I was feeling nominally good about myself, having finally tamed my espresso machine and gotten to a place where I'd actually rather sit at home and drink my own creations than mix among the masses at Starbucks. Then I had the misfortune to go over to my brother-in-law's house, where I was confronted with the $800 Espresso Machine of Doom that is not only pump-driven, so as to churn out a much higher quality of espresso product than my own machine, but also stores and grinds beans on demand, obviating the need for the separate grinding step and apparatus.
I was broken.
That is, until I found this badboy, who does all of the above, and will also store and chill milk for up to 18 hours.
Now I just need to find one that will harvest and roast beans to my specifications before grinding. And clean up after it's done. And help me understand commercial paper.
Mike,you'll be pleased to know your brother's machine is worthless. It won't get hot enough to produce a dark or thick enough "crema", no matter what you do. Plus, maintenance can be a pain in the neck. They've sacrificed quality for convenience.
Try a Mazzer-Luigi grinder and an Elektra lever-action machine. Alternatively, Rancilio makes very functional (but not as pretty) machines.
Posted by: Joseph Portera | June 24, 2006 at 09:50 AM
Hell, I can get good crema from my $29 Krups machine from Target. Just ignore the manufacturer's instructions and tamp the grounds, but that'll do it. If you grind your own beans, make sure that you have a burr grinder that crushes the beans between two plates rather than cutting them.
Commercial espresso machines don't have all the doohicky stuff, they just get the heat, pressure, and water flow right. I'd be much more impressed to see one of those in a kitchen than an "I'm-a-dumb-yuppie-who-can't-do-anything-for-myself" machine.
Posted by: | June 24, 2006 at 11:32 AM
It's nice that Williams Sonoma throws in 3 free bags of coffee ($24 value) with your $2000 espresso machine.
Posted by: | June 24, 2006 at 03:06 PM
Yeah, get a commercial espresso machine and look like a "dumb yuppie who CAN grind some beans."
Posted by: PG | June 24, 2006 at 03:45 PM
the only functional and pretty machine i see around here is joseph portera himself.
Posted by: tommy | June 24, 2006 at 05:25 PM
Threadjack here: Somebody from UT called your parent's house today. I was in the middle of a drunken orgy, but I'm sure I said only nice things about you.
Posted by: Mandy | June 26, 2006 at 12:59 AM
My pre-law-school job had a commercial machine that did everything that the WM Sonoma one does, fully automated with one button, a second bean hamper for decaf, and without any of Joseph's concerns about the consumer one. Let's just say that the entire company had a caffeine addiction problem.
I'm glad I've moved on from my old career, but I still miss that machine.
Posted by: turnarcunningham | June 27, 2006 at 05:09 PM