Pro Barista with $400 machine vs Beginner with $30,000 machine

[@ableaquariums5480]

The flaw with this challenge was that coffee art was allowed. It clearly points out which coffee is made my the pro, and leads to bias in judging. A more fair challenge would of seen just straight pours of milk with no art allowed.

[@noob19087]

Also the pressurized basket was just unfair. You can get a non pressurized basket for the bambino for pretty cheap (not even necessarily a precision basket) and it would have made the coffee so much better. Besides, if you're used to working with high end equipment and are suddenly given a mid end one, you're not going to know how to use it. There are all kinds of tricks like temperature surfing et cetera that just don't apply with higher end machines. So while the barista did end up winning by a tiny margin, in an ideal world she would have most likely crushed the amateur.

[@chongli297]

@@noob19087 Seriously! Poor Georgia! The pressurized basket is for preground supermarket coffee. Since she was provided with at least a budget grinder capable of grinding for espresso she should've been given a proper single-wall basket. I think she would've destroyed Josh in both categories in that case, even with no latte art.

[@martinfischer4486]

also did the first two fast delivered espressi kinda gave away they´re from the pro machine doing two at the same time

[@zahedchowdhury0]

@@martinfischer4486 Pretty sure a bambino can use a double shot basket.

[@adrianklincuch5546]

Latte art is a part of the coffee and it shows baristas passion for their job. It's much appreciated by customers as well, so latte art being allowed is just fine and it really is fair. If I owned a coffee shop, I would require a latte art skills from my employees and, if possible, I would make sure to teach them how to do a latte art.

[@RumoHasIt]

I had a crappy cappuccino from a $30k slayer machine, went home and made a great one on my Breville. Its definitely experience that matters!!

[@paulgibbons2370]

Had a mediocre latte from a Slayer at a restaurant here in Seattle recently. Food was great but server obviously didn't know how to best use the machine.

[@RumoHasIt]

@@paulgibbons2370 It makes me sad, because I would have killed to play on their equipment !

[@hsmedia4747]

Now now you could say a crapuccino

[@WHMAGuy]

The barista pro is not a bad home unit. I love it and I don’t have a large budget for machines. My local shop went downhill and had zero consistency anymore so I had to buy a machine and learn how to do it myself. Now I can’t find any shops that do a good espresso. Although my first shot was so sour I couldn’t believe it. 😂😂

[@goldencalf5144]

@@paulgibbons2370 Could have been the beans. At restaurants, they often use stale beans that are months past the roasting date.

[@TripleDDDD]

Would be interesting to do the same but with the pro brewing on the 2 machines and then judge the difference.

[@SevenMilesCoffeeRoasters]

Good idea. I'll have to add that to the list 👌

[@caffeinefix2751]

We sort of know the answer to that one! Would just be interesting to see how much better. I'd guess the PID and boiler would help thermal stability = better flavours (breville can run cold if the flow is too quick) and I guess the commercial grinder is more consistent in particle size and the burr might be better suited for milk based drinks (never tried)

[@TripleDDDD]

@@caffeinefix2751 i sort of come from the other side: i own a Breville and know how to use it to produce decent shots. Recently got invited by a friend who proudly presented his brand new Rocket Apartemento (roughly 5x the price of a Breville). His shots have been awful, since he had no idea about ratios, grind size and tamping. (and yes, thermal stability on the Breville, dont even get me started ;-)

[@caffeinefix2751]

@@TripleDDDD totally agree! When you know what you're doing, it just trumps equipment instantly! I always get confused why people keep succumbing to their upgraditis when their technique and beans aren't even up to par. Hope you're enjoying the Breville. I'm a big fan of their products

[@TripleDDDD]

@@caffeinefix2751 oh, yeah i am overall happy with the Breville, solid machine for the price class. Have it already since about 7 years, still running strong.

[@petejay75]

While this was entertaining, you really should try the same experiment with an amateur that actually knows how to use their home machine well.

[@kaqqao]

And not unblind the judges with latte art 🤦‍♂️

[@pedroivobarbosa3912]

@@kaqqao ye latte art should've been prohibited

[@veganpotterthevegan]

The Bambino is also a very solid machine. It's not going to pull that different of a shot from the Slayer. The real difference is that it can maybe only do 6-8 shots a day without destroying itself in 6 months while the Slayer can easily do 100 shots a day without issue

[@gdubnz85]

@@veganpotterthevegan La Marzocco Strada*

[@RufusBlad]

@@pedroivobarbosa3912 Why? Latte art is a great bonus for the presentation of a coffee.

[@kaqqao]

Wait... How exactly do the judges not know which one is which if one has professional latte art while the other had whatever Josh made? C'mon, keep this fair or the results are bogus. Also, Bambino is 🔥🔥🔥

[@yamman93]

Yeah the bambino is actually a really good machine that comes with a terrible portafilter and basket. I make very decent espresso with a Kinu m47 and the some upgraded baskets. The latte art makes this a little unfair.

