I have been a follower of alt.coffee for several years. I have learned
so much from this list. It is incredible. This is my first post to the
list. I decided to post as I feel like alt.coffee has been my espresso
mentor and I wanted to show you how far I have progressed in my
espresso adventure. So here goes.
I just got an S1 and have it up and running. I upgraded from an old
Italian single pump and a Francis Francis. I love, love, love the S1 .
It is so easy to use and once I got my grinder dialed in, I was able to
pull the best espresso I have ever tasted. The foam is incredible,
silky and creamy. I love the S1 because I just hit the button and make
great espresso every time. No temp surfing as the grouphead has a temp
probe to keep it at the optimum temp. It is a very powerful machine. I
had no idea what a machine such as the S1 feels like to work with. It
is a powerful giant, but very elegant and gentle to operate. Oh, and
did I mention QUIET. Yes, very quiet. My other espresso machines seem
like toys. I actually thought I was getting really good espresso from
the Francis Francis. I had the freshest beans, as well as the grind,
dose, tamp and pour absolutely perfected. In comparison, it tastes like
swill compared to what the S1 does with even old beans.
A plumbed in machine is a godsend. What a chore to keep filling the
tank. Now making espresso is a streamlined joy. i never understood all
the hype about plumbed in water supply,
rotary pumps, lots of power (mine is the 20 amp version), dual boilers
etc. Believe me, it is all true. You will think you are in heaven with
this machine. I only have had it up and running for one day. It took
maybe 8 tries trying to regulate my grind and just twice to set the
volumetric
doser before I made a great espresso.
Chris' technicians answered any of my silly questions with grace. I
called them at least twice to ask what the extra screens were for, was
the spout supposed to screw all the way on to the ****tafilter and how
to use the espro tamper I purchased.
Next quest is learning how to do latte art. Should be a breeze with the
silky, microfoam I get from the S1.
Sherry--who will never, ever buy an espresso at a coffee shop or
restaurant again!!
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