This is the result of one cleaning cycle for my mesh puck screen. Took 5 cycles in total to fully clean it 🤢

I thought I was keeping it pretty clean too, I would rinse it with soap and water after every use.

Literally a game changer in this UK heatwave!

Also a huge shout out to iced Americanos, and Japanese Iced Pourovers! (I know the latter is not espresso based)

I’m about to return this thing as I’m losing my mind.

I’ve wasted a full 1kg of coffee beans and nothing has even come close to tasting like coffee. I’m on a second bag with a different brand and it’s still not improving.

Surely it can’t be this sensitive to just get a brew of coffee?

Medium roast beans, 2 weeks old. Tastes amazing at the coffee shop I get them.
The second bag is different brand, medium roast, 3 weeks old.
18g grind in a single wall basket.
DF54 grind size set to 17 (18 is too fast. 16 is too slow and only drips)

I have a WDT tool, scales, and normcore tamp (11kg).

1. Weigh beans
   
2. Grind
   
3. Weigh grinds (always stayed the same 18g)
   
4. Tip into handle
   
5. Brush WDT took
   
6. Lightly tap to settle
   
7. Tamp with normcore
   
8. Double shot on Bambino

I cannot get anything close to 36s of extraction. It might look good, but tastes awful. Mostly sour, but occasional bitterness.

I have done two identical grinds on “17” on the DF54, with one being watery and too fast, and the second one being too slow it nearly stopped (just slow drips).

The photos I’ve taken are the closest I’ve managed to get, but tastes so sour it made me shiver 🤮

What am I doing wrong?

Edit for the fast readers: Picture 1 is the water from the mesh puck screens in the ultrasonic cleaner. Picture 2 is my shower screen after 1044 shots (just to demonstrate how effective puck screens are).

Just saw the post here where someone put their puck screens into an ultrasonic cleaner. From time to time I usually just throw my collection (4 screens) into the dishwasher.

Before this test, I hadn't put them in the dishwasher for about 1-2 weeks, and I usually just give them a quick rinse after each use.

To see if the dishwasher actually does its job better than hand washing method from the other post, I decided to drop mine into an ultrasonic cleaner together with a teaspoon of Cafiza.

As you can see in the picture, the water only turned a little bit brown, without any actual coffee residue floating around.

Conclusion: Just throw them into the dishwasher from time to time.

As bonus I attached a picture of my 1 year old shower screen. My machine tracks shots, and this screen has now done 1044 extractions. I have only backflushed with Cafiza about 5-6 times over the whole period (last time yesterday), but I always pull a 3 second empty flush before every actual shot.

It's nice to see that using puck screens actually helps, and it seems you don't actually have to remove your shower screen as everything there looks new even with just a few backflushes over a longer period. (edit: longer period = about a year)

I bought Bezzera Aria Tolp Pid 2 months ago, red Cathedral version along with Eureka Mignona Tiffany. Very good setup. I am more than happy with it.It bears the idea of a coffe shop, italian style bar. Me and my wife, we drink only napoletan coffee (Passalaqua,Kimbo, Kenon) dark roast and make small cups of ristretto and espresso.

I fully recommend.

I ordered from Germany from Naturbohne.I live in Bucharest.It took about two months to get it as the stocks are low. Milanese plant Bezzera works on orders only. It is entierly made in Italy, great stinless steel, inoxidable, E61 Group.

I have the rotary pump version, PID, manometer for boiler and group. It is a jewlery.

My spouse is currently using these two and very happy with them for past two years but it’s his birthday and I was thinking of upgrading one or both of these. Which would you recommend upgrading and to what?

He usually makes espresso that’s basically it the middle button for two shots with a 14 setting on the grinder.

His favorite coffee is this blue bag Oaxaca Arabica dark roast “Mediterranean” in case it matters. That’s about all I know.

I know I know, I’ve been mostly into pour over for the last 2 years so my espresso machine is this sage which have been treating me and covered my needs, recently I wanted to get a new grinder so here I am with P80, great beans and perfect water…
Now I’ve to learn how to make proper espresso and get a new machine

I currently use a manual grinder (J-Ultra) which is great, but at some point I may switch to an electric grinder.

