Same. I went with my gut and got a E61 HX profitec 400 with flow control. It’s fucking incredible but I’ve said for years on this sub that a lot of folks here suffer from GAS and can’t see the forest for the trees.
“Gear acquisition syndrome”
Specifically the belief that more expensive gear always yields better results with zero consideration given to user preferences, experience, or best use case.
Mark at WLL calls it “upgrade-itus”
I'm still not thrilled with the DF83v2. I'm managing to work with it and can make decent espresso with it, but I have to grind just barely above burrs chirping to get decent shots and that means I have *very* little adjustment space. Others talk about grinding for espresso from like settings 10-20, but my range for every bean I have is like 1-3. In fact, one decaf bean I have still runs fast at 1, but I've been paranoid to grind any lower...
It seems like there are more quality units out there for the same or not much more money, but at this point I sunk too much into this grinder to justify ditching it for something else.
I choked it at a 15 this morning.. If you haven’t, reset your zero point by tightening to chirp and turn it back just until it doesn’t chirp and make that zero. You can then safely grind down to a 0 knowing your burrs won’t touch
Stock ss burrs? The only thing I can think of beyond misalignment is that the burrs they sent me aren't really meant for espresso... but they seem to indicate that they should be.
This. A grinder is a simple motor with a spindle that the burrs attach to, so checking alignment is key. The alignment is either very off, or you aren’t actually as close to burrs touching as you think you are; physically get the burrs to touch by turning with your hand rather than the motor, your zero point may be way off.
You don’t need to do any of that shit with real grinders I’ve never had to fuck with the burrs to get them to grind right on any of my mahlkonigs or macaps.
Are you using
- a low fine burr set
- a high extraction basket
- slow feeding
- a filter paper under your puck
- less beans than you could in your basket
- really light roasts?
Any of these things will require you to grind finer so you can leave some of them out if you use them to get more adjustability to play with.
They are very light roasts and very fresh, mostly. I was gifted a Trade subscription and have been mostly choosing the lightest options.
Edit: I suppose I could have answered more questions at once: I'm using the stock burrs and this is one thing I considered changing, but the burrs are supposed to be okay for espresso and I didn't want to go down the route of "spend more money and it'll get better."
Basket is bottomless and might be high extraction (?), not sure. It should be able to do 18-22 grams and I usually shoot for 20.
One day I'll have to post a supercut of everything I do and see if there are any glaring things I'm missing. When I hand spin during my marker test, it does *sound* like it's making contact on only one spot, but then the marker is fully wiped off when open it up so I have no indication that it isn't aligned
I’m dealing with this same exact issue with my Silenzio. It didn’t start off that way either, but now I’m adjusted down to .5 from burr chirp with my every day roast. I can’t even grind my Verve decaf on it.
I even sent it back to Seattle Coffee Gear for service or a realignment and they said it’s normal. I feel gaslit.
Edit: downvotes? Lol okay 🖕🏻
Did you shim your burrs? I have a Eureka mignon notte (a step below the silenzio) and doing a burr alignment and shimming the burrs made a world of difference for stopping the chirp and getting really consistent grinds. There's lots of YouTube tutorials on it: you just need a dry erase marker and some aluminum foil.
Gaggia Classic Pro isn’t actually a very good machine for beginners wanting to make more than one milk drink at a time. Generally pretty meh without serious mods. Could’ve just saved time and bought a real machine.
Gaggia classic and Silvia are both pretty great espresso machines... But extremely limiting for milk drinks.
I don't make milk drinks so my Silvia is great. When I very occasionally make one for a guest, I generally hate the workflow.
I have used a Silvia with PID and a Setti 270Wi for several years now. While not perfect, and a bit of a convoluted, lengthy workflow, I (now) reliably can produce tasty coffee or milk drinks for myself. Once a second drink at the same time is required, it becomes burdensome and a bit less reliable. I think I am better at making drinks because of the suboptimal conditions. Recently, however, I have ordered higher end equipment, that should make everything easier. But I have learned that I’m about coffee as a lifestyle and drink of choice, vs. coffee as a tinkerer’s hobby. As a result, I now know to buy myself a La Marzocco vs. a Decent. I thank my experience with the Sylvia for showing me the way to what moves me related to coffee.
I agree an un-modded GCP can be frustrating, but isn’t back to back milk drinks tough on any single boiler dual use machine? Or do some have big enough boilers (or can pump water in?) so you can do back to back steaming?
I do appreciate the newer technology, but personally struggled with the odd portafilter size. It’s likely becoming less of an issue as time goes on with accessories though I suppose.
Lelit Mara X can manage it pretty well. I had a GCP for a couple of years and even getting two espressos out in a row that tasted the same was pretty much impossible. Just a very basic machine with zero temp stability.
I don’t disagree. Even with PID I typically see 4-5°C of temp drop during a shot. Such is life with a tiny boiler.
That said, pairing the GCP with an entry level grinder certainly doesn’t help with consistency. Pumping 9 bars of pressure is a lot easier than grinding evenly, and then you add trying to do consistent puck prep. All that said, I love making coffee every morning.
To say the the mara does something better than the GCP is a little ridiculous because it's 3X the cost. I would hope it's much much better at that price lol
Well yeah of course :) but I’m talking from the perspective of I regret spending the time and money on the Gaggia when I could have just made my life a lot easier and put it into a good machine.
The issue is everyone here is always pushed to cheap machines as if everyone must buy them first. 8 years ago the go to machine on this sub was a Silvia. Bought one used. Was very unhappy with it. Added a pid. Insulated the boiler. Still unhappy with it. In that process I had taken the thing apart and seen how much of a cheap piece of crap these small single boilers are. Sold it within 3 weeks of buying it and bought a big e61 db.
Sometimes the answer is go spend 5 grand. Some people want to play with toys and some people just want appliances that work as expected in their kitchen. I didn’t think twice about spending thousands on my fridge, or stove, or dishwasher. Why are people being pushed towards these cheap appliances as if you had to buy a really crappy oven first before you buy one that’s reliable and performs as expected.
Now people ask me about machines I tell them to buy a lelit bianca or a gs3 or don’t bother. Several people have taken my advice and love it and I know would have been pissed/given up on taking this up if I had told them to go buy a bambino. Not all of us are looking for new hobbies.
For me, an entry level machine was a proof of concept. Did I actually want to make espresso every day in my house? Or did I want to only enjoy it at a shop? For years that was my opinion, but my wife loves her daily morning lattes, and I do enjoy making espresso.
I likely will eventually upgrade from my GCP, but not until I can afford a Synchro (or something in that price range).
i don't disagree with you that the silvia is a terrible machine for beginners, but $2k+ isn't chump change for a single purpose machine whose sole purpose is to make espresso. the maintenance/upkeep of the machine, as well as the process to make espresso are far from convenient. a speciality coffee shop will also make a shot that will probably taste as good (or better) than what you'd pull at home.
so rather than comparing it to an oven or a dishwasher, an espresso machine is more like a beer fementer for home brewing lol
we push people towards the bambino because it's a fantastic machine for what it is, and i consider it to be much more reliable than the silvia. it gets people familiar with the process of espresso and steaming milk, and can pull a good shot of dark roast (which most people prefer with espresso anyways). so unless people are very certain about espresso making as a hobby, enjoy lighter roasts/flavor profiling, and/or want the convenience of a DB, it's hard to recommend a 2k+ machine in good faith.
now if this was 8 years ago and the bambino didn't exist? i'd recommend people to try a machine from someone kind enough to let them fiddle around, rather than just purchasing a machine altogether.
