When to retire your espresso machine? That’s a big question. I’m not talking about a hardware store, Target, discount store contraption that makes some of the worst espresso you’ve ever had but you keep using it because you don’t know any better, I mean an Espresso Machine. Something that dominates your kitchen. An appliance. One with its own dedicated space in the kitchen that is as sacred as an altar at one of those ostentatious, pointy buildings that fill up on Sundays.
Yes, a machine that gives you the eager anticipation for putting one foot in front of the other in the morning to get to it, and to have it deliver you the Elixer of Life. That’s espresso. But when to retire said machine? You’ve had it for years, taking up space in your kitchen, delivering the goods daily (multiple times daily? Yeah, that’s ok), but it is getting up there in years, and doesn’t perform like it used to.
Perhaps you’ve had to do some repairs, or some mini upgrades to the internals. That’s just part of the cost of having a cafe-level machine in your own kitchen. But there gets to be a time when it’s time to move on.
It’s a hard decision to come to. Keep repairing? Doing little fixit jobs here and there? Or conclude that it’s time to end the relationship. To start all over again on a new appliance. Learning the idiosyncracies, performance limits, and dialing everything in alllll over again on a new machine.
But there comes a time when this is a must. To move on from all the shots pulled, all the memories, the tears & heartache when you have opened it up, done repairs, only to plug it back in and…crickets…nothing happens after all. Your. Effort.
How to know when to retire your espresso machine? There’s an emotional attachment, and it’s not easy to let go. At some point you cannot apply any more bandaids, upgrade parts, or better, newer connections. And it is time to let go. Sadmaking.
I have done my share of repair work, enjoyed it for the most part; some upgrades, some absolute necessities, and my machine has served me well. It is still kicking, still the object of my affection, but it definitely needs more attention than it used to. How much longer can I keep it going? Donno. Of course there’s the desire (need?), to upgrade to a much newer device than mine.
But I am hooked. Completely enamored, and I am going to keep mine going for as long as I can. Going on 17 (18?) years, and it still purrs like a kitten. Well, an old, gravelly-voiced kitten that needs to sleep a lot and is very particular about food. When to retire my machine and upgrade to something new? Bigger! better! More technologically current? That is a BIG question. The biggest.
There are so many amazing machines out these days. The espresso industry has exploded in the last 10 years with smaller niche companies finding a foothold, as well as bigger, well-known companies turning their attention to smaller, incredibly designed machines. What a time to be alive!
Back in the day (Old Man shakes fist at sky) there were only a handful of premium machines and they were at premium prices. They’re still at premium prices (four digits and up!), but there sure is a vastly larger selection to choose from. Hooray!
Wait…how to choose which one to upgrade to? That is the subject for another post. That TOO is a big question. But what’s nice, these days, is it’s hard to make a bad selection.
Unless you go down to the local hardware or appliance store (what year IS it!?) and get something that is sub-$100. Single tiny boiler that is supposed to push water through the portafilter and make steam? No thank you. Just not happening. Move along!