get into any Jura today.) There are a lot of ways to get good coffee, it’s really just a fast/good/cheap trade off decision.
I've been on the home espresso/latte/cap bandwagon for about 10 years now, current machine of last 6 years is Breville Barista Express (burr grinder/espress/steamer all-in-one). Lavazza or Illy beans, primarily, plus some locally roasted.
I had a Breville Barista Express, but the grinder was noisy and less functional--so I got their standalone grinder (much more tolerable)--I just push a button and it grinds up the perfect amount (I pour it into a funnel-ring so i can tamp it down without making a mess).
It acted up and I got the Bambino Plus (since I had the separate grinder). It does really well (and the auto-milk steamer is handy).
As much as I like automating way too many things in my house (no SO to tell me no! ), I usually have the milk and a handful of syrups I've made in the fridge. It's a last minute decision on the flavor and not sure how that stuff would fare sitting out all night.
Maybe if it would do random, impressive latte art for me??
Brilliant! Appreciate the returned LOL
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I didn't pay anywhere near that much. My last two Jura machines have been factory refurbished units. You only get a one-year warranty instead of two, but I saved $700 on the Z10 and since I've never needed warranty service, I felt it was an acceptable risk.
), I usually have the milk and a handful of syrups I've made in the fridge. It's a last minute decision on the flavor and not sure how that stuff would fare sitting out all night.
