Espresso Italiano: are the new machines any better?
Whereas my Breville Cafè Roma got attacked by ants damaging the internal pcb board (I already bought the new replace but haven't mounted yet) I had back to my vintage Gran Gaggia espresso machine and...yes, its powerful pump, very hot boiler, wider diameter canister (inner width 58mm), still make for a damn good shot of real espresso. I still love my Breville Cafè Roma as it's very easy to use and good looking in its metal case. It comes with a couple of pressurized metal canisters (no rubber disks, no springs, no fiddly mechanisms). Breville Roma canisters (for single and double shot) are both 51 mm (outer diameter ~60,5 mm) and fit perfectly into the group head even stuffing a full 14g of coffee (double shot). Despite the smaller canisters than the old Gaggia, it's easier to get crema with the Breville Roma, probably due to the better pressurized canisters, or maybe because it's easier to match the perfect amount of coffee (you just need to get the canister f...