I often get asked to recommend a quality espresso machine that won’t break the average budget. So, I thought I’d share my experiences with one machine, in particular, that performs well and has an affordable price tag to boot.

The Gaggia New Baby semi-automatic espresso machine, in black, has a few things going for it that sets it apart from the rest. It is made of a nice, glossy ABS Plastic, with a polished stainless-steel faceplate and a stainless steel drip grate. The New Baby also has an easy-to-use interface, thanks to push-button controls. But, the design of the brewing system is really the highlight of this machine. 

The New Baby has almost all of the same internal components as the famed Gaggia Classic. Let me break this down…First, as a given, all Gaggia semi-automatic machines come with full, commercial-sized 58mm portafitlers, made of chrome-plated brass. In this instance, the New Baby also features a chrome-plated brass brew group and heating elements that are embedded into the boiler and are not in the water. Isolating the heating elements this way helps preserve boiler performance, in the long run. Best of all, the Gaggia New Baby has a three-way solenoid valve. The valve empties directly into the drip tray and relieves the portafilter of excess water pressure. This, in turn, prevents the pressure from being built up in the portafilter, when you remove the handle—drying out the spent ground and making it easier to knock out the puck.  More importantly, the three-way valve helps to prevent water leaks in brew group; which means better steam pressure and increased machine longevity. 

The three-way valve is usually found on high-end commercial machines. Luckily, for the consumer, Gaggia has included this feature in the New Baby. The three-way valve, along with an affordable price tag, is why the Gaggia New Baby gets my vote for “Best Value on a Budget.”

Do you have a question about the New Baby or any other Gaggia machine? Leave me a message; I’m a happy to assist.

Todd
Diagnostics

So I was trying to come up with a good topic for my latest blog when it hit me, not only should I tie it into something I love, movies, but make it interactive, so everyone can chime in and add to it.

So, here’s the question: Have you ever noticed an espresso machine in a movie or TV show?
And I don’t mean the couple is out for the night and they stop into a café and there’s a La Marzoco or some multi group machine turning out shots for them. Or a Starbucks gets ‘featured’ at some point and there’s a machine in it.

What I’m talking about is in the movie, there is a home based espresso machine in it. Either in the background, or outright used in a scene.

I’ll start you off with 7 that spring to mind, and let’s see a bunch more posted after this.
Are you ready to wow everyone with your keen eyes?

1. Iron Man – In Tony Stark’s garage/lab in the background is a Jura Capresso Z Series machine. (Can’t specify if it’s Z5 or Z6, as it’s not shown up close) And he does drink a shot of espresso, although it is brewed off screen.
2. The Sopranos - in the first season, there is an episode with a shower, and one gift given a Jura Capresso machine. The ladies all rave about it in the scene.
3. Ransom – this is a bit more obscure, and the machine is never featured. But in the Mel Gibson thriller, there is a La Pavoni EPG8 or 16. The Gold manual beauty is on their kitchen counter in the background.
4. House – I don’t remember the season or episode, but there was one when the cantankerous doctor we love actually breaks into one of the hospital coffee nooks to have a cup of coffee to finish the case he’s working on. Being a small setting, they actually had a Jura Capresso machine in the coffee spot. Looked to be an F Series machine, it wasn’t on long enough for me to discern.
5. Will & Grace – this is the easy one, that I want to make sure I cover, before everyone else jumps in with it. They had a Francis Francis X1 in their kitchen, and I’m certain at some point it was used and likely involved somehow in some scheme of Jack & Karen, or Grace & Karen.
6. Running Scared – In this very dark movie starring Paul Walker (with a solid twist in it) there is a Gaggia Syncrony in the apartment of some extremely bad people. Hey, even villains like coffee. Bad taste in morals doesn’t mean bad taste buds.
   (Advisory: unless you enjoy this genre of movie, don’t scour it for the machine. If you like gritty crime flicks, dig in, it got onto a weird tangent storyline in the middle, but delivered solid at the end.)
7. Kicking and Screaming – this entry from Will Ferrell is basically Little Giants or Bad News Bears for soccer. But featured in the middle of the movie is an Expobar Athenea Control. The machine actually is downright abused, in one of the funnier parts of the movie. Well, if you can forgive the abuse of a beautiful espresso machine for comedy.

