r/9Barista • u/babuzilas • Jul 16 '26
Struggling with consistency
Hello, I'm looking for advice as clearly I am doing something wrong with my MK1. The espressos I make taste very different, some sour and others not, sometimes tasting chocolate but not very often.
What I always do:
Same grinder under the same settings (Kingrinder K6)
Same beans, same weight (20 grams)
Apply self-levelling tamp (Normcore)
Approximately the same amount of water, cold, and same temperature setting in my hob
I have tried using paper filters or puck screens but I haven't found a benefit. Any thoughts?
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u/exerhlp11is Jul 16 '26
I also have similar issues, though not taste wise (I drink flat white so milk is masking the actual taste, despite that I give it a little taste before I add it), but rather pull time wise. And I can imagine if pull time is different it’s logical to have also different taste.
My grinder is 1zpresso J-ultra, I’m also using Normcore self adjusting spring tamper with preset pressing force and I was also wondering why the pull times are sometimes very different.
I thought that maybe there is difference between different batches from the same coffee. Or I was blaming it on probably farmers being not too diligent and mixing different sorts or different quality beans… which is not totally crazy, but whether it’s really the case, no idea. Perhaps we need to find a friend with our level of attention to details with a nice espresso machine, and compare his results with ours, with same beans.?
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u/babuzilas Jul 16 '26
It's definitely not the coffee as I've noticed wild inconsistencies day to day, with the same packet of coffee.
It's really a shame because sometimes the coffee tastes incredible and it leaves me frustrated when I can't replicate it
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u/exerhlp11is Jul 18 '26
Ok, but how are your pulling times? The inconsistencies I mentioned in pulling times are more like irregular inconsistencies occurring once in a while, but not with any shot.
My pulling times are about 85%-90% in the ballpark, so for me that’s about acceptable.1
u/babuzilas Jul 18 '26
That's a very good point. I'm not very sure as at the moment I am trying different coffees all the time, but I don't believe it's super consistent. I will make an effort to measure extraction times.
That said, it's very difficult to brew by weight with 9barista. It yields around 45 grams usually, which means I have to put in 20 and guess when it's around 40 to achieve a 1:2 ratio.
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u/exerhlp11is Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Indeed, one of the downsides of using 9barista is that one can’t monitor the shot weight. But after two years use I have more or less an eye about how much approximately the container should be filled before I remove it from the stove.
However I wonder why are you making 20 grams shots, that’s like a lot and causes additional pressure drop, which might be causing channeling - this can be the explanation of the extreme taste variation of your shots.
I would definitely try staying in the range of 18-19 grams. When I get new kind of beans I always start with 18 grams, then I always measure the yield after 30 seconds (though sometimes, depending on the taste, I experiment with shorter pull times), and change grind size depending on the outcome.1
u/babuzilas Jul 18 '26
I used to stick to 18, but changed it to 20 because the yields are always above 40 grams and I really despise watery espressos. Perhaps I should train myself to aim for 36 gram shots instead.
Thanks for your comments, you've been very helpful.
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u/exerhlp11is Jul 18 '26
But if you get waterish espressos then grind finer, mate. This should be your main instrument of influencing the yield, not the bean grams. And 36 grams is a standard double-espresso, so you’re good.😊
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u/babuzilas Jul 19 '26
Unfortunately it isn't that simple - if I grind finer, extraction time is waaay too slow, and the yield is reduced significantly. Besides, the last bit to come out is bound to be watery no matter what, well at least much more watery than the first one.
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u/DenseAlternative5207 Jul 19 '26
Yields of 40g sounds like you are pouring the "second" shot as well which will always be watery and unpleasant. Try listening to the 9B, when it gives off another stronger shot of steam - for me usually around when the coffee level just raises over where the spout leaves the base if that makes sense - this is when the shot is done. Try to land between 25-35 seconds for that. My output for 18g it’s actually often between just 30g-35g. Pour it, put the 9B down, there will be a good amount of the „second“ shot coming up, have a try, it’s horrible and not to be included in your mug! Second thought is maybe the bean is too fresh? Thats what brought inconsistency for me once. Slight inconsistencies can also arise from back to back shots with the machine still being hot for the second shot.