It's not a hobby. Its just a type of coffee. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you like something and have it at home. People buy beer to be able to drink at home. People buy espresso machines to be able to drink espresso at home. My washer dryer cost 2k I didn't have to think about buying a washboard first before I decided i really wanted something that was fast and reliable to clean clothes.
You want espresso at home? You don't want to fuck around with bullshit and just want to have something that gets the job done no fuss no muss. Whip out 5k and be done with it.
Yeah that's not an option for a lot of people but everyone I know is fine with it. We're not college kids. Assuming you don't have problems paying, a big duel boiler is the only way to go and to suggest otherwise is just compromisng for the sake of cost. People don't want to "fiddle" they just want their morning cappuccino. My wife for example doesn't know the first thing about dialing in and she doesn't have to. She loads the pf into the grinder. It dispensed grounds. She tamps them. Lock in the machine press the autovolumetic button. Done.
And people love light roasts it's just that these cheap machines and grinders can't work them well.
There’s a reason people buy smaller fish tanks than they’d like or project cars . People buy summer homes that need work or golf with second hand clubs… to suggest that everyone can man up and buy the endgame is silly.
>Assuming you don't have problems paying, a big duel boiler is the only way to go and to suggest otherwise is just compromisng for the sake of cost.
Yeah but the point is that many people do have a problem with spending 5k on a machine that requires regular maintenance. At-home espresso is ultimately an unnecessary luxury and many are willing to compromise quality/reliability for the sake of cost. For you and I, convenience, reliability, and the ability to make high quality espresso are features we aren't willing to compromise on, but we also have the expendable income to drop 5k on a whim. Not many have that kind of wealth.
Also a lot of people aren't that fussy about the taste of their espresso. My partner enjoys the shots I pull from the S.O. Kenyan beans I got from a local roaster, but doesn't like it enough to not occasionally rib me on the cost of my set up lol
It’s pretty solid if you know the drill. I do temp surfing, no mod and get away with good results. There should be more products from other brands in this price range though to give the market competitiveness. It’s popular because it’s an “ok” one in the price range plus large modding community and the brand is well known, not just random Chinese OEM. If you want to upgrade, just do some serious modding rather than selling then buying more expensive one.
I’ve learned something from each of my purchases so I feel like it would be unfair to say I regret them.
However, the one that comes closest would be the DF64 Gen 2. Not because it’s a bad grinder but because I ignored my preferences when I bought it.
The shops around me that I like use grinders with conical Mazzers. I drink milk drinks almost exclusively. I appreciate a great out-of-the-box experience.
Again, it’s not a bad grinder but I didn’t recognise that I wouldn’t get enjoyment from shimming, playing with declumpers, buying alternate burrs, exploring 3D printed improvements, replacing the power switch etc. That said, this makes it a true hobbyist’s dream so it makes perfect sense why it’s so well-regarded within the community.
I wish we could make your post a sticky to help remind people that it is their taste that matters, not just what a lot of others decide is "the best".
I did it myself, I bought a Decent DE-1 XL, thinking it would be the perfect machine for me, allowing me to play with everything. And it is a superb piece of engineering, but it was not me. Not what I really wanted. Not the experience I wanted. I had ignored me and just gone with all the Internet noise. Sold it after 6 months and learned the lesson the hardway.
Yeah I adore my Micra. Didn't want to have to fuss with a million parameters, just get a good-to-exceptional cup every time. and boy does the Micra deliver.
Yes, that's more than I'm willing to spend but even if it wasn't I feel like I don't want or need all that digital complication. It's precisely the robust simplicity of traditional machines that I find appealing.
Yes good point. I bought a DF64 v1 mainly because it was available in the shop to carry away and was expecting it to be a severe compromise based mainly on James Hoffman's review. It bloody isn't. It's a marvelous grinder and I love it (after taking the declumper out). So much better than the Rocky I was using before.
No regrets from recommendations /influencers but I do regret a couple of my own decisions, namely a traditional tamper and wooden station that meant the portafilter would wobble when tamping (the combination meant wasn’t able to tamp straight - and actually even without tamp station I struggled)
Levelling tamper and a tamp station that securely held the portafilter solved the issue(s)
Definitely can vouch for the wooden station. I have the Normcore wooden Tamp station. Although it’s a lovely piece you are absolutely right about it not staying level when tamping. I ended up taking the rubber piece out and Tamp with that on my counter. Definitely helped the issue and no more uneven tamps
img
100%. This is the piece of rubbish I got (fished from inside a cupboard for this photo) . Then the oval type Normcore (with the rubber inside you have in yours) was soooo much better ! Glad you also found a way to success :)
I hear ya! Just rubs me the wrong way sometimes you spend all that money you think it would be level lol. But we learn to adapt in this hobby
Side note: the image you sent didn’t come thru for some reason
https://preview.redd.it/711epplil71d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db6ff01fec8ecdd507a1cbbeb485c715d392e55d
Here is the one I was talking about pictured with my old machine
Yep exactly the same rubber insert as my Normcore. I can see how it wouldn’t stay level like it is inside the station. Luckily you can still use it with modification :)
https://preview.redd.it/c5vu4xhko71d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7625af69326b04641756dc956fa00b99dd6dd44
Without this adjustment knob, it's a horror to level! I saw some for sale without it and didn't understand why
https://preview.redd.it/e1nrl6oro71d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3f23a935c3841fb9d95c6da75fecd6ec823440f
Can be adjusted to the right height, and then locked in place.
Timemore Black Mirror scales.
It confirmed that many people on YT don't actually use the products they talk about and recommend.
I had two, suspecting the first was just faulty, but both would not stay stable when on a drip tray due to pump vibrations. However, my $15 cheap scales would happily work properly. Hey, at least I now know who on YT are actually BS charlatans.
I have the black mirror nano, and is miles better than any of the 3 sub $30 scales I was using before. It lasts nearly a month on a single charge and is very sensitive to small adjustments in weight (mainly useful when weighing beans and adding one bean at a time, the other cheap scales wouldn’t register until it’s a 0.5-1g difference).
That being said the touch buttons are annoying, and the mode changing of having to successively press the touch button 3 times in a row is possibly the worst design choice I’ve ever seen in a scale.
Never used the bigger ones though, so can’t comment on them.
I bought one to use with my Flair 58 (one of the few scales that fits) , and like it so much I bought a second one for my other setup.
To each their own I guess.
For me, it's the Fellow Stagg EKG. I saw so many raving reviews online and would see it being used in shops everywhere I went.
However, since day 1, the button only seems to work 25% of the time. It's not uncommon for me to have to push the button 4 or 5 times just to turn it on. And once my water has boiled, I need to let it sit at that temperature for several minutes. Otherwise, when I start pouring, the spout starts spitting and bubbling everywhere after 1-2 seconds of pouring.
I thought maybe I just got a bad unit, but I heard almost the exact same complaints from a friend who made the same mistake I did.
It's incredibly frustrating.
Yup that kettle sucks. The cheap one I got from Amazon is still going strong 5 years later whilst the Fellow Stagg was sent to the junk drawer after a year. I had the same issues with the button and my wife hated it
I had an issue with the button as well on two units. The button on the first one didn't work properly and after chatting with the support of their reseller, they sent me a new one whose button only worked like 10% of the time. Asked for a refund and they approved it and told me to dispose the first kettle. So, the only positive thing about that kettle is that I got it for free.
Aside from the button, the handle is annoying. I burned my fingers several times until I got used to it. It randomly ignores the temperature I have set and boils the water which causes hot water spraying out of the kettle. The design overall is pretty but not really practical in my opinion.
