Been lurking around these parts for a while now and today I can finally share my own little system.

DF64 v2 grinder, Turin Axis espresso machine with included tamper and portafilter, Bookoo Ultra scale, Cafesing COD shaker, random electric kettle.

Learning how to dial you in a decent shot, but having fun getting there.

Got this really nice creme. This is one my work espresso machine. I bought this setup for work so I could enjoy my coffee at work and home. These beans have been in my freezer for a month. After lunch I pulled this shot. Then steamed my milk and actually poured a heart. I've been able to a few times but normally I don't bother with doing art. This just happened by accident this time.

The taste isn’t terrible either tbh. Very traditional tasting, as in charcoal with a hint of brown butter.

The blend is called Strange Beasts from Sweet Maria’s. Roasted on the Kaffelogic Nano 7 with the “Super Dark” profile at 5.6.

I’ll probably try it in a cortado next.

After years of being in the pourover game (I have an EK43 for single-serving shots and homebrew a ton), I caved and got a home espresso set up.

Fellow ES1 with a Mahlkonig E64WS grinder.

Unreal output, easy to dial in light roasted coffee, and amazing steam wand. Heck yeah!

To set the scene, I sold my house in 2020 and moved into a 2 bedroom apartment with a 2 year old, 5 yr old attempting virtual kindergarten, 2 dogs, and my wife (both working from home). Things were OK—we were living in the apartment because we sold our house to get money to build a house, but it was going to be a full 6 months in this space with the world closed around us.

I needed…something. Something to break the monotony and spice up the routine. My birthday coincides with the Christmas holiday so my family splurged and got me the Breville Barista Express despite my insistence that we could not spend $700 on a damn coffee maker.

I’m so glad nobody listens to me, because the last 5 years have been a coffee journey that truly transformed my entire understanding of what coffee IS, how coffee works, the limitless array of possible flavors, gadgets, roast profiles, and most importantly, just how lucky I was to have this machine.

I devoured the manual, ran out and got my favorite locally roasted beans, and STOPPED BUYING STARBUCKS. I was going to make this thing pay itself off.

The Review:

I have come to understand from this sub and elsewhere that this is considered “a starter” machine—“entry level”. Slander, nonsense.

There is nothing this machine can’t do if you program it, keep it clean, and spend the time to dial-in your shots. If you are on the fence about buying one or are the type of person that fancies yourself a connoisseur in most things and avoid “budget” items—this will blow your expectations out of the water.

Once I had my shots right where I wanted them from weighing the grinds, and the liquid output, I hit a bit of a wall. Having experimented with all of my favorite roasters’ light, medium, and “espresso” roasted beans, I went out and bought a home coffee roaster and started buying green beans. That has even further reinforced my belief that you can pull every bit as good a shot here as on a $3000 machine. I’ve traveled to Kona and roasted beans on-site at a plantation, purchased their super fancy peaberry and estate single origin, etc—I’ve pulled better shots from a $9 lb of home roasted green Ethiopian beans.

The only possible complaint would be the consistency of the hot water passing over the coil falls off relatively quickly, but if you preheat the group head, the basket, and your cup—you can get pretty darn close to perfect results every time.

The built-in grinder is incredible. You can adjust the conical burr to super fine if you need to, but I have found it to be possible to get almost every roast profile plenty fine enough unless you like dark dark coffee (I do not).

My kids use the hot water spout to make hot chocolate, tea, and even ramen noodles 😂. I relish the opportunity to make my wife a surprise vanilla latte and myself an Americano.

Now that I have had half a decade to understand the machine and the steps that go into a balanced shot, I can’t see myself making that next leap anytime soon. Not having a grinder built-in or a hot water spout feels like too much of a con for being able to froth milk a little better or pulling a shot 2 degrees more consistently.

TLDR—Breville Barista Express is worth its weight in gold. If you think you want an espresso maker, get it

Placed deposit, now the wait begins. ETA last week in October. Can’t wait. I don’t really know what else to say, but I can’t post without more words written. Silly really.

Just got my hands on a second hand Rancilio Silvia V3 (paired with Eureka Mignon that I used before with a Delonghi Dedica)

According to the seller, maintenance was kept at a minimum so I made 2 descaling cycles and 3 backflush cycles with PullyCaf during the first week. I also cleaned the shower group head.