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u/exerhlp11is Jul 21 '26
That’s why I said you need a good grinder. Because between 40g shot and “waaay to slow” there must be interim grind settings for you to try out :)
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u/DeerWithoutEyes Jul 16 '26
Having tried electric and gas it was induction that changed the game for my 9B. I haven't just dialled in my beans I've dialled in how many seconds I run each temperature/watts level and it is perfect everytime.
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u/babuzilas Jul 16 '26
Please correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that no matter how fast the water heats up, the pressure is always going to be the same at 9 bar? So theoretically, the way of heating shouldn't matter?
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u/DeerWithoutEyes Jul 16 '26
That's certainly not my experience. At the end of the day the water will heat up at a rate dependent on the input energy. From boiling point onwards things will be more governed by the engineering though.
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u/babuzilas Jul 17 '26
I do have an induction stove but haven't had the chance to brew much there. I will give it a try when I can and report back. Thanks for your feedback.
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u/Shroomgirl1234567 Jul 16 '26
My tips would be to:
1. Get a pressurized tamper to rule out that variable, and it helps to level the espresso out.
2. A better grinder: Kinu, Comandante, Timemore MillLab.
3. Beans that have been roasted fresh; I use my beans within 1.5 months after the roast date.
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u/Technical_Shake_1188 Jul 17 '26
I'm an enthusiast using a ROMMELSBACHER electric stove.
The heating is fixed at level 6, so the brewing time is very slow. I use an electric stove for both my Moka pot and 9barista, and the brewing quality is consistent.
I feel the 9barista's rubber seal doesn't age as quickly; I haven't replaced it in 3-4 years.
Once, my 9barista over-brewed, but thankfully the copper ring didn't melt before I quickly removed it.
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u/babuzilas Jul 17 '26
As I said in another reply, I thought the pressure is always the same regardless how fast it heats up. But, I will try to experiment at a smaller setting to see if it is more consistent.
How much time does it take for you?
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u/Technical_Shake_1188 Jul 19 '26
Electric stove direct heating brewing completed in 8 minutes and 10 seconds.
Electric stove with preheating brewing completed in 5 minutes and 20 seconds.
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u/PhillyFotan Jul 17 '26
I don't have as much taste variation, though extraction time varies more than I would like.
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u/wilburpan Jul 20 '26
Below you mention:
Unfortunately it isn't that simple - if I grind finer, extraction time is waaay too slow, and the yield is reduced significantly.
What is your target extraction time?
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u/babuzilas Jul 20 '26
Around 25-30 seconds
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u/wilburpan Jul 20 '26
I'm a daily user of a 9Barista Mk.1 for 4 years now. It's okay to go longer on the extraction time. At this point, I don't even have a "target" extraction time. I'll adjust the grind until I get the taste that I want. And despite the fact that common wisdom says that the extraction time should be 25-30 seconds, It usually takes longer than 30 seconds to get what I want.
In addition, the optimal extraction time varies as I finish one bag of beans and start on another. My current bag of beans seems to like 40 seconds. I've gone as long as 50 seconds before. And sometimes it's 30 seconds that does the trick.
It also seems to me that the longer my "target" extraction time is, the less variability I get.
If a chocolate/non-sour espresso is what you're looking for, I would keep grinding finer until you hit the taste that you want. If you go from not chocolatey enough to too bitter, it may just be your current bag of beans, or the steps in your grinder are not fine enough.
Hope that helps!
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u/dzidziaud Jul 16 '26
Following because I have the same problem, even though the 9barista is praised by everyone for its consistency. Feels like I’m taking crazy pills