so,, what machine would u buy if u had £400ish to spend? :0)

[Davec]

lol.. unfortunaly im one of them people who actualy as ive got older has come to see that 2 u get what u pay for" is indeed entirely true in far more cases than i believed when i was a young whipper-snapper.. .... and this poses huge problems when buying ANYTHING!!!.. i just cant bring myself to buy cheap tat.. so usuly end up spending far more than i can afford.. al the while trying desperatly to convince myself that "it will pay for its self in the long run" ..lol ...
the problem is that my wife doesent quite share my view..lol ( ie: whats wrong with the coffe machine u got atm??? its only 6 months old!! and cost 50 quid!! it looks almost the same as that *silvia* u keep talking about.... im begining to think shes not a coffe machine at all!! etc. etc. etc. lol)

So yup,, i do tend to wait till i can afford what i truly want (or buy what i truly want anyway and worry about the affording bit after), but reckon im gonna have to draw a line somewhere, as as much as i want to buy a Izzo Alex , i just cant justify it.. even though i know how good it is
So its down to either a Silvia , or if i can be convinced to stretch i may just spring for a zaffiro, though i do think id prefer the VBM domobar if i could just work out how to get 1 in the UK at a good price

ahh.. ho hum.... decisions....

This might be a way to go?

1. join TMC!

2. An Izzo Alex although great, is an indulgence, you don't NEED one, no one does. It's a treat I decided and a few others have decided we just had to have. Unfortunately my Alex often sits there doing nothing whilst I have some other machine to test.

3. £400 is the middle ground for a coffee machine, it sounds like you would almost certainly want to upgrade from there at some point in the future, whether it be 1 or 3 years from now.

4. Second hand buys of good machines don't come up so often....because people don't sell good machines often.

5. A new Zaff set's you back around £550 new Izzo Vivi (good value for money HX machine) sets you back around £???, better than the published price if your a TMC member!

Advice, push the boat out, spend a bit more and get an Izzo Vivi. other TMC'ers have the machine, ask them what they think of it. It is probably the cheapest brand new HX machine on the market, but the quality is good, especially the internals!. From the sound of your drink preferences a Zaffiro might frustrate you in time (and they're a little harder to use than an HX machine), they do give absolutely excellent espresso shots though!

Otherwise get a Silvia, upgrade in a few years, realise the money you lost could have been put towards an HX machine that you could have been enjoying for those few years!

It's only money and you can't take it with you

[Joris]

Amen !

[CakeBoy]

Having just missed out the mid-range machines in the fourish hundreds and moved into something that will hopefully never need upgrading, I am pleased that I spent the extra money. My opinion concurs totally with Dave's - if you can afford more now, then go up another level, the difference in quality and consistency is amazing. You can have the best possible shots for so many more years if you upgrade sooner .

[GeorgeW]

Dave: Please...please...please, stop posting videos of shots from the Alex. This comes under the heading of cruel and unusual punishment for which you are likely to go straight to the big, burning fire.

[GeorgeW]

Despite what the above posters say there is not the slightest possibility that I will be upgrading from my Silvia....never in a million years...never I tell you.


Probably.

[CakeBoy]

Taxi for Geoooooorrrrrrrrrgggeeeeee

[Guest]

lol... sadly i fear the Vivi is out of my reach by 300 quid or more,, so unless beuing a TMCer gets me some kind od huge discount i reckon its a no go

probably the only HX machine i could go for,, if HX is vital for me would be the nuova simonelli Oscar.. though the lack of shiny bits is off putting.. it does make good coffee

found a place in germany who can ship a VBM bomobar "nero" to me around 500 all in... although i dont know where i stand with having to pay extra duty/tax on items comming into the UK from other european countries.. anyone know?... although even 500 quid is stretching my budget to breaking point ;/

so,, all you ppl out there that continualy complain of suffering from upgraditis... will u hurry up and suffer already? so i can buy your old decent machine!! lol jk

thnx so much for all the help guys/gals... youve managed to make me realize i cant afford the machine i want and im all the more depressed for it... thnx a bunch... lol

[CakeBoy]

No duty within the EU as long as it is tax paid in an EU country, so that is no issue for you. You'll still get a very good machine for your budget and make lovely drinks, whether that machine is an Oscar, Domobar or whatever you decide .

[Guest]

yeah,, i just missed somneone just up the road from me who sold his silvia last week for 200 quid,,, was gutted i missed it... ;/ dont spose george W is in the UK by any chance?..

From Glasgow I believe.

Let me advise you that my lawyers are standing by and ready to spring into action. If I do not receive an abject apology wrapped around a brand new Alex by return post you will be sued to the last gram of Monsooned.
Regards,
Incensed of Auchtermuchty.

[Bertie_Doe]

Davec wrote

From the sound of your drink preferences a Zaffiro might frustrate you in time (and they're a little harder to use than an HX machine),

Dave, I hate to be a party pooper here, but I would disagree with you, on the evidence of recent threads, regarding the need to flush with the HX machines."(and they're a little harder to use than HX machines)"
In some cases, posters have developed different flushing techniques, even with the same machine. There is also a degree of urgency required, beween flushing and the pour, to prevent the coffee pack from overcooking.
Some people have found a great flushing technique from their first shot and I applaude them.
But the 'flush' seems to be one extra step, over the simplicity of the single boiler machines like the Zaff or Silvia.
Waiting 30 secs for a Silvia to come up to steam, does not come under the category of "difficult". Just my 0.1€ - hope nobody minds.
Quentin

[Guest]

i got a big box of monsooned malabar gold here... green beans.. ready to roast and no machine worthy of them to use in :/ lol

[GeorgeW]

yeah,, i just missed somneone just up the road from me who sold his silvia last week for 200 quid,,, was gutted i missed it... ;/ dont spose george W is in the UK by any chance?..

From Glasgow I believe.

Let me advise you that my lawyers are standing by and ready to spring into action. If I do not receive an abject apology wrapped around a brand new Alex by return post you will be sued to the last gram of Monsooned.
Regards,
Incensed of Auchtermuchty.

This was me by the way, posting under an assumed identity.

[Guest]

we gatherd i was gonna point it out, but fear of 16 lawyers banging down my door in search of my malabar gold was enough to keep me quiet

[Bertie_Doe]

How can a hot-blooded Scot, reject Silvia in favour of Alex?
Guest wrote

we gatherd i was gonna point it out, but fear of 16 lawyers banging down my door in search of my malabar gold was enough to keep me quiet

Offer GeorgeW £5 for his Silvia - to keep quiet!!
BTW, what roaster will you be using the greens on and were the malabar gold bought from DannyMc ? Have you tried the Mgold before and how do they compare with ordinary malabar?
Malabar happens to be my fav, but I have'nt tried the gold - yet.
QC

[Guest]

lol.. i roast em in a popcorn machine come out great though!!! i get em imported from canada actualy... and yes,,, to my taste buds they SO much nicer than standard malabar but im no expert...