I want to make proper coffee at home. I currently have Aldi coffee pod machine. I bought it for that caffeine hit in the morning. Now I am looking for something that also tastes good too. I guess I also need advice on a grinder, and good smooth coffee beans.
I hear that the difference between cheap and expensive machine are subtle. I just need something that makes better coffee than 7/11 automatic coffee.
So is the one to get the Moka Express or Brikka?
The Brikka in the description that it's better or is that just marketing spin?
I'm usually just espresso shot so 2-3 cup is enough is the size to get.
Thanks!
Got a Brikka 2-cup when Myer had a 30% off deal going on, paired with a Porlex Tall hand grinder.
The Brikka is nothing short of amazing, best $40 I ever spent.
Maybe get a better grinder, the Porlex is decent but not that consistent…
By the way, from trial and error I recommend ~50g water and ~15g coffee for a beautiful, espresso-like cup. Did this with the current house blend from Market Lane and was rewarded with the best cup of coffee I've ever tasted.
Typo: 60g water!
What's the difference between the moka and brikka?
@D6C1: brikka has a steel weight / "valve" where the coffee comes out, so a bit of pressure can build up before the coffee is extracted all at once (5 seconds). Moka percolates normally so usually no crema.
With the stovetop models, are you all drinking short/long blacks?
That's all I drink, so that's why I'm interested. Currently just drink instant Nescafé
There is also one that makes cappucino, it works a treat.
Jongyrocka (Sheldon Cooper would love this), you could not be more right.
I am no aficionado, nor do I have a palette to rival any Michelin star restaurant eating guru. But for me a coffee at home from a Bialetti Moka for $30 is, IMO, the only way to go, end of argument.
You going away and still want a good coffee, it can go with you! Camping, friends house, etc.
You will end up putting it in your little carry bag and leave your tea cup pig at home.
There are a few good coffee bean places(Melbourne), so I would suggest visiting them, asking them for advice re: beans, get some samples, and you will soon find the right combination.
P.S. - OP said a very important thing.
"I bought it for that caffeine hit in the morning. Now I am looking for something that also tastes good too"
Must it be new? If you're exploring and learning still, it's worth while getting a second hand machine before going brand new.
A working EM6910 + grinder can be had for as little as $200 second hand. I would not recommend anything less than a dual boiler.
I had an EM6910 for 7 years with the Sunbeam EM0480 Cafe Series Conical Burr Grinder and they have both been awesome.
The grinder is still going strong, however I upgraded my machine to the Sunbeam EM7000 recently (Paid $529 from Harvey Norman after sunbeam $100 cashback and also minus the $50 HN spend $350 promo). IMO I find it a better machine than the 6910.
Spend the money, if you love your coffee… you won't regret it.
Is EM7000 a dual boiler?
The EM7000 has Twin Thermoblock which allows you to extract the coffee shot whilst texturing your milk… I'm pretty sure that is the same as a dual boiler - that might just be a Breville fancy term….
IMO dual thermoblock is a much better option than dual boiler. The thermoblock, coupled with a PID, can respond to temperature changes much quicker and track a target temperature much better. As a result, the machine is ready to use sooner and can maintain optimal temperature during heavy use.
But.. the steam wand is not as quick as the breville.
However, another consideration is the footprint because the EM7000 is smaller than the dual boiler, which imo puts the em7000 ahead.
I have no first hand experience with the Breville. On the Sunbeam, you can program the steam temperature and steam pump duty cycle, which allows for about 25 different steam settings, so there's scope to customise. I'd recommend starting on the gentler settings when you are learning to work with milk and then turn it up towards fast'n'furious as you get better.
You don't need all 25 different settings for steam. All you need is the highest pressure, and the driest steam. If you aren't getting a good spin on the milk, then you're not getting the best results imho.
Check Gumtree for BES900/920 or 870. You should be able to find some decent deals. If new, BES870 is a decent machine to start with.
I would invest in a proper espresso machine instead of these home appliance branded ones, definitely more expensive like 4 times more, but if you are into coffee you can really taste the difference with proper equipment.