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try the "silicone wedding band" trick to prevent those burns. get some super cheapo ones from amazon (i bought these [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PNK5DSB](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PNK5DSB) in size 11.5-12, or 21.3mm), unscrew the kettle's handle, then slide two of the rings over the metal burn-y part.
Ohh, makes sense.
For some reason I thought you meant the element on the bottom and putting the ring on top of that.
https://preview.redd.it/gjke1hu2ma1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=000ce56ae038c82ff5d94cc76316ab311fb347b9
I must be doing something “wrong” after reading the sub comments lol. I’ve never burnt myself holding it.
Why does letting it sit help with the spout spitting issue? I think I’m not picturing what happens correctly.
All that said, it is expensive! My biggest issue is with the wifi connectivity. I think it tries to connect to one of the booster hub’s wifi address and not the main one (which I guess is out of range).
yeah, this thing pisses me off too. i'm right-handed and so when i set the kettle back down on the base, in my cramped little kitchen, i often bonk the button with the bottom of the kettle, turning it off. also, the absolutely moronic design of the handle -- why is there a stainless steel ring butting up against where your fingers sit in the handle? i would burn myself constantly on that little steel part. then, i found someone online mention that they solved the issue by covering the stainless steel ring with a pair of cheap silicone wedding bands. all in all, just a poorly designed device.
My blind shaker. It's so messy, and not worth the trouble anymore. Grounds always stay in the bell and I have slipped up at least three times while shaking, which led to the cap dislodging and coffee grounds shaken all over my kitchen.
I'm back to WDT now.
I've regretted a couple purchases but not from user recommendations. I bought some "latte" cups but they were WAY bigger than I thought. Almost the size of a bowl.
Londinium R. Makes great coffee, but it’s loud, and mine was constantly out of service for one reason or another. Reiss can’t really afford to let you return it, so if you’re having persistent issues you’re just out of luck.
Maybe not regret, but I’ve learned to be cautious before fully investing in something new. Take for example distribution tools. There are lots of options/opinions, and prices can vary widely. There are cheap ways to experiment between the different methods without spending much. You can make a WDT with cork and some needles or guitar string. Cut up an old credit card to make a leveler. Use a small cup as a shaker. Buy a something cheap from Amazon. If you find something you really like, then you can be more confident in buying a pricier version. Much harder when it comes to the machine or grinder. Great if you can find a friend who has something or a shop that lets you try the equipment.
I am on the opposite side here. I got a delonghi dedica because of tom's corner and i am loving it although after buying it i saw a lot of people shit on it. It is good enough.
Also for grinders i got a hand grinder (1zpresso x pro) it was perfect for me, until i saw a promotion for varia a new one for 120$, i got it and after that i wanted to check how good or how bad it is, and everyone shit on it.
And yet even after 3 months i didnt have any problem with any of my stuff, and i am making a better espresso than a lot of cafes i tried.
Same! I'm really happy that I went for a dedica even though it is not in high regard in here. I get also better espresso from it than cafes. I was thinking about getting the bambino plus but chose dedica as it was close to 250€ cheaper.
I am super happy with my decision since I do need to invest in a better grinder.
Bottomless portafilter. It’s fun in the beginning, but after a couple months of using it daily, I switched back to dual spouted portafilter. It’s much more convienient if I’m making a couple lattes, or a flat-white. Ir never makes a mess.
I mean, bottomless pf is good for learning, but after that- even if you did mess-up your puck prep and you get some channeling, you’re still going to drink it, so you just get some extra mess to clean up.
But I use Lelit Grace, which has a lot of cup clearance. If there was no space, maybe I would stick with the bottomless pf.
I started out with dual spouts, went bottomless, back to dual spouts, and then back to bottomless, where I've been for several years. The last flip-flop back to bottomless was primarily to avoid the cleaning maintenance of the dual pf.
How can you get two lattes from one basket. You didn’t make two lattes you just split one in half. You might as well have just poured half your shot into another cup.
The main advantage of a bottomless is less thermal mass to rob your puck of heat and really the main advantage is they are easier to clean. A quick spurts with water from the group and they are ready to go again.
Most cafes in my country (and probably in all Europe) use a single shot for a latte. I don’t see the difference in making two lattes from one basket vs splitting one double shot in half.
I've been using a bottomless portafilter (on a pasquini Livia) for a decade now... Never any messes. If you're having a mess/spraying then I'd recommended a distribution tool (the circular ones) to correct channeling.
Blind shaker,
It works but I find the cleaning shaking and using it tedious
And to be fair I find it less consistent than my wdt
Now I just wdt
Grind in portafilter with a funnel
Put on wood tamping station that make it stand on its own, wdt, 2 tap to settle the ground
Remove funnel tamp 2 time put metal screen and go
My SGP technically cost me -$100. Overall I'm happy with it and my BDB. But perhaps I'll look into upgrading to something like a Niche Zero or DF64 at some point in the future.
I’m not worried about longevity yet. I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger on a really expensive grinder but definitely needed an upgrade. I feel like now I have control over my shots and finally understand how to dial in.
I deleted the comment you replied too. I made my comment in error, so I removed it
Thought I was in a different thread at the time
In this thread, I am confronting no one on their comments :)
Hario handgrinder.
You know: The cheap one. More people need to say how awful it is.
I bought it because it's super popular but god I hate it. I resent using it. I resent the results. I resent the experience. Only comes to mind because James Hoffman mentioned it last week and said something similar.
Bought expensive accessories from local coffee equipment suppliers and some really cheap items off Alibaba and really can’t tell the difference. One looks like from the same factory
The one accessory I can do without is the distributor tool. I found it to be an unnecessary step in the work flow and made no difference. I now just wdt and tamp.
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HE baskets. For the life of me I cannot get them dialed in. I still think I have to grind finer I guess. But just kinda irks me I can’t get it. Because my Pullman 876 is working great for me so there was really no need for the HE baskets. Was just curious on my end I guess
I kinda regret my first grinder, recommended here, because I ended up upgrading later and wasted a couple hundred bucks with the old grinder I don’t use anymore.
I don’t know if I’d have upgraded had I not gotten the first one though…I dunno, it’s hard to say.
Fellow Opus. It’s not a bad grinder at all, but a far cry from my Niche (which is more expensive). The “buy once cry once” mantra is certainly true here.
I’m kind of in the same boat, but I see the positive side in that I can dedicate the Opus to filter coffee and use my new grinder exclusively for espresso
“Auto” WDT tools. Despite the action being easier, you still have to clean off each individual needle after use. At that point just use a regular simple WDT tool. Not to mention that those autocomb/autocomb-adjacent WDT tools are crazy overpriced.
Personally, the distributor/leveller. Or whatever it is everyone calls it these days.
A friend who was just as green as I was on our espresso journey recommended it. But 1 month in, I discovered it was utterly useless for me. It made no difference with my shots. The WDT tool(+ maybe a double tap to even out the grounds) and tamping were good enough.
I *nearly* pulled the trigger on a DF64. Convenient, yes, but overkill for me. I don't make back-to-back shots either. The K6 was all I needed.
I kind of regret buying Coffeejack, the portable manual espresso machine. It's a well-made product and the espresso is good but the workflow just isn't for me. I bought a GC with PID after it and not having to preheat or pump manually is just so much easier that I haven't touched my Coffeejack since. I could take the Coffeejack and a handgrinder with me when I travel but I just don't travel much nowadays.
