Advice on first home coffee latte machine

[OllieGBR]

This forum has been invaluable for the build and conversion of my T6.
Now I have a new challenge.
I just started drinking coffee before the lockdown and now miss it!

I’m looking for recommendations for a good home coffee maker that is capable of also making a proper latte.

There are so many to choose from, and like T6’s I’m a complete noob!

Cheers
Ollie.

 

[Paynewright]

Cannot help with the bells and whistles machine - I use a Bialetti to make an espresso then warm some milk up in a pan. Simples!

 

[The Van Cave]

This forum has been invaluable for the build and conversion of my T6.
Now I have a new challenge.
I just started drinking coffee before the lockdown and now miss it!

I’m looking for recommendations for a good home coffee maker that is capable of also making a proper latte.

There are so many to choose from, and like T6’s I’m a complete noob!

Cheers
Ollie.

I’ve got a Nespresso one with a separate milk foamer. You can make virtually any coffee with it. My particular favourite is a flat white and it does that beautifully. Here’s a link to the one I’ve got.

Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee Machine with Aeroccino by Magimix at John Lewis & Partners

I’ve also made cappuccino, latte, straight espresso etc and they’ve all been excellent.

 

[Ayjay]

I'm like Paynewright in that I use a Bialetti but my approach is even more simpleser than his because I just stick some milk in a jug in the microwave (that way, I can leave the kitchen and know that the pan isn't going to boil over). Might be interesting to hear from our Italian (or resident in Italy) members for their opinion on the Bialetti - v - machine debate.

 

[VanDamMan]

Umm.. Why drink coffee with milk....it’s like adding water to whiskey...a big no no....

Simply buy ur beans ....experiment with different grinds ( we use nutribullet adjust time to suit) and add to caffettiera and enjoy

try a strong espresso and a glass of amaretto....bliss

 

[Ayjay]

Personally, I mostly do plain old espresso but every now and then fancy a milky one. As to whiskey and water, I can't think of many better ways to ruin a good glass of water.

 

[The Van Cave]

Umm.. Why drink coffee with milk....it’s like adding water to whiskey...a big no no....

Simply buy ur beans ....experiment with different grinds ( we use nutribullet adjust time to suit) and add to caffettiera and enjoy

try a strong espresso and a glass of amaretto....bliss

Why is milk in coffee a big no no? Sometimes with, sometimes without. Why not?

 

[Skyliner33]

Why is milk in coffee a big no no? Sometimes with, sometimes without. Why not?

More importantly, why is water in whiskey a big no no

 

[The Van Cave]

More importantly, why is water in whiskey a big no no

No idea! If that’s how you like your whiskey, why not?

 

[Paynewright]

Easy to carry a ten quid halfords camping burner and make coffee anywhere.

 

[VanDamMan]

Why is milk in coffee a big no no? Sometimes with, sometimes without. Why not?

It’s like drinking a good wine ..you want to enjoy the journey..taste and savour the fruitfulness, not take anything away...originally milk was never drunk with coffee, it wasn’t till it arrived in Europe (many years ago) but if you want to enjoy Real coffee ..take it black...

 

[The Van Cave]

It’s like drinking a good wine ..you want to enjoy the journey..taste and savour the fruitfulness, not take anything away...originally milk was never drunk with coffee, it wasn’t till it arrived in Europe (many years ago) but if you want to enjoy Real coffee ..take it black...

I certainly wouldn’t put milk or water in wine, but thanks for the history lesson.

 

[Ayjay]

My point was that I loathe whiskey and much prefer my water without it.

 

[Farnorthsurfer]

I like a serious coffee and have tried all sorts of machines. I also like it black, the rest of my family like milk varieties though. For the last few years here has been a Nespresso machine in the kitchen and an Aeropress in the van.
The Nespresso machine makes a good coffee every time without any effort and in record time. The standalone milk frother is also very good. About 35 to 40 pence a cup.
My mate has a £2000 Jura which is really good but the difference between the £100 Nespresso is slight and mostly down to taste.
The Aeropress makes brilliant coffee with just a little more hassle but generally if I am in the van I have the time.
Not so great for milk recipes though. About 20 pence a cup depending on your bean of choice.

AeroPress Coffee Maker Official Store

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www.aeropress.co.uk

 

[Spaghetti]

I like a proper high pressure espresso to get a good crema, and a good quality coffee like Lavazza or Illy. I can’t get that with my Tassimo machine (I got that for the missus).

I ended up giving my decent coffee machine to my dad as we didn't have space for both. Regret that!

I’m going to buy a bean to cup machine when this lock down is over.

 

[sparkzer]

DeLonghi Cafe Corsa ESAM2800 user here. i get all my supplies from my mate @ Xpress Coffee | Coffee Machine Service | Bean to Cup | Espresso Machine

 

[OllieGBR]

My point was that I loathe whiskey and much prefer my water without it.

I’m with you, I’ve really tried to like whiskey but probably need a few more years

 

[Stantman]

Bialetti here too. 6 cup makes enough for a side espresso and a large cup of frothy milky coffee. For the milk I microwave the milk in the cup until warm then froth with aero latte whisk. Have 2 of these combos a day and my coffee craving is satted

 

[Samalang]

You can't go wrong with a Gaggia classic ideally a pre 2015 model as these have an adjustable OPV valve so you have a bit more control. You can easily take them apart for maintenance and also modify them as you increase your knowledge you can pick them up for around£100 second hand and they hold their value so you won't loose out.

Unfortunately the machine is the easy but, grinder makes the biggest difference with proper espresso. A descent flat burr or conical grinder will give you a much more consistent grind size than blades which are fine for mokka pots etc but at 9bar you don't want any weak spots for the water to find the path of least resistance. I currently have a baratza encore and it's acceptable.

If you want to learn the science behind it check out James Hoffman on you tube, he has every way to brew coffee imaginable and the coffeeforums.co.uk site has lots of info to.

If there is any more advice you want just ask

 

[Broadside]

Nespresso for me.

I love good coffee but I am the only one that drinks it in our house so opening a packet of beans is a waste because they will go off for the amount I would use.

Because of this I find the coffee pods least wasteful overall even though the packaging bothers me a bit. Out of all the pod type machine coffees I’ve tried I think the Nespresso makes very nice fresh coffee.