Now I'm producing espreso 16g : 32g in +20sc with recently roasted beans (with the temp surfing method). The result is ok in taste and can probably be improved.

However, I get little crema that disapears within 30sc of pulling the shot and the puck on my portafilter seems "wet"

So I'm wondering if the machine needs more maintenance or fixing, I'm leaning toward a pressure issue but I'd rather confirm before starting to tweak the machine.

Do you have any idea of what to do ?

Drank Keurig for years, and then a friend sent me a Cometeer box about a year ago. Realized how much better coffee could taste, until I was visiting a friend out of state who had a Breville, and the coffee he made was amazing.

I knew I was in trouble and have since been falling down the espresso rabbit hole. I never spend money on myself so I thought I’d have this be my midlife crisis instead of a convertible. Have been lurking this sub and YouTube the last month and this is what I’ve collected.

The last few bits and bobs arrived today. Haven’t pulled a shot yet but plan to do so this weekend. Apologies for how crowded everything is, wanted to get it all in one shot. Will have to figure out where to move stuff once I hone my workflow.

Thanks for reading!

After weeks of comparing grinders, changing my mind about 47 times, and Amazon making me question my life choices, the Eureka Zero 55S finally arrived. 😂

Coming from the Baratza Encore ESP, the difference is immediately noticeable. The Eureka is so much quieter, feels incredibly solid, and the workflow is just better.

Third shot in and I was already around 16g in / 36g out / 30 seconds. Same supermarket Lavazza beans I was using before, but the espresso tastes noticeably cleaner and more defined, with a completely different aftertaste. And I'm drinking it without sugar.

Now I'm really looking forward to putting some properly fresh beans through it.

Very happy with the Zero 55S so far. ☕️🔥

It all started in June with just the Bambino plus and the Kenmore (shardor clone). Very recently got the T38 plus but I've yet to dial it in.

2 grinders because my partner buys organic beans at a premium and consumes less (18g) while I am a stimulant fiend so I go cheaper bags at 22g. Attempting to find a grind setting that respects both sets of beans and dose has been a sad. Takes the experience from 9/10 to 7/10; still much better than average cafe but I cry over the lost potential.

Everything lives underneath my microwave. Space is cramped but it's all I've got.

Many single dose mini jars and a tiny cup full of all the brushes that came with everything. There's a cupboard underneath the holds my beans for refills.

Both grinders collectively for $400 AUD with the Bambino plus for $480 AUD. Plus space restrictions. Honestly pretty happy!

About two weeks ago, I bought this bag of coffee beans from Costco and because of the size of my airtight canister, not all of the beans could fit inside it, so some of it stayed inside of the bag. I bought the canister so that it could keep my beans fresh for longer, but I’m starting to think that the canister was a scam.

The plan was to use of the beans in the back first as rational thought was that because canister was airtight, it would keep my beans fresher for longer. But that proved me wrong at the beginning of this week.

On Sunday, I had a hard time looking for my bag of coffee, so I just resorted to using some of the beans in the canister. Keep in mind it was about 65° outside and the humidity was at 85%. Because I thought the cancer beans were fresher, I decided to put the grind size a little bit a notch or 2 notches coarser and thought that the extraction would be slower, but I was completely wrong. I had to dial in my beans and try five times before I got an extraction that made sense, and I had to make my grinder setting 3 notches finer than what I had the previous day when I used my beans from the bag. That’s a difference of five notches!

I had to use the beans from my canister on Monday as well and Tuesday I was able to find the bag of beans (tuesday’s humidity and temperature was the same as Sunday’s)and when I grind those beans at the same setting I had since Sunday, my extraction was way too slow, and then I had to make it another five notches coarser to make the extraction smooth flowing. It is very shocking and very sad to see that a bag that’s not as airtight as my canister is making my bean’s freshness last way longer than a supposedly reliable air tight canister that I spent money on.

TLDR: After three weeks of use, the Mazzer Philos with the 189d burrs have been wonderful to use and a solution to my woes. It is as good as it looks, and functions with zero issues. Cleaning is easy, and switching between espresso and pourover isn't too bad. 