[@bmb4024]

@@yamman93have any recommendations for upgraded ports filters? Just got a bambino (new to espresso)

[@cabbage-soup]

hey now. it was obviously a donkey laid down in a meadow on a warm day

[@cichlisuite2]

Judges should have been blindfolded. If they needed to judge appearance then show them pics of each afterwards for them to award marks on appearance and allocate that appropriately. But of course it's all just good fun to generate clicks and attention so does it matter that much?

[@sirspongadoodle]

@@cichlisuite2 the "fun" of it comes from the idea that its scientific, so if its not then it defeats the purpose.

[@AaronEdwards]

I’m by no means a pro, but I’ve been brewing at home for over 20 years. I can’t afford a high end machine, but I’ve learned enough to know that I can get some really good shots with a mediocre machine and a nicely honed set of skills.

[@coolkatz9012]

Agreed bought Coffee's many times Thinking this tastes like Dirt would much rather mine from a modest machine

[@gebaskaras]

May i know whats ur coffee machine?

[@AaronEdwards]

@@gebaskaras A deloungni Dedica

[@gebaskaras]

@@AaronEdwards thanks a lot!

[@nabeelsherazi8860]

Great video, but agree that giving Georgia the stock pressurized basket was unfair to her. Her technique didn’t even matter as it would all go to waste in the basket anyway. Would like to have seen at least that replaced with a non pressurized basket.

[@spacekatfpv796]

Would love to see this again with the experienced home barista that’s never used a commercial machine, and maybe add a non-pressurized basket to the breville

[@dadjentyboi6681]

The “cheap” one is still 8x more expensive than mine 🤣

[@sewsavvy]

Except that this is Australia and you can't get a proper coffee machine for under $400

[@VektrumSimulacrum]

​@@sewsavvy the one my gf wants is $800...USD 🤯 she found it on sale for $800 AUD. I'm hopping we can save up enough between my U.S. paycheck and hers in AU to catch it on sale 😬🤞

[@Sleezy.Design]

@@sewsavvyi highly doubt that

[@ahmedsaad6638]

The judges could have easily known her flat white from the latte art, I think that placebo effect had a much bigger role in their decision making even if they don't relasie it, however I don't think they should share the coffee grinder, the challange was meant to compare high-end equipment and low skills to low-end equpmint and high skills, not high-end esspresso machine only.

[@jonimohni]

Didnt Georgia use a Breville grinder on her side (2:47) Also they probably immediately knew that the first 2 cups of espresso were from the much quicker workhorse machine and grinder so even the espresso taste test wasnt blind aswell

[@andavocado]

she did use a separate grinder, she pointed out how much slower it was to grind.

[@marcochiasson2298]

Agreed. I don’t think latte art should have been allowed. Simply assess milk texture. The art was a clear giveaway who made the drink.

[@marcochiasson2298]

I loved the humour in this video. 👌

[@SevenMilesCoffeeRoasters]

Yes, I'm sure the pattern was a giveaway. But, even without latte art, the finer texture of the milk would probably have given it away. in hindsight, we could probably skip the 'blind' part of the judging next time - just have them sitting out front, like they do for the world barista championship.

[@SonnyDarvish]

This confirms that almost in every field, first step up is the person, then equipment and process.

[@Pekz00r]

It really sounded like they liked Josh's espresso a lot more, but then they ended up with the same score. That was weird.

[@Qaosbringer]

yeah, that was really weird.

[@V.D.22]

His espressos were much better, but they both got 6 points? Wtf?

[@noelic6744]

I've seen a lot of shows like this cut the judges' comments during the assessment in a way that makes it seem like they're leaning towards one side but the result comes out the opposite, as a way to divert expectations. Seen that in shows like Masterchef and whatnot. I don't know if that's what they're doing here. Just thought it might be one of those cases.

[@Aramis7]

Loved it, lots of fun, kudos to both baristas. A fairer competition would have been to use the same coffee, same grinder and a non-pressurized portafilter on the Bambino.

[@Nastasiia2008]

00p

[@maddielinette13]

When $400 coffee machine is cheap 🥲

[@BarryMikokinju]

$400 machine for hardworking people who want an affordable, freshly ground brew in the morning Her: I'm disgusted, literally unusable garbage

[@Trajectoree]

"I've bought and drank plenty of coffee and this wont be different". Lmao that line broke me, the banter is solid

[@JoeyVaracalli]

If she was using a non pressurized filter basket I bet her espresso score could have been higher

[@Andrew-wp1bz]

Definitely Joe. I don’t feel that have a pressurised basket was really fair for this competition (it produces a very different drink), but since she won anyway I’ll let it slide 😁.

[@JoeyVaracalli]

@@Andrew-wp1bz you know she did win 🥇 so I’ll let it slide as well but I would have been much more interested to see the difference if the basket was non pressurized

[@CaveyMoth]

I'm impressed that she was able to do such great latte art with that faux crema.

