Jim Becker and His Latte's

[Kevin Herber]

Jim - You often mention latte's and it sounds like you make them yourself. What brand of machine do you have? I love drinking the things but am tired of paying $5 each. I could pay for a good machine in short order.

Would appreciate any insight into brands and what to look for. Recipes and preparation tips most certainly welcome too.

Thanks -- Kevin

[Mark Singer]

I have the Pasquini....it has been sampled by several SMC ers....a great machine!


http://store1.yimg.com/I/zaccardis_1841_20952217

[Aaron Koehl]

I have a Starbuck's Barista Athena... and love it!

Nothing like a 32 oz Decaf Four Squirt Whole Milk Hazelnut Latte served to 157 degrees to get you started in the morning. ;)

[Jim Becker]

After beating the you-know-what out of a mid-priced Capresso machine we bought a few years ago, I "upgraded" to a pro-sumer machine in December. Although expensive, it pretty much pays for itself in about 325 servings if you consider the cost of going to Starbucks for a Venti Latté and the almost inevitable slice of something cake-like. Dr. SWMBO and I used to go out for breakfasts on the weekends to places like Starbucks or even some local diners. Not inexpensive. We stopped that a few years ago by making our own latté and cappuccino and recently added a bread machine to the kitchen arsenal to have fresh there, too.

But back to your main question, "What machine?" I almost bought a Giotto by ECM after reading some excellent reviews, but stumbled upon a nice machine imported by Chris' Coffee Service called the Andreja Premium (http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/espresso/andrejapremium). That and a decent grinder (http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/grinders/mistroplus) have really made the coffee a treat. I have the machine on a timer so it starts heating early in the morning (these things need to be on for about 45 minutes or more to reach proper temps through the machine even though the water is hot enough, per se, in about 10 minutes) and is ready to go when I/we stumble out of bed. (Neither of us are early risers...yet. I'm sure that will change when the kids we are adopting are permanent parts of our lives) Yes, not an inexpensive appliance, but the quality of the brew is equal to or often better than the coffee bars that charge $3-4 bucks for their product. It gets used nearly every day, too, since when I'm not traveling, my office is in the house. So it's actually cheap in the long run...depending on how you think. Kinda like tools... ;)

[Kent Parker]

Kevin,


I've been using this one since it was purchased in Italy some 20 years ago. It's Pavoni. Great little machine.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=19488&stc=1

You also might consider this one. Really a well built powerhouse. Great reputation.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=19489&stc=1

Its a Rancilio Silvia.

KP

[Matt Meiser]

I was watching this thread, but have kind of been blown away by the prices!

I'm also looking for something (I thought) decent. Right now we have a Mr. Coffee that is about 4-5 years old. It was maybe $40. The lid leaks, it is slow to heat, and the metal tube for foaming the milk is hard to clean. I was hoping I could get a good one for something like $100-150. I've realized that this is kind of like when I first started in woodworking and went to Sears to look at power tools. Sure, I thought I was getting the top of the line, but then I found the "real" tool stores (no offense meant to everyone who's bougtht Craftsman tools!) I think I've got the Harbor Freight model and am looking for a Ryobi?

[John Hart]

Matt,

I'd suggest the Melitta Mill & Brew. It goes for $100 but if you search around, you can get it for $50. Everyone has a sale going at different times. The reason I suggest it is because, it doesn't use filters so the chemicals from the paper don't end up in your coffee....You can throw beans in there and push the button and it grinds then brews....or you can just put in some Folgers and just brew. They are attractive machines, just as easy to load, clean, brew as the automatic drip makers and the coffee is 10 times tastier. Not to mention that it is extremely reliable. In my humble opinion of course. A good upgrade.

[John Hart]

I got pictures....Right now...Dillards for $40 and Target for $59

[Matt Meiser]

John, we actually have a Mr. Coffee expresso machine which is what I want to replace.

We bought a very similar coffee pot for my brother a few years ago for Chirstmas and he really likes it.

[John Hart]

Ah! Goofy me.... Wish I could delete my answer now. It doesn't follow the thread. Sorry all. :o

[Jim Becker]

Matt, it's important to understand that many of the machines mentioned above are not "coffee makers" in the common sense...while you can produce "Americanos" through dilution, these are essentially Espresso machines. The higher cost is because they contain pumps (for pressure) and so forth and operate very differently than a typical drip coffee maker. For those of use that prefer latté, cappucino, etc., they are essential tools. And there are more moderate priced units, too, which are great for the occasional espresso drinker.

That said, there are good coffee makers out there, such as the one that John mentions. You don't need to settle for mundane coffee...or worse...just buy a better machine. Yes, maybe you'll spend $100 instead of $29.95, but when you consider how long you will use the machine and the "cost per cup", it starts to seem very reasonable, especially if you are enjoying the brew. And BTW, one of the best investments is a decent grinder (burr type, not blade) so you can work with freshly ground coffee every day. Keep the beans in an air-tight container and only grind what you are going to immediately use. (I use a stainless steel container with a glass top that seals from Bed Bath & Beyond for that purpose)

[Matt Meiser]

And there are more moderate priced units, too, which are great for the occasional espresso drinker.

