Posts Tagged ‘automatic espresso machine’Compare: Breville Dual Boiler vs. Rancilio Silvia
November 21st, 2011
In another of our not-so-infamous grudge matches, we pit Breville’s new Dual Boiler against the tried and true single boiler Rancilio Silvia, featuring a PID retrofit. Other than having an additional boiler on its side, how does this new machine measure up against the Silvia? Watch as Gail takes us through the usual specs, features [...]  Compare: Breville Dual Boiler vs. Barista Express
November 15th, 2011
What happens when you pit one show pony against another show pony? Only the strong will survive! And since you know how much we adore grudge matches between inanimate objects (primarily because it results in 100% less blood loss), we decided to take Breville’s machine + grinder combo, the Barista Express, and measure it against [...] Compare: Breville Barista Express vs. Rancilio Silvia
November 9th, 2011
After a couple of requests for this comparison model, Gail breaks it down for us: features, pros, cons, performance, etc. While the Barista Express includes a built-in grinder and a lower price tag, the Silvia + Rocky combo is a time honored tradition. Watch Gail go through their specs and whip up a latte on [...] Compare: Rocket Giotto vs. Nuova Simonelli Musica
November 2nd, 2011
We’d be hard pressed to choose between these two models ourselves, and we’ve had several customers ask us for a comparison between the two. The Rocket Giotto and Nuova Simonelli Musica are high end home machines with similar features and practical performance, but the Musica does have programming functionality and is NSF rated for use [...] Experimenting with Ristrettos
October 28th, 2011
You know that since we are part of the goblin class, we love short things, right? It took us awhile to strong arm Gail into doing a ristretto comparison on several different machines, but we finally wore her down and here is the proof of our labors! Watch as Gail pulls double ristretto shots (1.5 [...] Crew Review: Nuova Simonelli Musica Lux
September 19th, 2011
We’re generally loyalists at heart, and for a few years now, said heart has belonged to the Rocket Espresso Cellini. Ever since Nuova Simonelli’s Musica came on the scene, however, this deeply held love has wavered and — the horror! — we have even begun to question it. During our visit to Nuova Simonelli’s showroom, [...] Experimenting with Lungos
July 22nd, 2011
If making espresso was a children’s fairy tale, this experimentation is all about good ol’ Papa Bear. According to Kenneth Davids, an espresso lungo is 2 oz of espresso, or 2/3 of a demitasse, pulled using the coffee dosage for a single espresso. We have had several folks ask us if some machines are more [...] How To: Dialing in a Pressurized Portafilter
July 20th, 2011
So you’ve got an espresso machine with a pressurized portafilter — like a Saeco Aroma, Via Venezia or Sirena — and you’re looking to improve your shots. Dialing it in doesn’t require the same level of precision as when you’re using a non-pressurized portafilter, and since the pressurization system impacts the pace of the shot, [...] How To: Installing the Saeco Panarello
July 13th, 2011
Whether you’re looking to upgrade the stock plastic panarello on your Saeco Via Venezia or Aroma with the stainless steel version or you just need to replace a well-loved panarello on your Sirena, the most important thing to keep in mind is: Do not lose those compression fittings! These aren’t sold separately, so if you [...] Blind Taste Test: Rocket Giotto vs. Nuova Simonelli Musica
July 6th, 2011
It’s time for another round of taste testing! Gail pulled shots from the Rocket Espresso Giotto Evoluzione and the Nuova Simonelli Musica espresso machines, then offered them to our fearless crew members for a side by side taste test. Find out which shots the crew preferred. |
