Posting in general discussion, I reckon most of us survive off caffeine...
I'm setting up a new workshop, and it has limited facilities.
Had a Nespresso before with the milk frother, but changed to a Bosch Tassimo, as it does self-clean after the milk pod so much easier to deal with (albeit dearer pods).
However it comes out of the Bosch at scalding temp, so I always add a bit of cold milk. At the new workshop, I don't really want a fridge for this purpose as it's only for larger (e.g. robot project) builds not my daily place of work.
My Mum has a Krups, which is good because there is a toggle for either hot or cold water to flow through the milk pod. However, the coffee pods itself for the Krups aren't as nice as Tassimo etc.
Any recommendations? I'm a Latte or Cappucino man, so please don't suggest black
If you want a really good, commercial quality machine, look no further than the Rancilio Silvia. It's a manual machine, but if you love coffee, you won't beat it. Brass boiler, one of, if not the best steam output of any retail product, full sized group head and basket, boiler element is now fully replaceable. I think they're around $1200 AUD, so probably like $10USD
I have a Breville I've been using several times daily for the past two years that's been holding up well. I had a Nespresso before that but the cost of the pods is why I got rid of it. It was nice that you can make good coffee quickly and quietly (esp in the morning), but like I said, cost was a big factor for me.
I buy Vivace Vita in bulk - probably the best tasting and smoothest beans I found (also from my dear state of WA)
I love my nespresso but i also don't like the pod cost so sometimes reload my pods using foil stickers. The cleaning the milk frother is a pain though.
I like the ones that automatically grind the beans and brew the coffee, and I'm particularly fond of this one: Coffee Art by Schaerer
...but even though it produces an extraordinary cup of coffee, and it can hold multiple roasts simultaneously, so you can select which coffee beans to suit your specific mood, it doesn't do espresso, and it doesn't pour your milk for you, so... this is for the regular coffee drinkers who could possibly stumble upon this post.
While I keep a Keurig at the office for the unusual case, I drink enough coffee every day (5-6 cups) to make that an unreasonable expense. And I'm not a fan of over-roasted beans, or weird associated flavors. Simple drip coffee maker suits me just fine.
{Not that I turn down an espresso when my in-laws make me one.}
Just looked this up because I was curious and have been looking for a machine for a while, but they are a little costly. This one goes for $865 here in the US. Might have to give it a try, I had looked at the Italian machines, but I am pretty sure body part donations are required for one of those.
Back in the day I went through a few of the expensive home espresso machines. In the end I decided that although the coffee was better I didn't have the time to make 40oz of coffee per day 2oz at the time. And they were all high maintenance too.
There was a Keurig machine at work for a while. Again, lots of ceremony around making a small cup of coffee, and I didn't love the coffee. I've run across Nespresso machines and they are similar.
I settled on a stainless steel press and it is a good balance of taste vs effort.
When I think that maybe I want something better I binge some James Hoffmann on yt and realize I don't want to dedicate my life to having 10% better coffee.
I do remember when the AUD was worth more than the USD, but it didn't last long!!
