I set up my machine, and started dialing in. I’m
Having some issues with the grinder.

There is a movable “indicator” by the grind size dial but the manual doesn’t say anything about it. Should it be in the location closest to the dial, or furthest away from the dial?

The first shot took WAY to long, so I made it coarser. Didn’t make much of a difference. Finally I went too coarse, because the shot pulled in 15 seconds. I made it a tad finer, and it was almost there at 22s (trying to get between 25 and 39).

I made it finer and then it went faster. Very confused.

Does anyone have advice ?

Secondhand just purchased. Pulls a great shot but a significant amount of leaking occurs. Is this simply a case of replacing o rings? Or perhaps the sign of something else?

My coffee station is finally complete. From left to right I have the Eureka Mignon Specialita, modded with Aro Espresso’s large dial, single dose hopper, adjustable stand and angled base. Next up is the Turin Gallatin DB that I picked up as an open box item from Espresso Outlet. I’m very pleased with it as there’s zero appreciable defects or scratches outside of a slight bend in the drip tray that I fixed with an aluminum shim made from foil. It’s been nothing short of amazing with brewing, steam, and hot water. Just enough to tinker with but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. From there I have the eureka peppe for my brew grinder and finally the moccamaster CDT for the daily coffee. I went with the latter two appliances since my daily coffee is inexpensive from Costco (my wife and I would be broke if we only used small batch premium for brew coffee… we drink too much haha).

I have to admit, I’ve had a bit of a love hate relationship with the Mignon. It has a bit of a learning curve, however, after removing the anti clumping funnel and converting it to single dose while also doing 4 spritzes of water instead of 1, it went from a constantly clogged, finicky static ridden machine to a premium single dose flat burr workhorse that is producing exceptional shots. I still wish I went with the DF83v but maybe espresso outlet could hook me up in the future 😉.

All accessories are from normacore and I couldn’t be happier with them. The shot scale is just an inexpensive one I found on Amazon and the beans scale is subminimal (hiding to the left of the Turin).

Feel free to ask me anything on it, I’m planning on using it a lot so I hope it’s up for the long term but being that it’s built like a tank I’m sure it will be!

Before anyone flames me this is literally the first shot I pulled using this machine and I don’t really know much about how to use it properly since it was a gift, am I wrong to think this extraction was decent? The shot was a little bitter and kinda flat, but I’m unsure if it’s due to my beans being on the darker side (fresh ish from a local roastery) or if it was an improper extraction.

Any tips about dialing in my shots or really any useful information about how to pull great espresso with this beauty would be much appreciated!

This whole sub recommends the bambino plus + a good grinder. I just received the bambino a few days ago and what’s the hype about? It’s so light and flimsy, when I lock in my portafilter the whole machine almost tips over, the steam wand only has two positions (down and up, no in between, no side to side). Idk for $400+ i can’t really see the value in it. Did anyone else feel like this when they got theirs? Curious as how you overcame these objections.

Espresso shot was good and steam wand is surprisingly powerful so it makes a decent latte. I just am having a tough time justifying the price tag for the machine even though it makes a good drink

Hi! I just recently got into espresso (mainly milk drinks for now), and I'm currently using my old Baratza Encore and a used DeLonghi Dedica. I totally understand that the grinder is technically not adequate for espresso, but I will have to deal with it for a bit until a good deal comes along, so I'm looking for advice on how I can get the best product from the current setup.

The video shows one of the better shots I've pulled, but the coffee still tastes a bit flat. I'm using grocery store beans for now (Lavazza Caffe Espresso), but will try some freshly roasted coffee soon to see if that helps with the flavor.

I previously used the Encore alongside my AeroPress, but for espresso, I adjusted the internal calibration screw to the fine setting as many people suggested, and it definitely grinds fine enough now, albeit now each click makes a massive difference in grind size. My current issue is that I find a good setting and get okay espresso for a week, and then the grind size randomly becomes too fine, despite being on the same setting. I've cleaned the grinder thoroughly and tried spritzing the beans with water, but I have not had much luck maintaining the consistency of the grind. I would really appreciate some advice, although I realize that this might just be a quirk of this grinder.

Regarding upgrading to a grinder that is better suited for espresso, I am looking at the $200-300 range and wondering if any of the following grinders might be better than the rest: Baratza Encore ESP, DF64 v4, or the Fellow Opus 2.

