And I thought I was a coffee snob before! :)
My Saeco Vienna Superautomatica just bit the big one a few weeks ago, so I got to upgrade to this bad boy, and Oh, my, goodness! Best espresso of my life!!! Takes a bit of practice, but here's the way to get the best out of your machine:
1. Preheat your machine for 2-5 minutes. Place a couple of demitasse cups on top of the machine to heat them up and make sure you have either filtered or bottled (calcium free) water in your water tank.
2. Send a spurt of hot water through your empty brew group and filter basket to heat it up before loading it up with your grinds.
3. The grind is absolutely imperative!!! You must have the right grind to get the most out of your shot. If you don't have the right grind you'll have a crappy shot and it will be bitter and nasty. I currently have mine set at between 2.5 and 3 and it's perfect. I'm using: Pasquini Lux Coffee Grinder. You need to tamp the grounds into the filter basket with your tamper with firm, even pressure...
Solid, very compact, tidy
I have had my Livietta T2 for two years and am very happy with my purchase. It's an extremely high quality machine with solid, heavy components and yet a remarkably small footprint (preserving relative marital harmony. It has easy-to-access inside components, so anyone with the desire to do so can easily and intuitively take apart the insides for routine cleaning and maintenance. The machine is made in Italy, near Milan. But unlike many of the Italian machines, Pasquini has a well-established US headquarters, located in Los Angeles. From my experience, they actually pick up the phone, and if you need a part or get technical advise, you will talk with a real person right away. Pasquini Espresso Co. 1501 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90015 (213) 739-0480 By the way, the 57mm portafilter allows you to use a trimmed Red Bull can (also 57mm in diameter) as a chute so that grinds move directly into the portafilter from your grinder, with absolutely no mess. I use a Baratza...
A Little Engine That Could
This machine with an actual grinder does a very good job. Steam appears weak, but once you froth the milk you get this amazing micro foam. Great for fast mornings, since it heats up in like 2min. I'd call it: a little engine that could...
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