what is the best cappuccino machine to buy between 150 - 200 ?
thanks
Frank

>what is the best cappuccino machine to buy between 150 - 200 ?
>thanks
>Frank
>
Depends what sales are on, but insist on a pump model with at least 15 bars of
pressure. Then decide if you mind "pods" or insist on grinding your own.

Neil

fgphotog wrote:

> what is the best cappuccino machine to buy between 150 - 200 ?
> thanks
>

I had a Braun machine that was pretty good. The second time the
pump blew I tried a Krups and have been very happy with it.

WardNA wrote:

> Depends what sales are on, but insist on a pump model with at least 15 bars of
> pressure. Then decide if you mind "pods" or insist on grinding your own.

This is good advice. Cappuccino depends on high pressure, and many of the
home machines don't have pumps that put out a high enough pressure. The result
is no mahogany colored 'crema', which means it's just making strong coffee.

15 bars is a good minimum pressure (BTW, bars are approximately the same
unit as 'atmospheres'. I have seen them specified both ways)

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

BubbaBob wrote:
> Reg > wrote:

>>This is good advice. Cappuccino depends on high pressure, and
>>many of the home machines don't have pumps that put out a high
>>enough pressure. The result is no mahogany colored 'crema',
>>which means it's just making strong coffee.
>>
>>15 bars is a good minimum pressure (BTW, bars are approximately
>>the same unit as 'atmospheres'. I have seen them specified both
>>ways)
>>
>
>
> 15 bars for a reciprocating pump. 9 is fine for a turbine pump or
> lever machine. it's an RMS thing.

<applause>

Didn't know that. Thank you.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 09:27:32 -0500, "fgphotog" >
arranged random neurons, so they looked like this:

>what is the best cappuccino machine to buy between 150 - 200 ?
>thanks
>Frank
>
I have a Capresso Espresso Classic (roughly $200 US) that is
wonderful. 18 bar power pump makes beautiful creama, but the best
part, IMHO, is that it cranks out very, very good espresso very, very
fast. If I'm serving, say, 8 people for dinner, I can actually get the
8th person a cup of espresso while the first folks are sipping theirs.
Couldn't be more simple to operate, either. And not bad looking on the
counter.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret
had been as old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had
been as full as the waitress', it would have been a very
good dinner." Anonymous.

To reply, remove "gotcha"

can you tell from the machine which type of pump it has - should it be
listed on the packaging ? -

i assume the more consumer brands like Hamilto Beach, De Longhi, Krups will
have the former and the serious machines like Rancilio, Gaggia, Briel etc
the latter ?



"BubbaBob" > wrote in message
1...
> Reg > wrote:
>
> > WardNA wrote:
> >
> >> Depends what sales are on, but insist on a pump model with at
> >> least 15 bars of pressure. Then decide if you mind "pods" or
> >> insist on grinding your own.
> >
> > This is good advice. Cappuccino depends on high pressure, and
> > many of the home machines don't have pumps that put out a high
> > enough pressure. The result is no mahogany colored 'crema',
> > which means it's just making strong coffee.
> >
> > 15 bars is a good minimum pressure (BTW, bars are approximately
> > the same unit as 'atmospheres'. I have seen them specified both
> > ways)
> >
>
> 15 bars for a reciprocating pump. 9 is fine for a turbine pump or
> lever machine. it's an RMS thing.

BabyJane Hudson wrote:

>
> >I had a Braun machine that was pretty good. The second time the
> >pump blew I tried a Krups and have been very happy with it.
>
> Which Braun do you have please?
>

Had. It was the pump driven model. It died about 4 years go and I
have been using the Krups ever since, and like it much better. Not
only has it proved itself to be longer lasting, but it also has a
much better frother.

BabyJane Hudson wrote:
> On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 08:52:29 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> BabyJane Hudson wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>> I had a Braun machine that was pretty good. The second time the
>>>> pump blew I tried a Krups and have been very happy with it.
>>>
>>> Which Braun do you have please?
>>>
>>
>> Had. It was the pump driven model. It died about 4 years go and I
>> have been using the Krups ever since, and like it much better. Not
>> only has it proved itself to be longer lasting, but it also has a
>> much better frother.
>>
> Which Krups do you have please?