[@khirek5335]

Imagine this experiment but instead of having a "noob" control an expensive machine, give them a recipe for a manual brewer that they have to follow (maybe something beginner friendly like french press, clever dripper). While that wouldn't allow for espressos in the competition, I think it would be interesting to see if someone who's never touched manual brewing before can get tastier cups than an expert with a cheap machine

[@ToomanyFrancis]

Interesting idea, but how would you level the playing field? Give the pro a brewer they've never used and no instructions?

[@mai_stefan8822]

@@ToomanyFrancis maybe even just by grinders different in budget - can a pro brew better with a cheap grinder than an amateur with a high end one

[@Assenayo]

The fact that she had a pressurized portafilter was basically the equivalent of fighting with one hand tied behind your back. You just can't do really good espresso with a pressurized portafilter. Can't be done.

[@kuko61]

Of course you are right. In the competition they used the weakest Bambino configuration currently available. Bambino ad Bambino Plus is currently sold with both pressurized and non-pressurized baskets, so it would have been fine if they had used a non-pressurised basket. (There are also precision 54mm baskets from IMS already on sale.) They could also use at least the cheapest grinder suitable for espresso, for example the Eureka Mignon Manuale. I know several people who have a cheaper Breville/Sage espresso machine, but they bought a proper espresso grinder instead of the Breville grinder. I am sure that with non-pressure basket and with a better grinder, the Brevilel espresso quality would be much closer to the espresso from a professional espresso machine ;)

[@LuckyDragon289]

A fairer comparison could've been between a higher-end consumer-grade espresso machine like the Breville Barista Express or even the Dual Boiler, both of which use non-pressurized portafilters.

[@iyawnis]

The breville grinder works fine for the bambino. It can grind fine enough to choke it, so they just needed to use the unpressurised basket really

[@TALESCOFFEE]

I love the pressurizzed portafilters though >.< - I used the Breville Infuser for a long time and the pressurized portafilter made it sooooo much better heehehehee

[@LuisCaneSec]

That was definitely a handicap. They gave her a decent grinder, but the pressurized portafilter is a no-go if you want decent espresso. I have the Barista Express, and while I can't compare my espresso to what I'd get from a professional barista with a commercial machine, I'm able to make enjoyable espresso. I never even touch the pressurized baskets it came with, only the double non-pressurized. It took me some time and practice to learn how to use it and make good espresso and texture milk, but it works.

[@srichand9]

Wonderful video. I have been breaking my head to make a profesional latte art using a home coffee machine and now I know even a pro cannot make a good latter using a home machine.

[@razorshark4]

I think the gap between the machines price and quality was really very high. If you guys would for example, used a Barista Pro machine, Maybe that was really made the gap a little smaller, but without a very large increase in price for the cheap machine. It would still be like 700$ vs 30,000$... I have the Barista Pro, and would be very interested in seeing such a blind test :)

[@Kr2025]

barista pro and bambino are basically same thing. Just grinder addition and a few settings I believe. For milk froth, its more like the barista express with single hole steam wand.

[@razorshark4]

@@Kr2025 I actually moved away from the barista pro and bought a profitec 500 pro pid quicksteam. It's a different league - but also has down sides.

[@agent0422]

"Style over substance" Spoken like a true marketer

[@undefined6947]

"Talk to the tamp pretty boy!" "I don't know what a tamp is..." Absolute gold

[@ludlow3d]

These kinds of tests have been performed many times, and it is often very difficult to determine which is better. But there is a far more important issue - On your $300-$400 machine, how many espressos/cappuccinos do you make in a day? I make 2. In a professional setting you might make 100 or more. The issue is not which makes the better product, but which can withstand middle to heavy duty service in a commercial setting. In other words, ARF ARF

[@jesmiscellaneous8938]

But the consideration of comparison in a commercial setting isn’t what these videos are for? But rather to assure home brewers that with a proper technique, their cheap machines can do good enough

[@ludlow3d]

@@jesmiscellaneous8938 Of course. However, I contributed the additional comparison note because too many don’t actually think about the bigger picture of why a commercial machine can be $3-$5,000. I thought it a fun detail to add to the mix.

[@ranciliosilviafan6260]

70% success is a good grind (assuming calibrated by a Pro in this test). 15% is the machine and 15% brewing skills - do you agree? Next time allow for the grind to be mixed as well (machine vs skills).

[@petervansan1054]

70% is beans dude

[@kingofdehsea]

@@petervansan1054 they both had same beans :p

[@kingofdehsea]

Yeah it seems like even experienced baristas might not know how to calibrate/dial in well. That would've made the challenge too hard lol, especially with 10 minutes and that little baby machine.

[@RandomHumanCreature]

I'm pretty sure that Bambino comes with a pressurized and a non-pressurized basket so I'm not sure why they went with the pressurized basket. And someone else said it in the comments, but I agree that they should have used the same grinder, which is at least as important as than the machine itself.

[@Srdeo33]

Bambino only comes with pressurized. You can buy non-pressurized basket separately.

[@RandomHumanCreature]

@@Srdeo33 gotcha. Thanks for the correction.

