If you can collect from Gosport I have very reliable Sage Barista Express you could have for £200. I’m emigrating to Spain tomorrow night and I’m buying a Bianca when I arrive.

    -Mac thanks for the offer - but I am not rushing into any purchases.

    Good luck with move abroad!

      So continuing on… currently I am working through Rave Italian and Signature blends - along with a Rave Swiss Decaff.

      I do have a couple of other brands coffee which I picked up on one of the offers mentioned here (which for now has totally evaded me)

      In my research which seems to involve every coffee related youtube video - and a few (alot) of the machine based threads here.. I am also leaning towards the smaller simpler end of machine.

      Though the Bianca would cover everything you could every need - I am now also looking at the simpler models.

      So both the Mara X and Profitec 400 are also possibilities. I wonder if I need all the bells and whistles and instead just need a simple workflow to make good coffee (and anything to stop me continously tinkering)

      Whilst I deliberate (and what for stock to hit the UK again) I am also looking at improving my moka pots - I have been looking to buy a E&B Lab moka competition filter - which basically shrinks the holes in the filter. It costs about 14-20 euros for the 3 cup version - but try as I might if I want to buy one here it will cost about £40…

      The joys of Brexit.. I did find it on a spanish site but they wanted 25 euros postage for a filter… very sad. Might have to wait until I am next on holiday in Europe to pick oneup :)

        MattH I wonder if I need all the bells and whistles and instead just need a simple workflow to make good coffee (and anything to stop me continously tinkering)

        You can make good coffee with a V60 which costs about £10. So you ask: why bother with fancy machines? It depends what you want. With the MaraX, you can make excellent coffee, same with the Pro-400. The Bianca has a quiet and rotary pump - which doesn’t impact the quality of the coffee. But it has a flow control valve, and allows you to have a fine control of the brew temperature and steam temperature, along with some pre-infusion features.

        I don’t remember which machine you have, but upgrading is a very complex decision. I myself found slight overwhelming when upgraded from my Gaggia Classic.

        Ultimately, find what you want and plan ahead. The worst possible outcome is that you to for the Pro-400 and then start wondering if, for a given coffee, you’d have been better off with some of the features of the Bianca.

            MattH - not sure whereabouts you are, but there’s a V Evo listed for £1,600. It’s a big machine… Bargain of the century.

            EDIT: I just checked the advert again (9 hours later) and the post has been deleted. 🤷

                MattH IF you are interested, there are members with an Evo nearer to you (me for example - near Oxford). You’d be welcome to see the machine and try it - if it ‘works’ you can then think about a trip to Newcastle…

                  It’s worth pointing out the joys of ownership factor and other aspects which don’t necessarily impact the quality of the coffee and can factor differently for different people.

                  Aesthetics being the obvious one.

                  The rotary pump is also mentioned above. There’s a significant difference in volume, some people could literally not care less, for some they couldn’t imagine going back to a vibration pump.

                  Maintenance. An E61 machine needs regular minor disassembly and lubrication. It’s not a big job by any means but it’s a job nonetheless.

                  Dual-boiler. This is a bit more of a functional one. If you drink a lot of milk drinks I’d personally say it’s almost imperative that you go dual boiler for efficiency and temperature stability when steaming milk.

                  It’s an expensive purchase and there are arguably more factors than just ‘great coffee’ which most of the available machines are ultimately capable of.

                  It’s how I ended up with a Linea Mini. On paper it does less than the Bianca I had which is an incredibly capable endgame machine but I enjoy owning and using the Linea more.

                    Ernie1 Totally agree hence why I am not rushing this - and probably why I bought the Mazzer Omega - not the cheapest hand grinder but the fit, finish and construction give me pleasure when using it. It’s easy to dismantle and there is not fiddling around with resetting to zero etc once its been cleaned.

                    The same points stand for me around hifi - its got to sound great (which most hifi does) but its got to look great as its part of my room. (Interesting I have realised that my hifi is Italian as well :) )

                    From my browsing the Linea mini/micro are visually right up my street - in fact I did click eagerly when I saw Lance’s video on the micro - and then baulked a bit at the cost.

