Espresso machines

[Eric Estlund]

The machine has been back burnered a bit- probably end up grabbing something for spring. In the meantime I just ran my first round through this:


It's going to be a game changer. I started in the dead center of their espresso grind suggestions and it's an order f magnitude finer than the on-board Isomac I've been using. Just watched the machine peg to 14+bar over the typical fast and loose 8b it's been pushing. I'll actually need to dial it back. Crazy.

Now to find a regular source of quality home delivery utility beans. New roaster opening down the street, but their "Coming Soon" banner has been up for months...

[dashDustin]

Pulled my first shot in over a week from my machine, after cleaning my grinder.

Horrible.

Bah. Gotta fine tune the grinder again.

[dashDustin]

Pulled my first shot in over a week from my machine, after cleaning my grinder.

Horrible.

Bah. Gotta fine tune the grinder again.

Just remembered that I'm using a different bean. Oops.

[BryanF]

Can anyone recommend a decent fully automatic machine? I need to replace the old FrancisFrancis at my office. Needs to be sub-$800'ish.

In other news, my somewhat new Rocket Cellini is acting up again. Boiler pump keeps jumping around during brew...jumps, then catches, repeat. Waiting for the tech from Seattle Coffee Gear to get back to me. Gah.

[Brandon White]

Fully auto - We had great success with our Jura Capresso. It was 9 years old when my wife poured 20 oz of water into the bean hopper. They want $200 to fix it or we get 30-ish% off a new machine. Can't figure out which one to buy.

[Cookietruck]

omg, roasted a 6oz batch of ethiopia adado sulula, i normally do 15oz batches.
had a shot this morning after a 3 day rest and those beans really did it for me. had some crazy baked spice flavors on the finish that surprised me.

[j44ke]

Can anyone recommend a decent fully automatic machine? I need to replace the old FrancisFrancis at my office. Needs to be sub-$800'ish.

In other news, my somewhat new Rocket Cellini is acting up again. Boiler pump keeps jumping around during brew...jumps, then catches, repeat. Waiting for the tech from Seattle Coffee Gear to get back to me. Gah.

We've been very happy with our Delonghi ESAM 3300. It must be 9 years old? Seems to be losing some oomph in the pressure department, but it may just be the bean/grind combo. If I crank a couple cups when we get new coffee and adjust grind & volume, then it can be pretty great. But I haven't done that recently, so we are stuck on good.

Or friends got one when we did, and their kid managed to pull it off the counter last year (no one knows exactly how this happened - classic deus ex infanta) so they replaced it with a Delonghi ECAM22.11.SB. It is really nice. More compact, quieter and does a much more consistent job with variations in beans.

The ESAM is about $600 and the ECAM is about $900, but both are discounted frequently. And Delonghi does a good job with their super automatics. Top parts go in all their models, often to the point where the lower models and the upper models different in externals but not internals. And we've been able to get parts very quickly from their official supplier.

Edit: This is what my wife has picked out for our next one. I guess she visited a colleague in Europe who had one in their office and the coffee from it was some sort of perfect moment experience. Ooh la la.

[dashDustin]

my Gaggia Classic and Preciso and tamp pressure are on so on the same page right now. I swear I'm pulling the best shots I've pulled since owning the machine (little over a year). Down side is that I've only got 4 more days worth of beans in this batch.

[dashDustin]

2 days, my 2 best shots. Documented the 2nd one.

Got the shot right after pulling, 2mins later, and when finished. I don't know if that is proper for folks that have been in it longer than I have, but that was the best tasting shot I've had. Thick and rich. I would've paid $5 for that shot.

Attachment 89553

[stackie]

Looks good. We could better judge with video of the shot development from the bottom of your naked portafilter. Then, we could get all critical of your saddle angle, bar tape and saddle clash, valve stems misaligned and so on.

But, the real judge is your palate. If you are loving it then it is perfect. Just keep what you are doing consistent and enjoy.