[@Timberjagi]

Grinder is the most important part of it ;) and ofcourse a pressurized basket makes no sense

[@turritowrap6679]

Actually comes with non pressurized too

[@Jamezee312]

@@Srdeo33 mine came with double and single wall baskets....

[@moodyk1979]

I like to have seen the lady do this with non pressurised basket, and also allowing her to have a bit more time with the machine. I think she would love the Dual Boiler, and love to see her thoughts with that :)

[@Stan_sprinkle]

I have gotten to a point with my Bambino Plus + Niche where my coffee at home is better than the average barista I might encounter at the shops I go to here in Austin (and I only go to the good shops). No match for their best baristas, but compared to newbies who still haven't got their milk texturing skills worked out, I'm pretty happy with what I do at home.

[@paulnprimus]

Same here! We are really happy with ours and we do appreciate professional work too. But there’s a lot of really bad espresso beverages out there and at least this way we can get consistency (and afford it too 😂)

[@paul_tee]

recs for shops?

[@AAllinsonNN]

In Austin, I can certainly imagine that. Everyone with a septum piercing thinks they’re a barista.

[@Youtuberkt]

There is no incremental tech in the $30k machine that a $3k-$5k machine doesn't offer. The $30k machine is more priced for multi-group heads, having a bigger capacity, being ready to pull shots back to back in a cafe setting and equipment servicing/after-sale support. So, this is more like comparing a $500 vs $3k machine. Though the title serves a good click bait.

[@itsthemetho]

I am mostly a non-milk drinker. Better machines are more consistent and quicker. That being said the you can make a good coffee from a cheaper machine. Use a Lelit Combi (single boiler) and a Wega Mininova (heat exchanger). Both make good coffee, but my Wega will make an okay coffee even if there are some issues with the grind. The only bug bear I have is flushing the superheated steam out of the e61 group head if the machine hasn't been used recently. The Gaggia classic is a good cheap machine, but has some long term durability issues from mixing aluminium and brass boiler parts.

[@staenker1983]

I fail to see how the latte art has any impact on the question of equipment quality vs skill - but then again, most people care more about appearance than quality. Ignoring appearances, I’m quite impressed how the equipment enabled an untrained person to produce an okay espresso.

[@alexbarcovsky4319]

Because latte art just tastes better. On a more serious note, latte art instantly tells you about the quality of the foaming.

[@yungbrxkenshire9162]

Latte art is a way of showing that the milk is a good consistency for the beverage in question

[@staenker1983]

And you need the visual appearance to validate the taste? I mean what’s the purpose of foam quality, consistency, bubble size, temperature, milk sugars broken up and rejoined, … ? Right, it’s taste. So blind eye tasting should be enough given that all of the scientific babble about milk foam actually serves the purpose of improving taste.

[@yungbrxkenshire9162]

@@staenker1983 a properly poured flat white it’s difficult not to have some form of latte art, the basic concept of it is a side effect of a well made coffee. Once you get beyond the simple stage of latte art its all just superficial presentation skill, but the latte art she did was pretty basic

[@staenker1983]

so what are you actually saying? Cause it sounds to me like: “One can not judge the quality of a flat white milk foam without looking at it.”?

[@johnwhite-q7s]

i owned a cafe/coffee shop in dc for over ten years. i had to train people to be baristas and at times did the job myself. it’s not that hard and doesn’t require much skill. i eventually closed down my business to become a fine furniture maker

[@theqsanity6053]

I want to see this with a spinny pen foamer or the nesspresso frother cylinder. Also, give the pro a pitcher with a wider spout, making it harder for her to make the latte art. Maybe start with the same beans and grind size

[@Tobyjrn6297]

But this puts most of the focus on aesthetics which is not where a barista has to be really skilled to be considered a 'pro'

[@ziemlichkrass8147]

cheap and 400$, they are all out of this world

[@MrPikkoz]

You can still pull some great shots from a $400 machine vs a $30,000 one , sadly can't be said the same with let's say a $50 grinder vs a $5000 one

[@MegaKiri11]

Bambino can be amazing with a cheap and easy upgrade: replace the stock basket with non-pressurised precision one.

[@rowaystarco]

Mine did come with 4 baskets, two of them non pressurized.

[@mwollenweber]

$700 for home espresso equipment is a premium price point

[@cottonfluff1317]

Not in the coffee world

[@keelytolleson9053]

Just goes to show it's the experience in the barista, not the price tag of the machine! Such a fun video

[@themrzohan1]

I think cheap should have been the $60 delonghi machine and not a $400 machine

[@rafapazos06]

I'm pretty sure you can get the bottom range Breville for 400buck. Which it is not a cheap machine. Bear in mind a commercial one is more expensive because it is built to last much longer as it will be making lots of coffee per day.

[@Mr__Chicken]

A better experiment would be to have the pro use both machines and have the judges rate them out of 10. That way we can see how far you can go with a cheap set up

[@caretakerfochr3834]

I would like to see 2 pros with round one on one machine Then, each swapping machines for round 2.

