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Re:How Nespresso's coffee revolution got ground down by stinos on Monday July 20, 2020 @09:55AM (#23897844)
Apart from drinking it, I had zero experience with Espresso before getting the machine. Yes grind setting matters (though it would make no sense for me to tell you what grind setting I use because it's an arbitrary number, specific to the brand/type and sometimes even unique to the grinder), and temperature, and pressure, and amount of coffee. But from day 1 I could produce consistent shots by keeping those variables the same in between shots which isn't rocket science so I still think your comparision with a PHD is a bridge too far, it's really not that hard. Ok I'm a handy engineering type, but if you read on forums it's pretty clear: people without those skills also manage to produce consistent shots. You could blame that on confirmation bias, but: have you ever tried a manual machine yourself and got a decent espresso out of it?

you'll see the cost further increase

Of course. But making consistent espresso without a decent grinder, now that's hard, so you know on beforehand it's in the price. And a grinder lasts years or decades and it's pretty likely a decent manual machine does so as well.

Also, manuals lack a steam wand which is a real downside.

Only if you want it, which I don't.

Re:How Nespresso's coffee revolution got ground down by ntsplnkv2 on Monday July 20, 2020 @12:11PM (#23899223)
There is no way for me to tell if your espresso is good, or not. It might be good enough for you and for you that is great - but don't let your survivorship bias be an argument for "it's easy anyone can do it." That was the point.

> but: have you ever tried a manual machine yourself and got a decent espresso out of it?

Oh I have. This is my manual, well, the older version: https://www.cerinicoffee.com/products/olympia-cremina-sl. I like to experiment a lot with it and have a pressure gauge attachment on the top.

You can certainly get good espresso out of it - that isn't my point. my point is, it isn't as easy as people think - and you far overestimate based on hobbyists on coffee forums (of course they produce good shots, they're hobbyists) and people who just want coffee.

> Only if you want it, which I don't.

Well of course - but that is a downside that would turn off a lot of people.

Re:How Nespresso's coffee revolution got ground down by stinos on Wednesday July 22, 2020 @02:26AM (#23914463)
"it's easy anyone can do it."

Those are not my words though, I was merely giving some alternative view because your posts make it sound (to me) like it's not easy at all.

olympia-cremina

Would have to compare irl, but from the looks and manual that does actually look a bit harder than the Robot which is the most basic it can get.