Single group head machines from expert espresso machine suppliers and makers cost 4K minimum (compared to a 3 group head machine with triple boilers 25k minimum is nothing) and last a lot longer than the previous home kitchen appliance brands I've owned.
Try these beans, it's my go to.
http://www.zestcoffee.com.au/shop/z-forte-dark
I worked in hospitality for 15 years. I can tell you the Breville bes 920 makes as good a coffee as the commercial 4 group La Cimbali worth over $30k that I used to use.
I know it's out of your budget but if you're looking for something long term and have some interest in experimenting with coffee (grind, tamp, blends etc) I highly recommend getting the Rancilio combo. These things are built to last and can produce some very decent coffee. If you're looking for 100% consistency then just get an automatic but if you think you're passionate about coffee then get this.
Note: Get the doserless grinder. The doser option may look good but it's not practical.
http://www.coffee-a-roma.com.au/shop/en/package-deals-12/ran…
The rocky is shit.
Lol thanks for the downvotes guys! Obviously you've never used one. Utter rubbish for the $, but hey it says Rancilio on it right?
It won't grind fine enough for espresso, it clumps, and it's inconsistent. The top burr is loose out of the box with no way of correcting. You'll be replacing burrs every ~2 years, $50 a set. At $499RRP you'd be better off saving half your money with a Breville smart grinder.
Mid range money ($200-$400)… Macap M2, Compak K3, or Mahlkonig/Baratza (Vario, Encore, Preciso). All are better than the rocky.
If you want to spend Rocky money ($500+) on a home grinder you'd be crazy not to step the extra ~$200 to a Mazzer Mini.
anybody has any suggestions on a good barista course? I kinda feel like I want to learn and practise a bit as a barista before getting my own equipment, sorry for hijacking your thread btw OP
Get a job at McDonalds…….
Somehow pressing a button for type of coffee, and a button for milk makes them a Barista……….
hehe I actually don't mind working as a barista to get some experience but I think you need to learn a bit before you become one right?
I quite like the people who have passion for coffee. They are baristas. I have no idea what is involved in becoming one. Is there a course?
@enzioFirenze: wow just altavistad this and they are 3-5 hours courses with accreditation. Wow maybe they are baristas at Macca's. A little surprised to be honest.
@enzioFirenze: yeah I am not on my meds so I am literally tripping….. He he he. Delving deeper into one of the sites they can also teach you artwork for $220+. Personally I appreciate the skill in artwork for photos and competitions but ffs I want mine to drink I want it strong with sugar I want it Hot and I want it now. Or whenever I can have it at your earliest convenience!!
Look at you tube. Plenty of instructions and tips.
My recommendation is don't bother. I've yet to see one that produces coffee as good as a decent cafe.
http://www.delonghi.com/en-au/products/coffee/coffee-makers/…
or whatever the current model is, we have had it for over 3 years and it is still going strong.
It gets used EVERYDAY because it's so user friendly and the cleanup is minimal (very very important as we want to spend more time enjoying drinking coffee than cleaning up all the coffee making equipment)
We have had everything from stovetop to lattissima and everything in between
Buy it right, buy it once and use it.
True story : Every couple of months we look around our kitchen and single out this machine as the best joy-for-buck buy ever.
PS : mmmhmm when paired with Campos Dark City beans https://www.camposcoffee.com/store/product/dark-city.aspx
I have got the same one and has done over 15000 coffees now. I mentioned in an earlier comment that I bought it second hand with 50 on the counter for $350. means the machine has cost me about $0.02 a coffee whilst the previous owner paid about $20 a coffee for hers.
Another EM6910 + EM480 user here, it's been 6 years and still it's still alive! Although I've had a few minor issues with it, one time the steam wand died, was replaced as it was part of a pump (5 year warranty on pump), and now, the pressure guage no longer works, but still, as always noisily (because of the thermoblocks) pours my wife and I coffees every morning.
Twin thermoblocks let me finish the milk the same time as my shot. Pedantic, I know.
Smallish footprint compared to the bigger Breville dual boiler
Proper full size portafilter.
Only annoyance is that the internal drip from the thermoblock inside, into the pan is not aligned properly, so over time the floor underneath the drip tray gets wet too.
