Espresso machines

[spopepro]

Yes, the e61 really is all that. ...

Thanks all. Coffee really does feel like audio to me at times. The product is subjective despite dudes giving all sorts of measurements and names to try and make it less so. The production of it is complex (but chaotic, not stochastic) so frequently trying to chase individual, measurable items is a fools errand as you then end up with something that is somehow less than the sum of it's parts. And there is always someone willing to sell you their "no compromises" solution for unbelievable amounts of money.

Being more of a Nelson Pass, diy, the only perfect component is no component kind of person, the gestalt of the e61 does speak to me. I do appreciate everyone's experience and comments.

[false_aesthetic]

I repainted my Rancilio over the past few weeks. Learning experience in so many ways.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHNvUh-FeZV/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHNvu_WlbIN/

[spopepro]

So I didn't get the MaraX. 9tubes made me an offer I couldn't refuse on his "old" machine and it's been great. Took me a few days to dial in things with any consistency, but it's really great to have a machine. Certainly it does seem like any decent e61 machine won't be the thing to hold anyone back from making great coffee.

[mwynne]

Ooh very nice. Not going to lie, I'm already scheming an upgrade to my La Pavoni for when the day comes...

[9tubes]

Jared, I'm glad you like the machine. Those must be some really fresh beans to deliver a pour like the one in the photo. Enjoy!

- Brian

[dashDustin]

I repainted my Rancilio over the past few weeks. Learning experience in so many ways.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHNvUh-FeZV/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHNvu_WlbIN/

was this previously painted, or did you put that on stainless?

i dig. oh man. that'd be such an awesome change on my Lucca...doing the side panels.

[false_aesthetic]

was this previously painted, or did you put that on stainless?

i dig. oh man. that'd be such an awesome change on my Lucca...doing the side panels.

This went over stainless and was definitely a learning experience -- I'm sure a few mistakes were made. I figure if things end up going south I can just media blast it back to stainless and reassemble.

[krooj]

Man, I finally took the plunge after years of waiting and went for a Fiorenzato F4E grinder and a La Spaziale S1 Mini - goddamn... It's also real nice to be in spitting distance of a couple of good roasters here in Santa Cruz (Alta, Cat & Cloud, Verve). The thing which really throws me off is having to shift the grind throughout the day to account for changing humidity. I basically always get a dead shot in the morning and afternoon. Weighing in/out values has been a godsend.

[Too Tall]

Man, I finally took the plunge after years of waiting and went for a Fiorenzato F4E grinder and a La Spaziale S1 Mini - goddamn... It's also real nice to be in spitting distance of a couple of good roasters here in Santa Cruz (Alta, Cat & Cloud, Verve). The thing which really throws me off is having to shift the grind throughout the day to account for changing humidity. I basically always get a dead shot in the morning and afternoon. Weighing in/out values has been a godsend.

Cliche' yet...without pictures.

[krooj]

Cliche' yet...without pictures.

AEBE8FCA-83D3-49E5-8B98-60FF4F740C9A.jpeg

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Image upload from safari on iOS is a spicy affair.

The grinder is faultless, despite being bare bones, and you really do get your money’s worth for $650. On the other hand, the S1 is built to a price point and you feel it, so if/when it kicks the bucket in 10 years, I’ll step up to a GS3 or similar.

[crankles]

been away from velocipede for WAAAAAY too long. Jumping back in... Here's the new addition to the family. My trusty Unic Diva of the last 23 years finally fried it's last box. Decided on the Massey Ferguson of espresso machines. So easy to work on.

Even backdoored a little pre-infusion ;-)
myLineaClassicAV.jpg

[j44ke]

Nice! Somehow those La Marzocco's always reminded me of Ferrari 288's more than a Massey Ferguson but yeah I get what you're saying.

[kdawg]

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Got my wife one of these bean to cup machines for Christmas and it’s really good so I just got one for the office too. I’m waiting for complaints from the usual suspects who like their coffee extra weak (and can’t get into their head why using the current capsule thing always on the max volume isn’t the way to produce that...) but at least I’ll enjoy it.

The beans does make a difference but I’ve found a few brands in the local restaurant supply place that are good - the boutique roaster down the road has some great stuff but it’s at least 4x the price so not for every day. Although it would be a business expense...

[glepore]

Very cool. I have a traditional grinder similar to your Mazzer but have been considering the zero-is there a difference in the cup?

[9tubes]

The Niche Zero uses the burrs from a Mazzer Kony. These are conical burrs, not flat, and some claim to be able to tell the taste difference between the Mazzer conicals and Mazzer flats. I've read the write-ups of taste tests with national-level competition judges who can barely taste the difference between a Niche and any supergrinder used in competition, and they can't say which is better.

At home, the factor in favor of the Niche is that it doesn't retain much coffee in the system that gets stale between shots. A cafe is pushing beans through every minute so it doesn't make a difference, but at home with a Mazzer (depending upon the model) there might be 2-4g of stale coffee waiting for you two hours later. It's easy to clean out but some see that as an expensive waste. The Niche Zero has only about 0.5g retention (its mostly static cling so it depends on the climate where you are).

I live in Seattle and I've noticed that over the past year Vivace Coffee started experimenting with using the Niche Zero and now has replaced their custom-made wondergrinders and use only the Niche. Vivace would be on anyone's list of the top ten roasters and cafes in the country. The owner helped design the Synesso line of machines and the new commercial Nuova Simonelli. So that's quite an endorsement.

[crankles]

What the Niche holds over the mazzer is being able to move between grinds consistently. I drink regular, my wife decaf. I can bounce between two grind settings on the niche all day long, The Mazzer, not so much. Just for grins, though, I dialed in the mazzer for espresso (it had been relegated to pour-over duty) and pulled shots on the mazzer :1400rpm, flat burrs, and the Niche: 350rpm Conical.

18 grams in/37-38 g out. Both were 25-28 second pulls. More Body from the Niche, more 'clarity' from the Mazzer. Or so says my wife. The clarity thing is a bit lost on my garbage disposal palette, but I do notice the mouth feel.

I liked the body of the niche shot, my wife, the clarity of the mazzer.

[mwynne]

Finally installed the newly powdercoated base on my machine (just for fun). Now, waiting on some custom woodwork for the handles...

IMG_20210208_171949.jpg

[j44ke]

Finally installed the newly powdercoated base on my machine (just for fun). Now, waiting on some custom woodwork for the handles...

IMG_20210208_171949.jpg

Very cool! Check Etsy for wooden knobs, if you don't already have a source. Seems like one of those things woodworkers do.

[mwynne]

Very cool! Check Etsy for wooden knobs, if you don't already have a source. Seems like one of those things woodworkers do.

I've got someone making something special for this.

[mwynne]

Woodwork is done, installed, and I snuck in a little photo shoot!

Small album here, with a couple of excerpts below. Woodwork done by https://www.instagram.com/szetoszeto/.