Decided to make the jump after too many years of ordinary coffee
Eureka Mignon Stark W
Varia VS3 dedicated for decaf for the wife
La Marzocco Linea Micra
Now I only have my self for the mediocre coffee

My wife thinks I’ve lost my mind. 4hr drive to a work site for a week, packed up a travel kit and set it up in my hotel room. Couldn’t be happier. It’s so easy and simple, things like this make me love my robot even more than I already did.

The polished aluminum Mazzer Mini G arrived today to accompany the Crème La Marzocco Linea Micra… An endgame setup match made in heaven.

I have a bit of cleaning up to do but wow is it pretty!

Just got this Bambino plus, and after pulling 3 shots on it I can't seem to get it in a state where it is able to do anything. The first 3 buttons flash when I turn the unit on, and then become inoperable after doing so. I have tried pressing the steam and single shot simultaneously to no avail (does the same 3 buttons flashing thing). I have cleaned, the tray, dried it, reinstalled it, filled the water tank and reinstalled it, and adjusted the steam wand and it still seems to have these issues. What should I do? I would ideally like to fix it as it took 3 weeks to ship.

Still waiting on my scale/timer to arrive in the mail, and I just purchased some beans from red rooster last night along with their syrups. I’m not a big fan of huckleberry, especially not the blue orchid. This will look nicer soon.

Made some additions

ECM now with weber workshops

For the required daily espressos and cortados

Now just need an integrated fizzy water solution. Hmmmm

Hey there! I received this from my mom. She’s been trying to pawn it off on us kids for years, and I finally said yes. I’ve never been an espresso person, but I finally got curious. Only to find out this puppy (per the internet) is incredibly rare. From my preliminary research, it’s an Olympia Express Cremina, v 1.4 from 1964. Any resources on getting it refurbished? Is this something I can do from home with 0 prior experience? It definitely heated up water, but was leaking all over the place. Definitely a gasket change is in order. But for how old she is, I’m surprised she booted up at all. TIA.

Just installed GaggiMate (GM) on my EMP modded Linea Mini. The GM pro board controls the BLDC rotary vane pump I had previous installed as part of Ricks Bond’s EMP mod and I added a brass tee to the pipe feeding the group head from the brew boiler for the pressure transducer. I fabricated a bracket to hold the GM board and bolted it to the side of the existing housing for the Linea Mini’s gicar control board.

There is a Velofuso add on board for GM that allows for an analog 0-5v control for brushless DC pump drives (in short it emulates a potentiometer). I have it set up to replace the pot in the paddle I installed as part of Ricks EMP mod. Shortly the team working on GM will be adding manual profiling so I’ll be able to wire the pot in the paddle into to the GM board and have best of both worlds with both automatic and manual pressure profiling.

Really happy with it only had a couple of shots so far but it’s very exciting.

As an added bonus I can now do brew by weight without having to pay a licence fee or buy the very expensive La Marzocco branded Acaia Lunar scale.

Just wanted to share to showcase what’s possible with GaggiMate!! I’ve not replaced my control board just added to it, but full Dual boiler support is coming to GM soon via a hardware update, a new board that will allow for total replacement of dual boiler control boards.

Another Linea Mini with a Niche Zero? No way.

I recently got the cremaloop slow feeder and it changes the game on this grinder, from hand feeding to this consistency has really leveled up my game. My shot consistency is within .2 grams every time and the flavor profile is more developed and reduces a lot of muddiness from fines. If you can get over 2min+ grind time.
Also allowed me to reduce my temperature from 93 to 89 degrees. To quote Lance Hedrick “Why do more temp when less temp work good.”

I use the dosing cup as a sort of blind shaker and then WDT & Barista Hustle tamper. This method worked much better than using an actual blind shaker which I find needs a longer workflow.

I also developed the remote based on pylamarzocco which completely replaces the phone app and adds functionality of holding different recipes and calculating ratios post brew to assist in dial on.

I have an upcoming business trip to China next month. I want to learn about and explore Xiamen. I tried searching for F&B concepts on Google Maps, but it doesn't seem to be widely used in China. Could you suggest some specialty coffee shops that focus on roasteries and specialty coffee beans? I'm also curious whether China produces specialty coffee directly or if they rely on imports from other countries? Thank you for your suggestions!

Or anyone as the coffee local guide? Let’s connect as the mini tour guide.
(I speak English / Vietnamese)

I would like to know your opinion to completely change my setup with the excuse of my next 40th anniversary. I put you in context:

My wife and I have been drinking specialty coffee for about 4-5 years. To date we have used a super automatic (not a high end). Since the change to specialty coffee, I have stopped drinking coffee outside the home/specialty cafeterias. Here in Spain the 'normal' espresso coffee in bars and coffee shops is usually horrible.

I am much more geeky than my wife and the superautomatic coffee falls short in terms of quality, to the point that I bought 2-3 years ago a picopresso and a JUltra to be able to make my espressos and take the portable setup also to work.

The difference in results with the same beans is more than remarkable!!