[@krissk77]

Skills matters... experience matters... that's why we hv experts and amateurs. Nice compe... a skilled person with good tools will always win... ❤

[@Thethewho]

The cost of the machine affects the speed The experience of the barista affects the taste

[@neurovlog]

Here is a tip, if you messed up the drawing, use something like a chopping stick and cause a tornado this way at least it would look better

[@MrNicoVDM]

The way Aussie’s say “no” just cracks me up 😂 enjoyed the video :)

[@seaneckhart9914]

"now"

[@1redgate8]

I use naked porta/basket on our bbp, and have a nicely adjusted grind for the beans i use. Pulls better coffees than most of local cafes. Only issue for me is that I find the steamer almost too powerful doing single drinks. Am saving for a Rancilio Sylvia now.

[@montgomeryharr30]

Me: "oh this dude works in coffee he'll know a thing or two" The dude: "what's a tamper?" Me: 😮 oh no

[@WolfTalkings]

I am trying to relearn everything and this helped alot. I only worked on auto for years but missing skills sucks and i hope i can get a job doing coffee again

[@swschilke]

The pro Barista flexes her porta filter 🤦‍♂️ To make such competitions fair: no latte art or the tasting must happen blind. The latte art gave the pro away. How / where can I get such a cat's pyjamas t from? 🤩

[@keepadistance.7044]

As a barista an expensive machine is not really priority here but a smooth quality grinder makes a perfect coffee so long as Espresso machine pulls btw 9 to 12 bars . So chears to gréât coffee every body

[@kickstep]

Great video concept. While I think that most people buying the Bambino will probably stick with the dual wall basket and Smart Grinder (or pre-ground), the enthusiasts watching this video would at least shell out for the $10 single wall Breville basket and would more likely pair with a manual grinder. I would love to see the competition with a single wall basket and something like a JX Pro for the grinder to pair with the Bambino.

[@cs5250]

The smart grinder works great but the retention is not. There is a mod out there that you can add but it's $80 last time I checked

[@4r3cQi]

Manual grinders for espresso are really HARD WORK. Once in a while it's OK, but when you drink 2-3 a day you risk injury 😉

[@kickstep]

@@4r3cQi This is true for cheaper ceramic grinders (e.g. Porlex -- which never get it fine enough anyway). But the more premium steel burr grinders (e.g. Comandante and 1ZPresso) make quick work of the beans and get a nice fine powder.

[@kickstep]

@@cs5250 Not knocking the grinder at all. I believe there's a lot of manual grinders being paired with the Bambino line. At least from what I've seen on Reddit and KZbin. Good chance Bambino brewers aren't making a lot of coffees, therefore smaller bean batches and more dialing. For myself, I get 250g local roasts and spend a couple quick cycles re-dialing with a manual which would be much more difficult with the electric

[@4r3cQi]

@@kickstep how much is comandante? Half the price of Niche zero. I'd rather invest in Niche. enjoyment, efficiency and speed will make up the difference

[@kermitzforg]

I always get better results on my 100 dollar Delonghi with a cheap blade grinder at home than most coffee shops I visit. Its all in the quality of the bean and the grind...you must get a fine enough grind to make the espresso strong and the blade grinder can get a finer grind than most expensive burr grinders! Also the Delonghi is pump driven so you don't run the risk of burning the espresso like a steam driven machine can do. Also I've found that a simple electronic frother speeds things up and I don't really notice the difference versus the steamer built into the espresso maker. (just preheat the milk in the microwave)

[@rcpmac]

Sorry but steam driven vs pump driven?!!! You don't have a clue...

[@SpyralStormTeacup]

Love this :-3 Spent some years back being a pro barista, but haven't been for work in a while. I became a happy habitual coffee person tho, and have totally used whatever found materials available to still conjure up a decent latte, cappie or pourover, etc.

[@bluforrestleaf]

I have been working as a barista for a bit of time now, however I was only part time and now am basically full time hours; but I honestly am mediocre at best, mind you it’s a low end shop with basically cheap coffee beans to flavor the beverage. So I only try to improve my milk steaming quality. And 2% is the bane of my existence and never comes out good enough

[@il-ganna]

Fun challenge, but the novice definitely had way too much advantage. They should have at least shared the same grinder (which can basically make or break any coffee drink, especially espresso). Along with the pressurised basket and a sub-par steaming wand i’m surprised people are complaining she shouldn’t get points for properly pouring the milk (despite the machine not performing adequately for her).That’s also part of a barista’s skillset, not just for aesthetics but as a distinguishing factor between different coffee drinks depending on the milk pour and ratio.

[@m.s.g1890]

Thing is, they could easily tell from her latte art that they were tasting her coffee, as they know that a first timer like him will just make a mess. So they may have been biased, even if unconsciously.

