espresso making mags?

**jm2e** · 12-02-2019, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.

QFT

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**plugboots** · 12-02-2019, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by jm2e

QFT TGR Forums

It’s not that big a deal or at least it doesn’t have to be. It’s just like anything else, you can take it down to the minutia, or you can drink damn good coffee and get on with your day.

KQ · 12-02-2019, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.

LOL!! Yeah I get that way reading this thread too. I can def. obsess over some things but espresso isn't one of them. Been using the same Starbucks machine since 1999 and I get my coffee ground at the local roastery. To each his own. Find your middle ground and enjoy!

Originally Posted by mattig

I'd add a monthly detergent backflush to your maintenance list there as well as soaking the dispersion die in detergent and scrubbing.

I've heard this product works great for machines and pour over filters:

Urnex Cafiza Espresso and Coffee Machine Cleaner Powder

**Doremite** · 12-02-2019, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.

Wise man. I say go all in or not at all. The end of the day the most important thing is bean quality. You can then just use the brew method that best suits your time and taste. Will it be a jaw dropping superb macchiato? No, but it will still be an enjoyable experience. If you set the bar at beating our Starbucks or Peet’s you’ve got an easy road ahead.

Find a great local roaster, talk to him or her, explore. Buy fresh roasted beans from them, let ‘em breathe for about a week (don’t touch them), then commence grinding them daily to meet your needs and freeze when not in use. Once they’ve reached peak flavor freezing will stop any further off-gassing that will start to deteriorate their flavor.

Do not buy ground beans or anything undated or roasted >10 days ago - use within minutes of grinding - and your world will be a better place.

**mntlion** · 12-02-2019, 12:50 PM

order of importance

1) fresh beans
2) beans you like the taste of
3) grinder
4) machine.

**rod9301** · 12-02-2019, 01:15 PM

I've been using a isomac machine for 10 years, then i moved to France and got a cheaper lelit.

1. Grinder is really important.
2. Pid is needed
3. Pre infusion is needed

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**mattig** · 12-02-2019, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Ok, I think you guys have talked me out of the home espresso game. Too much money and time to invest. I don't need another hobby to obsess over.

Honestly, once it's all dialed in, it's pretty much set it and forget it. I never measure anything anymore and never tweak temps or pre-infusion time. Total ritual is 2 minutes out of my morning, tops.

The first few months were definitely a rabbit hole though.

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**XXX-er** · 12-02-2019, 03:25 PM

I've had a Capresso (Jura) infinity 560 burr grinder for about 7 yrs, pretty cheap at just over 100$ and they get a pretty good rating

Its worked so well I got another one for an xmas present to my GF... so I can use it

**jackattack** · 12-02-2019, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by shroom

i ended up buying a de’longhi magnifica. high end of what i wanted to spend, but drinking a lot of nice lattes. would recommend.

Which model? There are MANY. Some good prices today for cyber-monday. If I get something it has to be automatic, so my wife will use it. I can't even get her to use the Aeropress and she spends about $5 daily on shit espresso at the hospital. I think it would pay for itself in about 6 months.

**rod9301** · 12-03-2019, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Which model? There are MANY. Some good prices today for cyber-monday. If I get something it has to be automatic, so my wife will use it. I can't even get her to use the Aeropress and she spends about $5 daily on shit espresso at the hospital. I think it would pay for itself in about 6 months.

Hard to get a good ristreto in an automatic.
I had an expensive jura, and couldn't adjust it to pour a short shot in longer than 9 seconds. A good ristreto should pour in 15-35 seconds.
Called them and: it's how it is.

The issue is the grinder, not enough adjustability.

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**jm2e** · 12-03-2019, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Which model? There are MANY. Some good prices today for cyber-monday. If I get something it has to be automatic, so my wife will use it. I can't even get her to use the Aeropress and she spends about $5 daily on shit espresso at the hospital. I think it would pay for itself in about 6 months.

This is what your wife wants:

Nespresso Citiz
+
Breville Milk Cafe

She doesn’t want a hobby, she wants something as good as or better than the coffe cart at the hospital.

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**jackattack** · 12-03-2019, 09:24 AM

But I don’t.

