Just about to complete a kitchen renovation and was interested in hear
various suggestions on a good quality coffee/espresso machine. My wife
likes her lattes and I like my coffee, so it needs to be able to make both
coffee & espresso and have a good quality steaming mechanism.

Only other requirement is that it doesn't use "coffee pods"

TIA,

Sandy K.

In article >,
says...
> Just about to complete a kitchen renovation and was interested in hear
> various suggestions on a good quality coffee/espresso machine. My wife
> likes her lattes and I like my coffee, so it needs to be able to make both
> coffee & espresso and have a good quality steaming mechanism.
>
> Only other requirement is that it doesn't use "coffee pods"
>
> TIA,
>
> Sandy K.
>
For the latest wisdom, you need to check in at the alt.coffee newsgroup
with your question. The regulars in that group keep up with the state
of the coffee art perhaps a bit more than in some of the other food-
related newsgroups.

Be prepared to define your parameters in terms of price limits, physical
size, ease of use, general hassle factors, etc.

Good luck,
Bob

"yetanotherBob" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> says...
> > Just about to complete a kitchen renovation and was interested in hear
> > various suggestions on a good quality coffee/espresso machine. My wife
> > likes her lattes and I like my coffee, so it needs to be able to make
both
> > coffee & espresso and have a good quality steaming mechanism.
> >
> > Only other requirement is that it doesn't use "coffee pods"
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Sandy K.
> >
> For the latest wisdom, you need to check in at the alt.coffee newsgroup
> with your question. The regulars in that group keep up with the state
> of the coffee art perhaps a bit more than in some of the other food-
> related newsgroups.
>
> Be prepared to define your parameters in terms of price limits, physical
> size, ease of use, general hassle factors, etc.
>
> Good luck,
> Bob

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction - I've posted over there...

Sandy

On 2006-12-28, Sandy K. > wrote:
> Just about to complete a kitchen renovation and was interested in hear
> various suggestions on a good quality coffee/espresso machine. My wife
> likes her lattes and I like my coffee, so it needs to be able to make both
> coffee & espresso and have a good quality steaming mechanism.

If you want to make decent to good espresso, a combo machine is *not* an
option. I've never seen a *real* espresso machine that also makes coffee,
just a few "steam toys" that do both (poorly). If you're at all serious
about the espresso, buy a dedicated machine (and high quality grinder, of
course) for that (the pointer elsethread to alt.coffee for this is very
good advice). For your coffee fix, I'd recommend going to a French press
-- more flavor than drip, and easily stowed out of sight and not taking up
counter space.

> Only other requirement is that it doesn't use "coffee pods"

Indeed. *shudder*

--
Joshua Baker-LePain
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University

"Joshua Baker-LePain" > wrote in message
...
> On 2006-12-28, Sandy K. > wrote:
> > Just about to complete a kitchen renovation and was interested in hear
> > various suggestions on a good quality coffee/espresso machine. My wife
> > likes her lattes and I like my coffee, so it needs to be able to make
both
> > coffee & espresso and have a good quality steaming mechanism.
>
> If you want to make decent to good espresso, a combo machine is *not* an
> option. I've never seen a *real* espresso machine that also makes coffee,
> just a few "steam toys" that do both (poorly). If you're at all serious
> about the espresso, buy a dedicated machine (and high quality grinder, of
> course) for that (the pointer elsethread to alt.coffee for this is very
> good advice). For your coffee fix, I'd recommend going to a French press
> -- more flavor than drip, and easily stowed out of sight and not taking up
> counter space.
>
> > Only other requirement is that it doesn't use "coffee pods"
>
> Indeed. *shudder*
>
> --
> Joshua Baker-LePain
> Department of Biomedical Engineering
> Duke University

Thank-you for your kind advice. I'm posting the question over on the coffee
board.

Sandy