Stok, I need your adviceFollow

As the coffee professional of the board I'd appreciate a bit of advice.

Our espresso machine died and I need a replacement. Now this machine will not be countertop decoration, it will be used almost daily. We've done a little shopping and frankly, I'm not seeing a lot of options in the stores. I'm also not all that knowledgable so I don't trust myself not to get ripped off. Is there something respectable in the two hundred dollar range or am I out of my mind?

My husband's an ex-barrista so he does know how to mantain, clean and keep a machine properly calibrated (and he makes the best lattes and mochas ever).

Seeing as you're in the business and all, I figure you probably have the best handle on the latest info.

Thanks!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38252&item=4320369704&rd=1


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14309&item=4320320635&rd=1

no idea what all this **** is but you get a video with it! ooooh!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38252&item=4319985752&rd=1

i had no idea how expensive coffee machines can be, and how amny people would want to sell them on ebay

Well I'm game for that, but of course they don't brew themselves into delicious espresso.

Give up coffee, start drinking tea. You know it makes sense.

There's room in my life for both.

If you drink tea, do you drink bagged or loose leaf tea? loose leaf tea is a better product where as bagged tea is often times the left overs from the loose leaf tea.

A nice Earl Grey White Tip for a strong black tea.

We sell a lot of Green Mango tea for a flavored Iced Tea.

A black hunan for regular iced tea.

When we're too lazy to stop at the tea shop, we'll settle for bagged tea, but I agree, the loose leaf is better. My husband prefers the black tea, I often opt for the herbal.

I know Krups is a popular brand, but most people I know with espresso machines got them as gifts or because it was the "in" thing to do. They use the machine twice, with mediocre to disasterous results, then buy the self foaming packet cappuccino.

That's what pops into my mind when I hear "popular". Yes, I can be that cynical. I'm glad to hear from Nobby, who I figure probably actually uses his machine.

When we get a house I'm sure my husband would love to have a commercial grade machine installed. Of course my financial priority is on silly things like furnature and applicances.

Thanks for the site leads. I'll check them out.

I think that's true of a lot of domestic machines, but as I'm nothing without my caffeine fix in a morning, mine takes some hammer.

I use it daily and it's reliable, easy to keep clean, and it also does that ***** frothy milk cappucino stuff for the kids. Previous cheap models just didn't do the biz (Valves that weakened, loss of pressure, crappy thermostats etc.). If you're just making coffee for 1 or 2 peeps I'd recommend it.

Wouldn't this put you out of business? I buy espresso ground coffee and put it in my dripper, does this make me a bad person. I like it, it makes a really strong non-bitter coffee, with almost no effort.

No it wouldn't put me out of business. We are here not only for the coffee but for the atmosphere and entertainment. The more people that drink espresso based drinks the stronger and larger our customer base would become. You can grill a steak in the back yard but you still go out to Ruth Chris for a Fine Steak and the atmosphere.

I'll be a **** if Flea is my *****.

A male lesbian, who'd of thunk'd it.

Edited, Mon Aug 30 14:27:13 2004 by Stok

Lol, more like a delusional ****.

Everybody in their right mind knows that in a Stok/Flea relationship, you would so be the *****.

Looks like you're about to "finish" so I'll be nice.

Yes, it'd be a Flea/Stok relationship.

/waits for the big O

K, was that enough? Feel relieved now?