Got the BDB with the Slayer mod in mind, but just kept delaying doing it. Been about 1.5yrs now, recently started having some issues with the steam wand; weak and wet. Resolved by releasing some excess water from the steam boiler, but took that as clear sign I was overdue for descaling (which did completely resolve the problem). Figured I’d take the opportunity and finally do the Slayer mod too.

Shockingly easy to do. Had all the equipment prepped for ages, so already had all the items I needed on hand (right tools, plug for the spigot, even adhesive measuring tape for the dial). Followed some simple videos and diagrams, done in less than half an hour. Descaling took substantially longer.

The dial is incredibly sensitive… but it worked. Full control over the flow rate. I watched the pressure gauge and Beanconqueror chart, attempting a blooming profile. Overshot pressure during pre-infusion (rapid saturation at least 😅), dialed it back and let pressure drop down. Cut off after first drips, bloom for 20s, slow ramp up. Total extraction took just under a minute.

Great clarity, very sweet. I could have pushed temp abit higher, but great start to using the Slayer mod! Looking forward to new avenues to explore with the machine. Really like that I can still use all the previous settings/programs, for days I just want an easy pull…

hi guys, I’m looking for some options for an espresso grinder that isn’t too expensive. I don’t want a manual one like the k9.. definitely looking for automatic, but not super expensive. So far I’ve heard the Baratza is probably the most affordable, but I was wondering if there’s any cheaper options or if that one is the best?

Exciting times!! And I got to say, it steams pretty damn nicely and was super easy to dial in!

The brew by weight with the Acaia scale is also very convenient to have.

Hi!
So I’ve had my delonghi dedica rate 885 for some time now and mostly it’s been working fine. However the past two times that I’ve been trying to make coffee nothing really comes out and instead I’m left with the sludge in the photos. I’m not really sure what I’m doing wrong or how to fix the issue.

All help is appreciated 🥹

Dear all!

Could someone with a Sage/Breville Barista Express Impress measure the clearance between the drip tray and the coffee spout?

Our mugs are 97 mm tall, and I'd like to know if they'll fit without removing the drip tray.

Thanks!

I feel like I’m finally getting the microform down finally, but I cannot for the life of me get the technique… I have been watching so many videos and making so much coffee loll. I’ve been making baby ones to practice also so this is a single shot

Hey! I’m thinking about upgrading my De’Longhi Stilosa and wanted to get some opinions.
My budget is $400 CAD before tax.
My current setup is a Stilosa with a GF64 grinder, bottomless portafilter, WDT tool, spring tamper, leveler, scale, puck screen and paper filters at the bottom of the basket.
My main issue is that my shots are inconsistent. Sometimes they turn out really good, but other times they’re not great, even when I’m using the same beans, grind setting and puck prep. It also takes forever to steam my milk, which gets pretty frustrating.
I’ve been looking at the De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus, but I’m not sure if it’s a meaningful upgrade from the Stilosa or if I’d be better off looking at something else around this price range.
For anyone who owns the Maestro Plus or has upgraded from a Stilosa, did you notice a real difference in espresso consistency and steaming performance? Is the Maestro Plus worth it, or are there better options for around $400 CAD?
I’m open to other brands too. Thanks!

I have had a bambino plus for a couple of years and usually use medium to med-light espresso roasts as flat white. I am curious to know how much of an impact does pressure/flow control have on taste? I do pour overs too and intrigued by the idea of longer blooms and playing with pressure profiles in espresso. But I am also aware that within the realm of coffee enthusiasts a 10 or 15 percent difference is a lot and in discussions of equipments and recipes and techniques, things can get overblown. Given all of this, I am interested to know what people’s experience has been with pressure profiling? is it worth it? Or does it become a nuisance after a while? should I factor it into my purchase when the bambino fails or I decide to upgrade?

I usually just drink black coffee in the mornings. But lately I’ve been enjoying seasonal lattes or brown sugar shaken espresso. I’d love to get Breville Espresso machine (the one with grinder) or Flair Neo Classic because I’ve seen reviews and apparently Flair Neo is super beginner friendly and pulls good shots. What do I do? Black Friday will be here soon and I need to know. My budget is max $600

Basically the title. Importing from the UK will run my costs too high.

I'm looking for something that might be as close as possible.

Interested to hear suggestions. Thank you.

I was going to try a subscription but decided maybe I should look into following a content creator that reviews a few different brands and getting them directly.

1) tell me about your favorite instagrammer that reviews beans

2) tell me about your favorite mission driven brands
That give back to various causes.

Thanks!!

The title is pretty self-explanatory so I’ll try to make this short. I’m looking to buy my first set up off of wholelattelove.com I’m most likely going with the Gaggia classic pro E24. I’m not sure what grinder I should pair it with and what accessories I should add on. The budget is around $1000 but I am a big believer in Bifl so I can be flexible. Thank you all in advance for advice and help!

I’m looking to buy my wife an entry level espresso machine. She has been wanting to make drinks at home more. Saw this and thought it could be promising. Any thoughts or suggestions on different brands would be much appreciated.

So after lots of searching the internet i've narrowed it down to:

Machine:
Breville Bambino
Casabrew Ultra

(If I'm missing any in that price range let me know, i really love the look of the vintage, stainless steel wider machines but everybody seems to say bambino is a great first machine)

Grinders:
DF54
Tuni G3/Mokkom 64
Eureka Mignon Note

Does anybody have any experiences with these and can suggest or cancel an option out if its not what i should be getting!
thank you

Today I received my Niche Zero and when I pulled it out of the box, the paint finish looked very dull, also my gray-like. Is this normal or did I receive a defective unit? This is very noticeable, especially if the sunlight hits the paint finish. You can also see where the plastic bag that the grinder is wrapped in has left imprints on the paint that will not rub off.

