Crew Review: Saeco Via Venezia

With a little more sass than the Aroma — like a steam wand with more range of motion, buttons located on the front of the machine and a little drawer under the drip tray — the Via Venezia is an excellent semi-automatic that is simple and easy to use. Watch as Gail takes us through its features, brews up some coffee and froths some milk for us.

The Grind: February 2010

Seattle Coffee Gear’s monthly newsletter, The Grind, landed in an email box near you today — and if it wasn’t near enough for you to actually read it, you can do so here on the site or make sure you get up close and personal next month by signing up for future editions.

This month, we talk about the different functional types of espresso machines, include a recipe for Indochine Lemon, point you to our manufacturer manual resource on Brown Bean and introduce you to a few new products we have in the store. What you won’t see, however, is The Grind Special, which is for subscriber-eyes-only. Sign up to get that little bit o’ goodness every month.

Crew Review: Ascaso Uno Pro with PID – Round Two

We took a first look at the new Uno Pro with PID by Ascaso in December, and now that we’ve had a little bit of time to play around with it, we’re taking a second look. In this new video, Gail talks to us about programming the PID, pulls some shots, steams up some milk using the other steam wand attachment and shows us the included accessories. The jury is still out on the longevity/build quality/reliability of this machine — since it’s new on the market — but so far so good, functionality-wise.

Ask the Experts: Which Type of Machine is Right for Me?

Navigating the available options in the world of home espresso machines can sometimes be a little overwhelming. Functionally speaking, there are a few different basic variations:

• Manual/Lever: With these machines, you are the pump. You grind, tamp and control the pressure during the extraction. You also manage the whole steaming process.
• Semi-Automatic: Semi-automatics have 15 – 17 BAR pumps involved, which will settle down to about 9 BARs of pressure if your grind/tamp is accurate. You will grind & tamp, then initiate the shot on and off. Steaming is also up to you.
• Automatic: Still grinding, tamping and steaming on your own, but you can program these machines to dose out a specific amount of water, so it will automatically end the shot.
• Pressurized Portafilters: Automatic and semi-automatic machines can have a variation that includes a pressurized porftafilter. This makes the machine a little bit easier to use because you don’t have to be super particular about your grind and tamp.
• Pod-Friendly: Another variation of semi-automatic and automatic machines are those that allow you to use what is basically a ground coffee version of a tea bag. These single serving pods make for easy, mess-free brewing.
• Superautomatic: These machines manage the whole grind and tamp process for you, but on most of them you will still be required to steam your milk. Some of them (usually called ‘One Touch’) provide automated frothing and shot extraction into your cup at the touch of the button; others have an automated frothing system that will froth the milk separately and you can pour it into the cup after it’s automatically extracted.
• Capsule: Probably the most simple machine in terms of materials and labor, these guys use a proprietary capsule filled with pre-ground coffee and extract it at the touch of a button — no grinding and tamping. Some of them have automatic frothing options.

We asked Gail to talk to us about these different machines, why someone would want to buy a specific type and why perhaps they wouldn’t want to buy it. Hopefully, this video will function as a good primer for learning the basic functional differences and help you as you research which machine best suits your needs.

New! Limited Edition Rancilio Silvia Bordeaux

If just making really great espresso isn’t enough for you and you’re a bit of a show pony (it’s okay, we still love you), then Rancilio’s saucy lil’ limited edition minx may be the lady for you.

Wrapped in faux burgundy leather (completely synthetic and animal-friendly), this special model has all the awesome features of the regular Silvia Version 3, just in a prettier package. Durable stainless steel casing, brass components and copper tubing for excellent temperature consistency and a commercial-grade steam wand that produces silky microfoam for your lattes and cappuccinos are just a few of the Silvia’s lovable features.

We only have 9 of these available, so if it melds with your style and you’ve had your eye on a Silvia for awhile, now’s your chance!

Supplemental Gaggia Warranty by SCG

Gaggia changed the game decades ago by introducing consumer-level espresso machines to the marketplace — it made it possible for people to make great espresso at home without requiring that they purchase a high end machine. Over the years, their name and reputation has kept the brand alive and strong here in the US, and they still make some of the best valued machines available on the market.

One thing we have not loved about them, however, is the warranty that is offered by the primary US importer, acting in the role of a manufacturer. While many manufacturer warranties will cover parts and labors for 1 – 2 years and will also provide return shipping back to you, Gaggia’s standard 2 year warranty covers parts & labor in the first year and parts only in the second year. Additionally, they do not pay for shipping either to or from a repair center. Before we were an authorized repair center, it was difficult for us to recommend the machines because of the poor warranty when compared to other machines that have similar functionality, build quality and reliability that are also backed by a better warranty.

In the fall of 2009, we became an authorized repair center for all Gaggia machines, so we’re now offering a supplemental warranty service on all Gaggia espresso machines purchased from Seattle Coffee Gear. For $29 on manual, semi-automatic or automatic espresso machines and $59 on superautomatic espresso machines, we’ll cover parts and labor for both years, as well as return shipping to any address in the continental US. Since this is directly through us, however, supplemental benefits are only available if you call and work with us directly for your warranty services — not the US importer or any of the other authorized repair centers that they have around the US. This service can be added during new machine purchases, so is an option on any Gaggia machine purchase from Seattle Coffee Gear.

=> What’s Covered?

• Phone tech support & troubleshooting
• Parts & labor for issues that arise from normal use of the machine
• Return shipping to any continental US address from our repair center

=> What’s Not Covered?

• Basic maintenance (backflushing, descaling, etc.)
• Issues that arise from not performing basic maintenance
• Normal wear items such as gaskets or surface nicks/scratches
• Issues that arise from using the machine in a use for which it was not intended (such as using it in a commercial setting if it’s not a commercial-class machine)

Crew Review: Ascaso Uno Professional with PID

Ascaso has just introduced a new version of their Uno Professional machines, this one comes standard with a PID interface. The PID gives you temperature control over the single boiler, so you can dial it in and manage it better for making excellent shots. The new version also features a side-access water tank (no reaching over the top) but lacks one of our favorite Ascaso features, the low water reservoir sensor.

Watch Gail as she walks us through the features, pulls a shot and steams up some milk on the new Ascaso Uno Professional with PID.

Crew Review: Ascaso Uno & Duo Series Comparison

Ascaso has released new iterations of their Uno and Duo series, adding an automatic Duo, as well, called the Tronic. In this video, Gail talks to us about the machines upgrades, how they differ from each other and their pros & cons.

Crew Review: Breville Series

While relying a bit more on form than function, Breville’s series of espresso machines do offer some great features like dosage programming and on-the-fly water heating, plus quite striking design. In this video, Gail discusses the different machines available and tells us their features, pros and cons.

Ask the Experts: Can I use Lemon Juice to Descale my Machine?

DIY lovers are all into the idea of using lemon juice or vinegar to descale their machines, but while the latter will leave a nasty residue and we don’t recommend it for that reason, the former just isn’t concentrated enough to do as an effective job in as an efficient manner as a concentrated citric acid solution like Dezcal. This is what we find out from Gail, plus she makes freaky faces and it’s worth watching just for that.