espresso making mags?

[retirwntm]

Ok so this thing I get it. It’s pretty manual and austere.

https://majestycoffee.com/products/l...-machine-pc-16

So if I want to go big and truly classic is this the right call since I’ve already got the frother and hand grinder?


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[tgapp]

Ok so this thing I get it. It’s pretty manual and austere.

https://majestycoffee.com/products/l...-machine-pc-16

So if I want to go big and truly classic is this the right call since I’ve already got the frother and hand grinder?


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I'd get this one instead:

https://flairespresso.com/product/flair-58/

But yeah, same idea

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[bennymac]

Tgapp - work colleague visiting town here before heading back to big city. New grad from school now making good money. Wants to buy machine so is coming over to check out our profitec but since he is new to this he’s unclear how much he wants a double boiler and also unclear if he is the type to get into the minutiae of making espresso vs just making same shot every day.

Would the MaraX be where you’d steer him?

[tgapp]

Tgapp - work colleague visiting town here before heading back to big city. New grad from school now making good money. Wants to buy machine so is coming over to check out our profitec but since he is new to this he’s unclear how much he wants a double boiler and also unclear if he is the type to get into the minutiae of making espresso vs just making same shot every day.

Would the MaraX be where you’d steer him?

Yeah. Not to say that there aren't other great alternatives but it's just such a compelling machine. Plus he can always use it for a year, sell it for 85% of what he paid for it, and upgrade to a real DB if he feels the itch. I've now recommended it to three friends who run the gamut from doctors to new grads, and they all love it.

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[bennymac]

Cheers! Appreciate your advice and expertise.

[retirwntm]

MaraX may be no simple buy with all the supply constraints. All the places I went to have at least 3 month waits or just options for email notifications when available.

Tgapp-if that one in Canadalandia is still for sale and I can work out my connections there this is still a steal or at least a good deal? Why so?


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[tgapp]

1 - the exchange rate is great, roughly $1300 USD
2 - that machine has flow control already installed, making it on par with my machine (a bianca). truly god tier.
3 - they are including a well curated set of high end accessories. I would buy the saint Anthony tamp off of you, and maybe the distributor, or just keep them and never need to upgrade your tamp
4 - you can't really get that machine elsewhere
5 - the warranty is transferrable



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[retirwntm]

Damn. Now I have to prep myself for elation or extreme disappointment.

Seemed like a killer deal and now I think I understand better why. Still curious why he’d want to sell.

The remaining transferable warranty is longer than most US distributors which are one year.

Thanks so much for all the good info!


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[neufox47]

I'd get this one instead:

https://flairespresso.com/product/flair-58/

But yeah, same idea

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That is intriguing. I already use an electric tea kettle like 6 times a day.

[retirwntm]

Thank you for the input Comish. It sounds like it's been a fun 25 year journey! I've placed the order MaraX! 5% off. Seems fairly standard, but feels good to have secured! It's not in stock anywhere, so I am on the list. I am excited to head down this rabbit hole!!! I will have to go back and read this in better detail. Any online resources folks recommend to educate on becoming a pro here?

Did you get anywhere with being on the list? Any idea how long it takes, ETA? I may be on the front end of this process soon.


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[puma]

Did you get anywhere with being on the list? Any idea how long it takes, ETA? I may be on the front end of this process soon.


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We just recieved it a week ago. I placed the order near the end of May. Pushed delivery a week. So, about a 2 month wait.

This is our first machine. Loving it. Lattes for my wife. I sometimes have one, other times a small Americano. (Fairly strong, just some water to stretch it our for longer) 15 coffees in, I can safely say they are better than many Cafe bought, but still not top tier coffee shop. Trying to keep all variables the same and altering how much grind and also pressing a bit harder to form a better puck. I need to read up/watch some videos!

[neufox47]

You shouldn’t be pressing too hard. Tamp cannot fix a too course grind.


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[Doremite]

Yeah tamp pressure one of the lesser variables to fuss over. Grind and dosage should be of greater focus. Just make sure the grounds are evenly distributed in the portafilter prior to applying tamp pressure and be sure you leave the puck level. I’ve found this helpful:

https://www.amazon.com/Dailyart-Dist...a-767403869902

[retirwntm]

Thanks for checking back in, Puma.

I’m at the point now where it’s a matter of which machine and availability.

Lelit MaraX is first if I can get one by fall.
Expobar is on the list
The one I linked to is further down
Looking to spend around the MaraX price - $1500 or so?

I re-read the up thread comments. If anyone has other insights I’d appreciate them.

Also, I do have a Gaggia classic. It wasn’t pulling shots and diagnosis was the solenoid valve being blocked by something. I’ve flushed it and used lime scale remover. Then I tried to remove it to clean and ended up here:



One stripped M4 head that I cannot remove. If anyone has thoughts on that, appreciate them as well. Using an extractor soon last chance from what I can tell as what to do. Maybe final idea is to dremel out slots to see if a flat head SD can get some purchase.

FYI this could be a free to someone for cost of shipping item soon if anyone wants it and has the wherewithal to remove that bolt and rehab it.


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[tgapp]

We just recieved it a week ago. I placed the order near the end of May. Pushed delivery a week. So, about a 2 month wait.