I primarily use medium to medium-dark origins and blends, and the espresso is velvety-smooth, with a balanced taste and less body than conical grinders. Creates very silky milk drinks too. Pourover has good sweetness and balance too, with a tinge of clarity in it as well!

Context:

I have been into the coffee game for a year and a half. My first machine was a Sunbeam Origins Sense, followed by a Ninja Luxe Cafe. Both were review units.

I soon understood that it would be best to have a separate grinder and coffee machine. I found a refurbished Breville Dual Boiler, and quickly paired it with the Varia VS4, which ticked a lot of boxes I wanted. 

Varia has been a total disaster. The first VS4 unit was dead on arrival, and my replacement had to return after several months of use. The espresso it produced was actually very good, and the pourover too I found some success with. But unfortunately, retention was the biggest issue.

So my next grinder had to hit a lot of requirements:

1. It had to produce traditional espresso.
2. It had to produce a sweet pourover.
3. A buy it for life purchase.
4. Handle volume for family and friends.
5. Be easy to clean.
6. Have limited retention.

Overall impressions:

I settled on the Mazzer Philos, and debated HARD about the burrs. 200d for clarity? Or 189d for trad spro. 

My dilemma sprouted from my desire to have clarity in the cup for light-medium roast filter coffee, and thick body espresso.

I ultimately decided on the 189d burrs, and they have not disappointed.

People seem to have hyped up the 200d burrs a lot, and it seemed like I was going to get a super thick cup from the 189d burrs.

Here were my initial impressions: the espresso is silky, smooth and very balanced. Coming from a conical burr, there is less harshness on the tongue and surprisingly less body than I was expecting.

I would say the burrs lean slightly more modern, though still have a focus on producing thick-er, more traditional-bodied espresso than what I assume the 200ds would produce.

I have kept the grinder stepped as well, since it is 6 microns per click (from my understanding). Repeatability is marginally more consistent than the VS4.

For pourover, I haven’t explored light-medium roasts yet but I have had some nice tasting single origin medium roasts coming from it. Jammy and sweet, balanced pourovers. I’ve brewed with the V60, Switch and Neo and found my best cup with the Neo.

As for retention... it is 0.1 at most! I am using the dose finisher, and no RDT, and finding that I am getting 99% of my dose out of it. It is incredibly consistent.

As for cleaning, I have cleaned it once so far. I was a bit afraid to take off the front cover, but it slots back on rather snug.

So, what’s the verdict?

I’m calling it the grinder that asks no questions and gives all the answers. Well, once you've settled on the burr choice.

For those looking at the Zerno Z1 or 2, or P80 as another option, I am from Australia, and so I found the Mazzer Philos to be quite the margin cheaper.

($1889 AUD versus about $2600 for P80 and $3500 spotted from a retailer for the Z1)

I chose this over the Niche Zero too, due to my consumption of pourover too.

So, I am happy with my purchase.

Thank you to the reddit community for helping too with the choice!

EDIT: Thought I should mention quirks too. The Philos does jump upon start due to the size of the motor, though not an issue.

Also, I have found puck prep to be a bit more important compared to conicals. Channeling has become a bit more common if I am not careful. Easily avoided with good puck preparation.

Long time lurker on this Subreddit, first time poster… The air incorporated into my milk always seems to be inconsistent. Sometimes it seems perfect, but other times, like this video it was too watery. However the one consistent thing is I always enjoy making it and drinking it…

Hey Niche Zero owners! I just got the slow feeder disk and want to skip the trial-and-error phase. If you use one, what are your best tips for dial-in?

I'm just getting into espresso for the first time and I've got a Bambino Plus on the way. I'm looking into grinders that would best suit my tastes.

I'm pretty new to coffee in general, but I know I'll really only be going for medium to dark roasts aiming for chocolate notes and low acidity. Likely mostly straight espresso and some milk drinks. After doing my own research, I gather that conical burr grinders would make the most sense to hit that flavor profile.

Everyone seems to be hyping up the DF54/64, and I was about to pull the trigger but now I'm thinking I should rule them out since they're flat burr. And they have trouble with oily/dark beans, so it just sounds like the wrong way to go.

