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I've recently purchased the Saeco Odea Go. Well, I guess it was Christmas so I've had it for about six months. It quit working the other day and I was beside myself. The machine has put out excellent coffee time and again for my guests and me. I would say I average 5-6 cups of coffee a day from this machine. (I'm going to see someone about my addiction)  Permalink
Jura Capresso S9 vs F9: A Machine Comparison...23 June 2008 Jura Capresso Impressa superautomatics are, without a doubt, the most impressive super automatics designed for home use. We at JL Hufford frequently get questions about the differences between the S series and the F series (or, as we call them--for less confusion in pronunciation--Sam and Frank (that's S for Sam, F for Frank)).
The differences can be divided into essential and incidental. ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCES include: 1. Number of heating systems. Sam has two heating systems, whereas Frank has one. Frank's 1450 Watt thermal block is fine for most home operations, initially taking a minimum of 50 seconds to heat up. Also ideal for any home application, Sam's two thermal blocks take a combined initial minimum heat up time of 90 seconds. One of Sam's thermal blocks is dedicated solely to the heating of water used in steaming/hot water dispensing. The other heating element is independently dedicated to the heating of water used to brew an espresso shot. Although each block is independent of one another, it is not possible to both steam and brew simultaneously. The one place you might notice Frank's lack of another heating element is in the time it takes between ending a coffee brew cycle and starting a frothing cycle. That is, it takes 15-20 sec to heat up the water in its one thermal block. 2. Brew Temp. Sam brews at a hotter temp than Frank. Exactly what temp? That's a difficult question to answer, as we base all of our lab "brew temps" on the temperature at the spout. We do this because this is still quite informative (not to mention easier for us to measure!), and because the temperature of the coffee when it hits your cup will significantly affect the life of the crema. That's because the temperature of the water in the heating system may be significantly more than the temperature in the coffee delivery system. For instance, a semi automatic machine with an E61 heated group head will be able to brew your espresso at 198 degrees easily, and you may be able to get espresso out of the spout as hot. However, when your heating system is located in one area of the machine and has a tortuous path to travel to the coffee spout (all the way not being heated), you may be looking at 175-180 degrees out the spout. Bottom line, our tested average: Sam 190 degrees (spout), Frank 182 degrees (spout). 3. Touch Screen. Frank has the ability to be programmed through and have its drink sizes accessed with its touch screen, whereas Sam requires that you press buttons. Not a big deal? Well, it's one of the reasons you are paying as much for a Frank as you are a Sam, so if you don't care, take a closer look at Sam. 4. Metal vs. Plastic. Sam, like most of its ancestors and likely most of its predecessors, has virtually no metal in its exterior -- only the spout tips are stainless steel. Frank has a die cast metal spout and a metal-plated exterior (3 mil metallic plating is trimmed into strips and sets into the front of the machine). It's a nice touch for those of us who have been waiting eagerly for a machine with metal in it. The die-cast metal spout is designed to add durability and theoretically more metal means more mass that has good heat retention properties. Actually, the S delivers hotter coffee on its hottest setting. INCIDENTAL DIFFERENCES include: 1. Heating Platform. Sam has one, Frank doesn't. Like most mainly plastic machines (except the Nuova Simonelli Oscar) the heating platform is mediocre. Do yourself a favor and steam or run hot water inside the cup. 2. Appearance. Aside from having metal in its exterior, Frank also has a longer digital display on top and only comes in black with chrome(ish) accents. Whereas Sam comes in three different color schemes: bronze(ish) metal(lic), platinum(ish) metal(lic) and black and silver(ish). Repeat: ALMOST NO METAL IN SAM'S EXTERIOR. Also, Sam is about 2 lbs heavier than Frank, is 3 inches wider and 1 inch less long. 3. Thermal Block Material. Frank's thermoblock is made entirely of stainless steel, whereas each of Sam's is made of aluminum with a stainless lining. What does stainless lining mean? That means that you get all of the heating properties of aluminum yet the water doesn't come into contact directly with aluminum, no corrosion, no aluminum-y taste. 4. Ristretto. The long and, more importantly, short: Frank can't and Sam can if what you mean by ristretto is one half ounce of espresso. Frank can only be programmed to brew 1-16 oz of espresso, whereas Sam's number of different espresso volumes is theoretically incrementally infinite. You program Sam's water amount by pushing a button, getting water to come out, then pushing the button again when you see exactly enough water in the cup. Voila, programmed. Make sure to boost the coffee amount to max, and the grind setting to its finest but only change the grind setting while the grinder is running, of course. Incidentally, it has been our experience that Sam will produce coffee amounts a bit more erratically at this 1/2 ounce setting. 