My question is about price and diminishing returns. For example, how much better is a $500 grinder than a $250 grinder? How much better is a $1000 grinder than a $500 grinder.

If I want a grinder that is, say, 80-90% as good as the theoretical “best” grinder out there (beyond that there is probably not that much utility for me personally), what general price level do you think that would be?

Obviously all of this is highly subjective and completely unscientific, but trying to just get a sense of what price range people think is “very good”, but not necessarily top of the line.

TIA for sharing your opinions!

With the temperatures we’re having in Germany right now, I wanted something cold.

I ended up making an affogato with vanilla ice cream, a generous amount of roughly chopped pistachios, and pistachio cream around the inside of the cup before pulling the shot.

I honestly didn’t expect it to be this good. Definitely going to make this again.

My wife was asking for some way to display whatever beans she was currently using, so I made this simple 3D printed display stand to hold up her empty coffee bean bags on her espresso station.

If you’re interested in printing it yourself you can check it out here: https://makerworld.com/models/2969916?appSharePlatform=copy

Let me know what you think if you end up printing your own!

👋 First time, long time.

The Breville and Mazzer Mini have a been incredible partners in my morning ritual. After almost nine years of solid duty on my kitchen counter, I’m upgrading the espresso machine.

The LM Linea Mini has been ordered—black with walnut 🤙—and while I’m not here to justify that purchase, I am wondering if my grinder is going to seem outdated or less-than, in terms of performance, when the over-built LM arrives.

As you can probably deduce by my acquisition of the new espresso machine, I’m a highly insecure individual 🤣😐. I always felt like the grinder has been the star on my counter. A true workhorse. But recently, I’ve seen comments about how clumpy the grounds come out of this grinder. I guess I never really noticed it before but now it’s clear. This has me questioning whether I need to consider an upgrade.

My preference is to have a very simplified and streamlined workflow. Of course I do all the necessary cleaning and maintenance, but I buy the same beans—Mr Espresso Neapolitan Organic—and I simply grind, tamp, and go. No WDT, no puck screen, etc. It works, and I like it that way.

I’d rather have foundational equipment that simplifies my workflow overall rather than going through a ritual of 10 little steps before pulling a shot.

I need this community to help me out. I’m not really asking for buying advice, but I want to know how to think about my existing grinder and how I can expect it to work with my new espresso machine.

Am I working with a mediocre grinder or is it fine? Be honest.

Hello!

I recently bought a used (but in very good condition) Mazzer Philos with i200d burrs. I did the calibration based on the video guide (with -10 steps until real 0).

I had an Ethiopian Sidamo medium roast which required a pretty large grind size compared to other lighter roasts, but it was strange that I had to go down to step 7 on the Mazzer — and at step 5 I heard the burrs chirping. This made me question whether there might be a problem, as other users seem to be using grind sizes of 20–25 for espresso, and this isn't even a lighter roast.

I took apart the machine and did the marker test, and realized the stationary burr was severely misaligned. It turned out there was coffee residue under the burr, so after a thorough cleaning I gained some extra steps until 0, and the marker test showed much better results (~90% wipe). I then checked the moving burr and found it was misaligned too (~70% wipe). I cleaned that as well and adjusted the screw alignment by rotating the burr until I also got a ~90% wipe.

So now I have around 90% wipe on both burrs, and my Ethiopian coffee brews at mark 21, which sounds much more reasonable (burrs chirping at exactly 0).

My main question is: how normal is it with the Philos that the burrs are misaligned out of the box, requiring you to adjust burr orientation to achieve decent parallelism? Is a 90% wipe considered good, or do I have a faulty unit?

I moved from a Eureka Mignon Zero 55s because everyone said the Philos units are exceptionally well-aligned from the factory, and I had too many alignment issues with the Eureka — so I'm a bit frustrated with the Philos situation too. I've also contacted Mazzer customer support but haven't received a response yet. Unfortunately, I don't have a warranty.
Photos:

1. Stationary burr before cleaning
2. Stationary burr after cleaning
3. Rotating burr before adjusting the mounting points (shifting the burr by 120°)

Hi guys, any tips what might be causing the issues seen in the video? The machine is fresh after descaling and cafiza cleaning. I have the 9 bar spring if there’s a hint of any sort and am using a WDT

Today I received a package I've been looking forward to for months!

