Does anyone know where to get cheap accessories? (thermometer, stainless steel milk holder, espresso carafe?)

MISURICK said:wethead said:Does anyone know where to get cheap accessories? (thermometer, stainless steel milk holder, espresso carafe?)

Thermometer
Thermometer

SS cup
SS cup

You don't need carafe for espresso - espresso shots
Espresso shot

Thanks for the info... With these three together it'll cost about 30 bucks. Thats about the cost of the accessory kit they sell at starbucks. Am I better off getting that or are these better?

I got 1 Barista for 99$. Thx OP. If you are in and around Raleigh, Cary Town Center Starbucks has 1 Barista and few Delonghi's left.

If you want to greatly improve the quality of your espresso with this machine, get a non-pressurized portafilter. You can get one with a black handle from Saeco for $48.00 or one with a grey handle for $29.95 from 1st-line. You'll also need to get a 53mm tamper such as this one (current out of stock). With a non-pressurized portafilter, the quality of your espresso will be much more dependent on your technique rather than just the beans, grind, and amount loaded.

Don't forget to get some cleaner/descaler if you place an order for other gear. Even if you use filtered or distilled water, you'll want to clean your machine at least every 2 months if not more frequently.

They're supposed to be loose but you can use them to adjust the amount of tamping that occurs when you attach the portafilter to the machine.

Check out the reviews at coffeegeek. A lot of the cheap grinders don't perform very well for espresso. A high quality burr grinder will last you for many years, if not the rest of your life. You can use it for espresso, drip coffee, and even french press coffee. Whole beans stay fresh for much longer than pre-ground coffee. A good grinder is a worthwhile investment. If you're not really that into coffee, then just grind your beans at the store/coffee shop that you buy them from and store them in an air tight container since you probably don't care if your coffee is great or just okay. Decent grinders really do start around $200 unless you catch a good sale.

there's a 'sale' on solis maestro (a well recommended one on coffeegeek)

its 99.00 (something like that...and you can add a small filler from the book section to go over 100) ... once you're over 100, you receive a 10% discount and free shipping...so like 91 bucks for a solis maestro

probably pretty damn close to the cheapest decent one i can find ... w/o going to eBay

the other choice i had would probably been the breville for sale @ BBB ... 99 bucks - 20% = ~80 + tax
however, there's only 3 reviews on the breville @ coffeegeek, so i'd rather take one they recommend...

http://www.chefscorner.com//web/catalog/product_detail.aspx?pid=165433 ... and http://www.chefscorner.com/web/catalog/product_detail.aspx?pid=55250 is the filler for free shipping + 10% off

Gorby911 said:Thanks again for all the tips on using and of course to the OP. I think I am hooked now.

For the folks that got the DVD instead of VHS, anyone can post a quick DIVx of the video if it is not too much trouble? I really don't want to buy a VCR just to see it and I am curious what's on it. I don't think it would be illegal or anything since we all own the video anyway... but if I am stepping over the line with this request, please correct me.

Thanks.

For Gorby991 and those of you who may not have gotten a DVD with a demo unit.

Created a mp4 from the DVD and uploaded to google video.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6790251626559532132

There are 4 black graphite NIB ones left at the East Palo Alto, CA store.