Gaggia coffee machine - Currys

dtmark

pulliptears wrote: »

I'll add some of the Waitrose to this weeks shop if its recommended then! Currently using Costa beans but not too impressed.

I also use the Illy beans quite a lot.

Been a while since we had the Waitrose coffee (the shop is two towns away from us) but from memory it has a full nicely rounded flavour with ever-so-slightly chocolatey notes.

We've only ever used the ground coffee, but I've now picked up a tip for a grinder too..

Costa Coffee is unique, I think - just my opinion, but I've always found their coffee to be both tasteless and bitter at the same time in their shops, so I never bought any to take home. I've always wondered how it ever became popular.

pulliptears

dtmark wrote: »

Been a while since we had the Waitrose coffee (the shop is two towns away from us) but from memory it has a full nicely rounded flavour with ever-so-slightly chocolatey notes.

We've only ever used the ground coffee, but I've now picked up a tip for a grinder too..

Costa Coffee is unique, I think - just my opinion, but I've always found their coffee to be both tasteless and bitter at the same time in their shops, so I never bought any to take home. I've always wondered how it ever became popular.

Just added the Waitrose beans to my Ocado shop

I don't mind Costa's beans, prefer Illy but they are not bad at all. Not keen on the Starbucks ground, not a pleasant taste at all. I'm a bit weird though, I only tend to make Caramel Latte's with my Cubika and use lots of Syrups. OH is the one who drinks espresso's, I have a sweet tooth! Just bought myself a bottle of Gingerbread syrup as well I also use it to make a gorgeous hot chocolate!

One of the nicest ground coffee's I've come across so far has been from Aldi!

bazster

pulliptears wrote: »

I have the delonghi one, its only a cheap thing but it works for me

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002BWPTP6/ref=asc_df_B002BWPTP68448390?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&!!!!!hydra0b-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B002BWPTP6&hvpos=1o2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9619840371031314482&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

I liked the fact it had 3 different grind settings unlike other budget grinders so I can use it not just in the Gaggia but the cafetiere as well when I can't be bothered with washing out the Gaggia

OH dreams of the Gaggia Burr Grinder but they start at £75 so he can keep dreaming

Thanks, that's cheap enough to be worth a punt!

bazster

lil.smartie wrote: »

Gaggia MM is fab

Thx, good to know. I'll see if the OH can get it with staff discount. Decisions decisions...

bazster

pulliptears wrote: »

Just added the Waitrose beans to my Ocado shop

I don't mind Costa's beans, prefer Illy but they are not bad at all. Not keen on the Starbucks ground, not a pleasant taste at all. I'm a bit weird though, I only tend to make Caramel Latte's with my Cubika and use lots of Syrups. OH is the one who drinks espresso's, I have a sweet tooth! Just bought myself a bottle of Gingerbread syrup as well I also use it to make a gorgeous hot chocolate!

One of the nicest ground coffee's I've come across so far has been from Aldi!

Ugh! You do have a sweet tooth don't you!

pulliptears

bazster wrote: »

Ugh! You do have a sweet tooth don't you!

I do.
I'm not a huge coffee lover to be honest, espresso is far too much of a hit for me on its own. Can't beat a latte, 30ml vanilla syrup topped with froth and a little caramel

transient

I adore coffee drink some 3-4 cups in the morning and always used a cafietre (sorry on spelling)

I am looking for a coffee machine upto about £"00 and seen so many conflicting reviews. The question I have most I see are espresso machines which I like occasionally as I sometimes buy them but as these machines are predominantly espresso is there any machines i can put a mug under the nozzle and it give me a full mug of black coffee if you know what I mean?

I dont want to be doing two espresso shots like starbucks and adding hot water

dtmark

If someone comes round to our place and wants just a white or black coffee, then I make it as one espresso shot and just add the hot water.

You can just leave the machine going so it basically dispenses a full cup of espresso, but for people who like "black coffee" I think that's going to be a bit strong and syrup-like.

Plus, the other issue is going to be temperature. Espresso machines don't boil the water because it makes the coffee bitter; espresso temperature is probably a lot below "black coffee" temperature. You tend to "knock it back" more than "sip it from a mug".

One of the other issues might be "put the mug under the nozzle".

Definitely avoid the one we have then - the Cubika Plus won't even take medium size cups, the gap between the cradle thing and the drip tray is only big enough for a small espresso cup; with the older machines we had you could just about put an ordinary mug in it if you held it tipped sideways at an angle.

That matters because if you have to make the espresso in one small cup and then tip it into a bigger one you lose even more temperature.

pulliptears

dtmark wrote: »

One of the other issues might be "put the mug under the nozzle".

Definitely avoid the one we have then - the Cubika Plus won't even take medium size cups, the gap between the cradle thing and the drip tray is only big enough for a small espresso cup; with the older machines we had you could just about put an ordinary mug in it if you held it tipped sideways at an angle.

That matters because if you have to make the espresso in one small cup and then tip it into a bigger one you lose even more temperature.

Ahh now we found a way around that! Remove the drip tray and a mug will sit happily under the nozzle.
I tip from espresso cups into a big mug for my latte's, but the Cubika does have the warming plate on the top so as long as the mug has been on there, stored upside down it's not cold

bazster

pulliptears wrote: »

Ahh now we found a way around that! Remove the drip tray and a mug will sit happily under the nozzle.

Ohmigollygosh, I never thought of that! I bought new cups to do my morning cappuccino 'cos I couldn't fit a mug in!

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