5. Programmability. Sam has some extra programmability features, like amount of ground coffee per programmed drink (17 settings), and infinitely many incremental water amounts for each programmed drink (up to 16 oz). 6. Water Tank. Sam holds up to 96 ounces of water, whereas Frank holds up to 64 ounces. 7. Hot Water and Steam. Sam has a third spout, right next to the dual coffee spout, for water. Frank dispenses hot water out of its steam wand. With regard to steaming/frothing cycles, Frank can be programmed to froth for a preset amount of time (3-60 seconds). Want to steam longer (and you’ll want to), just press the steam button again. Sam does that plus it allows you to use its permanent steam option and press a button once to start steaming, again to quit. 8. Spout Height. Sam can move its brew head/spout assembly 2 to 5-1/2”, whereas Frank’s spout’s range of motion is restricted from 3” to 4-1/2” (that’s because the entire head moves up and down when you adjust the spout, and in Frank, if that towering head goes up any higher than it is set up to, you would not be able to access the touch screen because the head would be in the way). That’s it for the most salient essential and incidental differences. For a quick checklist of all similarities and differences, check out our comparison engine on either product detail page and select a Frank and a Sam and compare. **This article was originally posted on our customer service forum, which this blog is intended to replace** Permalink
Jura Capresso Impressa F7 vs. E8: Machine Comparison20 June 2008 "Which machine should I buy", with regard to Capresso super-automatics, is a common question that we get at JL Hufford. Let us focus on two machines specifically, the Jura Capresso Impressa E8 and the Jura Capresso Impressa F7.
The F7 and E8 both use the finest super-automatic brewing technology, have a separate bypass doser (which allows you to enter pre-ground coffee directly into the machine, bypassing whatever beans are in the bean hopper), have digital displays, have a single heating system, have the ability to grind up to 16 grams of coffee per brew, and can brew up to 16 ounces of espresso coffee per brew. This last part addresses one of the most common questions. Both machines can make "crema coffee", or coffee that is produced under high pressure that has a crema (burnt-caramel colored colloid of sugars that appears on the top of your coffee drink). High-pressure brewed coffee extracts less of the bitter oils you get in drip brewed coffee. Crema coffee is not the same as espresso, as crema coffee is generally brewed on a coarser grind than espresso. Both crema coffee and espresso can be made with a good dark and medium espresso blend, like JL Hufford's espresso blend, although some folks still prefer a darker roast for espresso drinks. These, in addition to many other features of the Impressa series from Jura-Capresso, are some of the most significant characteristics of both machines. So why is the F7 more expensive than the E8? UNLIKE THE E8, THE F7:
**This article was originally posted on our customer service forum, which this blog is intended to replace.** Permalink
Resetting the Rancilio Miss Silvia...18 June 2008 There is a way to reset one of the thermostats on the boiler of the Rancilio Miss Silvia. We do not, however, recommend that anyone other than an authorized Silvia repair technician perform this operation. That having been said, such a technician would:
1. Unplug the machine. 2. Remove the top plate. 3. Notice that there are three thermostats, two on the top and one on the side of the boiler. Locate the thermostat on the side of the boiler; notice that there is a red button on the top of this thermostat. Press this button. You may not hear a click, or any other sort of indication that anything has happened. >See the picture here: http://www.jlhufford.com/images/ranciliotherm.gif for a look at the thermostat in question. 4. Replace the top plate. 5. Plug in the machine and fire it up. The machine needs to be reset when the boiler overheats. The boiler overheats usually only if there is a power surge or if the water runs out of the reservoir. To prevent the heating element from burning out, the thermostat kills power to the element. Keep your eyes peeled for any whitish residue in the water that comes out of the group head. This is an indication that the heating element may have been damaged, and the boiler may need to be replaced. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't run your machine out of water! This, along with sediment and coffee oil build up are the primary reasons we get many machines in for repair. **This article was originally posted on our customer service forum, which this blog is intended to replace.** Permalink
Examining heating system materials...which is best?16 June 2008 A boiler, or other heating system like a thermal block, in conjunction with the pump are the most important of your coffee machine. So what are the differences? First let me explain what the various types of boiler materials are.