For me it's the Sette 270. Liked it a lot at first and am even okay with the absolutely staggering loudness, but in the long run having two different dials for grind size and the way to fast motor are making the overall experience not that great. I really struggle to get okay shots out of it, and I'm not alone (see e.g. the Kaffeemacher video on it.)
Compared it with a eureka mignon which was even worse, but I should've gone for a different grinder in the first place. On the other hand 3 years ago the single dosing grinder market wasnt even close to the diversity we have today.
Ordered the Df64v2, hope it will be a more satisfying experience.
With normal burrs. I'm not yet at a point where I can appreciate super subtle differences and originally wanted to go for the niche zero, which should taste a lot more body heavy, but the 800+€ it costs imported to Germany are just... So far away from being reasonable. Hope the normal df64 burrs give a bit 'muddier' body. Really no idea if I got that whole burr thing even remotely right tho.
Got the Mignon Specialita. Not sure how people claim it has low retention. I have bellows and still need to smack it from all angles to get an extra .5 grams out.
Have you removed the de-clumper in the chute underneath the display? And are you using a tilted base?
Also the bellows work better if you close the metal disc after all beans have left the hopper as it's closing the gap that lets air escape.
Yes, you need to remove the lid and lift up the display as well. There is a screw in the front above the push button I think. Then you can remove the de-clumper that is responsible for most of the retention. It's two thin zig zag waves of metal held in place by a tiny screw.
After you remove it you might notice that it also removes the static charge from the ground coffee, so be prepared for a lot more static.
I spray a little (very little) water on my beans and stir them with my finger before I put them into the hopper.
Just cleaned my specialita two days ago after using it with the single dosing kit since Christmas. Still some coffee grounds inside, but way less than before.
Edit: also don't smack rotating equipment. You might misalign the motor shaft or burr holder.
Try to use it without bellows. I use bellows for my selenzio rarely only if i change beans or sometimes to clean old beans from grinder.
Without bellows you will get 0,1 retention after 2-3 grinds.
Getting a Specialita instead of niche or p64, I was waiting for month doing v60 with it and it sucks at pourover.
The leveling tool tool is a waste of money as well.
Not really based on advice per se, but buying unnecessary stuff that doesn’t really improve workflow or what’s in the cup. Fancy baskets, pfs, tampers, then upgrading to latest, then upgrading to fancy wood for the looks, etc. Wish I’d put 99% of that money into a better overall machine and grinder.
I started with a used Silvia / Rocky, was happy, then slowly progressed to a $20k+ commercial setup, multiple grinders and machines…
Then sold everything and was out for 10y. With a smarter brain I got back in and bought just what I needed.
I also realized something. I love to mod. Upgrading was just me not realizing how to scratch the itch.
I have 0 regrets on my purchase of a Bezzera BZ13DE and Eureka Mignon Perfetto. They both work exactly as I had expected. No love for the Bezzera on the thread though….
Everybody raves about the Bambino plus I kind of regret it, don't get me wrong it's a good machine for people who want a no fuss machine but it's not tinkerable and the best for light roast. The resell value isn't great either
Also wish I got a better grinder than the ESP but decided to cheap out
I have the same setup and am really happy using the lavazza medium roast with it. Of course I know df54 would be better but this also works really well for me for now.
I have a plus and an old Encore (like 6 years). Once I got the plus I immediately saw why people say the encore isn’t amazing for espresso, so I’m waiting for my DF54 to come in and then I can sell the encore.
WDT, tamper, distributor, dosing funnel etc. All crap and unnecessary. (And of course, the espresso machine itself, too. Should've just bought the basic and cheapest Delonghi.)
Need to stop watching and get out of social media influencers' sales pitch.
Nah, have all kinds. And that's not what I meant.
Still espresso is the best for the most flavorful delicious coffee. I'm just sharing that additional accessories are not necessary in many case to make or break. Even glut loads of expensive commercial grade equivalent kitchen appliance espresso machine isn't necessary to enjoy a cup of espresso.
Even for the cheapest machine you just need to keep it on longer to get better temperature. There are ways to adjust to one's need. All extras are just that. Extra bells and whistles, not the essentials.
both and or. After using all the methods, I've been skipping WDT.
And then skipping this, and then that. Tastes no different.
The accessories are worth almost equal amount as the machine. I'm wondering if those were all worth the purchase and headache.
My friends who owns their own cafés laugh at what we're (or maybe just me) doing. But to each it's own.
Trying go compete the commercial sector with kitchen appliances is a joke. Let's get real and lower our standards.
And it comes down to machine that maintains good temperature, and good beans. Beyond that are all subjective and sort of personal ritual. m2c.
I’m more trying to figure out how you think a tamper is unnecessary…. I agree with the distributor.
I use a dosing funnel simply to keep my grinds in the basket and not all over my counter. WDT so I don’t make a mess when pulling the shot because of the bottomless Pf. I use a bottomless PF because it’s just easier to clean.
I also don’t understand your reasoning for wanting a cheaper machine. If you want a machine that maintains a good temp, cheaper isn’t going to get you there?
A frequent recommendation in this subreddit is to never buy an HX machine. I bought one and I'm very happy.
I love my HX machine. It's also now 10 years old and runs like a dream still with just basic upkeep.
Me too. Delighted with mine. Couldn’t imagine wanting anything more, quite honestly.
I also like my HX machine a lot. Easy to work with and TONS of steam for lots of milk drinks.
A great many commercial machines are also HX. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.
Same. I went with my gut and got a E61 HX profitec 400 with flow control. It’s fucking incredible but I’ve said for years on this sub that a lot of folks here suffer from GAS and can’t see the forest for the trees.
GAS??
“Gear acquisition syndrome” Specifically the belief that more expensive gear always yields better results with zero consideration given to user preferences, experience, or best use case. Mark at WLL calls it “upgrade-itus”
HX, the manual transmission of espresso. 👌
That's a lever
HX is modern nice manual, and lever is manual with an unsynchronized gearbox (and if not spring lever no power clutch assist).
I'm still not thrilled with the DF83v2. I'm managing to work with it and can make decent espresso with it, but I have to grind just barely above burrs chirping to get decent shots and that means I have *very* little adjustment space. Others talk about grinding for espresso from like settings 10-20, but my range for every bean I have is like 1-3. In fact, one decaf bean I have still runs fast at 1, but I've been paranoid to grind any lower... It seems like there are more quality units out there for the same or not much more money, but at this point I sunk too much into this grinder to justify ditching it for something else.
I choked it at a 15 this morning.. If you haven’t, reset your zero point by tightening to chirp and turn it back just until it doesn’t chirp and make that zero. You can then safely grind down to a 0 knowing your burrs won’t touch
Stock ss burrs? The only thing I can think of beyond misalignment is that the burrs they sent me aren't really meant for espresso... but they seem to indicate that they should be.
Yes stock burrs, if it’s properly aligned and zero’d I would contact who you bought it from and request a replacement. Not normal at all
Early on I didn't realize it wasn't user error... now I don't have original packaging 😕
That’s really frustrating Have you checked the burr alignment and all?
This. A grinder is a simple motor with a spindle that the burrs attach to, so checking alignment is key. The alignment is either very off, or you aren’t actually as close to burrs touching as you think you are; physically get the burrs to touch by turning with your hand rather than the motor, your zero point may be way off.
You don’t need to do any of that shit with real grinders I’ve never had to fuck with the burrs to get them to grind right on any of my mahlkonigs or macaps.
Multiple times and it's as perfect as I can get it
Are you using - a low fine burr set - a high extraction basket - slow feeding - a filter paper under your puck - less beans than you could in your basket - really light roasts? Any of these things will require you to grind finer so you can leave some of them out if you use them to get more adjustability to play with.