[@KingMinosxxvi]

It was blind how could she...and he 's the one at a disadvantage since he's never used any kind of professional equipment

[@il-ganna]

@@m.s.g1890 I agree re blind tasting, although honestly I took this more as as a fun game than an actual test of skill. If we had to be picky, it could have been prevented by asking them both to not do ‘art’ but rather give points on thr right foaming and ratio to coffee technique. Fun to watch more than anything :)

[@il-ganna]

@@KingMinosxxvi Yes, but things like grind consistency are imperative to a coffee drink. Even if she is a skilled barista that’s already a massive disadvantage to start with. Plus she was also commenting on how her milk wasnt steaming properly, so even with her level of dexterity it wasn’t great. I agree that it went against the “blind” factor but as I replied earlier, this felt more like a fun activity to watch rather than a highly objective test :)

[@KingMinosxxvi]

@@il-ganna Also she seems to be using a pretty good grinder. Also the breville she is using is a pretty good machine and famously has very good steaming. I think all things considered these are about the results one would expect especially in regards to the milk drinks. Does this breville have a pressurised basket in it or has it been swapped out? in the casse it does have a pressurised basket in it then shes done a kind of magic tick ;)

[@danielschultz2605]

Josh's answers to questions were the best part of this video

[@TurreTuntematon]

Great competition! Well done my Aussie friends! 😊. Greetings from Finland 🇫🇮

[@Mogamishu]

Suomi perkele. Voi paska.

[@BobFudgee]

Hardly a fair competition but interesting enough to watch

[@systemofapown]

Love this video. Georgia seems cool/professional and Josh is absolutely hilarious! Almost died laughing when he said he was making an NFT :)

[@spongebkshitpants]

This guy is from the marketing team so he must be very creative with his words😂

[@sk-sm9sh]

what is funny about nft joke someone explain me?

[@Jo3W3st]

400 is cheap? My Aldi drip coffee machine cost 20. Been using it for over 4 years with no problems use only filtered water and clean it every month with a vinegar mixture and multiple hot water rinses. 🎉

[@erikatodorova5068]

I have the Breville machine and makes amazing milk drink, however in the espresso side it can be a bit tricky. And I’ve used La Marzocco also, amazing drinks. I think it’s all adjusting with the type of machine you have so yeah :D

[@rowaystarco]

It certainly helps if you actually used the single wall basket instead of the pressurized one. Maybe their machine didn't come with it, but mine certainly did.

[@Mogwaisan]

I'm a coffee snob myself but I frequent a bambino as my daily driver, a barista express, and I have experience with heavy-duty machines as I worked professionally and as a hobby as a barista but you can get good results with all of them and they're about equal I feel as if she was kind of biased, to be honest.

[@nasserdhaghriri6345]

11:51 that face and that reaction hahahaha

[@livefree6455]

I've had a cheepie home machine for about 2 months. I'm sure that I've gone through about 5 or 6 pounds of beans now and I'm rapidly getting toward adequate. It's definately experience with a shout out to purchasing really good beans that makes the better drink.

[@johnnyog9648]

“Yes and naur” “Yes and naur, here we gaur”

[@TheJoshuaJames]

I’m going to go ahead and say the quality of the coffee to start with is of the most importance. Josh did well and represented Joshes with confidence and style in a clearly unfair competition. I blame the judges and stand by Josh as the clear winner! 🥇

[@lazichimp]

Why the two espresso both scored 6. The different grinders alone would cause a different in score.

[@D71219ONE]

I feel like this comparison is like: “Who flies better? An experienced pilot using a drone, or a complete beginner with a Boeing 747?” More expensive gear often means more complicated, and more difficult to use. I feel like they should’ve had the experienced barista use both, to see if an experienced barista can make great coffee on a cheap machine.

[@captthor5800]

The latte art gave it away, not blind at all imo

[@MrDDDDDDDDDD]

The Breville one is a good machine, anyone knowing they're doing can make a good coffee from it

[@expecto10]

Love the way you guys set this up. Nice.

[@Joshyyl94]

If you use single wall baskets in the bambino you will get a much better result as you are using freshly ground beans

[@pathfind449]

To be honest, $400 for a coffee machine is expensive af

[@AaaAaa-mh6zv]

It certainly is a lot of money, but it's cheap for an espresso machine. That's why most people use filter, French press, moka pot or capsules or machines which extract with less pressure at home. You can make great coffee with cheap equipment but not espresso unfortunately.

[@robdubent]

5:58 ‘that looks absolutely delightful’ Cameraman is a gentleman of culture I see 😊

[@funnyture]

very fun episode. I put myself in the shoe of Josh, He is so fun to watch :}

[@penultimatename6677]

I agree skill is extremely important. We know a bad grinder that is incapable of producing a uniform cut will not bring out the flavor notes of a bean. If the machine has limited potential then a great barista can only do so much. That's why the contest was close. You need excellent equipment and a barista capable of extracting all the espresso machine and grinder has to offer.

[@chuckles123gnarly]

I think the video was a fun idea but I think it would have been better putting someone who had some kind of knowledge of making espresso drinks on the expensive vs no experience at all.

[@Robstrap]

Its definantly experience, but also only up to a certain point. I think you definantly need a decent home machine to be able to get good espresso that could match something you can buy from a coffee shop made by normal baristas (normal meaning people who just work at cafe's as a "job" and aren't really into it).