You can get good results with a Krups Gusto. They are no longer made, but
you can pick one up on Ebay for like 25-50 bucks now. The gusto is a pump
driven machine with a stainless steel boiler. I got very good espresso with
mine. I did have to find the right grind to get good results. The frother
works well once you pull off the frothing aid...you dont need it. And the
plastic tamper is a joke...you'll need a better one.

>You can get good results with a Krups Gusto.

I disagree about that. The Gusto is an 8-bar pump model and hasn't given me
much better results than a steam-driven model.

>They are no longer made, but
>you can pick one up on Ebay for like 25-50 bucks now.

I saw it at, I think, Dillards last week. Still around.

>The gusto is a pump
>driven machine with a stainless steel boiler. I got very good espresso with
>mine. I did have to find the right grind to get good results. The frother
>works well once you pull off the frothing aid...you dont need it. And the
>plastic tamper is a joke...you'll need a better one.

I agree that it froths well, with or without the "aid." But I don't know what
you think is wrong with the tamper.

Neil

WardNA wrote:
>> You can get good results with a Krups Gusto.
>
> I disagree about that. The Gusto is an 8-bar pump model and hasn't
> given me much better results than a steam-driven model.

I have produced very good shots with mine....way better than a steam toy. I
use a Solis Maestro grinder set at one click finer than the porta-filter
icon and tamp to about 30 lbs. I got a ton of crema on my shots. But, I also
use fresh, homeroasted beans.

>
>> They are no longer made, but
>> you can pick one up on Ebay for like 25-50 bucks now.
>
> I saw it at, I think, Dillards last week. Still around.

Must be old stock then...they don't make it anymore.

>
>> The gusto is a pump
>> driven machine with a stainless steel boiler. I got very good
>> espresso with mine. I did have to find the right grind to get good
>> results. The frother works well once you pull off the frothing
>> aid...you dont need it. And the plastic tamper is a joke...you'll
>> need a better one.
>
> I agree that it froths well, with or without the "aid." But I don't
> know what you think is wrong with the tamper.

Tamper is plastic peice of crap....you're not going to get a 30lb tamp with
that thing...

l

BabyJane Hudson wrote:

>
> >Had. It was the pump driven model. It died about 4 years go and I
> >have been using the Krups ever since, and like it much better. Not
> >only has it proved itself to be longer lasting, but it also has a
> >much better frother.
> >
> Which Krups do you have please?

It is the 887.

WardNA wrote:
>> You can get good results with a Krups Gusto.
>
> I disagree about that. The Gusto is an 8-bar pump model and hasn't
> given me much better results than a steam-driven model.
>

Forgot to mention earlier...my Gusto is rated at 15-bar, not 8.

Terry Pulliam > wrote in message >. ..
> On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 09:27:32 -0500, "fgphotog" >
> arranged random neurons, so they looked like this:
>
> >what is the best cappuccino machine to buy between 150 - 200 ?
> >thanks
> >Frank
> >
> I have a Capresso Espresso Classic (roughly $200 US) that is
> wonderful.

Humm. We had nothing but recurrent problems with ours. We had it
fixed three separate times - the mechanism/pump that brewed the
espresso just didn't work properly. We finally just took it back and
are still looking for a replacement.

-L.

"Scott" > wrote in message et>...
> WardNA wrote:
> >> You can get good results with a Krups Gusto.
> >
> > I disagree about that. The Gusto is an 8-bar pump model and hasn't
> > given me much better results than a steam-driven model.
> >
>
> Forgot to mention earlier...my Gusto is rated at 15-bar, not 8.

I'm on my 3rd Gusto. I like the machine but we use it every day and
after about a year, the frothing nozzle starts to leak, which reduces
the pressure. I called Krups for spare parts, but they don't offer an
internal seal, which I suspect is leaking. They're hard to find but I
got the last one on sale so I can't complain too much. However, my
last one is dieing quickly so I'm looking for an alternative that
doesn't leak.

I don't know if this will help, but when the nozzle on my Starbucks cappuccino
maker started to leak I called them and one of their support people walked me
through the repair. They had me pry off the knob, and there is a little bolt
that needed to be tightened slightly with a pair of pliers, push back on the
knob and it was good as new. Don't over-tighten.