EM480, is a good pair with the EM6910, although its design is really basic, you'll probably have to build your own shield (i did out of aluminium foil), to keep your bench top tidy from all the grounds flying out.
I've never had an issue with the drip tray. It stays perfectly dry underneath.
For the EM0480, back when I bought it, you could call the 1800 Sunbeam coffee machine support line and ask them to send you an antistatic silicone spout thingie free of charge. This slips over the diagonal spout and extends it, as well as changing the angle to point directly downwards. This results in a nice clean arrangement, with the spout directing the ground coffee into the centre of the the portafilter directly from above. It's a hell of a lot less messy than the "standard" configuration.
If I had to pick a fault with the EM0480, it would be the amount of ground coffee that can get stuck in the grinder. It's probably on the order of 3-5g. I believe the top of the range Breville grinder has a much shorter and more direct path, resulting in less coffee being left behind.
Agree with that, every month I have to clean out the 'long term grounds' stuck inside, it is quite ridiculous they expect the grounds to flow out of a horizontally designed surface.
I do have that silicon cover for the spout, which does bring it closer to my portafilter. However, there's still spillage. One thing I noticed was on the box, they tended to put the rubber pad upside down, which I'm sure is incorrect. I use it iwth the edgefacing up, and the grounds don't tend to 'spill towards the edge' anymore.
I upgraded to the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. When decommissioning the old Sunbeam EM0480, I did a proper clean out. I was surprised at just how much coffee was stuck inside the grinder. By the time I got it all out, there was enough ground coffee to make a plunger. Easily enough to fill a portafilter two times, maybe more. Certainly a lot more that 3-5g, more like 30-50g!
It's hard to go wrong with La Marzocco in a commercial setting. If they managed to translate all of the good bits into a smaller footprint that one can use at home, then this would be an excellent choice for someone who is serious about coffee. Kind of hard to justify the upgrade cost though. ;-) It's definitely a case of function over form, but I'd still like one.
So their budget is $600 including a grinder and you suggest this monster?
:D
Must be a military contractor IRL :P
second hand Silvia or Gaggia Classic and smart grinder pro.
Gaggia is bulletproof warms up very quickly and is good for making 2-4 coffees. Silvia takes longer to warm up but has larger boiler and can steam more milk.
Kind of overkill for me. Will only make 1 or 2 coffee a day.
Drink more coffee then.
Nespresso machine are good not too much chores in cleaning after coffee is ready, thats what I had to deal with sunbeam crema coffee machine
I am also planning to buy a coffee machine after having manual coffee for over 2 years the capsule one would be better, if you dont like the nespresso coffee buy refillable capsules and chuck in your own coffee into it and place it in pod …
I m plannig the same will let you know how it goes
Just make sure you recycle your nespresso pods. They are becoming a major landfill problem.
That is why u buy the refilled ones … u refill the steel pods keep using your own beans grind and fill the pods and place in nespresso machines
Quists coffee beans are better or one of these at coles are also ok to use.
I believe there are some models in the Sunbeam EM7000 series that can take capsules from about three different brands. That makes it an ideal compromise machine when you have one person that can't be bothered and only wants to throw in a capsule and press a button and another person who wants full control over the grind and extraction. Both can use the same machine.
FWIW I've had a Delonghi and a Sunbeam and what I got was nothing like cafe coffee. Most disappointed in both.
There's more to it than a brand name. It depends on which model machine, what grinder, what beans and very, very, very much on the skill of the operator.
I find that with my EM6910 + EM0480 and beans that I have roasted myself, I can produce coffee that is better than what 90% of the coffee shops around the place serve. On the other hand, there are places that will do better, such as Dose in Willoughby and it's always a nice treat to pick up a good single origin ristretto.
Agreed, skill of the operator is quite important which is where the pressure gauge on these $600+ machines comes in handy. Too coarse and the coffee will be like water and weak, too fine and the pressure will be off the charts and burn the coffee in the pour.
Soy milk can't be heated to the same levels as normal milk due to being affected from heat easier, though it can get to a point where normal milk can be heated too much too. 60-70 degrees is possibly the perfect temp but i can't drink normal milk due to allergies.
