With s combined birthday and Christmas on the way I am having a look at as new coffee machine. Currently using a Nespresso but looking to something else.
To give you an idea, the Sage machines at 300 and 500 quid respectively look OK to me. The latter being a bean to cup and both being re badged Brevilles.
Can I do better in the same price bracket or are these about where it’s at?
< cough>aeropress< cough/>
Bialetti Mokkapot and a good grinder.
http://visiospective.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tesco_value_instant_coffee_granules.jpg
Mmmmmmmmm, yummy…
We have a Gaggia Classic with a Kitchen Aid grinder.
Works very well for us, no complaints.
I dont understand the point of nespresso type stuff.
Same set up here, and I am pleased with the results.
If you go for one, ditch the supplied single hole filter and little plastic doodah ( which is meant to help get a decent crema from the paper pods) and order a standard filter (and a backflushing one while you’re at it).
There is a coffee nerd site somewhere that gives loads of tweaks for the Classic. I keep meaning to upgrade the steam wand for a Rancillo wand to get a better froth, but I mostly drink espresso or americano so haven’t bothered yet.
put a Rancillo on ours, it really is worth it.
Bean-to-cup machines are great for convenience Bob, but the internal grinder is usually rubbish - as with hifi, you get a better cup with separates 
If you can afford a bit more (about £1200), these are superb.
Encourage a decent café to open up nearby. A grand buys a lot of cappuccino take outs.
I agree with everything Jim says. And of course when the internal grinder goes belly up you are left with a whole machine that is fit for the bin. A bit like when the cassette deck on your Sanyo music centre ate your tapes…
The machine Jim has is lovely and if (when) my existing Isomac machine goes pop again I’ll be replacing rather than repairing (parts are getting difficult to find) and the Vivaldi will be top of my list…shame about the red though…
How feckin’ much ?
Is that the coupe or the roadster ?
I’d look at something like https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/rancilio-silvia-2016-edition-espresso-machine.html
and then add a cheapy burr grinder to get you started https://www.amazon.co.uk/Krups-Expert-GVX231-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002H2IOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1479143408&sr=1-1&keywords=krups+burr+coffee+grinder
You can always upgrade to a Kondo Grinder later…
I have a Gaggia Titanium bean to cup, about £200 used on ebay, its had the odd issue but nothing I couldn’t solve with some parts off the internet. Its certainly on par if not better than the nespresso I have, and costs a lot less per cup.
I also have one of these, http://lelit-uk.co.uk/lelitpl042.html but I can never be bothered with the faff to use it.
Did you get the 3 hole nozzle?
This chap sells lots of refurbished Juras for not a lot: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Breiti-s-Rund-um-den-Kaffeeautomate/_i.html?_sop=1&rt=nc
I bought us a Delonghi ECAM bean to cup last Christmas. As we drink about 20 cups a day, the waste and cost of Nespresso was getting ridiculous.
It’s alright, it doesn’t grind fine enough, under loads and under tamps the shot. After much pissing about I’ve managed to get a passable cup of coffee.
I think if you want a bean to cup that produces good coffee, you need to spend considerably more than £500.
Your factory installation Jim?
Yep, they’re roasters.
It doesn’t have to be bean to cup, those were just examples in my price range. The budget is pretty much fixed in afraid, so more expensive machines are out for now. The three hundred quid Sage machines isn’t bean to cup. Will I get much of an improvement by spending a couple of hundred more on this type of machine or do I just spend the extras two hundred on a half decent grinder and some nice coffee?
PS, love the look of that machine Jim, one day.
