o3 Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 77 Location: MI Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Wed Mar 18, 2009, 7:37am Subject: Kitchen remodel-which countertop for espresso machine? Machine/grinder upgrade?
I am seriously considering a total kitchen remodel…being the messy person that I am, I spill water, coffee, coffee grounds on the countertop all the time. Which countertops are most forgiving of stains etc? My current set up is a Rocky and Silvia. I am seriously thinking of including a plumbed in machine in the overall costs….I assume you have to drill through the countertop to do this and therefore must decide where you want the machine and never move it from there? Final question, if I upgrade to an HX or DB machine would I also need to upgrade the Rocky? It can easily grind fine enough to choke the Silvia…I usually grind on setting 7 for a 30 second double.
kschendel Senior Member Joined: 7 Nov 2008 Posts: 147 Location: Pittsburgh Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Maestro Roaster: Freshroast
Posted Wed Mar 18, 2009, 10:05pm Subject: Re: Kitchen remodel-which countertop for espresso machine? Machine/grinder upg
Just ask your countertop supplier or kitchen store what maintenance the countertop needs. If they say anything other than "none", get a different material. I'd get a quartz resin material, Silestone is one brand and there are others. Solid resin countertops like Corian are good too, with a slightly different look. You'll want to stay away from most if not all of the natural stone tops.
You wouldn't need to upgrade the Rocky. You might want to, but you shouldn't need to.
calblacksmith Senior Member Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 770 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: 2 SJs, NS MCD 65, Solis 166 Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Thu Mar 19, 2009, 7:12am Subject: Re: Kitchen remodel-which countertop for espresso machine? Machine/grinder upgr
We just did a major re-habb of our kitchen and Corian was the way we went. It cost as much as natural stone but without the hassles of sealing, cracking or chipping. There is the added bonus that you can repair it, or rather have it repaired. Just buy a little more than you need (you will likely have cuttoffs anyway) and keep them in a safe place for repair. Our counter tops look like white granite and they are constantly mistaken for natural stone, but without any of the problems of natural stone. A hole can be patched easily if you have spare material to patch with and can not be seen after the repair. An example of this fact is that I was present when the counter tops were installed and I know where the pieces were joined (we have a LOT of counter top) and I can not find the joint between the different pieces. The key is to have patch pieces from the SAME batch as the counter top so that color and pattern are the same.
sweaner Senior Member Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 654 Location: Yardley, PA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Vetrano, Gaggia Carezza Grinder: Mazzer Mini Drip: Cuisinart SS1 single serve... Roaster: Poppery II
Posted Thu Mar 19, 2009, 6:14pm Subject: Re: Kitchen remodel-which countertop for espresso machine? Machine/grinder upgr
In my opinion granite is the only way to go. Far better looking than the other products. True, you should seal it a couple of times a year, but that is simple....much simpler than maintaining espresso equipment.
I will be plumbing in my machine soon, but plan on going through the backsplash, not the countertop.
-Scott Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. ~Jessi Lane Adams
A plumb in rotary pump machine is good investment, I think. I went from a Silvia/Rocky set up to a Vetrano/Macap M4 stepless. The convenience of a plumb in is worth it with an HX. A rotary pump is also a great way to go. Not only is it quiet it's adjustable at the pump which makes adjusting brew pressure very easy. A plumbed in drip tray completes the convenience.
The Rocky is a stepped grinder. I found it wasn't bad but the stepless Macap M4 I paired with the Vetrano is so much better. I can adjust for extraction timing to the second with the Macap stepless. The grind also seems so much more consistent and fluffier with the Macap vs. the Rocky. I found as well with the Rocky I had to start adjusting finer for the same extraction timing in less than a year. That, AFAIK, is a sign of wearing burrs. I haven't had to adjust for anything more than a roast change or humidity change in the two years I've had the Macap.
You could stick with the Rocky but I think you'd get more out of a substatial machine upgrade with an upgrade to a better grinder.
I would agree with the Corian recommendation for a countertop. Something that's easy to repair, non porous, easy to drill if you need to, stain resistant and can take a hit without cracking or chipping would be a good way to go.
calblacksmith Senior Member Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 770 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: 2 SJs, NS MCD 65, Solis 166 Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Fri Mar 20, 2009, 4:56am Subject: Re: Kitchen remodel-which countertop for espresso machine? Machine/grinder upgr
Thanks Craig, that bracket is 18" wide, 7" deep (front to back) and 14" tall from bottom to top. It cost the contractor I worked for $700 (who knows how much he charged the customer????) but it was over 40 hours of work by the time you add in the custom finish work they wanted, it was coated with bronze filled paint (real powdered bronze in the paint) and washed with acid to give it an aged look then clear coated to keep it looking good for a long time without polishing. It is now located in the Foyer of a custom home in Vegas.
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