The difference between Coles/Woolies bought coffee beans is incomparable with fresh beans you buy from places like Manna on OZB. Sometimes the Coles/Woolies stuff is 1-2 years old which is stale in my books. My ex-housemate told me as he used to work in Woolies.
My favourite coffee is "The Hitman" from ONA in Canberra. One of the best roasts I have ever had that works with Soy.
Absolutely the skill of the operator comes into play. I've got a sunbeam and Breville and people comment that i make better coffees than cafes.
I am an ex barista, and I've made coffees that are about on par, and in some cases, even better than what I am now buying while on the other side of the counter. In addition, I've trained people on how to use their sunbeam machines, and then they've upgraded to the breville dual boiler since. Those lessons have meant that they're now making great coffees for their clients all these many years later.
Pretty happy with all the options currently available on the market, and at all these different price points, it's pretty awesome.
I get most of my coffee machines off the side of the road. Got a Breville 'the infuser' BES840 recently from a pile of rubbish. Almost always the milk frother has been neglected and needs a good poke with a pin. Other than that, good times. If my machine plays up and I don't have any luck on the streets, a cheapie from gumtree till I find something better (on the side of the road)!
Try out filter coffee methods - your pocket will thank you. Anything from an aeropress, V60, kalita, moccamaster, etc. If you put any 3rd wave single origin bean through you'll experience a new level of appreciation for coffee flavours and complexity.
If you can't live without a traditional espresso-based coffee though, then any of the great mentions above (Breville DB, Rancilio, or any cheap E61-based machine) will do you fine on your budget, 2nd hand of course.
To be honest, 7-11 coffee is pretty damn good for the price and you'd be hard pressed to better it without spending over $1k on a grinder+machine setup. Though a working barista would probably be able to produce a reasonable result on a sub-$1k machine - a lot of a good coffee is learning how to use the tools you have to work with and the principles of coffee extraction.
Interesting that no one has mentioned a French press yet? I own this one in both the 8 cup and 4 cup version (4 cup is good for one person) http://coffeemakerpicks.com/best-french-press/bodum-chambord…
I believe mixing it up is good and also fun. The key is to have a good burr grinder. Sunbeam seem to sell good ones at reasonable prices
After you get your burr grinder， you can get yourself the following:
- a French press (size to your liking). Roughly $20—$40
- an Aeropress. roughly $40
- a stovetop moka pot. Roughly $20—30
I find this fun as you notice subtleties in taste based on which method you brew. My two cents anyway.
P.s. i own a delonghi magnifica s.cam 22.110 purchased though the factory second sale on OB previously. This is my current way of making coffee day-to-day.
This.
A French press is the easiest way to make a decent black coffee with course ground beans.
It is so forgiving and easy.
Even great for making an excellent cold brew coffee overnight for the summer months without expensive equipment!
Aeropress and moka for espresso style.
Coupled with good beans, on to a winner!
I had and still have boiler/pressure coffee machine, then changed to capsule and now using Vietnamese drip. Drip FTW!
I had Vietnamese Drip once, it took about 3 courses of antibiotics to get rid of it… :P
Bugger next time go 'short time'
I second anyone here that says EM7000 and EM0480 grinder. I love my machine and just had my second coffee today. The best thing since sliced bread.
I also have an "electric stove top" Delonghi EMK6A at work since it would be too much hassle to drive home to make myself a coffee on my machine. It's a cheaper alternative to bought coffees and tastes quite good too. It works in the same way a stovetop version does, minus the stovetop. It has lasted me a good 2 years and counting so far. There are the rubber seals you do need to replace from time to time. https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/delonghi-coffee-machine-…. You can find cheaper clones of it on EBay but i have an original Delonghi version.
The coffee i grind with my EM0480 works with the Delonghi and EM7000 so no need to keep changing grind coarseness.
Will also try my hand at cold brew eventually too. http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/how-to…
Yes, I am an addict……
Here you go.