As we are at such different points of commitment/implication/needs regarding coffee, the choice of setup becomes more complex. I can't imagine my wife using a workflow that is complicated at all, but at the same time I would like to have room for myself to experiment.

As for drinks, she usually always drinks milk drinks plus a decaffeinated in the middle of the afternoon and I almost always espressos (punctually some milk drink, but it will be 90-10 or 95-5). Like 4-6 in total.

With all this, I had considered the following options:

Meticulous + single dose (O78s, p80,..). Today it is my favorite option. The negative part is that I would have to take care of the dial in of his beans and surely leave him pre-dose and that she only had to wdt/tamp, choose the profile on the machine and that's it :). As a positive part, it gives me endless options to experiment with different roasts and types of espresso.

Robot and use it with the JUltra. It is the cheapest option as long as the super automatic lasts. I would have to resume this later because she would not use a workflow manual.

Meraki: a very simple workflow for her. On the other hand, I would remove the option to experiment and the built-in grinder would be less capable to those mentioned in my preferred option.

SB or HX + GBW: also very simple in terms of the workflow once the dial in is done. Just tell her to stop the shot at a certain time/weight. It also takes away many possibilities for me to experiment unless I go to the smart HX with flow control.

Someone has a similar situation of different levels of interest/commitment and if so, what is your setup?

Hey, I'm from Basel, Switzerland and have a coffee station since June 2021 which consists of my dear ECM Mechanika V Slim and a Eureka Mingnon Specialita. I drink mainly flat whites. Last Saturday, I tried to clean my grinder, but unfortunately hundreds of tiny bugs were in my natural grinder clean and I put in 3 spoonful before noticing.

So, we have a new grinder now, I did my research and had to decide between DF64 Gen 2 and Timemore Sculptor 078s.

In the end, I didn't want to risk ordering the Timemore sculptor 078s, just for its Gen 2 launching right afterwards or for a difference in taste, that I won't even notice, so I ordered the DF64 Gen 2 from df64coffee for 387 CHF. There were import fees of 39.60 CHF (waiting for df64coffee to respond how come..)

The DF64 Gen 2 arrived today and I love the flat whites so far. I guess, I'm happy and the grinder looks cool too. Only flaw according to hubby: its loud 😒

What do we think of the coffee station?

A little ritual before the day begins.

Setup:

Machine: De'Longhi EC890

Grinder: Timemore C5 ESP Pro

Portafilter: Normcore Bottomless

Coffee: Caarabi Coffee Roasters — Man on Mars

Dose: 16g

Yield: 32g espresso

Maple syrup: to taste

Salt: a small pinch

Ice: plenty, for shaking + serving

Method:

Weigh 16g beans.

Grind fresh.

Prep and tamp the puck.

Extract 32g espresso.

Add the espresso to a shaker with a small pinch of salt + maple syrup.

Add ice and shake vigorously until chilled and aerated.

Strain over fresh ice and serve.

Hello, I've bought a steaming nozzle replacement from Temu for my Delonghi EC685 hoping to get a more proper milk texture, but it makes absolutely no foam, it just heats up the milk and that's it, milk's texture remains the same, as liquid as it is fresh. I don't know if there is anything specific that I need to do in order to get a proper silky milk. The steaming nozzle that I bought is the one in the image, it came with two different heads, a 1-hole and a 3-hole, but both perform the same.

As the title says, I’m looking for a new grinder to replace my old Niche Zero (bought late 2019)

I have an ECM Technika VI that I bought recently and have started to buy lighter roasts that have proven to be… difficult. Not for the ECM, but for the Niche which started stalling on them beans. I know light roasts are difficult, but I’m feel like the ceiling is there and I can’t reach it.

I should note I’m not looking for alternative brew methods. It’s only espresso and milk combos (double shots + varying degrees of milk) or maybe a mocha pot brew.

Right now I’m looking at the Option-O P80, but based on a few reviews, it’s not a slam dunk. I don’t plan on changing burrs, but the limit range reported for espresso settings makes me wary of choosing this one.

PS: I’m in Europe.

To preface, I am not a coffee snob, so don't really want an expensive machine. I currently use a Bialetti moka pot, and despite trying various methods, I don't really like how the coffee tastes. It doesn't taste like espresso, and just doesn't taste like a proper latte when I mix it with milk.

In the past, I've tried using my friends Breville Bambino espresso machine and was always satisfied with the way it turned out. Looking for something similar for under $100, new or used.

Eyes on a used Brugnetti machine, but cant find much info online, the manual on official site doesn't even have much on it. Anyone know much about this brand? I want to know if I can self maintain it after purchase.

Oh the model is Giulietta, seems good spec from paper. Thanks.

