RichardM wrote:
..... it's common sense that someone who simply buys the best machines doesn't necessarily produce the best coffee. If we were to speculate that those who had the biggest/best coffee roasters produced the best roasted coffee, we'd all just chuckle - it doesn't even come into it. The key to coffee is something that can't be bought - passion.....
Yes but the problem is people thinking / saying / writing all over the place in forums, that these (internet created) fashionable brands / models we are discussing here are somehow to quote Richard from above, "...the best machines...". This is the BS factor. What is the definition of "best"? You would have to write a dissertation (and some have) on why some brand / model / type machine are considered to be "the best". And now we have created fashionable coffee equipment to strive to own at home, nothing else will do, even though we are not using them to do what they are intended for.... The manufacturers (and their importers) are laughing all the way to the bank. The analogy to coffee roasters is an excellent one. There are a number of larger roasters using "best in class" coffee roasting equipment that really is "best in class" (for whatever reason) and not simply fashionable to own. But they use it to turn out medicore if not downright base grade blends to help them fight over market share in the cafe sector. If you owned a LABORATORY, perhaps espresso machines made fashionable to own by discussion in internet forums could be used to do things they are supposed to be able to do... Otherwise in a regular cafe situation they arent necessarily being used for the capability they have been designed for (depends on the brand / model) , by operators that are not necessarily privy to the finer points, simply to turn out thousands of "lartays" a week. Good name simpler design (HX?) machines will do that till the cows come home, properly and well, and are simpler and cheaper to run when considering service and maintenance costs over time. If in your cafe, you are not experiencing problems with the overall performance of your good model HX machine and are turning out good coffee, what do you need these fashionable twin overhead foxtail machines for except as an image / street cred' thing owing to the undue infleunce exerted by people in these forums over time? That is marketing, not quality in your coffee cup. It is also the stuff of industrial blackmail...coffee roaster wants to pick up a new client. New client says if you want me / have faith in me / you must provide me one of these machines not an HX machine. Coffee roaster rolls over to buy the client...as I said...marketing (manipulation?). And retial clients not privy to these thigs think its all about quality :🙂 The rest is the coffee grinding BS mill 😉 rgdz, A.
