Quote:
Originally Posted by 6793026
i have the ROK and i thought i was a loser. I wanted to get the flair but after seeing your machine.. danggg..
i thought it was all manual but then i realized aside from pulling the lever, everything else was digital.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by bcrdukes
Forgiving is subjective on a lever, I find. There are fewer nannies and parameters you can adjust to pull that God shot. Having said that, there's something for everyone nowadays.
I would argue that the Cremina was (and still is???) the benchmark for a good, solid, and reliable lever machine for the home enthusiast. But the market has come a long way and customers are far more discerning and there is a lever machine for everyone. Nevermind the rise of people with disposable income.
Oh wait, that's just you.  |
It's really never about gears. Flair can totally pull a mean shot of espresso if done right.
From my experience of Breville 870, Rancilio, Rocket R58 to Slayer, yes the price jumped like 10-20 folds, but there was never any doubt in my mind that the 870 can pull a shot as good as the Slayer.
The Slayer just makes everything so much easier. There is no guessing or trial-error. Especially when dealing with light roasted beans.
Many have said that light roasts are meant for pourover or other method, but that's not true. With proper technique, an espresso from light roast can be as incredible as a proper V60. I fell in love with light roasts when I had my R58. Was I not able to pull good shots? No. But it was a bit of work and I'd easily waste 2-5 shots worth of bean to dial it down just right. And when those premium single origin beans are $35-50 for bag of 250g (meaning I could realistically make 14shots), the cost was quite high and as bean ages, I might have to adjust again.
Slayer, having its super long preinfusion makes light roast so easy to make good shots. Like, the first shot, while not perfect, it's easily drinkable and I fine-tune to improve rather than making it drinkable.
So, back to my latest purchase... I wouldn't say high-end lever machines would make better shot than something as simple as Flair. But it's certainly easier to repeat the same experience since these high-end machines have dialed everything down to perfection. As for Spiritello vs. Cremina, it is more of aesthetic decision rather than anything else.
I've shared in my past posts that we are doing a major reno at our place and I plan to move my coffee machine from a corner to an actual dedicated coffee/liquor bar that we have planned.
Thus, as beautiful as Slayer is, it didn't look good on the back unless one starts modding it, and when I saw the Spiritello, I thought... this is perfect. After having the opportunity to try one of first units in America earlier in the year, I was sold.