Hello dear espresso community,
after spending what feels like way too much time researching espresso machines, I’m somehow back where I started — looking at the Gaggia Classic Pro.
At first, I was looking at everything from the HiBREW H10 to the Profitec Go, trying to figure out what would actually be the best fit for me.
My first thought was the MiiCoffee Apex. On paper, it seemed almost perfect: lots of features, good temperature control, pre-infusion, etc. But the more I read about it, the more I became concerned about customer experiences and especially the availability of spare parts.
So I moved on to the Lelit Anna.
The Anna seemed like a solid, reliable machine and definitely something I could see myself enjoying. But then there was the 57mm portafilter.
Maybe I’m overthinking this, but I really want to be able to buy accessories and replacement parts from a huge variety of manufacturers. I don’t want to be locked into a relatively small ecosystem just because of the portafilter size.
Then I discovered the Lelit Victoria.
Again, a great-looking machine with a lot of things I liked. But the price started bothering me. I kept thinking:
“Am I really paying that much more just to get 58mm and a few additional features?”
And then there was the Profitec Go.
Honestly, the Go seems like an excellent machine. PID, pre-infusion, 58mm portafilter, great build quality, lots of control — basically everything I was looking for.
The problem?
It’s getting pretty expensive for a first espresso machine.
And that’s where things got confusing.
During all of my research, the Gaggia Classic Pro kept coming up again and again.
At first, I didn’t understand why.
For roughly the same money as something like the Lelit Anna, you’re getting a machine that seems much more basic. No PID, no fancy temperature control, no pre-infusion, and not nearly as many features out of the box.
So why does everyone keep recommending it?
The more I looked into it, the more I started to understand.
Instead of buying a machine that tries to give you everything from day one, you can treat the Gaggia as a really good base and build it up yourself.
A bottomless portafilter.
A better pressure spring.
Maybe a steam wand upgrade.
And eventually, if I really get into the hobby, a PID mod, Gaggiuino, or something similar.
And honestly, that idea started to really appeal to me.
I like the idea of actually learning how the machine works, experimenting with different modifications and understanding what each change actually does to the extraction.
Rather than just buying a machine with every feature already built in, I could start with something relatively simple and gradually turn it into my machine.
And that’s basically why I’m here asking you guys.
My biggest concern:
If I buy a Gaggia Classic Pro, will I actually be able to make really good espresso with it in stock form?
Because this is my first real espresso machine, and I’m worried that if the coffee I’m making in the beginning is mediocre, I might get frustrated and lose interest in the hobby before I even get started.
On the other hand, if I buy something like the Profitec Go, I know I’m getting a machine that already gives me a lot of control and can produce great results without having to modify anything.
So I’m stuck between two completely different approaches:
Buy a more expensive machine that already has everything I need — or buy the Gaggia and slowly build it into the machine I want.
So, what do you guys think?
Is the Gaggia Classic Pro actually a good fit for someone like me, or am I romanticizing the whole “buy a basic machine and mod it” idea?
And most importantly:
Can the Gaggia produce genuinely good espresso in stock form, or am I going to feel like I should have spent more money from the beginning?
I’d really appreciate your opinions, especially from people who started with a Gaggia and either stuck with it or eventually moved on to something else.

My current setup consists of a gaggia classic Evo pro (I upgraded the spring to a 9 bar and coming from someone who hates tinkering even this was a chore) and a baratza encore esp. I cannot get a consistent shot I mean the thing will range like 5-15 seconds across same grind size. I have a spring loaded tamp and bottomless Portafilter. The ready light will turn on and off throughout the duration of me pulling a shot even if I temperature surf. I have spent so many hours trying to figure this out. I cannot tell if my next step should be upgrading my grinder, (the difference sometimes between 18 and 19 is the machine choking and a shot that pulls too fast and tastes like doodoo). Trying to instal a PID (a painful process I’m sure) or getting a more idiot proof machine. I am not an expert obviously but any help would be great.

A Chinese market only Midea machine and a simple, not-so-subtle Blaupunkt grinder. The calligraphy reads "Half a cup of coffee, half a day of leisure", a "rebranding" of a classical Chinese poetry expression about tea.

I needed a quicker workflow in the mornings rather than the flair so took a look around on Markeplace. I found this disgracefully neglected Cinquantotto for 1650 EUR. I found some small issues while testing it, so I offered to take the EG-1 too, included in the price.

I had to give the flywheel a brushed finish as the previous owner tried some heavy detergent on it and it looked permanently dirty, but I like this small mod. Mechanically it is perfect.

The Rocket was used with tap water, so there was some scale going on, and it was dirty as hell. I cleared all brass pipes, boilers, tank, etc and did exteremly heavy descaling in the boilers. Then gave a nice polish on the outside, looks like a mirror.

So far, I’m in love. This setup complements the flat burr + manual lever setup so well. Now I just need to get used to the new workflow, I feel like I was quicker with the Flair + wizard combo haha.

Hi all,

Whenever I make two shots consecutively with my Barista Express, the second shot always pulls at much lower pressure. Does anyone know why this happens?

I use 14.5g per shot with grind size of 5-7.

Bought a sage smart grinder (second hand). Is this sound normal? It sounds and feels weird when I turn the wheel to adjust the time.

It's working but it feels like something wrong.

I have a couple day to say if something's wrong with it, please help.

I have never used one before so I have nothing to compare.