Jim, that's what I'm looking for, but I guess I'm not sure where to look.

I think the Mr. Coffee name is confusing--ours is (allegedly) an expresso machine:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006IUTZ.01._PE9_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Jim Becker]

Matt, that is an espresso machine, similar to the small Krups I had years ago before we bought the Capresso that we wore out finally last year. A good site to visit for reviews, etc., is CoffeeGeek (http://www.coffeegeek.com/). I found it quite useful when I was researching for a new machine in December.

[Tim Morton]

In a slightly off topic question while we are talking coffee/latte's. How do you guys keep your brew HOT after pouring? I have a bunn coffee maker that makes nice steaming hot coffee, and the first few sips are intoxicating, but I find that poured into a standard mug the coffee cools down in minutes to the point where it is dissapointingly hot. A travel mug helps to a point, but i would pay any amount of money to purchase a mug that holds the heat for a longer period of time. Oh and Jim, you might want to contact the webmaster for that coffee maker you linked us too...I'm sure that price must be an error:) thats almost a cabinet saw there!!! Course i haven't tasted the mojo though....so maybe it is a bargain.

[John Hart]

Hey Tim,

Yeah...I just got a mug from my girls. It's a stainless travel mug that's insulated and even when the top is off, the coffee stays hot. They got it at Starbucks. It's pretty nice. They bought it for me because I left my favorite mug on the top of the car and took off down the highway...:eek:

[Dan Mages]

I enjoy my $20 tea pot and my $25 per 4 oz leaf loose tea from www.rishitea.com. Boy that stuff is goood! It is even better when you use filtered water!

Dan

[Kent Parker]

Matt,

A great site for info on coffee, ect. is "Whole Latte Love" (do google search). You'll find they carry every thing from high to low end espresso machines, coffee grinders, parts and pieces and coffee too. The reviews for each machine are helpful in understanding the nuances of each and it can increase your level of coffee wisdom as well.

Good coffee is like good wine. Once you have experienced either, one's ambition is to continue to maintain the "oh my God that's great" level. It becomes a wanted part of you. ummm...I could say its like Saw Mill Creek...the all time great woodworkers forum. Plastered with great information and advise from some of the best folks around....Its addicting. It like having long distance neighbors.

A good espresso machine is a tool and depending on your expectations, they are priced accordingly. I've made good espresso and cappuccinos on a cheapo Krups machine and I've experienced great cappuccinos on high end machines.

Its kinda like once you learn how to sharpen your chisel with a mirror edge, you'll never be satisfied with a dull one.

KP

[Jim Becker]

Espresso People is also a good site for machines.

[Walt Pater]

I wholeheartedly recommend downscaling your coffee tastes. I did. I'm a recovering coffee snob. Whereas I still am a frequent user (8-10 cups/day), I simply couldn't continue the $10.99/lb habit. Here's what would happen: start the day with delicious, fragrant, freshly ground coffee. Go to work. get coffee from wherever (usually a corner store). Experience sipping hot water.
So I caved. Twelve dollar coffee maker from WM. CFON (Chock Full of Nuts) from a can, two and change. Hit it in the grinder for a pulse or two. Not bad. Fill up a thermos- save even more.
What's nice are those expressos I now get from time to time that REALLY STRIKE ME as excellent. And they are occasional pleasures, not something to which I have become accustomed.
I should also take the opportunity to rant about "gasavenience" stores which offer eight different coffees but not free air or water at the pump island.

[Jack Wood]

I think the word "Addiction" is apt for this section! I lived in Italy for 3 yrs and I haven't been able to kick the espresso, capuccino habbit since then! My advice is to not walk but run from the offering of this devils brew! :p

[Tim Morton]

I wholeheartedly recommend downscaling your coffee tastes. I did. I'm a recovering coffee snob. Whereas I still am a frequent user (8-10 cups/day), I simply couldn't continue the $10.99/lb habit. Here's what would happen: start the day with delicious, fragrant, freshly ground coffee. Go to work. get coffee from wherever (usually a corner store). Experience sipping hot water.
So I caved. Twelve dollar coffee maker from WM. CFON (Chock Full of Nuts) from a can, two and change. Hit it in the grinder for a pulse or two. Not bad. Fill up a thermos- save even more.
What's nice are those expressos I now get from time to time that REALLY STRIKE ME as excellent. And they are occasional pleasures, not something to which I have become accustomed.
I should also take the opportunity to rant about "gasavenience" stores which offer eight different coffees but not free air or water at the pump island.

