Please talk me out of this...

[robertlevigarrett]

Hello all,

I have been scouring the internet over the past few months researching commercial semi-auto machines. The machines that seem to stick out the most based on my needs are the La Marzocco Linea, Nuova Simonelli Aurelia and the Astoria Perla. I see thread after thread of people talking up these machines but I haven't come across any real insight on why one SHOULDN'T buy any of these.

My focus at this point is on the Astoria Perla. It's so much less expensive than other respected brands, yet I haven't really come across any negative comments about them. When I look at all that I can do with the thousands of $$ saved, it really makes me wonder. My question is this...

Can anybody convince me not to buy an Astoria Perla?

Thanks.

 

[cece74]

If you are interested in coffee machines can help

 

[CCafe]

Sure its easy to convince someone not to buy. Just look at who your local repair service is and see what they sell. If they sell those brands great if not ask why? Never buy a machine if the service guy is more then 150 miles away. You don't want to wait all day especially if you could have purchased a machine from a local guy and had service within an hour!

 

[Yarbooa]

A good friend of mine has Perla Sae, and he has no complaints. Personally I have nothing bad to say about Astoria, no much experience with them also. But they look really great!

 

[John P]

All things considered, Astoria is far on the low end in terms of thermal stability, quality of build, and espresso consistency.

If you are buying for a shop, I would steer clear. However, if you are considering Astoria at all, it may be a moot point.

 

[ceegee]

I think CCafe has a good point, especially if you are purchasing the machine for business purposes, as you cannot afford to have the machine out of action for too long, as customers will go elsewhere. Also contacting the local service centers should be able to answer a lot of your questions, and then you will also get a feel for their business ethic as well. Just my thoughts. Good luck.