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/sunbeam-espresso-machine-and-…
Sunbeam PU6910. Dual barr and comes with a separate grinder in your price range. Have been using mine for around 5 years. Rather loud, but makes a great cuppa. This is the best you're going to get in your price range, but it is a great machine. If you can stretch it I'd get the Breville BRP920BSS. Dual Boiler, quieter and sexier.
The EM700 is better than the PU6910, but is out of your budget range.
Zealmax do you drink milk based or black coffee?
With your budget you should try and spend 400 or thereabouts on a grinder and save for a better machine. Aeropress with grinder will fit the bill.
That way when you upgrade because no matter what happens you always do you need not upgrade the grinder! Compak K3 is a good start. Try to find one for 400ish!
I dont see any comments on Jura, my parents have one, but it doesnt make good coffee. Could be cheapo beans. Is Jura any good or just overpriced? Also where can they buy good beans in Melb?
Jura is fully automated, overpriced and pretty much irreparable or at least not worth fixing when it has a serious fault. The coffee it makes is not very good by modern coffee machine standards. Back when Jura were the new kid on the block, they were probably the best option for someone who wanted something better than instant coffee and didn't want to do more work than push a button. The pod machines have killed Jura.
My friend owns a roastery, it's called the Maling Room and it is in Canterbury. Really passionate, fantastic coffee.
http://malingroom.com.au/
I just got me a Jura as we have one at work.
If you after fully automatic - one touch - while you're still half asleep then Jura makes excellent coffee.
I taste the coffee and am always in search of better blends with smooth Latte / Cappa / Mocha / Flat / Long / Short coffees…
Jura may be expensive - but you surely get what you pay for - Unless it's an OzBargained bargain!
A mate of mine would be like "Want a coffee mate? and I would be like "yeah mate"
With his Breville - My cravings gone and he his still grinding the beans and messing the entire kitchen - WAF is pretty low at his abode!
I find it is very hit and miss with quality of coffee. That being said, it is pushing 5 years old.
It isn't cheap but the worst coffee it has ever made is better than the best a pod machine can make.
You won't get a decent automatic espresso grinder with that budget, but you can get a Lido 3 manual espresso grinder for around $350. As many ozbargainers have suggested, a moka pot (stainless steel, not aluminium) is a great deal cheaper and will give you decent espresso, particularly in combination with a good grinder like the Lido.
If you are set on a machine, stretch the budget to a Ranchilio Silvia or a refurbished Gaggia Classic. These are reliable, well-built machines that should keep on chugging long after your cheaper brevilles and sunbeams die.
I'm not all that convinced on the reliability claims on the Gaggia. Admittedly I don't have a large enough sample size to make any statistically significant inferences, but every owner of a Gaggia that I have personally known had some issues with it that either required servicing or they learned to live with a quirk of the machine.
Happy Silvia users are compulsive tweakers and OCD types. You know, the type that will weigh each shot of coffee to the nearest 0.1g ;-)
Happy Silvia users are compulsive tweakers and OCD types.
Varying degrees. :) I just found a good dose length and grind on my Breville smart grinder. No further tweaking required. :D
For the record - The type of milk you use makes a massive difference to your home coffee experience. People saying they can't get a café coffee from a home machine… IMO you can make much better!! Buy a good quality unhomogenized milk e.g. Maleny Dairies and decent beans (Tim Adams Beans)… and bingo, beautiful, much nicer than one you will get in a café with Lavazza and $2 milk!
Unhomogenised milk? Uhh, is that safe?
Unhomogenised milk is perfectly safe. It means that it will split into layers, with cream floating to the top. You actually don't have to go into the trouble of sourcing unhomogenised milk. An alternative is to use normal supermarket milk and add about 20% cream to your jug. You'll get heaps more flavour and a lovely silky texture.
In terms of food safety, you might be thinking of unpasteurised milk, which could be a food safety concern if it was sold for human consumption purposes. You can actually get safe unpasteurised milk - Harris Farm have a milk that has been pressure treated to kill any harmful bacteria.
Yeah it sure is, it's when it's not pasteurised that it can contain the nasty bugs. A lot of milk producers are starting to do unhomogenised milk for the supermarkets now. Try it, it's beautiful!! And you get the cream on the top also.
Try it, you won't look back!
