To buy or not to buy

I am seriously considering upgrading from my ECM Botticelli 2 to an E61 HX type espresso machine. I am more interested in espressos as opposed to espresso based drinks and would like to have more control over the brew temperature. Current contenders are the Vibiemme Domobar Super, and the ECM Giotto. There are other machines, but they are either too expensive (Spaziale Vivaldi), require plumbing (Quickmill Ventrano), or cannot be sourced from a local Canadian distributor. EspressoTec and The Coffee Philter are the ‘local’ dealers at the top of my list. One other possibility is Espresso Parts Northwest in Olympia, Washington. The appeal of buying from Espresso Parts NW is that it would require a road trip to go and pick the machine up – an adventure filled with all sorts of possible coffee goodness, taking in the different cafes along the way. The con is that it would require a road trip to to and pick the machine up and involve a border crossing, not to mention the possible lack of support should something go wrong, and the added expense of the trip. I already cannot afford the machine in the first place, so adding the cost of a trip just makes the proposition even more absurd.

This spur of the moment decision is based on a reinvigorated and renewed interest in the coffee scene in Alberta and in wanting making even better espresso. And it is now Fall, and everyone needs a hobby during the dark days of Winter. A conversation with a friend provided the initial spark, the web provided a list of new cafes to check out (Phil and Sebastian, Bumpy’s, Java Jamboree, Communitea) , and new roasters to sample (49th Parallel, Transcend, MountainView, Oso Negro). And, as usual, after reading the latest in-depth review at Home-Barista.com, the thought of upgrading to an E61 machine has become very tempting.