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ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

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Discussions > Espresso > Machines > ESE capable...

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JasonBrandtLewis
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Joined: 9 Dec 2005
Posts: 6,099
Location: Berkeley, CA
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Elektra T1 - La Valentina -...
Grinder: Mahlkönig K30 Vario -...
Vac Pot: Yama 5-cup
Drip: CCD, Chemex
Roaster: No, no, not another...

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 10:10am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

KJCaufield Said: Jason. I understand, but they are better than Staryucks . . . Posted March 10, 2013 link Well, anything is. KJCaufield Said: . . . and I just don't want to deal with the hassle. Posted March 10, 2013 link Umm, it;s LESS hassle than you think. Honest. KJCaufield Said: I'm short to boot, so pressing pucks on the counter is not going to be easy for me. Posted March 10, 2013 link Table? KJCaufield Said: And the more we learn the more I go, ugh, hassle LOL. Posted March 10, 2013 link Honest. Less than you think. ;^) KJCaufield Said: Now if we had a cafe and were dialing in our grind for out specific roast etc every morning, fine. But just for an occasional shot of espresso, meh. Posted March 10, 2013 link You say that now, but I honestly can't remember the last time I used my French press, and I haven't used my pourover Chemex or Clever Coffee Dripper in probably six months! And I like the results I get from those methods of prep, but I find they are more of a hassle than making an espresso or a latte! KJCaufield Said: Indeed one reviewer sold his Rancillo & Gaggia to get a k-cup machine just for that reason. He just didn't have the time in the morning to make a shot and wanted something decent going out the door; thus, found he was not using his better machines. Posted March 10, 2013 link There's no accounting for taste . . . think of "convenience" and "quality" as opposite sides of a see-saw. "Decent" is the right word. Do you want "decent"? or do you want "good," even "great"? KJCaufield Said: Now the spouse on the other hand does like to tinker and I know he will. Hence the search for the machines that will do both. Posted March 10, 2013 link Food for thought, Kristin: my wife, a Criminal Defense Attorney, won't get out of bed until I bring her a latte. The idea of an Oscar with an ESE attachment is a good one, but -- honest! -- making a "real" shot (rather than pods) is EASY! And whether it's pods of "real" shots, you're going to be making a lot more than 5 drinks a week! You need a grinder. The only drawback to the Oscar is that it's difficult to keep one on a timer.

A morning without coffee is sleep . . .

darkow
Senior Member

Joined: 31 Dec 2012
Posts: 105
Location: Wisconsin
Expertise: I like coffee

Espresso: NS Oscar
Grinder: Vario W
Drip: Breville YouBrew

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 10:37am
Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Gig103 Said:

I'd suggest a Saeco Aroma. For you and your pods you use the pressurized portafilter, and your husband can tinker with a quality grinder and unpressurized portafilter. Temperature surfing or adding a PID is important with both.

Posted February 27, 2013 link

KJCaufield Said:

LOL! Gig, that is my personal machine of choice, but the hubby snubbed anything that did an auto tamp ;b This is why I was looking at the Gaggia or the Aseco. Although Newegg has a Aroma for pretty cheap right now...

Posted March 9, 2013 link

Gig was suggesting you purchase an additional portafilter for the Saeco. You could you the pressurized one with ESE pods or ground coffee and not have to worry about tamping, whereas your husband can use the nonpressurized where learning grind/tamp etc are a must.

KJCaufield
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Location: Edwardsville
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 10:44am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Coffeenoobie & Jason, The funny thing is I literally just discovered the Oscar over at Seattle Espresso's site and was seriously contemplating it. It would be nice if it could dispense water so could get rid of the kettle and devote the counter space to one device (I drink tea like you all drink coffee ;b) but for $1000 less than the Rocket & Musica, well it might be the compromise. OK, I wish it also could to the either/or plumbed vs reservoir like the Rocket, but again trade offs. So, another question - it looks like the heat exchanges take quite a bit more time to heat up than the single boilers - am I reading that correctly?

