My ability to make coffee has been in slow decline. On my day I can still do it well – the grind just so, the dose well-judged, the tamp exact, and the water temperature beautifully in the low to mid 90s. And my nice Gaggia Classic was fully capable. I’m not blaming the tools, but the operator. In recent times I’ve found myself buying cheaper coffee rather than “waste” the good stuff on an indifferent brew.
So with some trepidation, and a certain amount of regret, I chopped in the Gaggia Classic and replaced it with a Gaggia Titanium bean-to-cup machine.
Success! Before any coffee connoisseurs take me to task, I know full well that an automatic machine can never compete with a good barista. But I’m now able to enjoy a consistently well-made if not perfect espresso every time.
So I’ve re-subscribed to the excellent Has Bean coffee and I’m currently enjoying a Guatemalan Bourbon.
I’m also using soft water, rather than our hard-as-nails tap water. It won’t scale up the machine as fast, and tastes much nicer. Luckily the local supermarket has Volvic on special offer.
The machine will make milky coffees too, and has a separate steam boiler, so lattes, cappuccinos, and my favoured espresso macchiato are all easily produced.
Special thanks to Mr Bean2Cup who gave us excellent advice and supplied the machine. Cheers!
John Norman's Blog 