Jon

[rwsaunders]

Now to find a regular source of quality home delivery utility beans. New roaster opening down the street, but their "Coming Soon" banner has been up for months...

Eric...the last time that I was in Happy Valley there was a coffee shop/roaster downtown owned by a gent with the last name of Clarke. I recall that he had this good sized, antique gas fired roaster running in the middle of the coffee shop...it was pretty cool. I'm not sure if he's still around.

[dashDustin]

Looks good. We could better judge with video of the shot development from the bottom of your naked portafilter. Then, we could get all critical of your saddle angle, bar tape and saddle clash, valve stems misaligned and so on.

But, the real judge is your palate. If you are loving it then it is perfect. Just keep what you are doing consistent and enjoy.

Jon

few more shots like these and a naked portafilter will be on the way.

[stackie]

Go for it. Or, just grind the bottom off of your current portafilter. A shop in our town has a machinist that does it for $50.

I would have to say that the naked portafilter is the best training tool in coffee distribution, packing, and tamping. You will quickly realize any deficits in your technique.

Additionally, it cleans super easy. You'd be amazed to see the caked on oils in the spouts of some portafilters. Gross.

jon

[Cookietruck]

You'd be amazed to see the caked on oils in the spouts of some portafilters. Gross.

jon

that's why i cut the bottom out of mine. couldn't get it clean.
also, the screen on the grouphead. i pop it off every couple days to clean it but i couldn't get it perfectly clean. had to take a wire brush to that to get all the caked on crap out of it.

have some ethiopia aricha beans that i nailed a lighter roast on. they are blowing my mind for straight espresso.

[sjauch]

that's why i cut the bottom out of mine. couldn't get it clean.
also, the screen on the grouphead. i pop it off every couple days to clean it but i couldn't get it perfectly clean. had to take a wire brush to that to get all the caked on crap out of it.

have some ethiopia aricha beans that i nailed a lighter roast on. they are blowing my mind for straight espresso.

You guys are using Cafiza right?

[Cookietruck]

You guys are using Cafiza right?

nope. all i do is pull the screen off and scrub the piston off with the rough side of a sponge.
clean the oils off the screen with soap and water. this happens every few days.

the piston comes out to relube the piston gaskets when the lever starts to feel dry through the stroke...every 4-6 weeks probably...

[Cookietruck]

to give you an idea on what i have to clean (not much !!)
this machine is basically the same as mine, mine is a gaggia factory but it uses all the same parts as the la pavoni millenium.

PROFESSIONAL PL – 2001

the teflon sleeve in the grouphead that the piston moves in, i'm on my third sleeve now.
the piston in mine was originally teflon like the one pictured, but it broke, probably from all the heat cycles and also from me forcing the piston up before the machine was completely warm, and the pistons gaskets being kind of dry.
the replacement pistons are brass.

[Eric Estlund]

...there was a coffee shop/roaster downtown...

Not sure if it's the same guy, but there is a spot in town lots of folks like. Not quite to my tastes (though it's a good stop if I'm in the area). A new roaster called Rothrock Coffee just opened up very close. I've been enjoying their stuff as of late. Best prepared espresso/ Americano in town that I've tried, too.

[Mark Kelly]

i'm on my third sleeve now.
the piston in mine was originally teflon like the one pictured, but it broke, probably from all the heat cycles and also from me forcing the piston up before the machine was

Don't blame yourself, teflon is notorious for cold flowing under load and it's as weak as piss in the first place. Not a smart choice for a stressed part.

[stackie]

You guys are using Cafiza right?

Absolutely, but having a bottomless PF means just wiping out the PF with a little dish soap and a towel vs soaking in Cafiza.

I now just use Cafiza mostly for twice weekly back flushing and a canister lasts basically forever.

I'm pretty meticulous with my machine regimen. But I've been at some friends houses who are no so. Their PF can be pretty nasty.

Jon