KJCaufield
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Location: Edwardsville
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 10:48am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Jason: OK, how about this, once I use up my pods, I will make a shot all on my own just for you, LOL. Sadly I am mostly limited to decaf because caffeine can set off terrible migraines so, other than sipping off the hubbies yummy elixirs, I have to drink crap anyhow. Thus my thought was I might as well make it easy on myself. But I yes I will give the manual way a fair shot ;b Re your comment on the Oscar, you said it was hard to keep them on a timer? By that do you mean timing your shots, or a physical timer? yep, noob questions :) Also what machine would your recommend sans ESE pod adaptor?

KJCaufield
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Location: Edwardsville
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 10:54am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Darkow: Thank you. I did not realize one could get a unpressurized portafilter at the time. They do look like a very good entry machine. I assume there is a reason why other machines, such as the Silvia, rate higher though - temperature stability perhaps? We had talked about getting 2 different machines too (his & hers). It just seemed like over kill to me though.

KJCaufield
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Location: Edwardsville
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 11:08am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Ah I found the ESE adapter for the Nuova Simonelli machines. It looks like the same thing they do to the Silvia? If so, the reason we passed up on the Silvia with ESE option is you had to flip the machine over and screw the thing on. Since it would only occasionally be used for ESE, that killed the whole point of making a quick pod shot. I was hoping to find an adapter in the form of a second portafilter vs having to re-engineer the machine :/ Blah.

Coffeenoobie
Senior Member

Joined: 11 Dec 2011
Posts: 2,320
Location: PNW
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Espresso: N S Oscar
Grinder: Vario W

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 11:25am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

They plumb in Oscar but you can't go between pod and grinds on the fly. It doesn't come with an vacuum breaker so you have to open the steam valve every morning to let the false pressure out so the machine can get up to temp. I added that to mine because I only use it in the morning. Before that I left it on 24/7. It is designed to do that. For tea you can steam the hot water in your cup to the perfect temp very very very fast. Can cook eggs with the steam wand also.

Coffeenoobie Buying advice: GRINDER GRINDER GRINDER. Don't cheap out on the grinder. My coffee treasure map... Click Here (maps.google.com)

KJCaufield
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Location: Edwardsville
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sun Mar 10, 2013, 9:48pm Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Coffeenoobie: I just found the first look review. Explained everything :) Gig203 & Darkow: OK, so now I have to ask, why the Aroma vs a Gaggia or Uno? Other than price, are the other two not better machines? When it comes to pods, the Gaggia is certified by Illy. The Uno just had some other nice features.

darkow
Senior Member

Joined: 31 Dec 2012
Posts: 105
Location: Wisconsin
Expertise: I like coffee

Espresso: NS Oscar
Grinder: Vario W
Drip: Breville YouBrew

Posted Mon Mar 11, 2013, 6:20am
Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

KJCaufield Said:

Coffeenoobie: I just found the first look review. Explained everything :)

Gig203 & Darkow: OK, so now I have to ask, why the Aroma vs a Gaggia or Uno? Other than price, are the other two not better machines? When it comes to pods, the Gaggia is certified by Illy. The Uno just had some other nice features.

Posted March 10, 2013 link

I don't know anything about the Uno, but yes, the Gaggia is definitely a better machine than the Aroma.

Fact is, you want to easily switch from pressurized to nonpressurized easily without having to screw on a pod adapter. The Aroma allows you to do that. The Gaggia doesn't if I remember correctly. If the Gaggia is as simple as changing the portafilter, then get the Gaggia.

Remember that your pod / pressurized shots will not taste as good as the nonpressurized ones.

KJCaufield
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Location: Edwardsville
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Mon Mar 11, 2013, 7:53am Subject: Re: ESE capable machine: Ascaso Uno Pro vs Gaggia. Thoughts?

Darkow: Both the Ascaso Uno and Gaggia use interchangeable portafilters, which is why we were trying to decide between the two. Both have gotten good ratings, but the Gaggia has more of a following. Not sure why. Like the PID on the Uno. As said too many choices LOL. Hoping to find 'the machine' now vs upgrading later, which is why we haven't just jumped in.

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