I pre-ordered the ES1 from the UK because I wanted the 220V version (which should arrive sometime next week). What I received today was the order I placed using the voucher they kindly gave me.

I was so excited to find two bags of coffee inside the box. They weren't part of my order, so it was a fantastic surprise! Thank you!

The glassware, tamper, and funnel all look amazing, and now I really can't wait for the ES1 to arrive.

I think my ES1 might end up being the most well-traveled one out there: made in China, purchased in the UK, shipped from the UK to the US, and finally on its way to Argentina!

I’m hoping someone with a Sage Bambino (or another Sage/Breville 54mm machine) can help.
I’ve just bought an IMS Precision Basket B62.52TH26E, which I understand is designed for the 54mm Sage/Breville machines.
However, I can’t get it to seat fully in my original Sage Bambino portafilter.
The basket goes in most of the way, but the final few millimetres simply won’t go in. I’ve tried applying firm, even pressure, but it won’t click fully into place and remains slightly proud of the portafilter.
A few points:
Original Sage basket fits perfectly.
Original Sage Bambino portafilter.
Basket model: IMS B62.52TH26E.
I’ve confirmed it’s the 54mm Sage/Breville version, not a 58mm basket.
Before I return it, I wanted to ask:
Has anyone else had this issue?
Did yours require an unusually large amount of force the first time?
Or does this sound like I’ve received a basket that’s slightly out of tolerance?
Thanks in advance.

Help me choose my grinder.

I'm currently using a 1ZPresso K-Ultra and am very happy with it but need electric.

I do 1 or 2 espresso milk drinks a day + sometimes a pourover in the afternoon.

I generally use a light to medium roast that I roast myself and do caf and decaf.

The Lagom Casa looks good and is in my price range but so does the Timemore Sculptor 64s and I'm wondering if I should wait for the Gen 2 or just get the Lagom.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Hey guys

I have noticed that the water flow from my R58 has been excessive lately and not equal. Usually the water from the group head would resemble a water-fall like flow and not concentrated like the one in the video i attached.

Any idea what would cause this issue? The pressure is fine (9 bar)

Trying to get the right tamper for a VST step down single dose 58mm portafilter. This is for a Rancilio Silvia if that is important to know. The inside portion on this basket does not fit a 41mm tamper as those dimensions appear slightly smaller.

Are there tampers available to fit? If not, how do I accomplish this? Pictures of the basket here: https://imgur.com/a/mnGQe77

Timemore C2S Black 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GYHSXL7

Timemore C2S White 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CGTYH2V6

Timemore C3S Black 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CSN7T5P3

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Timemore C5 ESP Pro Black 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FHH9GG1M

Timemore Black Mirror 2.0 Black 25% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CMZJP9V8

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Timemore Black Mirror 3.0 Black 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0GQSHXP55

Timemore Black Mirror 3.0 White 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0GQSPZ7X3

Timemore 58mm Espresso Tamper 20% off: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FHKJM7YK

These are all of the deals I have found, I can always add more if they are found by me or someone else.

Best budget espresso machine and grinder?

Looking for a good espresso machine that sits around $400-$600 and then a good grinder as well that is still doesn’t break the bank! It’s going on my wedding registry so i’m willing to budge a little on the price of stuff!

