Hey Helene, and welcome to Coffeegeek! Yea, it is generally a good idea to get a separate grinder due to maintenance and build quality. The grinder is way more important than the machine. What type were you looking at? I really like my Ec155, but to get a good shot some tinkering is needed. It may be better to start out with a really decent machine like a Lelit PL041 or Rancilio Silvia. A great combo is on sale at 1st-line: Click Here (www.1st-line.net)
Hope this helps, and once again welcome to the forum!
Cheers, ~Nick
There's a big difference between drinking coffee to wake up and waking up to drink coffee.
I am in the same search. I am not quite happy with my EC155 and right now looking for a replacement. My choices are: Crossland CC1 Quick Mill Silvano LeLit PL041 with PID
I have a grinder already: Baratza Virtuoso Preciso
Thanks for posting- I'm thinking about putting one of these and an easily adjusted OPV that leads into the drip tray on mine, but I need to get my plans straight first. Something to think about...
There's a big difference between drinking coffee to wake up and waking up to drink coffee.
I am thinking about selling my Delonghi EC155 and modified (to grind finer for that machine) KRUPS burr grinder. Everything is like 1 month old. Let me know if you are interested.
I recently moved up from an EC155 / Capresso Infinity setup to a Gaggia Classic / Virtuoso Preciso combo. I am really happy, I found a deal at WLL (weekly wow) but even normal the classic is a cheaper alternative than the CC1 / Silvia / LeLit recommendations. All of those should be fantastic but I'm getting really great shots with the classic. If you are cash pinched I might risk a cheaper Gaggia (no OPV adjust, and no 3-way) and spend more on the grinder. Preciso seems like a fantastic price / performance point and it's versatility with other brew methods sold me. You could probably do as good for cheaper but the Preciso has worked nicely... or get a vario-w and make me jealous (not budget, but just plain cool).
But... seriously try a couple things first on your EC155. Unscrew the bottom of the PF handle and remove it completely, poof naked bottomless. Now take the black plastic out from below the double screen, depressurized. 5 minutes and it's a new machine. Order whatever these guys tell you the best double basket is (even though what I said works, its finnicky and a little small) and you are really gettin close to an entry level gaggia... okay that may be pushing it, but not by much. Definitely worth it to play with. For me that was what helped me decide I wanted a step up, and that this hobby would be worth it.
I still think that if i'd stuck it out with the modded EC155 and gotten the Preciso (infinity was not good enough, close... fine enough just too many fines I think) I could make some good shots. Since your starting with that machine, I'd get the grinder you want and play. Move up to the CC1 (looks really good) or an entry HX when those prices don't sound stupid (trust me they'll sound more sane after every sink shot, and after every really good shot you'll convince yourself with-a-new-toy-this'll-happen-every-time)
All that said i'm a relative newb so if you find what looks like better advice... take it.
I still think that if i'd stuck it out with the modded EC155 and gotten the Preciso (infinity was not good enough, close... fine enough just too many fines I think)
I have EC155 and Preciso combination. I can't get as good shots as I can get in a good local coffee shop. I can get pretty strong coffee with crema but it is not as rich and full of body as from a real machine. I have tried depressurize it, different grind, fresh coffee - nothing works. Once I got it pretty close, but I couldn't reproduce it since. I don't know what is wrong... temperature fluctuations, pressure, etc.
Once again, I will emphasize that this machine certainly has the ability to pull good shots, but it takes a lot more time to "feel" out the machine... I would argue that in the extra time that it took me to learn how to pull great shots with this machine I've learned more about espresso. If you have a perfectly stable machine, you'll never know what a cool or hot shot tastes like, nor how to correct it. If you have a machine with a 9-bar OPV, you won't learn how to adjust the machine's pressure via grind and tamp. I think if I were to get a Silvia or Lelit today, I could pull a better shot on that machine then if I had owned it instead of the DeLonghi.
However, to begin with, this trial and error to get used to the machine may become irritating to the point of loosing interest in espresso. That's why I suggested a nicer machine, and you won't want to upgrade for a good while with one of those machines (Gaggia included, if you don't put much emphasis on steaming).
Just some clarification!
Cheers, ~Nick
There's a big difference between drinking coffee to wake up and waking up to drink coffee.
I've been having the same problem with two-cup replacement basket. I usually weigh out 18grams of coffee, but this doesn't fill the basket high enough to allow me to smooth out the top. It seems to me that this is a cause for the uneven extractions and channeling that I'm seeing. Also I've never been able to get a nice solid puck after the extraction. I was wondering if you've found a way around this and if you think the one-cup basket might be a better way to go?
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