Welcome to Coffeetime. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your coffee journey too.

I'm a long-term drinker of filter coffee that's relatively recently moved into expresso, or more accurately, espresso-based drinks, and this seemed like a good place to chat and learn.

Welcome to our fledgling forum. You will find a wealth of knowledge available here.

I'm a jaded user of another forum, that needed a change 😆

Up until recently I was only marginally aware that there were people on the internet who chatted about coffee stuff all the time. I'm now over two and a half grand down and it's all your fault. 😅

@"dfk41"#4 grabbed me by neck and brought me here! 😂 Thx guys! Feel at home!

I'm not saying I'm paranoid or anything, but a few weeks ago I walked into a coffee forum, pulled up a chair and sat down; everyone else seemed to get up and walk out! 😆 My coffee journey started over 40 years ago when my wife bought me a Gran Gaggia for Christmas. That was before the internet was invented, so there was no information freely available about the need for a grinder. I made a mess and a lot of terrible coffee. I got into stove top coffee makers through a Romanian student I befriended, we drank a lot of good coffee together before he moved on. My wife decided we should buy an induction hob, so that put an end to my stove top coffee making and I switched to french press. After breaking the glass of my favourite press I decided to try one of those gimmicky Aeropress thingies; that was a real eye-opener for me and started to buy speciality coffee beans and a Baratza Encore. A couple of years ago I retired and started volunteering in a charity shop where I saw a La Pavoni Europiccola. Nobody seemed to know what it was, so I got it at a very agreeable price. I invested in a Eureka Mignon Specialita to feed the LP and have become obsessed with the coffee making process.

@"LMSC"#p138 It is our home now….

On the other forum too(BadBoyR), don't participate much, just been busy reading posts/reviews on a new dual boiler machine. Currently have a bean to cup, but would like a more manual machine, mainly drinking milky coffees or a small shot if doing some cardio fasted. Looking at the sage dual boiler, lelit elizabeth and ACS minima.....so undecided, but want to future proof myself for being able to control flow later as gain better experience.

Got funny looks when I first got my aeropress, bringing it to work etc. decided to try make better coffee about a year ago, started the research. My girlfriend complained(?!) she didn’t see me for a few weeks as I was stuck online researching this thing. Stumbled across this gang (in their/your former space), which made it so much easier to confidently choose an espresso machine and then help when it arrived not working correctly!! Thanks to all again and Dave your stated principles of this forum are so great in these times, must be applauded, cheers for such dedication. It would have been a much much more difficult journey to getting it half right without the help of you guys

Was on “the other coffee forum”, but thought I’d hop over and join you all here. I’ve liked coffee for a long time, with a progression through french press, moka pot, aeropress and Nespresso. I’ve now settled on v60 for filter and since Dec last year I’ve started making real espresso with a Rancilio Silvia coupled with a Niche Zero. I enjoy tinkering, so I fitted a PID almost straight away, and for Christmas I’ve got an Ito board coming so that I can play with pressure profiling (a bit like a decent on the cheap). While a single boiler might not be for everyone, I’m the only person in the house who drinks coffee, so it’s perfect for one. Easy to maintain and less energy use as I’m only heating one small boiler. It’s a bit slow when we have guests, but I can live with that.

New Members Introduce Yourself

Cuprajake

It may be sage/lelit slowing stock?

MediumRoastSteam

Cuprajake It may be sage/lelit slowing stock?

Or… they are revamping their range? 🤔 so retailers get the new versions and don’t have old ones in stock?

condy01

Email from Bella Barista today:

"Hi James,

Since BGR group acquired Lelit minimum quantity orders have temporarily stopped us buying Lelit Grace, Victoria, Mara’s and Elizabeth’s. The only machine we can buy in that quantity is the most popular Lelit Bianca.

So at the moment it’s a no. Please accept my sincerest apologies.

I can suggest other alternative / similar machines if this is of interest?"