The catalyst is the important bit here. It breaks the shield that is the oxide layer between the metal and the ambient water. Under normal conditions, pure water sitting in aluminum, brass, or stainless steel reservoirs may not corrode the reservoir for a very long time. However, if you introduce certain particles or chemicals, the protective layer that exists between the water and the surface of the boiler could become abraded in some area. This local abrasion will eventually give way to a general abrasion, and you wind up with a pitted out boiler. So, just filter out the large particles? Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Some of the most mischievous bodies in your water are microscopic. Chloride, the second most common chemical found in nature (outside of water), is often used to treat water so that it is potable. Chloride can wreak havoc on an espresso maker boiler by plaguing it with local corrosion, as described above. So either filter your water or clean and descale your machine regularly! And preferably both. Aside from direct local abrasion by a foreign body, temperature can also affect corrosive activity. Obviously, we want the boiler to get very hot, so there is not much we can do about this one. But if your machine was not designed to remain on for long periods of time, TURN IT OFF! You may be adding more life to your boiler. The final cause of corrosion I will discuss is galvanic corrosion. In this type of corrosion, your espresso machine becomes a battery. This can happen when there are two distinct metals which contact one and the same body of water at the same time. But not just any water, water with electrolytes. One of the metals acts as the positive end of the battery, the other as the negative end. And that positive end begins corroding rapidly, much faster than it normally would, while the negative end’s corrosion rate slows considerably. So no worries so long as your water lacks electrolytes, right? Right. But it doesn’t, or at least most tap water isn’t lacking electrolytes. Two common Electrolytes are chloride, as stated above the most common chemical used to treat drinking water, and calcium, America’s number one contributor to water hardness. Not all dissimilar metals will be susceptible to galvanic corrosion. So long as the metals have similar nobility, or atomic stability, there will be no problem. Since most of us don’t have an ordered list of noble metals, here are some basic combinations to avoid: Aluminum/Chrome, Aluminum/Brass, Aluminum/Copper, Stainless Steels/Copper, Stainless Steels/Brass, and Aluminum/Stainless Steel. In conclusion, there are three common metals used in espresso machine boiler construction. Some folks are worried about aluminum boilers, but with proper maintenance and preventative measures (like using filtered water and/or frequently descaling the machine), galvanic and abrasive corrosion can be prevented or significantly slowed. **This article was originally posted on our customer service forum, which this blog is intended to replace.** Permalink
sauce or syrup...Is that really even a debate?11 June 2008
My favorite gourmet coffee drink by far is the iced caramel macchiato. However amatuerish this makes me sound, I assure you that my credit should not take a hit. The iced caramel macchiato has to work twice as hard to taste as good as any other gourmet coffee drink. The espresso has to have the right taste and bite to contend with the over powering sweetness that is caramel. To make the perfect iced caramel macchiato, you need to have a more than an astute grasp on the espresso machine you're using and the amount of experience that would put most baristas to shame. I have tried and tried to make the perfect iced caramel macchiato however I still have not produced the perfection that our local baristas turn out on a daily basis. My quest for the perfect iced caramel macchiato introduced me to the world of flavored sauces and syrups. You wouldn't believe the amount of Torani, Big Train, and Ghirardelli flavored liquids there are. I came to the realization as we began to do some testing in our office. I realized that if we had to test machines we might as well make good use of the opportunity to gain a good caffeine buzz. The only caramel I could find was a syrup. Not really knowing the difference I felt that this was good enough and continued on. I made good espresso (thanks to the ever so fantastic Miss Silvia) and mixed in the caramel. Anticipating the extreme satisfaction of making my very own iced caramel macchiato, I poured in the milk to cool it down and then poured the mixture over ice. I added just enough milk to top off the glorious looking cup and took the first sip. The gag reflex that ensued was not what I had envisioned as the reaction to the masterpiece I had devised. The drink tasted like espresso and caramel. Gross! I put in caramel and espresso expecting the result to taste better than caramel and espresso. Where did I go wrong? What on earth did I mess up? What would the most experienced baristas serving the most gourmet coffee drinks identify as my fatal flaw? The disappointment that was caused by pouring my drink forced me to do research. The reason that the two flavors didn't mix was because I was using the wrong kind of caramel. The wrong kind of caramel? Caramel is caramel, or so I thought. The professionals use caramel sauce, not syrup. The difference is pretty simple. The sauce is much creamier and substantial. That's why the iced caramel macchiatos that the baristas make taste so perfectly blended. The sauce really knocks down the espresso bite yet allows the taste to still hit your mouth full force and make you realize why life is beautiful and gourmet coffee is great. The Torani Caramel Sauce gets my vote of approval and no home barista should be without it. You'll thank me later. -Kyle
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Calling all Gourmet Geeks and coffee fiends...9 June 2008  The staff at JL Hufford could claim to be the foremost experts on all things gourmet. We could claim to carry the absolute best products and pricing in every category of gourmet appliances and beverage machines. We could call ourselves the aficionados of fine food and drink. We could...but we prefer to be called "Gourmet Geeks". We love our jobs. We love gourmet products. We enjoy coming to work and immediately being overtaken by the delicious aromas and shiny new electronics in the office. We love testing new models of machines just to have an excuse to brew an excellent cup of coffee. If you find yourself in search of the gourmet lifestyle, the proverbial good life, look no further. At JL Hufford, we invite you to discover gourmet with us. Permalink
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