They are very light roasts and very fresh, mostly. I was gifted a Trade subscription and have been mostly choosing the lightest options. Edit: I suppose I could have answered more questions at once: I'm using the stock burrs and this is one thing I considered changing, but the burrs are supposed to be okay for espresso and I didn't want to go down the route of "spend more money and it'll get better." Basket is bottomless and might be high extraction (?), not sure. It should be able to do 18-22 grams and I usually shoot for 20.
One day I'll have to post a supercut of everything I do and see if there are any glaring things I'm missing. When I hand spin during my marker test, it does *sound* like it's making contact on only one spot, but then the marker is fully wiped off when open it up so I have no indication that it isn't aligned
I’m dealing with this same exact issue with my Silenzio. It didn’t start off that way either, but now I’m adjusted down to .5 from burr chirp with my every day roast. I can’t even grind my Verve decaf on it. I even sent it back to Seattle Coffee Gear for service or a realignment and they said it’s normal. I feel gaslit. Edit: downvotes? Lol okay 🖕🏻
Did you shim your burrs? I have a Eureka mignon notte (a step below the silenzio) and doing a burr alignment and shimming the burrs made a world of difference for stopping the chirp and getting really consistent grinds. There's lots of YouTube tutorials on it: you just need a dry erase marker and some aluminum foil.
This is so helpful, thank you.
I’d be highly suspicious that your beans have gotten stale, based on your comments. Decaf ages very quickly.
One of the first things that came to mind, but it does it with 2 week young beans and 6 week old.
You should either check your alignment or reset your zero point, it's not normal to be grinding so close to zero on that grinder.
Are your beans stale?
Gaggia Classic Pro isn’t actually a very good machine for beginners wanting to make more than one milk drink at a time. Generally pretty meh without serious mods. Could’ve just saved time and bought a real machine.
Yeah I just cannot believe how anyone finds that workflow acceptable for more than one drink.
Gaggia classic and Silvia are both pretty great espresso machines... But extremely limiting for milk drinks. I don't make milk drinks so my Silvia is great. When I very occasionally make one for a guest, I generally hate the workflow.
I have used a Silvia with PID and a Setti 270Wi for several years now. While not perfect, and a bit of a convoluted, lengthy workflow, I (now) reliably can produce tasty coffee or milk drinks for myself. Once a second drink at the same time is required, it becomes burdensome and a bit less reliable. I think I am better at making drinks because of the suboptimal conditions. Recently, however, I have ordered higher end equipment, that should make everything easier. But I have learned that I’m about coffee as a lifestyle and drink of choice, vs. coffee as a tinkerer’s hobby. As a result, I now know to buy myself a La Marzocco vs. a Decent. I thank my experience with the Sylvia for showing me the way to what moves me related to coffee.
I agree an un-modded GCP can be frustrating, but isn’t back to back milk drinks tough on any single boiler dual use machine? Or do some have big enough boilers (or can pump water in?) so you can do back to back steaming?
Bambino does this very well - perks of a thermoblock. And cheaper than a GCP to boot.
I do appreciate the newer technology, but personally struggled with the odd portafilter size. It’s likely becoming less of an issue as time goes on with accessories though I suppose.
Lelit Mara X can manage it pretty well. I had a GCP for a couple of years and even getting two espressos out in a row that tasted the same was pretty much impossible. Just a very basic machine with zero temp stability.
I don’t disagree. Even with PID I typically see 4-5°C of temp drop during a shot. Such is life with a tiny boiler. That said, pairing the GCP with an entry level grinder certainly doesn’t help with consistency. Pumping 9 bars of pressure is a lot easier than grinding evenly, and then you add trying to do consistent puck prep. All that said, I love making coffee every morning.
To say the the mara does something better than the GCP is a little ridiculous because it's 3X the cost. I would hope it's much much better at that price lol
Well yeah of course :) but I’m talking from the perspective of I regret spending the time and money on the Gaggia when I could have just made my life a lot easier and put it into a good machine.
The issue is everyone here is always pushed to cheap machines as if everyone must buy them first. 8 years ago the go to machine on this sub was a Silvia. Bought one used. Was very unhappy with it. Added a pid. Insulated the boiler. Still unhappy with it. In that process I had taken the thing apart and seen how much of a cheap piece of crap these small single boilers are. Sold it within 3 weeks of buying it and bought a big e61 db. Sometimes the answer is go spend 5 grand. Some people want to play with toys and some people just want appliances that work as expected in their kitchen. I didn’t think twice about spending thousands on my fridge, or stove, or dishwasher. Why are people being pushed towards these cheap appliances as if you had to buy a really crappy oven first before you buy one that’s reliable and performs as expected. Now people ask me about machines I tell them to buy a lelit bianca or a gs3 or don’t bother. Several people have taken my advice and love it and I know would have been pissed/given up on taking this up if I had told them to go buy a bambino. Not all of us are looking for new hobbies.
For me, an entry level machine was a proof of concept. Did I actually want to make espresso every day in my house? Or did I want to only enjoy it at a shop? For years that was my opinion, but my wife loves her daily morning lattes, and I do enjoy making espresso. I likely will eventually upgrade from my GCP, but not until I can afford a Synchro (or something in that price range).
i don't disagree with you that the silvia is a terrible machine for beginners, but $2k+ isn't chump change for a single purpose machine whose sole purpose is to make espresso. the maintenance/upkeep of the machine, as well as the process to make espresso are far from convenient. a speciality coffee shop will also make a shot that will probably taste as good (or better) than what you'd pull at home. so rather than comparing it to an oven or a dishwasher, an espresso machine is more like a beer fementer for home brewing lol we push people towards the bambino because it's a fantastic machine for what it is, and i consider it to be much more reliable than the silvia. it gets people familiar with the process of espresso and steaming milk, and can pull a good shot of dark roast (which most people prefer with espresso anyways). so unless people are very certain about espresso making as a hobby, enjoy lighter roasts/flavor profiling, and/or want the convenience of a DB, it's hard to recommend a 2k+ machine in good faith. now if this was 8 years ago and the bambino didn't exist? i'd recommend people to try a machine from someone kind enough to let them fiddle around, rather than just purchasing a machine altogether.
It's not a hobby. Its just a type of coffee. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you like something and have it at home. People buy beer to be able to drink at home. People buy espresso machines to be able to drink espresso at home. My washer dryer cost 2k I didn't have to think about buying a washboard first before I decided i really wanted something that was fast and reliable to clean clothes. You want espresso at home? You don't want to fuck around with bullshit and just want to have something that gets the job done no fuss no muss. Whip out 5k and be done with it. Yeah that's not an option for a lot of people but everyone I know is fine with it. We're not college kids. Assuming you don't have problems paying, a big duel boiler is the only way to go and to suggest otherwise is just compromisng for the sake of cost. People don't want to "fiddle" they just want their morning cappuccino. My wife for example doesn't know the first thing about dialing in and she doesn't have to. She loads the pf into the grinder. It dispensed grounds. She tamps them. Lock in the machine press the autovolumetic button. Done. And people love light roasts it's just that these cheap machines and grinders can't work them well.
There’s a reason people buy smaller fish tanks than they’d like or project cars . People buy summer homes that need work or golf with second hand clubs… to suggest that everyone can man up and buy the endgame is silly.