[@janhilado]

Love the concept of this episode but i would like to see other factors changed if there will be another episode like this: 1. For the Pro Barista, use a cheap but non-pressurized machine like the Breville Barista Express or Dual Boiler, not the Bambino. It's unfair to compare espressos from pressurized (very crappy) to non-pressurized. 2. Grinder for both competitors should be the same and uncalibrated for both, so they have time to calibrate and dial in the shot they want. 3. In my honest opinion, you can only call a barista a PRO if he/she has both experienced using cheap as well as expensive machines and use it well. Unlike Georgia who has only experiences high-end machines but not cheap ones. That way, we can really tell if experience matters over equipments. Which in my opinion does.

[@remnant24]

Those are all very incorrect opinions.

[@Tobyjrn6297]

@@remnant24 this one woke up and chose violence lol, any justification? I think 1 is definitely valid. 2 is a maybe for me. They should definitely have to dial in given that's where all the skill lies. 3 i would argue a 'pro' should have the skillset and knowledge of what produces good espresso to master a shitty machine quite quickly. Not necessarily have to have used one before

[@_mattnguyen]

@@Tobyjrn6297 nah, vodkainum is right. 1. i think the use of the bambino with the stock accessories is valid for the sake of testing the limitations of equipment vs the limitations of experience/skill, though i do think it would have been nice to let the pro barista use a non-pressurized basket. i'd keep the bambino for this challenge though. the dual boiler is no where near its price range. 2. yeah, they should have to dial in, sure. this video doesn't say they didn't though. if you're talking about calibrating beyond that, no lol. 3. a "pro" is someone whose profession is working as a barista. that's it. i agree that a good pro should understand espresso enough to dial in with different rigs, but we can't be out here gatekeeping peoples' livelihoods.

[@m4heshd]

This would've made so much sense if the judges were blindfolded.

[@hokoon]

she knows what she's doing.

[@calccalccalc]

In addition to "practice more" being the take-home, also research and invest in good and affordable coffee making devices.

[@MattHarris85]

I wish you'd given the pro an unpressurised basket. Better comparison of skills

[@Destinyirus278]

There was a local coffee shop that legit always had awful coffee never tasted right it was never consistent. & they always bragged that their machine was like $50K or something insane & im like okay cool… but the barista that make the coffee don’t know what they are doing so it didn’t matter how much they spent on a top of the line espresso machine

[@laurencegoldman4639]

You could have at least given he a Breville 920 XEL dual boiler espresso machine-at $1200 it would have been a way better test.

[@ginadillon2072]

Shocking but the home machines and the new all in ones are fabulous and the coffee tastes the same!

[@xderpx6908]

I recon Josh would get a same or even maybe even a better score on the cheaper machine. I also think would be way more interesting seeing two pros one moderate to expensive machines like wega against la marzocco to show diminishing returns. Equipment is nice but experience trups it, video shows that nicely. Lastly I don't think the should do the poor themselves as it makes the blind part of the test pointless as presentation obv gives away who made the shot and biase could become a problem

Could be a typo, but its "diminishing returns" (i like that word) - not being smartass im promise :) . I think most upgrades over 500 euro for coffee machine is about nice experience. Dual boiler for for frothing, steam wand on higher end machines is cold after being used and milk will not stick to it as it gets hot during frothing etc. Skill and experience plays big role.

[@Morbuto]

A decent machine is in some ways a useful signal for the consumer. A place that paid 50k on their equipment is also more likely to spend on Barista training and half-decent beans… (it’s not always guaranteed but the odds are better)

[@wozmac771]

actually the manual setup with the expertise of an expert barista gets the best results. The 30K machine also, offers the control and ruggedness of a machine which has to make 100s of espressos a day without clogging, breaking, loosing pressure. The components are designed for rough use, features won't be too different from a home machine. Esp. if you have a $1000 home machine.

[@harpercharlie]

Nice, fun video. Would like to see more of such fun videos!

[@lh2815]

I use the Breville Bambino at home and 90% of coffee shops make worse coffee than I do at home with the Bambino. In my opinion, this tiny machine makes an awesome job. It has a temperature control chip in it, holds steady 9 bars and the pressurized baskets help with rounding all things up. The video did not say at all, what technical features the 30k has that the Bambino has not. To be honest, the coffee out of the Bambino will be indistinguishable from the coffee from the 30k machine for 99,9% of the people.. EVEN IF THE 30k machine IS USED FROM A PRO!

[@cichlisuite2]

It did mention some. The manual PID control on the 30k machine would make a big difference if brewing lighter roasted coffees for example, giving much better flavour. Many features are relevant to a commercial environment. Being able to churn out coffees sooooooo much faster, being temperature stable while doing that, in tandem with that producing a consistent result working fast and for an extended period of time, being able to do that day after day without breaking down... all these things are what justifies the 30k over the $400. I think you massively overestimate how many people would not be able to tell the difference between the coffee from the Bambino vs the professional machine even on a "make 1 coffee each" basis (guessing you don't live in Melbourne?). Putting that one to one test hypothetical aside, more practically, try having each make 80 coffees an hour from 7am to 9am and I think everyone will spot the difference (esp the last 70 people in the Bambino queue who are drinking nothing).