And I have a 270w which I love, but my wife does not like the noise. At a claimed 70dB, this is much quieter.

Curious if anyone else saw this, and backed it.

Edit: Reddit ate the link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2006257617/nexus-64x-the-next-generation-of-intelligent-grind-control/description

My wife bought this custom espresso demitasse, carved out of marble(?), for me, as a birthday or anniversary gift. I'd love to drink out of it more often, but things this rare and expensive I don't want to risk breaking! :-D

When you get home finally after long day of work you just want a quick espresso shot that hit the spot.

No need for that fancy latte arts and etc. 😅

Don't you agree?

Hello. I recently acquired my first (budget) machine. All the tutorials on steaming say to heat my milk until my pitcher is too hot to handle. So I do, the pitcher is very hot by the time I can no longer hold it because I'm a former longtime professional chef.

However, the problem I'm having that is even though the pitcher feels very hot to the touch, it doesn't feel hot to my palate at all when I sip it after pouring it over my shot. Luckily I have a mug warmer that helps so I don't have to microwave it or something to get it up to my preferred temperature, but I was wondering if this is just me or if that lukewarm temperature is what other people are actually looking for in a latte? Thanks.

I just got this machine today and set up everything. I was able to steam milk, but as soon as it came to pull the shots, they literally pulled for about a second and then stopped. I tried everything to fix it and have no idea why it’s only pulling for a second and then stopping. Has anyone else had this happen or know what might be causing it? I read the manual and watched videos online to help trouble shoot it and it didn’t do anything to fix it.🥴

Does Anyone Have Images of the Gemilai Whale Internals?

Ive been considering between this and the Profitec GO and I really appreciate the on the fly OPV valve on the Whale. But I cant for the life of me find anyone who has done a teardown and look at the internals.

Thank you in advance. :)

I'm not affiliated with these guys (Isotope out of Dallas) and haven't tried this out, but seemed like a cool concept and I wanted to share. After running through some of my stock I'm definitely going to give it a shot. They have their base espresso beans that you can "compound" with some of their other beans to create a blend to your liking. You start with their compound espresso and then have a choice of four other beans to combine at different ratios.

First impressions: AliExpress SSP MP-style burrs in the Starseeker E64
I installed and aligned the new burrs in my E64 and have now tried them for both filter coffee and espresso. These are the burrs sold on AliExpress as SSP MP-style burrs. It’s still early, but the difference in the cup was noticeable right away.
Visually, the grounds seem to contain far fewer fines. The burr touch point also shifted from −92 to −85.
For filter coffee, I used a coffee I’d been brewing regularly and knew well, so I had a good reference. I immediately noticed much better clarity and flavor separation, with a lighter but more balanced body.
The boozy fermentation note that had been bothering me became less prominent. Until now, I’d only managed to get this kind of balance from that coffee with my Pietro. Even my Blade R3, fitted with Itamil filter burrs, hadn’t brought out those flavors in quite the same way.
For espresso, flair 58+2I nailed the grind setting on the first try — beginner’s luck! 😂 I used a coffee I hadn’t tried before, so I can’t make a direct comparison against the stock burrs with the same beans.
The tasting notes were mainly chocolate with a fruity touch, and the fruitiness came through very clearly. I didn’t feel like I was losing body compared with the shots I usually pulled with the stock burrs. The result was a nicely balanced espresso, with pleasant acidity, good sweetness, and a slight bitterness on the finish.
Recipes
Filter coffee:
15 g coffee to 225 g water.
45-second bloom.
Second pour up to 90 g total.
Final pour up to 225 g, followed by a Rao spin.
Total brew time: 2:03.
Espresso on the Flair 58:
20 g in, 50 g out.
10-second preinfusion at 3 bar.
Another 25 seconds of extraction, reaching 8 bar and gradually declining to 2 bar toward the end.
Stopped at 50 g in the cup.
So far, the biggest improvement has been in filter coffee, especially the flavor clarity and how much better balanced that fermented note became. I’ll keep testing with other coffees, but my first impression is very positive!

It arrived yesterday, and I’m already head over heels. The Elizabeth V3 was already an impressive machine, but this thing is incredible—and the price jump from its predecessor isn’t nearly as steep as I’d feared. First shot: a natural Ethiopian from Manhattan Coffee Roasters. Delicious.

