OT: Espresso machines

@goodlistening64 - The basics espresso and single cup coffees are good.  The flavored, holiday one's are chemical garbage.  If you like Jaegermeister though you'd probably enjoy them.

OK, now that I think about it, I did just see a pair of speakers in Stereophile that used largely the same drivers I do selling for $125,000.... so maybe that's cost effective too?  Of course, that assumes the designer did a half decent job in the crossover design.

Erik I know you’re a DIY guy... about what does it take in cost to dabble in roasting? 

@akgwhiz To be fair only with speakers and cables.  My days of custom modding amps is over. 

Of all my DIY hobbies, nothing has been more cost effective than roasting my own beans.  I also buy from SweetMarias.com and the prices there vs. at the store or coffee shop are superb.

I use a very basic Fresh Roast which gets rave reviews from my neighbors.   They were not big coffee drinkers but when they had their second child I gave them some coffee and now it has become indispensable part of their routine.

It is limited in size (110g) and in my mind can’t do dark roasts consistently, but once you dial in the settings you can pretty much do a batch at a time and forget about it.  It’s also about the same width as my grinder, so while I complain each time that I can’t roast 500g at a time (near a pound) I also like that it doesn’t take any more room in my very small kitchen.  Also, because the batches are small the smoke is as well.

If you buy from SweetMarias you can get it with a sample set of beans.

Depends on your expectations and budget of course. More serious espresso nerds move on from Baratza due to the loud noise and the plastic gearbox that can fail

The noise is how the cats know when food is served.  Also, there is a nylon gear in there that is deliberately meant to break in case of a stone.  It’s like a fuse.  It blows to prevent the rest of the parts from breaking. Cheap to replace. There was also a significant upgrade several years ago, so not sure how "plastic" these models  really are but after 12 years the only thing I ever had to replace was the rotary switch which was $5.

Honestly though, if they make a slightly less noisy version I’d probably consider it.  

I wanted to +1 those who recommended the Baratza grinders.  I have a bargain version and the company is excellent to deal with and replacement parts are very reasonable not to mention the outstanding documentation they have posted in the past for difficult upgrades.

@rhg3  Those look very nice, I will look for one without a grinder though since I already have one.  The Bambino has been recommended to me as well and looks like a solid contender, especially for size.

Nice to know affordable replacement parts are available.

AHhh, ok so I don't want LED/LCD diplsays but I was thinking of something with a built in water tank, milk frother.  Not thinking about the mechanical types, but if others want to discuss sure. 

@whart by hand pulled, you mean the one's that literally have a lever on them you pull to push the water through?