🚀 go-pugleaf

rouben@pc18.math.umbc.edu writes:

> Some Starbucks coffee shops sell espresso machines.  Well, at least
> they used to -- I haven't paid attention to that for some years.

Not only did Starbucks used to sell espresso machines, they used to
train the staff so that there was almost alwasy someone in the store
who knew the machines well and could (and would) demonstrate any of
them. No longer though. They still sell a couple of machines, but if
you have questinos, nobody has any answers. Also, they no longer sell
espresso machines through their web site, so you can't even look up
specs.

> So she bought the recommended model (for about $350). We used it for
> a week or so and found it to be more hassle that it was worth.  She
> returned it and got her money back.

> The machine may have been suitable for cases where you want to make
> several cups per run.  But it was not worth the trouble for making
> a single cup.  It required quite a bit of effort to set up and prime
> the pump to get it started.

You know, I did exactly the same thing myself, maybe half a dozen
years ago, and for the same reason. Three years or so later, I saw the
Farberware one that I have now and it was only $30, so I thought I'd
give it a chance. It's been a good investment.

> The results did not seem much different
> from what I get from my $99 no-frills Krups model which I have used
> essentially every day for the last 15 years.

Obviously you and I aren't serious coffee snobs. Reading alt.coffee,
the concensus is that there are ten things that you have to get
exactly right and if any of them go wrong, you have to throw away the
shot and make another. I've heard that Krups has taken a big step down
recently, so they don't make 'em like they did 15 years ago.

A friend who read this thread called me this afternoon, suggesting
that I try a couple of places that she found in the Yellow Pages.
Well, that had indeed occurred to me (she had a different edition than
I did) so I got out my Yellow book, looked up the appropriate
category, and find three likely prospects. One had only an 800- phone
number listed (but a web site - they're not local and primarily
service offices and restaurants), one had a web page listed but it
doesn't exist (nor does the business, according to the White pages),
and the third one still has a phone listing, but a Google search for
them came up with a web page that doesn't exist. Oh, well. So much for
letting my fingers do the walking.


--
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