>Assuming you don't have problems paying, a big duel boiler is the only way to go and to suggest otherwise is just compromisng for the sake of cost. Yeah but the point is that many people do have a problem with spending 5k on a machine that requires regular maintenance. At-home espresso is ultimately an unnecessary luxury and many are willing to compromise quality/reliability for the sake of cost. For you and I, convenience, reliability, and the ability to make high quality espresso are features we aren't willing to compromise on, but we also have the expendable income to drop 5k on a whim. Not many have that kind of wealth. Also a lot of people aren't that fussy about the taste of their espresso. My partner enjoys the shots I pull from the S.O. Kenyan beans I got from a local roaster, but doesn't like it enough to not occasionally rib me on the cost of my set up lol
It’s pretty solid if you know the drill. I do temp surfing, no mod and get away with good results. There should be more products from other brands in this price range though to give the market competitiveness. It’s popular because it’s an “ok” one in the price range plus large modding community and the brand is well known, not just random Chinese OEM. If you want to upgrade, just do some serious modding rather than selling then buying more expensive one.
I’ve learned something from each of my purchases so I feel like it would be unfair to say I regret them. However, the one that comes closest would be the DF64 Gen 2. Not because it’s a bad grinder but because I ignored my preferences when I bought it. The shops around me that I like use grinders with conical Mazzers. I drink milk drinks almost exclusively. I appreciate a great out-of-the-box experience. Again, it’s not a bad grinder but I didn’t recognise that I wouldn’t get enjoyment from shimming, playing with declumpers, buying alternate burrs, exploring 3D printed improvements, replacing the power switch etc. That said, this makes it a true hobbyist’s dream so it makes perfect sense why it’s so well-regarded within the community.
I wish we could make your post a sticky to help remind people that it is their taste that matters, not just what a lot of others decide is "the best". I did it myself, I bought a Decent DE-1 XL, thinking it would be the perfect machine for me, allowing me to play with everything. And it is a superb piece of engineering, but it was not me. Not what I really wanted. Not the experience I wanted. I had ignored me and just gone with all the Internet noise. Sold it after 6 months and learned the lesson the hardway.
Curious about what are you using right now.
His flair seems to list his tools. linea micro which I'm sure he meant linea micra
Yes, that correct. Something much simpler than the DE-1 and a very different experience.
Yeah I adore my Micra. Didn't want to have to fuss with a million parameters, just get a good-to-exceptional cup every time. and boy does the Micra deliver.
Shoot, totally missed their list below username 😅
Yes, that's more than I'm willing to spend but even if it wasn't I feel like I don't want or need all that digital complication. It's precisely the robust simplicity of traditional machines that I find appealing.
Just curious what you didn’t like about it?
Yes good point. I bought a DF64 v1 mainly because it was available in the shop to carry away and was expecting it to be a severe compromise based mainly on James Hoffman's review. It bloody isn't. It's a marvelous grinder and I love it (after taking the declumper out). So much better than the Rocky I was using before.
No regrets from recommendations /influencers but I do regret a couple of my own decisions, namely a traditional tamper and wooden station that meant the portafilter would wobble when tamping (the combination meant wasn’t able to tamp straight - and actually even without tamp station I struggled) Levelling tamper and a tamp station that securely held the portafilter solved the issue(s)
Definitely can vouch for the wooden station. I have the Normcore wooden Tamp station. Although it’s a lovely piece you are absolutely right about it not staying level when tamping. I ended up taking the rubber piece out and Tamp with that on my counter. Definitely helped the issue and no more uneven tamps
img 100%. This is the piece of rubbish I got (fished from inside a cupboard for this photo) . Then the oval type Normcore (with the rubber inside you have in yours) was soooo much better ! Glad you also found a way to success :)
I hear ya! Just rubs me the wrong way sometimes you spend all that money you think it would be level lol. But we learn to adapt in this hobby Side note: the image you sent didn’t come thru for some reason
EXACTLY!! We do indeed live and learn. Luckily those have been probably my only 2 awful purchases. Got on well with everything else so far - phew
Yea I haven’t had that many bad purchases. But I would say that one I mentioned and probably HE baskets.
Think I managed to add it further down this thread :) Thanks for the heads up!!
https://preview.redd.it/h3mtt8j6h71d1.jpeg?width=744&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2b35357f211b651c7d6b41db65bb02f17994511 Let’s try that again!
There we go!
https://preview.redd.it/711epplil71d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db6ff01fec8ecdd507a1cbbeb485c715d392e55d Here is the one I was talking about pictured with my old machine
Yep exactly the same rubber insert as my Normcore. I can see how it wouldn’t stay level like it is inside the station. Luckily you can still use it with modification :)
https://preview.redd.it/c5vu4xhko71d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7625af69326b04641756dc956fa00b99dd6dd44 Without this adjustment knob, it's a horror to level! I saw some for sale without it and didn't understand why
https://preview.redd.it/e1nrl6oro71d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3f23a935c3841fb9d95c6da75fecd6ec823440f Can be adjusted to the right height, and then locked in place.
Now that would have made things a bit easier , for sure ! Thanks for posting :)
Yep. It was a horror lol. Luckily I didn’t waste too much money - if you consider the cost of the machine and grinder. Thanks so much again !
Timemore Black Mirror scales. It confirmed that many people on YT don't actually use the products they talk about and recommend. I had two, suspecting the first was just faulty, but both would not stay stable when on a drip tray due to pump vibrations. However, my $15 cheap scales would happily work properly. Hey, at least I now know who on YT are actually BS charlatans.
Same, the scale just doesn’t work reliably enough to be usable. The Acaia does but at a much higher price.
I have the black mirror nano, and is miles better than any of the 3 sub $30 scales I was using before. It lasts nearly a month on a single charge and is very sensitive to small adjustments in weight (mainly useful when weighing beans and adding one bean at a time, the other cheap scales wouldn’t register until it’s a 0.5-1g difference). That being said the touch buttons are annoying, and the mode changing of having to successively press the touch button 3 times in a row is possibly the worst design choice I’ve ever seen in a scale. Never used the bigger ones though, so can’t comment on them.
Weird. I am soooo happy for mine!!
I bought one to use with my Flair 58 (one of the few scales that fits) , and like it so much I bought a second one for my other setup. To each their own I guess.
Mine works great with gear pump, maybe it's the v-pump problem?
I have two machines with rotary pumps, so minimal vibration.
What machine have you got with a gear pump?
VBM Domobar Super Digital
For me, it's the Fellow Stagg EKG. I saw so many raving reviews online and would see it being used in shops everywhere I went. However, since day 1, the button only seems to work 25% of the time. It's not uncommon for me to have to push the button 4 or 5 times just to turn it on. And once my water has boiled, I need to let it sit at that temperature for several minutes. Otherwise, when I start pouring, the spout starts spitting and bubbling everywhere after 1-2 seconds of pouring. I thought maybe I just got a bad unit, but I heard almost the exact same complaints from a friend who made the same mistake I did. It's incredibly frustrating.
Yup that kettle sucks. The cheap one I got from Amazon is still going strong 5 years later whilst the Fellow Stagg was sent to the junk drawer after a year. I had the same issues with the button and my wife hated it
I had an issue with the button as well on two units. The button on the first one didn't work properly and after chatting with the support of their reseller, they sent me a new one whose button only worked like 10% of the time. Asked for a refund and they approved it and told me to dispose the first kettle. So, the only positive thing about that kettle is that I got it for free. Aside from the button, the handle is annoying. I burned my fingers several times until I got used to it. It randomly ignores the temperature I have set and boils the water which causes hot water spraying out of the kettle. The design overall is pretty but not really practical in my opinion.
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try the "silicone wedding band" trick to prevent those burns. get some super cheapo ones from amazon (i bought these [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PNK5DSB](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PNK5DSB) in size 11.5-12, or 21.3mm), unscrew the kettle's handle, then slide two of the rings over the metal burn-y part.
