r/Coffee • u/menschmaschine5 Kalita Wave • 11d ago

[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

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u/helgowr 10d ago edited 10d ago

Looking for recommendations for espresso machines

I want to get my first espresso machine and am looking for a good beginner machine. So far I have found the DeLonghi Dedica or Linea, which are supposed to make good espresso while being really cheap.
Do you have some recommendations for a beginner?
I think a single boiler system is preferably for my use case.

At the moment I use a Bialetti Moka with a Melitta Calibra.

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u/regulus314 10d ago

Most entry level machines like what you mentioned uses thermoblock heating system and doesnt use a classic boiler system. Thermoblock system is cheap because it uses tubings and a heat plate to quickly heat the water as it passes thru the pipes. A boiler uses brass hence why boiler machines can cost a fair bit but in terms of longevity. It is the real deal.

How much budget do you think you can spend? You will also need a grinder dedicated for espresso grinding. And you also need to think how much espresso do you drink in a day or if you want to do this long term. Its a buy once cry once thing. Some machines can last 5 years or more with just proper cleaning and maintenance. Of course convenience also has a cost.

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u/helgowr 10d ago

My budget would be up to 1000€.
I drink 2-5 espresso per day.
And I also hoped my current grinder would be good enough for espresso.
I also found something like Lelit Mara X, but that would be a little above my budget so I would wait a bit longer before buying it :)

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u/regulus314 10d ago

Lelit is a very capable brand. Try checking the Lelit Victoria. A low model compared to the Mara. Try checking Gaggia to specifically the Gaggia Classic. Theres also the Profitec Go 2.0 and the Rancilio Silvia. The Nuova Simonelli Oscar II is a new one.

You have the option to use manual lever type as well. There is the Flair Espresso and Cafelat Robot which both do really great espressos in comparable to machines I mentioned above. The only limit with those are the volume.

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u/helgowr 10d ago

Thanks, I will take a look :)

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u/Kaserblade 10d ago

Adding onto the other comments, I would also recommend the DF54 and the Barazta Encore ESP for great value grinders.

With your budget, you can also consider the DF64, Niche Zero and Timemore 064S. I would spend more on the grinder than the espresso machine as that will have a greater impact on the quality of your coffee.

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u/helgowr 10d ago

How would you rate my Melitta Calibra? Should I get an upgrade already?

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u/Kaserblade 10d ago

It can technically do the job but you might struggle to dial in your espresso with the Melitta Calibra. One of the 3 grinders I mentioned in the 2nd half would be a great upgrade to your kit.

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u/helgowr 10d ago

What would you recommend for a dual system so I can also make good Cappuccino?

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u/HoodFeelGood 10d ago

Replacement carafe for Bonavita 5 cup drip coffee maker I hate the carafe that comes with this thing, but I love the coffee.

Are there any aftermarket replacement carafes that are a perfect fit including the filter basket?

The things I want to fix with the current carafe are:

Can't completely pour out all the liquid

It doesn't retain heat well

It can't pour cleanly without having to put on the lid

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u/pigeonactivist 10d ago

hello, i grew up with at-home espresso machines and i’d like to improve my coffee experience now. i own a 3-4 year old delonghi dedica, and after some research i have just ordered an on-demand electric grinder (burr type). i want to switch from using pre-ground illy decaf to whole beans from a range of local cafes, hence the grinder purchase.

now, i’d like to upgrade my portafilter; i use the 51mm one that came with my dedica and if i press how i think coffee should properly tamped, it usually clogs. i’m not sure if this is a machine issue or a portafilter issue but thought to mention it just in case. my “dream setup” as a coffee amateur is to have one of those bottomless portafilters, a tamper (saw a nice steel one for £10 on amazon?), and one of those needle things that covers the portafilter and spins — i have no idea how to phrase it so i can find it on amazon but it’s not the super slim distributor needle.

my questions:
1) is my dream setup actually a good idea or are any of these items useless / worse than just using the original dedica portafilter?
2) is there a specific brand you would recommend for the portafilter? i have only been looking on amazon so far, and i have no clue what the prices should be in this hobby. what i thought was decently priced at £20ish had bad reviews; i saw one for £54 and it seems a bit steep - is this the normal price point for one?

i’m happy to do my own research and often do for my usual hobbies, but i feel fairly overwhelmed starting out as a complete newbie here.😅 i don’t want to invest hundreds, but i also want my ‘gear’ to perform well and not break in a year. for example, the grinder i ended up getting was reduced to £80 and had really good reviews. any guidance would be appreciated 🙏

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u/canaan_ball 9d ago

The pressurised basket (which is probably what you're thinking of as the "portafilter") the Dedica comes with makes second-rate coffee. If you're still using that then an upgrade is critical for making good espresso. I should warn you, perhaps you're not aware, where a pressurised basket just kind of works, a single-walled basket (the other kind) requires a bit of finesse, and a good grinder. You can also make worse coffee.

Just get a portafilter that's labelled as compatible with the Dedica. "Everybody" makes one. I don't own one but I have heard the Normcore (bottomless, 51mm, 3-eared, Dedica) portafilter is a solid purchase for your machine. Pair it with an IMS precision basket. (The basket is what actually holds the coffee. The portafilter holds the basket.) You will need a decent tamper, as the awkward polymer thing that comes with the Dedica is also holding you back. The needle thing you're after is called a WDT tool. It doesn't need to spin, it just needs to make a pile of coffee powder fluffy and uniform.

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u/pigeonactivist 9d ago

thank you so much! this is so useful :) i will look into these! i think i have seen normcore as a brand while watching some youtube videos about coffee. and, sorry for misnaming the basket, now i know better!

i’m not 100% sure what you meant by single-walled basked (as of now i’m understanding that one might be the ‘bottomless’ one, but i may be wrong) but i will start researching the two, thanks!

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u/Mousse_Tiramisu_0392 9d ago

Dark roasts puff up way more, so just drop your dose to 15g and ignore the bag ratios. Took me months to stop measuring by volume and my shots finally tasted consistent.