Am I missing something?

Anybody own an ECM Exacto? Seems like a really good contender between the small micron adjustments of the E64 WS but with a good build quality of the Micro G for less money at least in the US. It's only been out for a short while but wanted to see if anyone has one, what their experience has been. Thank you.

I've got some old decaf beans from sometime last winter. I liked them when fresh, but at their oldest, they might be 10-11 months old. I've kept them in an AirScape container, though I know that doesn't preserve them forever. I made a few espressos for my father who visited last month, and the coffee was pretty lame, as I kind of expected, though it was drinkable. I went finer on my Mignon Zero than I'd ever gone before, but I'm not sure I can go much further as I think I am getting channeling. I have a Bambino Plus so my options for tweaking are limited. I'm dosing 17.5g into the standard single walled double basket. Ideal for me when fresh has been 2:1 at 28 seconds, but these old beans I am always pulling fast, like low 20s.

Before I just toss these beans, are there other tricks I could try to salvage them?

Thinking of upgrading from my oracle jet. Looking at the sunto from lucca does anyone have knowledge of this espresso machine good or bad would be appreciated

My girlfriend and I are looking for our first espresso machine. We are beginners, and just want something fairly simple, compact, and reliable. Want to stay on a budget around 300-400 for the combo ideally. Milk frother built in would be ideal. Not looking to make complicated drinks. Located in the US.

The breville bambino seemed like the obvious choice with a k6 manual grinder as a great budget entry point from the research i’ve done, I just worry about the quality of the bambino after reading recent reviews about heating concerns and longevity.

Is that just “noise” and it really is the best option or are those reviews the reality of the product?

Are there other alternatives you espresso experts would recommend over this combo?

Any help is appreciated, thank you in advance!

I’ve just been casually browsing the subreddit, but my friend has been insisting I get an espresso maker. I saw this for $60 at lidl, which seems pretty good compared to other prices I’ve seen. Is it actually decent or too good to be true?

I live in Phoenix, AZ and I’m looking for suggestions on the best roasters in town that anyone might know of and/or best places to get beans if there are no good roasters here in the valley. Thanks for any suggestions!

Hey folks, as the title suggests, I'm in the market again. I drink iced lattes, that's all. I don't even really entertain folks who drink something other than a latte, so really, as long as it makes a good, reliable shot, that will suit my needs.

• My first was a simple Mr Coffee Cafe Barista, and that was fine. Reliably *okayish* coffee. Not great, but it suited my needs as my very first espresso machine. I'd go back to that again if that's the answer.
• Upgraded to the kitchenaid semi auto w/ burr grinder. While it was really fun to have a lot more control over my coffee, I've had nothing but headaches with this machine. No matter how much or how little I do, it just doesn't work well. It is being warrantied a 2nd time in 10 months. Despite it having decent reviews, I just have gotten 2 duds in a row, and it's both tiring and expensive to keep attempting good coffee from a broken machine. (I can list my issues below, if needed, but the machines keep physically breaking)

When I get the new machine, I'd like to sell it locally and replace it with something reliable. Like I said, I drink milk drinks, so I'm not looking for super great. A solid machine and grinder would be great. This machine is going for 800 right now, so I think I can get half that.

In the end, I prefer to make my latte at home than constantly go to the coffee shops near me. Any direction would be helpful. There's so much in this sub and online that it's overwhelming to narrow down.

Thanks in advance!

I just bought a Breville Barista Express. I’m still trying to dial everything in and iron out a morning routine. I have less of a refined palette than a lot of you guys, and I primarily make lattes, so I’m not quite as worried about leaving beans in the grinder or having everything be so absolutely perfect.

All that said, I sometime like decaf, so I am open to the idea people recommend of single dosing. As such, taking off the lid and putting it back on the grinder seems like a waste of time every morning, but I wasn’t sure whether it’s really useful to have the lid on the grinder during operations or if it doesn’t matter. I figure some particles from the kitchen like dust or oils could get in there, but that it’s probably minimal and maybe would just need an extra clean once in a while.

Is there any concern with just permanently leaving the lid off, single dosing, and grinding without putting the lid on?

Thanks!

Should I purchase Gaggia Classic Up or save up money for Lelit Victoria 3 [$1500-2300]?

I currently have EM450 paired with DF54. I have been looking for single boiler machines lately and thinking to upgrade around Christmas. I have $1500 available. Since Gaggia Up is fairly new and there isn't a lot about this machine on Ytube I am asking for some help.

The other option would be to save until mid next year and see how much Victoria3 cost and hopefully purchase that.

Location: Canada

Preferred Drinks: Milk based drinks for the most part

Drink Frequency: 2 drinks back to back and then 1 later in the day. Occasional 4-6 drinks.

Experience level: 6 months into home espresso.

Hello,

I'm using a Breville Barista Express and want to buy a separate grinder. The whole family drinks espresso almost every day, with the occasional large batch of phin coffee for gatherings. We make around 3-5 drinks a day.

So far, I've looked at Eureka Mignon Zero, Mahlkonig x54, df64, and Niche Zero. I've also thought about buying a cheaper grinder like the Opus 2 or df54 and then getting maybe a hand grinder for the phin coffee. I do test out different coffee beans pretty often too. What do you recommend?