**shroom** · 12-03-2019, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Which model? There are MANY. Some good prices today for cyber-monday. If I get something it has to be automatic, so my wife will use it. I can't even get her to use the Aeropress and she spends about $5 daily on shit espresso at the hospital. I think it would pay for itself in about 6 months.

it is pretty overwhelming to parse model detail. i watched returns and whatnot for a few months but ended up grabbing this new DELONGHI ESAM3300 Super Automatic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N2YKQ0...p_mob_ap_share

**retirwntm** · 12-03-2019, 09:50 AM

Espresso and good coffee has the potential to become a total wormhole. It reminds me of climbing in some ways, wine in others.

If you really want you can spend more time than you have getting into the details and really Geeking Out about it which is pretty awesome.

If you just want to get a set up and get yourself moving to the point of being convenient and still making better drinks than you would get if you had to go to a shop (at least a second wave shop) it’s pretty manageable and not crazy expensive.

We used to live within walking distance of a great shop (the shop, providence, RI) that I would visit as often as reasonable even though I was paying $5-6 a drink. Now I live in the burbs and my set up is a survival mechanism.

That’s what makes me happy right now based on my set up above. if at some point later in my life I can fully geek out and get really involved that sounds pretty fun to me then.

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**old goat** · 12-03-2019, 10:36 AM

I find it amusing that the same forum that consistently makes fun of people with DPS skis can talk about $1000+ espresso makers.

**PNWbrit** · 12-03-2019, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by jackattack

Which model?

Used to get these for nearly free from a friend who was a big muck·et·y-muck at Starbucks HQ.

Have a 3300 at home which I prefer for it's adjustabilty over the 3500?(?) at our cabin.

I don't own any DPS skis.

**zion zig zag** · 12-03-2019, 12:13 PM

I hit the 'BREW' and 'STRONG' buttons on my Mr. Coffee this morning after grinding and loading the beans last night. Even in my early morning haze, I felt smug and happy, at the time and money I had just saved.

**old goat** · 12-03-2019, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I hit the 'BREW' and 'STRONG' buttons on my Mr. Coffee this morning after grinding and loading the beans last night. Even in my early morning haze, I felt smug and happy, at the time and money I had just saved.

If you've decided you don't want an espresso machine, why are you still here?

I just got a Breville Bambino Plus for $100 off at W-S (brick and mortar, that price is not online), to replace my leaking Solis. Haven't tried it yet. BTW, pricing on espresso machines seems to be a lot like skis--a manufacturer's price that no one actually pays and a heavily discounted price that is the same everywhere you look on line. Or like hospital bills, but only if you have good insurance.

**zion zig zag** · 12-03-2019, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by old goat

If you've decided you don't want an espresso machine, why are you still here?

Because apparently, it's as easy to push your buttons as those on a Mr. Coffee

**XXX-er** · 12-03-2019, 01:14 PM

I've got a Racillio Sylvia/ capresso infinity at home and a breville roma and capresso grinder at GF's place,

so its very possible to spend < 300$ for the burr grinder & ok espresso machine

The cheap bean choppers as opposed to the burr grinder will make inconsistant dust/ chunks that will plug up a porta filter

actualy the new grinder is not quite at GF's yet but its wrapped up to go under the tree, she said this thing is a POS I gotta get a better grinder tomorrow

so I said wait and see if maybe santa brings you a burr grinder ?

**PNWbrit** · 12-03-2019, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

she said this thing is a POS I gotta get a better grinder tomorrow

You sure she was talking about coffee?

**XXX-er** · 12-03-2019, 02:57 PM

This isnt really much of a comment to try for the witty comeback

I just try to be stiff enough

**retirwntm** · 12-13-2019, 11:50 AM

My portafilter in my gaggia classic almost always has water on top of the used coffee grounds puck when I take it out to clean it after the espresso shot is made.

Anyone have any thoughts or had same issue or has any idea to remedy?

I’ve tried to change the grind settings and if it’s ground too fine it clogs. If it’s too coarse if basically spits out brown water. So I think I’m in the right place or close to it with grind settings.

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**plugboots** · 12-13-2019, 11:52 AM

Have you Dezcal’d it?

**retirwntm** · 12-13-2019, 12:02 PM

Yes, about a month ago I back flushed it and then took it apart up to the shower head and soaked it in their branded tabs. The shower head was pretty gross and I was convinced that would have sorted out the issue. Nope.

According to gaggia customer service they told me I really didn’t need to run the decalcifier liquid through the machine itself since I only use bottled water. There was a test they had me do with the part that regulates pressure with the solenoid valve and that seemed fine as well (no calcium deposits).

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