Hi,
Our De’Longhi Latissima Pro has died after over 3 years of regular use.
Looking at getting a new machine and wanting to upgrade to a more “bean to cup” experience to minimise buying coffees out as we work from home mainly.
We have a Harvey Norman $200 gift card so would love to use it on the right deal… thoughts? suggestion?
It wasn't very good, it's just a Beko machine that already sells for under $500 with retro stylings.
I hated Nespresso from the first time I tried it, always declined whenever it was on offer… and now proudly own a Breville Nespresso Creatista Pro ~$1,000. However my use case may be too different to yours - I'm the only coffee drinker in my houshold so make 1–2 coffees per day.
What changed your mind?
I used get 7g ESE pods for my DeLonghi Dedica EC685. MyCuppa used to supply excellent pods but their converter exited the market. I don't rate LuCaffe or Illy. So I had to switch formats. I like the Miele bean-to-cup machines but the model with adjustable milk temperature is pricey. Creatista Pro offers adjustable extraction volume and milk temperature. So I've now adapted to the lower 5g dose of Nespresso pods and I can make a wholly acceptable latte every morning. A barista can make a better coffee but only on a good day as the cafe sector has always been somewhat inconsistent.
Awesome, thanks.
Isn't the cost crazy doing it that way? To get equivalent of a cafe coffee you must be using 3-4 pods each time (assuming usual double shot of 16-19g)? What does that cost per coffee?
Have you ever tried something like the Clever Coffee dripper? They are a very cost effective way to use fresher beans if you ever want to try that.
@mjwills: I'm using a single 5g pod, milk volume adjusted down to suit. I tried two shots but it was too much, had me buzzing! It's actually cheaper because there are so many pods available at supermarkets in addition to the highly acceptable Nespresso Arpeggio. I did a deep dive into manual grinders but decided I couldn't be bothered for one shot per day.
Honestly I think you get a better coffee from a french press than a pod machine and even most high end auto office bean machines, albeit that its not as strong tasting as an espressor (but is often quite a bit smoother). May not be what you want, but you could give a try for $20 (or $25 at HN https://www.harveynorman.com.au/avanti-sorrento-4-cup-coffee… ). Although you will also need a grinder in due course; but in the interim can buy pre ground
Pod machines are fine for the office where no one will clean up a french press..
Otherwise the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista
I really like my breville express impress (despite the dumb name). It measures everything for you and you just need to heat the milk. The milk steaming could be a lot faster (my old delonghi was a lot quicker and it was $150) but it's simple enough for a zombie to make a good coffee.
i have used delonghi magnifica as semi auto machine for a number of years and been really happy - they have options for milk carafe or not depending on your preference
example from JB
How automated do you want it? You want a super automatic? Something else?
The general advice in that price point is one of the Brevilles. The Sunbeams are rubbish - ignore them. The Delonghi grinders aren't great.
The Breville Barista Express is a great all rounder for $600. It isn't great at anything - but will be a massive step up from a Nespresso.
If you like drinks with milk, consider one of the Brevilles with the automated milk frothing (Bambino Plus or Barista Touch or the Oracle).
If it was me, I'd ask Harvey Norman to price match the Bambino Plus for $399 from Amazon etc. Then add a grinder on top of that (the Smart Grinder Pro is roughly equivalent to what is built in to the Barista Express - but damn they have shot up in price). Maybe the Baratza Encore ESP?
But honestly, for where you are, the Barista Express is probably the way to go.
If you are happy to shop outside of Harvey Norman, a second hand Oracle is worth considering: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/176456459297
Do you want milk features?
If not, the smeg BCC01 deal a few weeks ago was decent. Smeg has it's issues but at that price point, it's hard to beat.