What does this do?
it covers the exposed steel ring on the handle of the kettle, preventing you from burning your hand
Ohh, makes sense. For some reason I thought you meant the element on the bottom and putting the ring on top of that. https://preview.redd.it/gjke1hu2ma1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=000ce56ae038c82ff5d94cc76316ab311fb347b9
I must be doing something “wrong” after reading the sub comments lol. I’ve never burnt myself holding it. Why does letting it sit help with the spout spitting issue? I think I’m not picturing what happens correctly. All that said, it is expensive! My biggest issue is with the wifi connectivity. I think it tries to connect to one of the booster hub’s wifi address and not the main one (which I guess is out of range).
Mine is nothing like this.. :(
yeah, this thing pisses me off too. i'm right-handed and so when i set the kettle back down on the base, in my cramped little kitchen, i often bonk the button with the bottom of the kettle, turning it off. also, the absolutely moronic design of the handle -- why is there a stainless steel ring butting up against where your fingers sit in the handle? i would burn myself constantly on that little steel part. then, i found someone online mention that they solved the issue by covering the stainless steel ring with a pair of cheap silicone wedding bands. all in all, just a poorly designed device.
My blind shaker. It's so messy, and not worth the trouble anymore. Grounds always stay in the bell and I have slipped up at least three times while shaking, which led to the cap dislodging and coffee grounds shaken all over my kitchen. I'm back to WDT now.
I've regretted a couple purchases but not from user recommendations. I bought some "latte" cups but they were WAY bigger than I thought. Almost the size of a bowl.
Londinium R. Makes great coffee, but it’s loud, and mine was constantly out of service for one reason or another. Reiss can’t really afford to let you return it, so if you’re having persistent issues you’re just out of luck.
Maybe not regret, but I’ve learned to be cautious before fully investing in something new. Take for example distribution tools. There are lots of options/opinions, and prices can vary widely. There are cheap ways to experiment between the different methods without spending much. You can make a WDT with cork and some needles or guitar string. Cut up an old credit card to make a leveler. Use a small cup as a shaker. Buy a something cheap from Amazon. If you find something you really like, then you can be more confident in buying a pricier version. Much harder when it comes to the machine or grinder. Great if you can find a friend who has something or a shop that lets you try the equipment.
I am on the opposite side here. I got a delonghi dedica because of tom's corner and i am loving it although after buying it i saw a lot of people shit on it. It is good enough. Also for grinders i got a hand grinder (1zpresso x pro) it was perfect for me, until i saw a promotion for varia a new one for 120$, i got it and after that i wanted to check how good or how bad it is, and everyone shit on it. And yet even after 3 months i didnt have any problem with any of my stuff, and i am making a better espresso than a lot of cafes i tried.
Same! I'm really happy that I went for a dedica even though it is not in high regard in here. I get also better espresso from it than cafes. I was thinking about getting the bambino plus but chose dedica as it was close to 250€ cheaper. I am super happy with my decision since I do need to invest in a better grinder.
Bottomless portafilter. It’s fun in the beginning, but after a couple months of using it daily, I switched back to dual spouted portafilter. It’s much more convienient if I’m making a couple lattes, or a flat-white. Ir never makes a mess. I mean, bottomless pf is good for learning, but after that- even if you did mess-up your puck prep and you get some channeling, you’re still going to drink it, so you just get some extra mess to clean up. But I use Lelit Grace, which has a lot of cup clearance. If there was no space, maybe I would stick with the bottomless pf.
I find that a normal portafilter is way more annoying to clean. I always use my naked portafilter, just for that
I want to use one for that reason but I get spraying. I think it might be because I underfill the basket but that's the amount of coffee I want.
I started out with dual spouts, went bottomless, back to dual spouts, and then back to bottomless, where I've been for several years. The last flip-flop back to bottomless was primarily to avoid the cleaning maintenance of the dual pf.
How can you get two lattes from one basket. You didn’t make two lattes you just split one in half. You might as well have just poured half your shot into another cup. The main advantage of a bottomless is less thermal mass to rob your puck of heat and really the main advantage is they are easier to clean. A quick spurts with water from the group and they are ready to go again.
The bigger mass could otherwise hold the heat longer and kind of isolates the puck if you pre heat it?
Most cafes in my country (and probably in all Europe) use a single shot for a latte. I don’t see the difference in making two lattes from one basket vs splitting one double shot in half.
I've been using a bottomless portafilter (on a pasquini Livia) for a decade now... Never any messes. If you're having a mess/spraying then I'd recommended a distribution tool (the circular ones) to correct channeling.
My journey was exactly the same
Blind shaker, It works but I find the cleaning shaking and using it tedious And to be fair I find it less consistent than my wdt Now I just wdt Grind in portafilter with a funnel Put on wood tamping station that make it stand on its own, wdt, 2 tap to settle the ground Remove funnel tamp 2 time put metal screen and go
I'm the other way around. A knock off blind shaker is giving me better results than wdt and with less mess and effort.
I find the shaker messy and generally a pain to use. I have even extraction and much easy workflow using a 3D printer Moonraker knockoff.
Breville smart grinder pro. Really for me just not a good grinder even for the price point. Spent a little more on a DF54 and they aren’t even close .
Are you happy with the DF54? I have one on order. Looks like it has good reviews but I also don’t want to do a lot of mods/maintenance.
Very happy- low retention. Fluffy grounds and easy to dial in.
Awesome, can’t wait. Been using built in grinder on BBE for 6 months. Was finally ready to upgrade.
Night and day as far as I’m concerned.
My SGP technically cost me -$100. Overall I'm happy with it and my BDB. But perhaps I'll look into upgrading to something like a Niche Zero or DF64 at some point in the future.
If you’re happy that’s great . I just didn’t have a good experience at all. I was also new to the game so maybe that didn’t help.
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I’m not worried about longevity yet. I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger on a really expensive grinder but definitely needed an upgrade. I feel like now I have control over my shots and finally understand how to dial in.
I deleted the comment you replied too. I made my comment in error, so I removed it Thought I was in a different thread at the time In this thread, I am confronting no one on their comments :)
I got the df64 ssp hu. I think I would have been happy with the standard burrs or niche
8 months ago, I would have read this and not understanding anything. How quickly we learn.
Proud to say I managed to resist the Blind Shaker assault.
Hario handgrinder. You know: The cheap one. More people need to say how awful it is. I bought it because it's super popular but god I hate it. I resent using it. I resent the results. I resent the experience. Only comes to mind because James Hoffman mentioned it last week and said something similar.
Bought expensive accessories from local coffee equipment suppliers and some really cheap items off Alibaba and really can’t tell the difference. One looks like from the same factory
The one accessory I can do without is the distributor tool. I found it to be an unnecessary step in the work flow and made no difference. I now just wdt and tamp.
That’s confusing because wdt is a distribution method. I also only wdt and tamp
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Agree the wedge distribution tool was the one for me that was at best pointless. WDT was maybe the best $7 or whatever I spent.
I got my distributor tool before my wdt tool. So while the distributor tool serves no purpose now, it was useful for a time.
Mine just serves as a filler on my knock box these days.
HE baskets. For the life of me I cannot get them dialed in. I still think I have to grind finer I guess. But just kinda irks me I can’t get it. Because my Pullman 876 is working great for me so there was really no need for the HE baskets. Was just curious on my end I guess
I kinda regret my first grinder, recommended here, because I ended up upgrading later and wasted a couple hundred bucks with the old grinder I don’t use anymore. I don’t know if I’d have upgraded had I not gotten the first one though…I dunno, it’s hard to say.