So, who has more? Screenshots aren’t necessary, but keep it to espresso machines. We don’t need to show off knowing that Ben offered Kate some coffee from a Bonjour French Press in an episode of Lost.

Mike
Whole Latte Love Sales

What is it about creating a great latte that make me feel so good? Is it not a simple act? You brew some coffee, you steam some milk and that’s kind of it.

Well it ain't that easy. The espresso alone has enough talk or advice and experts to theorize everything; even stirring the espresso with a paper clip has a name. I can't picture my dad making an espresso proudly using the greatest tool in espresso history the paper clip without muttering a few choice words as to why the hell this is necessary. I get a laugh just picturing that happening. Well I do know how to pull a great shot thank goodness, or as some people say a God shot. I can't see my Mom, a religious woman at the church sitting around while all the ladies in the hand bell choir get the paper clip working with the latest greatest espresso and each one expressing the jubilation that only comes with a God shot. It can be fun though knowing what you have created cannot be had to often out in the real world- a truly fine espresso.

The milk steaming is an art. We will discuss latte art in another post. When we trained at the coffee shop we even had a sexy name by Freudian standards for when the tip of the steam wand was properly positioned in the pitcher to get the milk to steam in a whirlpool fashion. We called it the W spot and we expected each employee to know the W spot and how to make sure they hit it each time they steamed milk.

So the joy I get out of making a great drink is it is fun, sexy and when made right is truly a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. I guess between God shots, paper clips, and the W spot ( sounds like a bad title for an even worse movie) it is not all that easy, and why so many practice and make lattes at home and create that drink that sometimes is so elusive in the outside world.

Have you ever heard these terms or have a different name for them? Post them here.

Mark
Whole Latte Love Commercial Sales

Some of my fellow coffee nuts are purists. They believe that fresh ground coffee brewed in a commercial style espresso machine is the true way, the only way. Being a coffee nut myself and knowing all the rules and regulations makes this very difficult... I am going to break my silence on a big secret....I love Nespresso capsule coffee (GASPS!) Thats right, I love it and I drink it every day. I have a Nespresso C-100 under my desk. I'm a Nespressoholic and I'm proud of it.

Capsule coffee is a great alternative for those of us who don't have a lot of room but want a great quality espresso. The capsules are totally sealed and can be kept in your office drawer (or in my case, filing cabinet) and do not require refrigeration at any time AND they last for up to 12 months! If you have enough room for something the size of a football (American style), you have more then enough room for one of these little machines. They have removable water tanks, so I take mine to the sink in our little kitchen and rinse it out and refill it. After the capsules are spent, they drop down into a little basket container. The C-100's drip tray and basket are linked as are most other models. I take them both to our kitchen and dump the capsules and rinse out the drip tray. Occasionally I use some dish soap to get it squeaky clean. The machine is relatively quiet when it is brewing, but is a bit louder if there is no capsule in it. My coworkers hardly notice the sound of it brewing at all. There is almost no noise, no mess, no standing in front of a machine for what seems like eons for a good espresso! How can you go wrong? I have also committed some major sins against my little C-100. I have accidentally left it on all weekend more then once and let it run dry, also more then once. Yet it has not died yet. I do not recommend doing this to any machine and I'm sure Nespresso will be appalled at hearing this, especially since I work in technical support. But I think it is a testament to the machines durability for sure.

Capsule coffee is taboo in the chic circles of espresso fanatics. I say no! All Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed to prevent any air exposure and taste as fresh as the day they were ground. The capsules come in a great variety, from very, very strong to light and mild. They have a basic range, their standard espressos which they have all the time. My favorite is Cosi – smooth and mild, perfect to wake me up and get me through the day. I know that sounded cheesy but it is true. I love the Cosi blend and I sip it as a straight espresso with just a little Splenda brand sweetener. (No calories, a girl has to watch her figure you know!) There are also the “Lungo” coffees. They are for those of us who also enjoy a small but perfect cafe crema. These capsules are designed to brew a larger volume. Once a year the Nespresso company comes out with a special blend or blends. These are available in limited quantity so you have to keep your eye open on the Nespresso site to see when they are coming out. Their most recent addition are “Pure Origin” coffees from Brazil, India, and Colombia. My co-worker Maria and I really enjoy the Rosabaya from Colombia. Let me tell you something else about Maria, she a real Italian. She was born in the US but her parents are from Calabria and Napoli, so she really knows her espresso. And if she loves the Nespresso as much as I do, it must be good! We both drink it daily.

