New coffee machine? Not sure what to get!

Raichu · 23-01-2023 12:34pm #1

Hi! I have a nespresso creastia pro or something. Things a piece of sh1t. Every time I steam milk it cuts out and requires cleaning, pain in the neck!

So it’s time to say goodbye and move onto a new machine. I’ve trained as a barista last year so I’m comfortable with a more manual machine, but that said my Mrs is not as clued in and she will use it so user experience is important. A semi automatic might be best, unless it’s not too much trouble to figure out for a novice.

budget wise I’m not fixed on price too much but trying to stay sub €1k really. But if there’s something you have and love that’s over that by all means give it a shout!

Raichu · 23-01-2023 12:35pm

Oh & I don’t drink much espresso as is it’s almost always cappuccino or latte. The steam wand needs to be considered it can’t be an afterthought! If it’s a nuisance to use a lot it will be a deal breaker tbh

bemak · 23-01-2023 12:46pm

i must say my mother has a creatista pro and i really like it for its convenience etc.

i have an ECM synchronika paired with a Niche grinder. its my dream setup. was an expensive outlay to start with but I stopped buying coffee out when I got it back in 2018. had a mazzer super jolly grinder initially which kept count of the number of coffees i made - 1400 up until a few months back when I bought the niche. 1400 coffees at even just €3 a pop equates to €4200 if I had bought them in a cafe. I've worked out that it costs me 80c for every coffee I make including electricity - so that works out at around €1150. Considering my setup cost me about €2400, the initial outlay is well justified at this point!

(had to edit maths as the mazzer counts double shots)

Raichu · 23-01-2023 12:52pm

Yeah it was a grand yoke at the beginning just pop a pod fill the jug and tap on the screen. This is my main concern honestly as I said my Mrs uses the CP and it’s simple but I’m not codding when I say every. single. time. now the steam wand locks out and requires cleaning. Usually halfway through steaming the milk, so your espresso is ice cold and the milk ends up with a funky texture and froth because it’s basically been steamed twice! 😅

That setup is glorious looking from what I saw online but also I don’t think it’s very beginner friendly so the Mrs might not enjoy it too much! But tempted..

RobertM · 23-01-2023 1:01pm

We had a Philips EP2200 for 3 years until it decided it didn't want to work anymore.

I've recently replaced it with a Delonghi Primadonna Soul. Think it was €999 in Harvey Norman. We love it. I'll do a bit of breakdown below.

Pro's

Simple to use. Can take either beans of freshly ground coffee and is very consistent.
Large amount of beverages to choose from. Layout on the display is easy to use.
It does tell you when you need to replace filter/descale based on usage. Usually we do 1 descale a month, 1 filter every 2 months. So you'll have to consider costs for these as well.
Milk system prompts a clean after every use so you don't just forget about it. The carafe can then be stored in the fridge.

Cons

They advertise you can use the app to remotely make a coffee etc. It is a horrible app. Constant disconnects, forgets the machine is even registered to the account. So I wouldn't base my decision on this.
It does use quite a lot of water, so the drip tray can get full quickly and there's no easy way to see how full it is until you take it apart and clean it.
Quite large so it does use a lot of counter top space.

Overall we quite enjoy it and makes great coffee consistently, whereas the other Philips we had was a bit hit and miss.

Raichu · 23-01-2023 1:08pm

Cheers I’ll have a looksy that ticks some boxes definitely. I’m over buying the pods at this stage so that’s handy it can use bags of coffee but also isn’t complicated for herself (or me even if I’m feeling lazy) which is great.

Id considered the sage barista express at one stage, but the creastia giving me this trouble put me off.

bemak · 23-01-2023 1:09pm

That setup is glorious looking from what I saw online but also I don’t think it’s very beginner friendly so the Mrs might not enjoy it too much! But tempted..

Ah I don't think my setup would be right for you - I suppose the point I was making was that you can justify the cost of a better machine if you use it a lot etc. I like the whole process - so it suits me. But if I was to step back from all that, I'd definitely be looking at the creatista as an alternative - if i wanted an easy life!

your machine sounds like it might need descaling or something - sounds like there is something blocking the wand which forces the machine to cut out when it records the pressure building higher than normal.

similar issue and fix here

Raichu · 23-01-2023 1:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145633#Comment_120145633

Oh it’s been descaled.. over and over.. I think it’s just f’d tbh. I could send it in for repair but I’d be without a machine for a while and I’d cave in and buy a new one anyway! 😂

bemak · 23-01-2023 1:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145665#Comment_120145665

I think a new one wouldn't be the worst idea. How long have you had that one?