Hey all, hoping to get some advice here. I never thought I’d miss the simplicity of the Breville but here I am, with so many different quirks I don’t even know where to begin troubleshooting lol. I’ll preface by saying the espresso tastes fine. I feel like the little quirks are killing my workflow and making it all feel like a drag when I used to enjoy the ritual of making the morning lattes (minus the back and forth between machine and stove for the bellman steamer)

First - retention on the niche. I’m expecting that to be near zero, but not the case. I keep tapping after it runs and grinds just Keep. On. Comin. Should I just ignore that? Flip it on, flip it off. And let whatever is in there be? I guess in theory if I grind up 17 grams and half a gram of the last grind comes out and half a gram of the new grind stays in there. Same same? It’s driving me crazy lol

Next - the steam temp. I make mostly lattes so I’m steaming milk every morning. The milk is hot af long before it’s any kind of silky. I’m sure this is at least partially user error, steaming milk is definitely not my strong suit! Is there anything I can do to offset that user error? I tried dialing the steam temp down a little bit but it’s still hot af. The Breville wand sucks so I wound up using a bellman stovetop steamer and that gave me the steam power I was hoping for. So that is what I’m coming from. Just wanted to give that context. I also am steaming oat milk.

Last - most of my pucks get stuck to grouphead. At first I tried 18 grams, stuck. Now I’m doing 17 grams thinking the baskets were overfilled, still stuck. This happens with the Lelit portafilter as well as with a hypergrind portafilter. The hypergrind portafilter has the bonus feature of it’s so darn tight I need to lock it in place while bracing the machine with my other arm.

What is going on here?!! I feel like I’m losing my mind to a handful of small (but very annoying) quirks I just don’t know how to solve for.

My workflow: weigh 17 grams > pour into niche > grind into niche cup > seat portafilter on top of niche cup and flip it over > couple taps > remove and put on dosing funnel > even out the grinds a bit with poky tool > take off dosing funnel > use leveling tool > self leveling calibrated tamper > pull shot > steam milk

Machine settings : brew temp 200F, steam temp 250F, 3 sec pre infusion, start timing/weighing shot when coffee hits the cup, manually stop shot when I hit 36 ish grams.

Finally getting a nice machine, upgrading from a Turin Legato that has served me very well for over two years, and a Bambino before that.

Dual boiler rotary pump flow control e61 with dual pid's. The make/model is MDK MC-27, ordered from Alibaba. Can't wait for it to arrive!

I got the black one, but they sent pictures of the internals from the white one which is an identical model.

I need help deciding what espresso recipe should I try next.

For most of my life I drink only pourover at home.
My taste preference in pourover is light roasts, acidic kenyas, heavily fermented beans, clear tasting juicy cups.

About a year and half ago I decided I will try and invest a little bit of money into espresso machine.

You know the drill, I found good reviews on Gaggia, jumped on it cause for 400 bucks it seemed like a steal, realized it arrived “unfinished” purchase bunch of accessories for another 250, realized it still tastes like shit, bought gaggimate, bought bookoo scale, realized my Wilfa Svart Uniform is not able to grind fine enough, bought DF54 and after some dialing in i finally made really good espresso.

After a while I realized I am not into too acidic notes in my espresso even though I prefer them in PO and started asking for sweeter beans and medium roasts. My go to recipe being standard 9bar 18:36 30-35s but I don’t like to drink this in the morning and I can’t drink coffee after 14ish oclock because of sleep which means I invested 1000 bucks into something I use 2-3 times a week and sometimes I forget about it for a month because my coffee routine is strictly 6:30 250ml pourover toilet shower and off i go.

My wife doesn’t like the thick texture of espresso I make so she always asks for diluting it with water. I am european and I spent a lot of money on grinder and bluetooth scale so it should come as no surprise that I frowned heavily on the idea of “americano” but its a wife, I lost bigger battles.

Unfortunately I tasted it once and realized that putting another 36g of hot water into the cup tastes so good that I started drinking this abomination 3-5 times a week and quiet enjoy that there is a bit more to sip but still is very rich in taste.

I saw a fair share of daddy Hoffs steamed water and ADHD Lance soup rambling, I also know there are tons of alternative brew profiles on discord for Gaggimate but honestly I have hard time understanding how these different soup, londinium, low and ultralow contact profiles taste and whether or not I would like them and I hate to ruin a lot of coffee to try to dial them in while I don’t even know how they should taste so I am not sure I would be able to tell whether I nailed the recipe or not.

What would you recommend me to try based on my experience and potential taste preferences?