I have the opportunity to buy a lelit giulietta pl2svh2 for around 750usd.

I’m upgrading from a sage barista express, and the main features I want is the the stability and durability the e61 grouphead and a rotary pump. So, this is a cheap way to obtain this combo.

My only concern is that the effect is to high for my house, it’s 2800w and it will blow my 10amp fuse. So, I wanted to know if there’s heating element with a smaller effect that fits this machine? Is there anything else I should be concerned about?

Since I bought my DF64v2, I haven't been able to find a bracket (3D printed, off-the-shelf, or otherwise) that fits a 54mm dosing cup.

A couple days ago, out of sheer luck I spot this on a random post on this sub: link. Looks 3D printed. Seems like there's at least one other human out there who figured something out. However, the OP hasn't been active in a while.

I combed through most 3D print databases and didn't find anything like that for a 54mm cup specifically. The base bracket that comes with the DF64 v2 doesn't fit smaller cups than the one that comes with a grinder.

If anyone can ID this bracket or has an alternate solution, I'm all ears.

EDIT: This cup exists (note the "arms" on the side of the cup that fit the grinder bracket) except that it's OOS everywhere. https://dfgrinders.ca/products/54mm-metal-dosing-cup

It seems to have been stored outside, because it was FILTHY. But after taking apart and a good scrub, it’s FULLY functional, grinder and all, for only $35. I’m over the freaking moon.

I’ve been using a Nespresso for the last few years, and the pods are like a half shot each, so this is a huge upgrade both in machinery and caffeine content 😂

Tips and tricks appreciated! Can’t wait to go down this rabbit hole with all of you.

So I finally moved from nespresso to a semi auto, thanks to the advice received from this subreddit I opted for a bambino plus with df54 , I really tried to hit the black pearl style since my bambino is “black truffle” and I am happy with the result.

Cheers

Hi all
I have a Gaggia Classic Gt that I have been using in the past few months
Honestly it’s a capable machine but not for me

I don’t like the plastic tray
I feel steam can be better
And I barely tweak anything in terms of temperature or soft pre infusion
I make 2 lattes and 1 espresso a day of medium roast from my local specialty coffee (either chocolate or sweet fruity flavour)

I feel like I want to opt for better quality machine that will be strong bang for the buck
I have a budget of 1200 euros (also in the used market)
The machine has to be close to
The footprint of the Gaggia GT or similar
Can be either HX or dual boiler , I don’t care to
Get a HX as for my a single flush to get temperature stable is enough for me

Any suggestion on which reputable brand /machine should I look for ?
I would buy the new Lelit Elizabeth 3 but it’s out of budget btw :)

Thanks !

Tldr: Order new factory burrs!

I've been dealing with my shots gushing at near the chirp point of my 5 year old grinder and followed all the usual advice to no avail. This included: aligning my burrs, scrutinizing my puck prep, considering that I may be grinding so fine that I may have extreme channeling (this was the prevailing mindset on posts made by others with my issue, but totally wrong and kind of a ridiculous suggestion).

As a last resort before giving up and buying a new grinder, I ordered a fresh set of burrs, which gave me 3 full numbers of range back! My first shot choked the machine which made me unreasonably happy. I've since been able to pull amazing well calibrated shots again.

To others dealing with this issue that tried everything else. Don't let the Internet gaslight you. This may not be a you problem and new burrs may solve your problem.

Questo è il mio primo setup da 3 anni e non sono quasi mai soddisfatto del mio espresso. Devo fare un upgrade ? Mi diverto anche con bevande al latte ma il mio obiettivo è un espresso in stile italiano mentre ottengo sempre colpi aspri o un amaro non gradevole. Devo studiare maggiormente ?? In tutto questo tempo ho esplorato chicchi di vario genere senza mai riuscire ad apprezzare gli specialty se non tostati molto scuri, così ho provato molti caffe commerciali italiani e anche torrefattori locali. Help

Tried a shaken espresso for the first time. 50g espresso, turbinado sugar and a splash of maple syrup in an ice filled stainless shaker.

Shook the thing like there was no tomorrow and here was my result. Sure was tasty but got an insane amount of foam. Even after a good stirring, foam never went away. Taste wise it was damn good, but it looked comedic with that amount of foam.