Lifes too short to drink bad coffee!!! I no way can i stomach that swill that gets poured at the local cumby farms, and on the rare occasion where I can't find god beans and have to brew with MH or CFoN's...it throws my whole mood into a FUNK!!! (I say that sitting here sipping on a mediorce cup of coffee I brewed this morning..in an hour or so I have to take my daughter to swim practice and can get a good cup of starbucks and then maybe a hot plate of hash with poached eggs over them, then its back to digging footings for my deck because my neighbor is a schmuck and has not shown up with his tractor the past 2 days and LOML is starting to give me "the look"):cool:

[Walt Pater]

Tim, that's just your addiction talking;)

[Rob Blaustein]

I have the Pasquini....it has been sampled by several SMC ers....a great machine!


http://store1.yimg.com/I/zaccardis_1841_20952217

And I am one of those lucky samplers. Those fancy machines are super and make wonderful expresso/capuccino, but I think I'd rather take the $1500 or so and use it to fly back and forth to California several times to visit Mark again and have Mrs. Singer serve us our brews.

[Jim Becker]

Lifes too short to drink bad coffee!!! I no way can i stomach that swill that gets poured at the local cumby farms, and on the rare occasion where I can't find god beans and have to brew with MH or CFoN's...it throws my whole mood into a FUNK!!! (I say that sitting here sipping on a mediorce cup of coffee I brewed this morning..in an hour or so I have to take my daughter to swim practice and can get a good cup of starbucks and then maybe a hot plate of hash with poached eggs over them, then its back to digging footings for my deck because my neighbor is a schmuck and has not shown up with his tractor the past 2 days and LOML is starting to give me "the look"):cool:

I agree. I only have one per day, for the most part, but it's what sets the mood for the subsequent hours.

And if I lived close, I'd gladly show up with the tractor and PHD...digging post holes by hand is a pain in...so many things!

[Michael Ballent]

In a slightly off topic question while we are talking coffee/latte's. How do you guys keep your brew HOT after pouring? I have a bunn coffee maker that makes nice steaming hot coffee, and the first few sips are intoxicating, but I find that poured into a standard mug the coffee cools down in minutes to the point where it is dissapointingly hot. A travel mug helps to a point, but i would pay any amount of money to purchase a mug that holds the heat for a longer period of time. Oh and Jim, you might want to contact the webmaster for that coffee maker you linked us too...I'm sure that price must be an error:) thats almost a cabinet saw there!!! Course i haven't tasted the mojo though....so maybe it is a bargain.

What I have found is that you need to pre heat the cup(s) before you pour the java in. You can either run it under hot water, set your oven to warm, or have a maker that has a warmer on top.... Just like the restaurants that have warm plates before they plate the food so that it stays hot through the meal. Otherwise the heat from the coffee gets trasferred to the cup, lowering the temp of the coffee.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Go to work. get coffee from wherever (usually a corner store). Experience sipping hot water.


I used to have to get coffee on the road and that was the thing almost any where... hot carmel colored water. :mad: In a truck stop I once poured a taste in a cup to smell of it and turned up my nose and poured it out. The guy behind the counter said "What's wrong, you don't like strong coffee?" I said "I love strong coffee, but this watered down coffee started burning about four hours ago." Funny thing was that McDonalds would always brew a fresh pot and put a double pack in the brewer if you asked. I drove an 18 wheeler so you just didn't whip into a Starbucks.

Ernie

[Jim Young]

How's this for a coffee maker?
http://www.miele.com/images/mieleusa/cva/cvaBlack300_1.jpg
My parents bought one and now they are drinking coffee all day long.

[Jim Young]

For some reason only half the image is showing up.

http://www.miele.com/usa/cva/product.asp?model=59

[Jim Becker]

Jim, interesting anecdote about that Miele...a co-worker of Dr. SWMBO had a husband who insisted on getting this nice piece of kitchen hardware when they recently renovated. It was only after it was paid for an installed that they found out that none...not one...of his favorite coffee mugs would fit in it! ;)...including the ones their kids made and gave as gifts.

[Jim Young]

Jim -

How long have your parents had the Miele CVA615?

They have it since this past September. They use it all weekends and then often during the week. So far everything has worked fine. The issue I see with the thing is that it needs to be cleaned at the end of the day. Maybe the mechanical failures come from when people don't clean them, I'm just guessing.

My Mom has her sister send her the beans from Germany, she claims they taste better. It's funny to watch my Dad fiddle with it, he's not technically inclined.

[Jerry Clark]

To any of you coffee drinkers follow instructions

1. CLICK ON THE LINK (COFFEE MACHINE BELOW)
2. PUT THE COIN IN THE VENDING MACHINE
3. CHOOSE YOUR DRINK
4. CLICK ON THE CUP WHEN IT IS READY
5. CLICK ON "CUP"
ENJOY! Don't forget to click on "APRI" !!!



<o:p></o:p>

[John Hart]

So THAT's how it works!! I wondered where that interesting flavor came from!:D