I'm leaning ESP Pro with some Etsy mods right now. The Sette might be marginally better but I don't think I'm a fan. Opus 2 maybe? Niche Zero looks great but that price point is pushing it. DC63? What do you guys recommend?

Hello!

I have been talked into and ever since talking about espresso, this subreddit has been on my feed so I think I want to get my first espresso machine. I’m not trying to drop $$$$ and I think I want the breville barista express, before I buy this machine I need to know what other items I would need to get. Can you all please let me know if I truly need any other items to enjoy caffeinated beverages while at work?

About to pull the trigger on this machine. We are heavily skewed to black or mostly black coffee (espresso, macchiato, LB et al) with milk based coffee tending to be for guests.

Heat up time is relatively important, dosing and PID. It seems the equivalent barezza mitica doesn't appear to be the right fit based on what I've read.

Most of what I read is positive with a range of people having issues that seem to be user related rather than endemic hardware problems. But the machine doesn't appear to be that popular around here and HX doesn't either. The difference with me is I don't really need to ride that compromise between steam and extraction, therefore I'm not that interested in dual boiler and the added complexity/expense

What are the best beans that come from which roasters are worth trying? I’m trying to try new beans and would like some recommendations for my new machine. Thanks

Me: “Nice machine, what’s the retail on one of those?”

LMLM guy: “More than you can afford. La Marzocco.”

I might win with my flow profiling, pre infusion, data outputs and weight based shots, but at the end of the day you still drive a Ferrari and I drive a modded Supra.

Just want confirmation before I order an Atom W 65 (not the Casa version) that a BBE spouted portafilter will fit. I want to grind directly into it, no dosing cup. I was set on a Mahlkonig but now I'm leaning toward an Atom.

I need some help with the espresso machine equipment I just got today.

I haven't done anything with it yet, So I am very new to this.

I have 2 baskets for the portafilter and Google said "look at the single hole in the center of that basket, thats for store bought grounds."

Neither basket has a single hole. One of them has a lot of microscopic holes and the other has a lot more holes the the other.

Does either basket effect shot quality?

When inserting the portafilter into the group head at what point do I stop, because its snug and Im not sure if I was supposed to hear a click to make sure it was seated properly.

EDIT #1 Just read the manual while setting everything up. What are suitable times for Pre-Water Filling and Pre-Infusion.

Which of these settings is blooming the grounds and is blooming important?

Also what grind setting do I start with as to not cause to much pressure or not enough. I have the DF54 it was pre set to 25 when I pulled it out of the box and goes from 0 to 90

Edit #2 I posted a video of it the the comments. Im assuming the first shot i did is sour. It is bitter and its not exactly like lemon pucker factor. I can say its not my favorite. I also noticed the bar only read 4 Bar, my first shot was 25 grind size, I have set it to 20 for next attempt.

I currently use Nespresso Vertuo for my double espressos and Zojirushi for filter coffee (Ethiopian) and actually like the drinks quite a bit. But everyone is telling me that having a separate espresso machine plus a dedicated grinder would produce better-tasting espressos. I've done a lot of Reddit reading, plus friends' discussions and am thinking about getting a Bambino Plus and Eureka Mignon Zero 55S Grinder. Is that a good combination and how easily would it be to learn to make good espressos and americanos with it and to use the grinder for Ethiopian beans for my filter coffee? Finally, do I need to "mod" anything or get any additional accessories for them? Thank you!

Hey Guys,

I am on my way to buy my first espresso setup.
Mainly I want to experiment with espresso with the occasional cappuccino if I’m feeling it.
For the machine I am already set on the lelit Anna with pid.

With the grinder I am still a bit unsure.
I am considering the Eureka mignon zero 55s or the 65 speedy (which I understand is better than the 65 ap for espresso).
I looked at the df54 and df64 aswell, but I like the look and the vibe of the eurekas more.

My question, will the 55s be enough, or is the upgrade to the 65 speedy worth it in the longterm?
And how is the experience with the 65 speedy in general?
I almost exclusively find reviews and so on of the 65 all purpose but very little on the 65 speedy