                    But if I had the budget it would be up there on the list from how it looks and is built (and in terms of the micro size wise for my kitchen it would be perfect) Not sure I would ever look at the large lever machines purely because of the space needed. Think I would have to have a dedicated coffee island to manage something like that.

                    Reading the thread on the Nirva - thats another beautiful machine (and I love the colours and side panel options).

                    Maybe I will have a win on the lotto and then I would not need to think too hard :)

                    Thanks

                    Matt

                      I totally agree, fit and finish is hugely important for me when spending a lot of money.

                      I’m going to make a controversial point.

                      Personally, and I say this having owned one for a year or so, I don’t think the the Bianca is as well made as it could be. There’s some quite thin gauge steel, some very sharp edges (I sliced my finger pretty bad when cleaning it) and the steam/hot water tap handles weren’t drilled dead centre on mine so they kind of wobbled loose when opening.

                      However, it’s a feature packed machine so despite the above I’d say it’s still worth the price compared to others.

                      In terms of build quality and finish, the Linea Mini is in another league entirely, it’s not even close. Even the stainless portafilter (vs chromed brass) feels quality.

                      Obviously though this has zero impact on the coffee output and people regularly point out how expensive it is for what you get and I can’t disagree.

                      The Micra makes some compromises that would be a deal breaker for me. Plastic parts on the Portafilter and a tiny working space. For the difference in cost the Micra only seems to make sense if space is at a premium.

                      When you get closer to a decision, I’d recommend visiting a showroom to see machines in person if at all possible.

                        Ernie1 Whole Latte Love reviewed the Bianca a while back and they mentioned some of the fit and finishing was a bit rough and ready.

                        I wouldn’t expect a dual boiler at £2K to be comparable to a machine that costs twice as much in terms of finish, it has to compromise somewhere to be that price.

                            whinmoor85

                            For sure. Again, I’ve no doubt an enormous premium on the Linea Mini is for the name but it’s incredibly well built with a very durable feel to the materials and interfaces.

                            As you say, there’s got to be a compromise and if I was buying again with a £2k budget I wouldn’t hesitate to have another Bianca.

                              Just noticed the bare micra is 2.9k - alot of money but its lovely 😂

                              16 days later

                              Well time moves on…. I have couple of small bits arriving this week for my mokapot - but on the subject of Espresso..

                              I am considering a small starting step - and have been seriously considering the 9 barista - but instead I think I will pick up a Flair Pro 2 . It should give me a good start in making espresso - and will fit into my current workflow (ie the kettle and nanofoamer).

                              Also in the future it will be perfect for those weeks away.

                              Stock seems to be available again in the UK - so I will probably one later in the week.,

                              From the other thread the Dualit Cino also seems to be available again… also very tempting to get a milk steamer - but I think I will continue with the nanofoamer for my milk drinks - and wait until I make that step eventually to a proper machine.

                              Maybe I will have saved up for the Micra :)

                              Cheers

                              Matt

                                To play devil’s advocate, starting with a lever might end in frustration.

                                Making espresso at home as a beginner, even as a non-beginner sometimes, is relentlessly frustrating. So many variables - grind, tamp pressure, dose, ratio, and pressure/temperature.

                                With a lever you’re adding a huge variable with pressure/flow.

                                Also with a hand-grinder, each to their own but that paired with a lever as a first machine sounds like a one-way ticket to a very short exploration into home espresso.

                                I hadn’t heard of the Dualit Cino but you could get a Rancilio Silvia for less than a Flair + the Cino and have a far far more forgiving (and more resellable) setup.

                                  Lelit Bianca in the classifieds £1200 and a niche job done

                                  Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

                                  Ernie1 I love levers but I have to reluctantly agree. Wise words.

                                    Ernie1 starting with a lever might end in frustration.

                                    For me, it’s the end game machine, that too from some one who had given up coffee for a long time after moving away from a few cheap £100+ machines to instant powders to nothing.

                                    We also used to make a traditional Indian filter style coffee and mix with milk.