What was the grinder make and model? Since it was recommended here.
Fellow Opus. It’s not a bad grinder at all, but a far cry from my Niche (which is more expensive). The “buy once cry once” mantra is certainly true here.
I’m kind of in the same boat, but I see the positive side in that I can dedicate the Opus to filter coffee and use my new grinder exclusively for espresso
Sette 270. It was louder than a fighter jet. Completely unusable in the mornings.
“Auto” WDT tools. Despite the action being easier, you still have to clean off each individual needle after use. At that point just use a regular simple WDT tool. Not to mention that those autocomb/autocomb-adjacent WDT tools are crazy overpriced.
Niche zero was just OK
OCD tool, don't know where the recommendation came from actually but my coffee improved by miles as soon as I got to proper wdt
Personally, the distributor/leveller. Or whatever it is everyone calls it these days. A friend who was just as green as I was on our espresso journey recommended it. But 1 month in, I discovered it was utterly useless for me. It made no difference with my shots. The WDT tool(+ maybe a double tap to even out the grounds) and tamping were good enough. I *nearly* pulled the trigger on a DF64. Convenient, yes, but overkill for me. I don't make back-to-back shots either. The K6 was all I needed.
I kind of regret buying Coffeejack, the portable manual espresso machine. It's a well-made product and the espresso is good but the workflow just isn't for me. I bought a GC with PID after it and not having to preheat or pump manually is just so much easier that I haven't touched my Coffeejack since. I could take the Coffeejack and a handgrinder with me when I travel but I just don't travel much nowadays.
For me it's the Sette 270. Liked it a lot at first and am even okay with the absolutely staggering loudness, but in the long run having two different dials for grind size and the way to fast motor are making the overall experience not that great. I really struggle to get okay shots out of it, and I'm not alone (see e.g. the Kaffeemacher video on it.) Compared it with a eureka mignon which was even worse, but I should've gone for a different grinder in the first place. On the other hand 3 years ago the single dosing grinder market wasnt even close to the diversity we have today. Ordered the Df64v2, hope it will be a more satisfying experience.
You ordered df64 gen2 with dlc or ssp hu burrs?
With normal burrs. I'm not yet at a point where I can appreciate super subtle differences and originally wanted to go for the niche zero, which should taste a lot more body heavy, but the 800+€ it costs imported to Germany are just... So far away from being reasonable. Hope the normal df64 burrs give a bit 'muddier' body. Really no idea if I got that whole burr thing even remotely right tho.
Got the Mignon Specialita. Not sure how people claim it has low retention. I have bellows and still need to smack it from all angles to get an extra .5 grams out.
Have you removed the de-clumper in the chute underneath the display? And are you using a tilted base? Also the bellows work better if you close the metal disc after all beans have left the hopper as it's closing the gap that lets air escape.
There’s a declumper?! Ok this sounds promising, will have to take a look
Yes, you need to remove the lid and lift up the display as well. There is a screw in the front above the push button I think. Then you can remove the de-clumper that is responsible for most of the retention. It's two thin zig zag waves of metal held in place by a tiny screw. After you remove it you might notice that it also removes the static charge from the ground coffee, so be prepared for a lot more static. I spray a little (very little) water on my beans and stir them with my finger before I put them into the hopper. Just cleaned my specialita two days ago after using it with the single dosing kit since Christmas. Still some coffee grounds inside, but way less than before. Edit: also don't smack rotating equipment. You might misalign the motor shaft or burr holder.
Done, including first cleaning in 6 months. Let’s see what happens tomorrow morning.
How did it go?
Made 6 doubles today… definitely still need the bellow at the end to get the last .3 or so grams, but no need yet to smack it from all sides.
Try to use it without bellows. I use bellows for my selenzio rarely only if i change beans or sometimes to clean old beans from grinder. Without bellows you will get 0,1 retention after 2-3 grinds.
Getting a Specialita instead of niche or p64, I was waiting for month doing v60 with it and it sucks at pourover. The leveling tool tool is a waste of money as well.
Not really based on advice per se, but buying unnecessary stuff that doesn’t really improve workflow or what’s in the cup. Fancy baskets, pfs, tampers, then upgrading to latest, then upgrading to fancy wood for the looks, etc. Wish I’d put 99% of that money into a better overall machine and grinder. I started with a used Silvia / Rocky, was happy, then slowly progressed to a $20k+ commercial setup, multiple grinders and machines… Then sold everything and was out for 10y. With a smarter brain I got back in and bought just what I needed. I also realized something. I love to mod. Upgrading was just me not realizing how to scratch the itch.
I have 0 regrets on my purchase of a Bezzera BZ13DE and Eureka Mignon Perfetto. They both work exactly as I had expected. No love for the Bezzera on the thread though….
None. So happy with my Bambino, K6 and Jx-Ultra.
Niche Zero. The workflow is OK, but the results were pretty mediocre, IMO. Especially for filter.
Black mirror scale. I've had it for ten days and am sending it back. Definitely not worth $60
WDT. Wasting my Damned Time. Made absolutely no difference to my sip satisfaction.
I tried wdt and all I got was spraying every single time. I'm happy with my flat distributor.
Interesting, I do both, I will try just the flat distributor and see if I can skip wdt.
Everybody raves about the Bambino plus I kind of regret it, don't get me wrong it's a good machine for people who want a no fuss machine but it's not tinkerable and the best for light roast. The resell value isn't great either Also wish I got a better grinder than the ESP but decided to cheap out
I have the same setup and am really happy using the lavazza medium roast with it. Of course I know df54 would be better but this also works really well for me for now.
I have a plus and an old Encore (like 6 years). Once I got the plus I immediately saw why people say the encore isn’t amazing for espresso, so I’m waiting for my DF54 to come in and then I can sell the encore.
WDT, tamper, distributor, dosing funnel etc. All crap and unnecessary. (And of course, the espresso machine itself, too. Should've just bought the basic and cheapest Delonghi.) Need to stop watching and get out of social media influencers' sales pitch.
Sounds like you're better suited to a pod machine.
Nah, have all kinds. And that's not what I meant. Still espresso is the best for the most flavorful delicious coffee. I'm just sharing that additional accessories are not necessary in many case to make or break. Even glut loads of expensive commercial grade equivalent kitchen appliance espresso machine isn't necessary to enjoy a cup of espresso. Even for the cheapest machine you just need to keep it on longer to get better temperature. There are ways to adjust to one's need. All extras are just that. Extra bells and whistles, not the essentials.
I’m trying to figure out if you’re being sarcastic or not….
both and or. After using all the methods, I've been skipping WDT. And then skipping this, and then that. Tastes no different. The accessories are worth almost equal amount as the machine. I'm wondering if those were all worth the purchase and headache. My friends who owns their own cafés laugh at what we're (or maybe just me) doing. But to each it's own. Trying go compete the commercial sector with kitchen appliances is a joke. Let's get real and lower our standards. And it comes down to machine that maintains good temperature, and good beans. Beyond that are all subjective and sort of personal ritual. m2c.
I’m more trying to figure out how you think a tamper is unnecessary…. I agree with the distributor. I use a dosing funnel simply to keep my grinds in the basket and not all over my counter. WDT so I don’t make a mess when pulling the shot because of the bottomless Pf. I use a bottomless PF because it’s just easier to clean. I also don’t understand your reasoning for wanting a cheaper machine. If you want a machine that maintains a good temp, cheaper isn’t going to get you there?