Decent Coffee Machine

[Ikemi]

I'm a bit partial to a nice coffee and I am a regular customer at the coffee shop just down the road from my workplace. Personally I like lattes and I'd like to be able to recreate a decent latte at home, as well as the usual

I'm tempted by the Gaggia Baby Class D, although it is fairly expensive. There is also the Baby Class and the Baby - There doesn't seem to be a huge difference between them. The Class D has a dosing system to allow you to choose just the right amount of coffee and incorporates touch sensitive buttons. The Baby Class is similar to the Baby, but in stainless steel.

What would you choose? Any other suggestions for a coffee machine? Would you trust buying a new machine from a seller on eBay? It usually wouldn't bother me and there are some good deals on eBay, but I have a level of uncertainty considering the price!

Cheers!

[toasty]

It depends on how fussy you are about your coffee.

Personally, I like Nespresso coffee and the ease of use. I'd recommend trying a cup before discounting it.

Some others think that bean to cup is the only way to go, some are content with Happy Shopper instant.

[Ikemi]

Yeah, it's a bit of a mine field when it comes to coffee machines! I had my heart set on a Gaggia, but this looks better in terms of functionality:

DeLonghi Magnifica

Bean-to-cup, frother and adjustable height for mugs for £300 ... It can make cappuccinos, so will it make lattes as well?

Edited by Ikemi on Thursday 10th September 23:13

[sherman]

I have one of these at home and it will replicate any shop bought latte you have tried very well. You just need to practice frothing the milk.

[Ikemi]

sherman said:

I have one of these at home and it will replicate any shop bought latte you have tried very well (Francis Francis X1). You just need to practice frothing the milk.

Interesting! Will it allow for normal sized mugs and is it relatively easy to clean?

[Mobile Chicane]

toasty said:

Personally, I like Nespresso coffee and the ease of use. I'd recommend trying a cup before discounting it.

^^^ This.

I'm very fussy about coffee and didn't expect to like Nespresso. Having tried it I immediately went out and bought a machine.

[sherman]

Ikemi said:

sherman said:

I have one of these at home and it will replicate any shop bought latte you have tried very well (Francis Francis X1). You just need to practice frothing the milk.

Interesting! Will it allow for normal sized mugs and is it relatively easy to clean?

You can only fit an espresso cup under it. The steamer nozzel has enough space to fit a decent sized jug to froth your milk in though.

[jamiebae]

Mobile Chicane said:

toasty said:

Personally, I like Nespresso coffee and the ease of use. I'd recommend trying a cup before discounting it.

^^^ This.

I'm very fussy about coffee and didn't expect to like Nespresso. Having tried it I immediately went out and bought a machine.

Agreed, if you go to Steamer Trading in Thame they have demo machines for you to try, well worth a look. I have a Gaggia Coffee Deluxe and it's fine for making 1 or 2 lattes but trying to make many more the milk arm runs out of steam pretty quickly. My Nespresso machine here makes better coffee than most coffee shops to my taste too.

[sleep envy]

I've got a Baby Class D and I'm pretty happy with it

only downside is it will only froth two cups of milk and the shower head will need pulling apart to clean every three months or so - it's a twenty minute job and a pretty fidly affair

would I buy one again? yes

[Ikemi]

BAHN-STORMA said:

Gaggia machines are great (even though I recently replaced mine with a De Longhi!).

Just be aware that the UK distributer recently went bust, so apparently there are problems getting spares at the moment - not sure what the warranty implications are...

I've just bought a Delonghi Perfecta 5400 ... 'Tis most excellent and I'm enjoying a latte this minute! Thanks for the advice all

[sleep envy]

a latte at 8.30 in the evening????

:thud:

[rossc]

BAHN-STORMA said:

Gaggia machines are great (even though I recently replaced mine with a De Longhi!).

Just be aware that the UK distributer recently went bust, so apparently there are problems getting spares at the moment - not sure what the warranty implications are...

• ding*

I recently made the fatal error of ignoring the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra and ran a descaling solution through my well used and abused Gaggia Classic. Naturally its dislodged some crud somewhere and now theres a blockage and nothing flows through. No luck from Gaggia UK, as above, and to be honest having stripped it down and had a poke inside its going to be a replacement part somewhere...

So......new espresso machine me thinks !

Are the Nespresso machines really as good as the hype leads you to believe ? I'm sorely tempted, probably with the Magimix Auto M200. I like the idea of the coffee always being fresh with the sealed pods although realise there's a cost involved rather than buyer loose.

Any opinions ? I love my coffee but not enough to get too geeky about it...

[jamiebae]

Most decent shops will let you try before you buy so go and taste a Nespresso coffee and see what you think. If there's a Steamer Trading shop near you they usually have 'demo' machines, as does John Lewis.

I really like mine but others on here are not quite as keen.

[Ikemi]

sleep envy said:

a latte at 8.30 in the evening????

:thud:

I know, the Italians would shoot me Hehe!

[Crombers]

Came home yesterday from a business trip to Dublin, stayed at the rather pleasant Radisson in Golden Lane which had a Magimix M200 Auto Nespresso device in the room. I'm Sold!

Having spent years messing about with coffee machines of varying value I've finally found something which makes a superb tasting coffee, better than most high street chains and best of all you don't have to clean the blighter!

I'm off to John Lewis Reading with a stash of gift vouchers today to pick up one of my own!