I need advive on Espresso Machines!

[ElPugDiablo]

For me, in order of importance

a well trained barista,
good water,
good coffee,
good grinders,
then a good espresso machine.

I have pretty good water, the first two might flip if I have lousy water.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

If they feel they are not going to be pushing the nectar, but really focus in on all the foo foo drinks then just get an decent machine and grinder.

Great point.

 

[essentialwonders]

Dear CCafe,
You said

Wow that's an Astoria through and through!

, actually CMA an Italian company is the largest manufacturer of high end commercial espresso machines in the world. They do make the Astoria and the Venezia but they do not have interchangeable parts and the exterior design is almost exact. What makes Venezia stand apart is Free Onsite Repair in all 48 states or instant exchange if they can't get to you. We all know if your espresso machine goes down today you need it fixed yesterday, and nothing beats Free same day repair. We used to be a repair facility for many of the brands already listed but honestly parts are hard to get and down time is often so we made the switch. All I can say is our customers nationwide are extremely satisfied with the Venezia.

 

[CCafe]

I don't want to burst your bubble but if you break out a parts diagram for an Astoria and another one for the Venezia the are pretty much identical. Just short of calling North Carolina for cross reference sheet on part numbers I would venture to say it would be a dead match.

There are a lot of companies out there that do not wish to get into the espresso machine manufacturing and this is why CMA is so great to have in your pocket. They help fill a need. There are only a handful of companies that I can think of that actually have CMA build out a complete line where parts won't match up for every piece, but it is very possible to have a few common parts found. One that comes in to mind is the Wega. It has several common parts it shares with some Astoria's. But not all parts are a match.

I'm not disputing your claim to free onsite repair, but I doubt very much that there are no interchangeable parts. Matter of fact I would assume that for the very reason that it is an Astoria/Private labeled machine is why they can offer such a sweet deal. In all my travels I can almost always find an Astoria where ever I go.

 

[Banannie]

We use a Nuova Simonelli Aurelia. PM is minimal and easy to complete by yourself. Pulls great shot after great shot. I have never been happier with a machine!