Raw milk cannot be sold to consumers in Vic.
I will stick to the two buck chuck milk
Unhomogenised is not raw milk. You can buy it in supermarkets, woollies Coles etc. there are lots of brands to buy.
it just means the the cream is not permanently mixed, it will float to the top.
You are thinking unpasteurised milk where the germs are not killed.
I'm confused about the whole homo thing.
I had the EM6910 and would recommend that package with the grinder. It is a run out model now so it's a great price especially when packaged with the grinder. The next step up from that machine is to go to a boiler machine which will cost a lot more.
There are heaps of secondhand machines around though. A secondhand BES900 or BES920 would be a great option.
I've got this (https://www.breville.com.au/the-infuser.html) when I no longer can be satisfied with my nespresso machine. Got it over Christmas sale so was around upper 400? I used to be a barista and this machine can easily make nice coffee with little effort. Not much needs to do to maintain it either.
If you have a bit more budget the version with in-built grinder sounds like a good idea (https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/breville-the-barista-espresso…)
la marzocco linea mini + kony-e …
had this in my home for a short period of time before a cafe was fitted out, you'll never have to spend a dime at your local coffee shop again.
It will easily churn out coffee better than any cafe who has a half decent barista that actually knows what they are doing.
i've downgraded to a rocket r58 db + vario for filter + kompak k3 push for espresso.
la marzocco linea mini + kony-e
Would be nice, but the OP has a budget of $600 not $6,000+.
Ohhhh how I've coveted that R58.
What are your thoughts on the shots from the R58 vs the Linea? Much in it?
The downgrade was from kony-e to k3touch, differences in taste between the R58 and mini is negligible and you can plumb in the R58 out of the box.
I believe you can pre infuse on the mini but not on the R58, but again taste differences were indistinguishable. Perhaps look at the new R60V or the Vesuvious for pressure profiling as an added/debatably useful feature for the prosumer. I realise unless you have access to cheap beans, playing around with pressure profiling always ends up in a less consistent cup of coffee each time.
Not sure if this is relevant…but places that sell coffee beans like kakulas brothers will grind the beans for u if u ask them to….also I use a Nespresso Inissia which cost me $79 and works great for me but apparently everyone here hates Nespresso so….feel free to ignore me 😂
Unless you can get those ground beans into your coffee machine within 3 minutes of buying them, you are just wasting good coffee. If you care about the quality of the coffee you drink, you need to grind as required.
I'm very happy with the EM7000. Miles ahead of my previous machine.
Also good that it includes a proper filter basket (many or most mentioned here do not) and a passable tamper out of the box. Nice portafilter (handle). Twin boiler is great.
Or get a $300 machine (Target often has bundles with a decent grinder) and learn on it, see if you're really interested and then spend big bucks when it breaks.
wait for a deal on an automatic machine on here. personally, i just bought refillable coffee capsules and use the cheapest ground coffee with a nespresso machine. still tastes better than cafe coffee IMO
I guess it is similar to a manual coffee machine when using refillable capsules. I find the capsules to be too small to make a coffee. Need to use 2 to get any taste out of it.
Try trung Nguyen creative 1. I wasn't a fan if Vietnamese coffee until I went there. They are good. Lately I've been trying all their blends.
i just changed my drinking style. i press the short black button, and have it black or with a tiny bit of milk. apparently coffee becomes bitter after 30 seconds of brewing, so you drink it asap.
I've got one of these - only $189
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/breville-cafe-venezia-espress…
I love my coffee and this little machine does a good job
*oops here it is for less
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/182260225166?lpid=107&chn=ps
and I also use Aldi coffee beans
@nrg2010:
It's not the equipment I'd be questioning as much as the choice of beans. Lavazza Oro Gold (BTW: Oro is Italian for gold) or any other supermarket shrink wrapped coffee will not allow you to produce amazing coffee.
I'm fully behind going into extra effort to make decent coffee, that's why I roast my own in small batches and frequently. I find that the 5-10 day window is optimal. Anything over two weeks starts declining on an almost daily basis. A coffee that has been roasted a month ago is bordering on crap, no matter how you package it.