Hi, I have been making french press coffee for the last 2 years. Recently got my hands on Aero press. Now planning to get Gaggia Classic Pro Evo (metal series).
As of now I have a hand grinder (burr) and have option to procure pre grounded coffee from local roaster.
Just wanted to know your thoughts. Which was your first espresso machine? How was your experience? What’s few things I should look out for as a beginner? What’s your favourite recipe?
I’m not sure what your budget is but sometimes the extra money over the period of two to three years doesn’t seem so bad. Apparently you have to shim the MD15 to grind finely enough, it suggests that you might over time want something a little better, but otherwise it’s a reasonably cheap starter burr grinder. There is a noisy grinder which been be bought cheaply which did a pretty good job, the Iberital MC2, but on the whole, a good grinder is going to set you back as much as the EVO. It could well be worth looking for second hand equipment, as this is usually available when people upgrade. I have a Eureka Mingon and I find it to be very good. The only drawback of the mignon is that it’s not easy to switch back and forth to different grind settings (for two sets of beans) but it is possible. It would probably be at least double the cost of the MD15, but see if you can get any deals. If you get the crono, which is probably the cheapest mignon, you would also want the espresso burr set to switch out, which is not that expensive and will grind as fine as you need.