The capsules themselves are about 55 cents each for the normal espresso and Lungo Ranges. The special coffees like special editions and pure origins coffees are slightly more. You can only get the capsules from Nespresso. Some people may think that this is a downside. But it is actually a bonus. You only have one source for the coffee which means that you do not have to shop around. You are also guaranteed freshness. Nespresso will not allow any other company to sell their coffees so they can keep an eye on their product to ensure freshness and quality. They also offer outstanding shipping rates and you can order as much or little as you want at a time. You will still save money on your daily store-bought espresso or cappuccino if you invest in the Nespresso system.

I know I have definitely breached the coffee connoisseurs code by telling you all of this, but you should know that to get a fantastic coffee, latte or cappuccino, you don't have to be any sort of expert or even a novice. You just have to know what tastes good and what you like.

Kathy
Tech Support

See the entire line of Nespresso Capsule Machines!

Hard water, Descaling & Decalcifying - A Semi Scientific Explanation

What is hard water?
Hard water is water with a lot of minerals (calcium, magnesium, etc) dissolved in it. The minerals are ions, that is a charged (+/-) particle. They stick to the insides of your machine in a thin layer at first, but over time can form larger mineral deposits. Hard water is common in water that is exposed to limestone, chalk or dolomite. You can safely assume that well water is usually very hard. Hard water is NOT bad for you and can actually provide a very, very small amount of your daily recommended mineral intake. (We are not recommending that you drink hard water as a substitute for eating right and taking supplements) If you do not have a test strip to test your water to see if it is hard, you can do a soap or toothpaste test. Soap and toothpaste will foam up very easily in softer water, in hard water it will not. This is not the most accurate way to tell you if you have hard water but it is a good place to start. You can also contact your local water authority to find out if you have hard water.

How hard is my water?
If you call your water authority they will probably give you some scientific answer. The response will be in parts per million, or ppm. How many ppm will make my water hard? There are different degrees of hardness. According to the US Geological Survey, (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/qw) 88.3% of homes in the US have what is considered hard water. Hard water begins at about 100 ppm. For most homes this does not cause major problems but can slowly build up in appliances use and heat water. Anything over 180ppm is considered extremely hard.

How does it affect your machine?
Minerals will line your machine, especially in the boiler. They make crusty deposits which, over time, can create blockages. It can also adversely affect the heating element of your machine causing inefficient heating. As well as break the heating element if you have an internal heating element that is directly exposed to the water. The scale is like ice and can get into every part of your coffee maker or espresso machine and break it apart. Especially the tiny o'rings and seals that are soft. This can cause leaking in your machine which can lead to its total failure. Repairs that are caused by scale buildup are usually very costly and almost always are not covered by your warranty.

How to prevent build up - regular maintenance!
It is critical that you descale or decalcify (these terms are interchangeable in the espresso world) on a regular basis. Even if you do not have very hard water, you should still descale on a regular basis to clean out the coffee brewing components of your machine. Coffee can also build up in your machine and cause clogs. You can also use water with a lower mineral content. Some machines (Expobar, Pasquini, Rocket Espresso, HX or heat exchange machine, etc) need at least some minerals in their water for their auto-fill feature to operate properly. Consult your manual or call tech support if you are not sure if your machine requires some minerals in the water. Most machines do not require any sort of special water. But by avoiding water with high ppm counts, you will extend the life of your machine and keep your coffee tasting great.

How do descalers work?
Descalers are acids and release Hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. The H+ ions eat away at the scale by using the charge (+) to pull at the deposited minerals. A mild acid based descaler should be sufficient to get your machine cleaned safely and effectively. Make sure to follow the directions in your manual for your specific machine as well as the directions on the descaling product itself.

Happy Brewing!

Kathy
Tech Support