Our coffee machine died yesterday.
It was less than 2 years old!! In February 2007 we bought the same model-a Sunbeam Cafe Crema- as our first coffee machine because the first one lasted 4 years. That one also died slowly, giving us plenty of warning in time to get a new coffee machine.
This one- it made funny noises for the first time a couple of days ago. Then yesterday, after I made Gam's coffee, it made the noises again, and suddenly wasn't pumping very well- more of a weak dribble. My coffee was horrible as a result- a dark, burned-looking crema, and some big bubbles.
I clean it out by pumping a mixture of white vinegar and water through it every couple of months, as per instruction, so hoping against hope that it just needed a clean I did that again. No luck. It cleaned out about the same amount of gunk as usual, but the pumping was still weak the whole time, and afterward. After putting through a full reservoir of water after the vinegar and water mixture, I tried making a coffee. Again, it was terrible. It tasted so bad that I put in so much milk that the flavour of the coffee was all but drowned out.
So I think it's dead :(
This morning- and this is how pathetic I am- I made turkish-style coffee in a saucepan on the stove because I didn't want to go without coffee altogether! It was actually pretty good- way better than the bad coffees made by the dead Sunbeam, and Gam reckoned it was better than the good coffees made by the Sunbeam. I wouldn't go that far! Still, it was slooooow- no almost-instant gratification like there is with an espresso machine.
To think I plan on giving up coffee when I get pregnant... I may just be comatose for the full 9 months.
4 comments:
Dude you need to stop screwing around with those expensive crappy coffee makers and get a decent Bialetti of some description - not that I would recommend that "classic" style pictured here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot
More recent ones do better by making more pressure etc. I know it's not quite the same as espresso, but it's damned close.
Actually, you're probably right. Wouldn't take up as much bench space either.
I've got to say, I think the stove-top coffee I made this morning did contain more caffeine than the stuff I get from the machine (Gam said it would, but I don't know the mechanics of it)... I got such a buzz :D
I have the exact opposite advice. Stop mucking about with cheap coffee machines and invest in one that costs about as much as your dishwasher.
Better espresso machines have better pumps and faster boilers so on a day to day basis they're much better to use.
Mrsdave and I bought a Saeco about seven years ago and it ranks as one of our best purchases ever. It has a grinder built in so the coffee is always fresh and it has been absolutely bullet proof.
Well... if it lasts 7 years that's probably only as much per year as our dishwasher! On the other hand, we just spent nearly all our savings on the dishwasher, and god knows our crappy washing machine will be next to die... I'm afraid to make any discretionary purchases at the moment for fear of leaving us out of pocket when something expensive decides to cark it!
Post a Comment