[@Finnspin_unicycles]

Probably around 29k of the difference goes into it being able to do this all day, every day at high speed for years in a commercial setting. But yes, for someone only making one cup for themself at home, the bambino (probably with a normal basket instead of the pressurized one) will make pretty much equally good espresso and only slightly worse steamed milk.

[@michaellampson7085]

yes it's experience but you handicapped the barista FAR too much. should have at least given her the same grinder and standard single wall 18g basket so that the variable was the machine itself

[@tauri9382]

It has a separate grinder and it has a scale. I say she has almost everything she needs for a good coffee except time. It takes time to find out the right grind level for the type of coffee and possibly a thermometer to find out whether the brewing group is heating up correctly. But in principle it is possible. In Germany almost every bakery has a professional portafilter. However, that didn't help to improve the coffee culture in Germany. If the management doesn't know anything about coffee, nothing will come of it just because you're throwing away a lot of money. You can make terrible coffee even with expensive equipment.

[@guering]

the guy is really funny, I cracked when he pretended to reach the trophy at the end rofl

[@otaibi_A511]

hahahaha me 2

[@Cat.the.Roblox.girl.]

I use $85 expresso machine, the coffee is better than any outside coffee store.

[@Steven-xf8mz]

Good machine is just as important as your skill. That being said; it does take some effort to become a good barista, but it takes heck a lot more to be able to casually afford a $30K machine without impacting your finance. Anyone can brush up their espresso making over the weekend or during their daily morning and noon caffeine run as long as they have a $30K machine in their kitchen, but you can't just make extra $30K post-tax during 15mins session here and there. lol

[@staenker1983]

To be fair, you only have to spend around 2.5k on a grinder with good burrs that grinds to weight (and not time) and some 2k on a decent dual boiler with volumetric dosing to have a consistent morning cappuccino.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

@@staenker1983 Oh yeah only 4.5k totaly within most peoples price range.

[@Steven-xf8mz]

@@staenker1983 point taken but I was merely referencing what was demonstrated in the video.

[@MrWiseinheart]

The bambino needs a third party 53mm naked standard basket, I have one at home and it's day and night different from the includes pressurized one.

[@fohethe]

Hi, just wanted to say that 400$ is not cheap. Thanks, bye.

[@tomanicodin]

True 🤣🤣🤣 but is cheap compared to the professional machine

[@xtoxitrolls9252]

😂😂😂😂

[@thicccboyztv]

Picopresso is $130 and better than the 400 dollar machine

[@Leodriftlab]

Bud is thirty bucks for me

[@Jomaxp]

Well, yes, and no yes 400 bucks for espresso machine is certainly not high end but it’s not low end either I have bought my used Basra Bizet or nine for that money which is great espresso machine and I wouldn’t need a better one. Yes it’s not the perfect cup yet but that’s not the fold of the machine. It’s my fault. The machine could certainly do better coffee than 99% of all restaurants are serving though from their entire building everything them and Bino as an over priced but cheap.le build Maschine before my Bezerra, I had a long he did it cost it cost 180 bucks and it’s basically the same thing with all this trauma block bullshit and awful fix steamer as The Brewil is. It is a lot of money for super cheaply built machine

[@KnightsForJesus]

Georgia is so lovely❤ I'm glad she won with the lesser equipment.

[@amv8700]

Wait a minute, are those guys trying to tell me that 400$ is cheap? I got a chinese espresso for about 40$, next time do the test again with a real cheap machine 😂

[@LuckyDragon289]

The Bambino is the cheapest pump-driven machine from a well-known name brand you can get on the market. Those sub-$100 espresso machines are probably steam-driven, which don't produce anywhere near the 9 bars of pressure for proper espresso; you're just getting strong coffee. There also also stovetop moka pots, which also don't produce "real" espresso.

[@amv8700]

@@LuckyDragon289 ok, i understand that but what If i told You that i can make espresso with that garbage? 😂 Of course not coffee shop level but still, even frothy milk. Also i saw de longhi at 115$ with 15bars, isn't that a fair machine at a fair price?

[@kekelapp0r]

@@amv8700 There is no good or "fair" espresso machine under $400. They all have shortcomings like temperature stability or pump pressure. Trust me, I had a $100-150 machine for years and thought I was making good espresso, but once I upgraded to a "real" machine for $1000, I realized that what I was drinking before was basically just watered down shit.

[@bruhmoment3169]

11:48 Hahaha Josh thought he is the one getting the trophy.

[@wamrainc176]

0:19 I am sorry but did you just refer a $400 coffee machine as “cheap”….wtf

[@oofyeah5508]

For espresso machines it is

[@WGK90]

Think they just mean compared to the commercial machine, also I'm guessing this is aus dollars not US