So… I don’t really drink much coffee, but sometimes I do and I like it. I’m considering to buy a small and cute expresso machine, but I read somewhere that these tiny coffee machines are shit. In concrete, I like this one (and it’s cheap! only 1990 NT at Carrefour and some other Ruten sellers):
My experience with buying low budget anything is that they break down in 2 months and you don’t save any money at all. I buy cheap belts and bags, and they break in two weeks.
Coffee wires me, I can’t drink it. For that money I would save my cash and find a decent coffee place nearby. Meet more ppl etc.
[quote]Really annoyed
2 out of 5, reviewed on Apr 26, 2015
Was extremely excited when I purchased my Electrolux coffee machine only to 9 months later it started playing up. First the capsules would not pierce properly, then the coffee would fill the cup up way too much & now way too less. Wasted so many coffee capsules trying to make coffees over many months. Really disappointed because now the coffee machine is pretty much useless to me and sits on the bench unworkable.[/quote]
[quote]Hi Cassandra,
Nicole from Electrolux here.
We were disappointed to hear you are experiencing an issue with your Electrolux appliance. If you wish to discuss this further please feel free to contact Nicole at customercare@electrolux.com.au
Thanks
Nicole
Electrolux Customer Care[/quote]
We have an Electrolux espresso machine similar to your first one but costing about $8000, and it broke down so many times I gave up getting it fixed. Go with the second option, or get a decent French Press. Something like this maybe goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21111036943922
I also vote for a simple French Press (esp the ones made by Bodum). But beware: coffee made this way does not lie. If the beans are good, it will be really good. And if the beans are bad …
Yeah a french press or aeropress are great if you want to make good coffee quickly. Otherwise learn to do a pour over. And yes to the purchasing of good, nay, great beans. Fortunately some of the best roasters in the world are in Taiwan.
Get the Bialetti! It will never break, can last you a life-time, doesn’t take up any space, and makes excellent coffee (if you like it strong). French presses are good too if you like lighter coffee, which if not my case. A word of warning with the Bialetti though: if you leave it on the stove once the coffee is out, 1. the coffee will boil and taste like arse, and 2. you might melt the rubber inside and destroy the pot.
Oh, and it gets better with age, as long as you just rinse it and don’t use soap to clean it.
Yep. I have gravitated to using a cloth filter whenever I brew coffees like yirgachefe, caturra, or Kenyan AA. Nothing like it but it is not a quick method as the pour over is slow and you must be conscientious with the cleanup.
Stay away from those cheap espresso machines. While it may seem strange, the grinder is actually more important than the espresso machine. A decent espresso-capable grinder will most likely be over NT$10,000. Decent espresso machines start closer to NT$20,000. Don’t go there unless you’re committed.
Get a decent grinder like the Feima 600N and either a French press, Aeropress, or Kalita Wave. You could get a Porlex grinder for your Aeropress as well. I’d avoid the mokka pot unless you know for certain you like really, really strong coffee.
Oh, yeah, make sure you’re using decent-quality, freshly roasted beans.
[quote=“SlowRain”]Stay away from those cheap espresso machines. While it may seem strange, the grinder is actually more important than the espresso machine. A decent espresso-capable grinder will most likely be over NT$10,000. Decent espresso machines start closer to NT$20,000. Don’t go there unless you’re committed.
Get a decent grinder like the Feima 600N and either a French press, Aeropress, or Kalita Wave. You could get a Porlex grinder for your Aeropress as well. I’d avoid the mokka pot unless you know for certain you like really, really strong coffee.
Oh, yeah, make sure you’re using decent-quality, freshly roasted beans.[/quote]
$$$
how about to use the grinder from let’s say Cama Cafe?
Do you mean buying a grinder from Cama, or do you mean having Cama grind the beans for you in their store?
I’d always, always, always recommend buying a decent grinder that’ll last you a decent amount of time and which will give you a decently even grind. I looked on Cama’s website, and they sell a hand grinder. Is that the one you mean? I have a similar one at home as a novelty, and it does a decent grind for French press. The only real advantage to this one is the short shaft, which may reduce the wobble. You can play with it in the store a bit before you buy it. Extend the grind adjustment out close to its maximum length for a coarse grind (for French press), and then see how much the burr wobbles as you move the handle from left to right. Basically, you want to buy a grinder that will give you an even grind size. You don’t want a wide range of large particles and fine dust. You want your ground coffee to be mostly the same size. If the burr wobbles around a lot, you won’t get an even grind, and your coffee won’t taste as good.
The Feima 600N retails anywhere from NT$2,500-3,000 and is worth it, even though it’s fugly. It’ll grind for most of your brewing needs. The Porlex I mentioned should be around NT$1,500, but it’ll only be good for Aeropress–maybe Kalita Wave–but not French press. The Hario Mini will be similar to the Porlex, and the Hario Skerton suffers from the burr-wobble problem I mentioned above. Otherwise, you’ll have to dish out a bit more money.
I’m curious about how different different grinders, machines, beans, roast times etc really are.
I assume double-blind tests have been done wherein only one variable is changed. Any links?
In blind taste tests, can average drinkers or even experts tell the difference between a cheap grinder and a grinder that’s over NT$10,000?
Can they tell the difference between the cheapest French press and the most expensive . . . whatever? I’m curious.
I’m sure there are real differences, but I wonder what percentage of tasters actually prefer one bean/grinder/method/machine/temperature/organic/etc over another.
Luck of the draw really. I probably have the same machine (sth like this), and it lasted for 5 years before we fixed it once for about $1200 last year–still using it. That’s two espressos a day x 365 x 5 … or ~3650 shots. Not bad considering ‘real’ espresso machines start at $25,000 and also have plenty of mechanical problems with heavy use (they cost a lot more to fix too). Coffee snobs will tell you to avoid cheap machines, and for straight espresso that’s true, but the Electrolux pulls a good enough shot for lattes and cafe au laits. Can’t recommend the cheaper model, but they sell an updated version of the $8000 one at Costco now, as well as the 600N grinder.
If you skip on buying a machine, I’d go for a basic pour-over cone set with filters instead of French press or stove-top espresso. The latter two are stronger and ‘siltier’, but you may prefer them if you’re a fan of cowboy coffee. If you’re in Taipei, try one of the Tiamo Cafe outlets. They have everything you need from cones, kettles, hand grinders, mechanical grinders, to fancy machines, etc. Decent copies of Japanese brands like Hario.
It’s most obvious with espresso, but the other brew methods as well. Aeropress is the most forgiving in my experience. I think French press can handle darker roasts well, but you still need a decent grinder. There’s little difference between brands of French presses. The Hario V60 requires a bit more precision. The beans, however, are a pretty obvious giveaway. Burnt, bitter, and stale vs. vibrant, fruity/nutty, and fresh.
But, yes, it is true that you can bury bad espresso with enough milk and flavored syrups. Starbucks has been turning a nice profit for decades doing just that.
My recommendation for most people wanting a home setup is either a Porlex and Aeropress for those on a budget or wanting small quantities. If you want larger quantities, a Feima 600N and either Aeropress, French press, or Kalita Wave 155 or 185–or all of them, if you want. Stay away from espresso unless you’re willing to spend some serious coin.