MediumRoastSteam

condy01 Since BGR group acquired Lelit minimum quantity orders have temporarily stopped us buying

Let me check if I understand this…. Are they effectively saying Lelit is essentially temporarily only interested in selling those machines in large quantities? Essentially, Bella Barista is “small fish”? Or maybe they don’t like having a rolling stock model approach? Regardless, sad news for enthusiasts like us, for sure.

condy01

Basically BGR shutting it down so that they can sell more Sage/Breville units I imagine

DavecUK

condy01 Basically BGR shutting it down so that they can sell more Sage/Breville units I imagine

No, not at all, it’s not being shut down?

Cuprajake

wow what a sad situation

MediumRoastSteam

That is very annoying. Elizabeth (from the very first V3 batch) is now joining the Niche Zero (from the very first batch, made in UK) in MediumRoastSteam museum I suppose.

condy01

DavecUK ok, well that’s good to know :-)

dfk41

MediumRoastSteam Who is to say what BB quoted is actually correct?

MediumRoastSteam

bb57452003 which grinder and which machine?

MediumRoastSteam

dfk41 Who is to say what BB quoted is actually correct?

Facts:

There’s a clear stock issue reflected on BB website;
member emails BB asking why, gets a response and and posts the email here;
you question whether what BB quoted is actually correct.

I mean, really? If I think like you do, then I might not believe a word you or anyone says, completely negating the purpose of this forum.

dfk41

MediumRoastSteam Oh dear! Are you really suggesting that you believe everything quoted to you by companies? I have no issue with the forum member quoting whatBB have told him. All I am saying is there maybe more to this than meets the eye. What if BB do not want to stock the current crop of machines for whatever reason. How do they explain this to folks who have bought from them?

I have no idea if what I made up is right, but there again, neither do you

MediumRoastSteam

dfk41 - No, I’m not saying that. I definitely have a filter on. However, there’s obviously an issue with some Lelit machines in the UK market, at least. They can’t be found anywhere.

I would be very worried if a retailer such as BB would make excuses (read: lying) to that level. It’s quite a statement. If they simply didn’t want to stock certain machines, there are better excuses to make than putting the blame quite specifically on the supplier.

Doram

MediumRoastSteam I would be very worried if a retailer such as BB would make excuses (read: lying) to that level. It’s quite a statement. If they simply didn’t want to stock certain machines, there are better excuses to make than putting the blame quite specifically on the supplier.

Like you, I tend to believe BB about Lelit. While I can’t say that I expected this exact outcome, I’m not surprised at all that things are taking a downturn. When something like that happens (big corporate swallows a small, good player), it’s typically for one reason: to maximise profits. Despite the sugar-coated language that always comes from the corporate, it’s rarely in the consumer’s best interest.

Cuprajake

more mark up on a breville/sage?

or will we see the lance hedrick dual boiler come to manufacture?

MediumRoastSteam

Cuprajake - Corporates are also very well known to keep their cards very close to their chest. I’m sure their strategy will eventually be noticed.

Of course I have my own cynical thoughts, but best to stick with the facts.

dfk41

MediumRoastSteam but best to stick with the facts

What facts?

MediumRoastSteam

dfk41 - nevermind. There are no facts. Only lies. I accept defeat. Moving on.

condy01

Corporate chat aside, is there anywhere else that sells Lelits? I’ve seen Coffeeitalia (Lelit Elizabeth Dual Boiler PL92T | Caffè Italia (coffeeitalia.co.uk)) sell a refurbed Elizabeth for about £900 but then a) I’m dubious as to buying refurbed machines and b) are Coffeeitalia that reputable? I have bought with them before and my experience was quite good but does anyone have any experience with them?

Apologies for all the questions and deviations from the original chat- happy to post elsewhere if need be.

dfk41

condy01 Coffee Italia are probably one to avoid. They are classic box shifters. In the UK, they used to have a service arrangement with Ferrari Coffee in Wales who have a good reputation but I do not know if that stands. Plenty of documented issues with CI as a company.

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