Raichu · 23-01-2023 2:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145712#Comment_120145712

Uh about 2 years I’d say by now. Maybe a bit longer! I got it around covid time because I wasn’t comfortable going to the shop 5 times a day for a latte. 😂

barneygumble99 · 23-01-2023 2:20pm

We have a sage barista express , used for cappuccino 99% of the time. Wife uses it, she loves coffee and she has never complained about the machine, has it 2/3 years maybe.

Staplor · 23-01-2023 2:21pm

I have the Primadonna Soul machine too, so glad I got it, I wanted to get a Sage, but my wife said she'd never use it. So we took the easy option and we love the machine. My sister loved it, and she wanted one for her husband, he said he wanted the Sage. Same story, she said she wouldn't use it.

They used it for a week, then stopped because it is "too much work", they spent a grand on an ornament and are back on instant.

If I was a trained Barista I'd maybe get the Sage, but the option on pressing a button is so enticing at home. I can get a better coffee than the coffee chain shops or commercial machines from my kitchen. I cannot get it to specialty coffee shop levels and I'm ok with that.

Humria · 23-01-2023 4:32pm

We have the Sage Barista Pro. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to use. It has a digital monitor that tells you when to descale and clean it too which is handy. The coffee we make it often nicer than ones we buy out. Personally, I'd just get a better machine and show her how to use it step by step.

pc7 · 24-01-2023 10:41am

I have this and love it, so easy to use https://www.amazon.de/-/en/DeLonghi-Autentica-Cappuccino-29-660-SB-Automatic/dp/B00MOIE1E2/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1RE0QNMTEVC00&keywords=Autentica+Cappuccino+Bean+to+Cup&qid=1674553264&sprefix=autentica+cappuccino+bean+to+cup+coffee+machine%2Caps%2C56&sr=8-4

Perfect froth for milky coffees

zweton · 24-01-2023 12:36pm

Have you looked at the Jura E8 at all? Im on the lookout also for a new machine and these are highly recommended, i have been reviewing their facebook page to see what people that currently have one are saying. I wonder how it would compare with the Primadonna Soul machine you mention...Jura looks very simple to use also and self cleaning.

JURA E8 Automatic Coffee Machine Dark Inox Ireland — northXsouth Ireland

NSAman · 24-01-2023 12:50pm

I have a few Jura machines.

in a word they are fantastic. Was gifted the Giga 6which I thought was horrendously expensive. But 8 years later it is still pumping out coffee daily. Thankfully with regular maintenance and cleaning has been a complete workhorse.

I bought the E8 (older edition) for a small office. It has worked flawlessly for the past 4 years. It makes fantastic coffee. So much so, that a friend bought one for his office also.

I bought the new E8 for house in Ireland, love it!. Quieter than the older version but the UI is a little less intuitive. Quality of coffee output is still as good though.

with Jura regular cleaning brings much better longevity

Tazium · 24-01-2023 1:10pm

De’Longhi Primadonna Soul. It’s expensive but excellent. Fully automatic, takes 500grams of beans in the hopper, simple display to choose and adjust the parameters of your drink.

Tried a safe barista pro just before the soul and hated the sage. Too messy and inconsistent. And the build quality wasn’t where it needed to be at the price point.

zweton · 24-01-2023 1:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150119#Comment_120150119

Yeah i reckon i will pull the trigger on an E8, good to get your feedback, seems like a great machine. If i weigh it up against the Primadonna Soul i reckon the Jura E8 still wins especially in terms of longevity as you mention. Also seems very consistent.

zweton · 24-01-2023 1:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150119#Comment_120150119

Out of curiosity did you have a favourite bean you liked to use on the E8 machine? Someone mentioned on the FB group oily beans clog the machine faster on the E8.

NSAman · 24-01-2023 2:00pm

Have had no problems with clogging at all. In the office we use Starbucks espresso beans which are oily.

At home I use a dark roast from a friend who is a professional coffee roaster. The joys of friends with good jobs :)

the grinders need to be adjusted depending on the bean obviously, but once you get that, no clogging.

Raichu · 24-01-2023 6:25pm

cheers everyone so far appreciate the suggestions! I will have a proper look shortly at what’s been mentioned so far, I like the idea of automatics because they’re easy but also takes some of the fun out of it for me a bit (and the steam wands trigger me a bit, the creastia even when it’s working fine can be inconsistent texturing milk). But I’ll weigh up the options I have here.

I haven’t looked at all honestly before making the thread because the simple fact is there’s just so. many. machines. 😭

Newtown90 · 26-01-2023 9:02am

I'm going to bat for the old reliable.... Gaggia Classic and the Rancilio Silvia - both excellent machines for decent home coffee and can be picked up at a good price second hand. Have both in different houses and the Gaggia is 10 years old now throwing out exceptional shots. All they need is a bit of maintenance every so often.

zweton · 06-02-2023 10:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120152032#Comment_120152032

What did you end up going for?

New coffee machine? Not sure what to get!

Comments