This is our first machine. Loving it. Lattes for my wife. I sometimes have one, other times a small Americano. (Fairly strong, just some water to stretch it our for longer) 15 coffees in, I can safely say they are better than many Cafe bought, but still not top tier coffee shop. Trying to keep all variables the same and altering how much grind and also pressing a bit harder to form a better puck. I need to read up/watch some videos!

still - if you are "better than many cafes" after 15 pulls, that's pretty damn amazing. what kinda grinder did you get?

honestly, what it comes down to is good sourcing and good, fresh coffee (8 to 14 days off roast), and then figuring out a decent workflow. the workflow part isn't too hard; keep at it and you'll be there in a week or two at most.

check the coffee thread for some good recommendations on sourcing quality coffee.

[puma]

still - if you are "better than many cafes" after 15 pulls, that's pretty damn amazing. what kinda grinder did you get?

honestly, what it comes down to is good sourcing and good, fresh coffee (8 to 14 days off roast), and then figuring out a decent workflow. the workflow part isn't too hard; keep at it and you'll be there in a week or two at most.

check the coffee thread for some good recommendations on sourcing quality coffee.

I might be biased as it was a big investment, and I want to believe it's awesome, but yes, it's good! Thank you for your input. You led me to this machine! I'll check that thread out, but started with just a few test runs with cheap stuff, but immediately moved to what we consider is good coffee from Bend Oregon. (Backporch)

[old goat]

Thanks for checking back in, Puma.

I’m at the point now where it’s a matter of which machine and availability.

Lelit MaraX is first if I can get one by fall.
Expobar is on the list
The one I linked to is further down
Looking to spend around the MaraX price - $1500 or so?

I re-read the up thread comments. If anyone has other insights I’d appreciate them.

Also, I do have a Gaggia classic. It wasn’t pulling shots and diagnosis was the solenoid valve being blocked by something. I’ve flushed it and used lime scale remover. Then I tried to remove it to clean and ended up here:



One stripped M4 head that I cannot remove. If anyone has thoughts on that, appreciate them as well. Using an extractor soon last chance from what I can tell as what to do. Maybe final idea is to dremel out slots to see if a flat head SD can get some purchase.

FYI this could be a free to someone for cost of shipping item soon if anyone wants it and has the wherewithal to remove that bolt and rehab it.


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For god's sakes don't cut the red wire!. Or is it the blue? Or the white? No, it's the gray. I think.

[puma]

Yeah tamp pressure one of the lesser variables to fuss over. Grind and dosage should be of greater focus. Just make sure the grounds are evenly distributed in the portafilter prior to applying tamp pressure and be sure you leave the puck level. I’ve found this helpful:

https://www.amazon.com/Dailyart-Dist...a-767403869902

Thanks for the info. I have been shaking it a bit to level prior to tamping. Might checkout that leveler you linked.

I've really not researched it up to this point other than what I recalled from reading this thread over the last year. I've been weighing my beans. Not sure if the scale is perfectly calibrated, but been around 15grams. The tamp I started doing a bit harder because, in the beginning, I think I was way too soft. Basically, it would be kind of a mess after done and not tight in any way. With more pressure, when I knock it out, it's a puck, and not a mess of grinds. I am going to read\watch up. Then start adjusting variables one at a time. My goal is for my wife to finally confirm it is better than her very favorite coffee shops! It will be a fun journey, and perhaps I will never get that verbal reward...

[retirwntm]

For god's sakes don't cut the red wire!. Or is it the blue? Or the white? No, it's the gray. I think.

I cut them all. Should be fine.


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[Doremite]

Thanks for the info. I have been shaking it a bit to level prior to tamping. Might checkout that leveler you linked.

I've really not researched it up to this point other than what I recalled from reading this thread over the last year. I've been weighing my beans. Not sure if the scale is perfectly calibrated, but been around 15grams. The tamp I started doing a bit harder because, in the beginning, I think I was way too soft. Basically, it would be kind of a mess after done and not tight in any way. With more pressure, when I knock it out, it's a puck, and not a mess of grinds. I am going to read\watch up. Then start adjusting variables one at a time. My goal is for my wife to finally confirm it is better than her very favorite coffee shops! It will be a fun journey, and perhaps I will never get that verbal reward...

Only unsolicited advice I’d offer is to weigh the grounds. Depending on your grinder there could be a decent amount of retention causing noise in the amount of grounds in your basket. If you can get a consistent g weight in the basket you can set that variable steady and play w grind settings. If your dosage weight is fluctuating then dialing in the right extraction / grind will be a challenge. For example i shoot for 18g in and about 27-31g out with a 32-36 second extraction time. (Usually) All of this could fluctuate and still be great but the point is more so w a constant g weight in you can get much more consistent flow rate and extraction weights in the cup. Godspeed.

[tgapp]

Only unsolicited advice I’d offer is to weigh the grounds. Depending on your grinder there could be a decent amount of retention causing noise in the amount of grounds in your basket. If you can get a consistent g weight in the basket you can set that variable steady and play w grind settings. If your dosage weight is fluctuating then dialing in the right extraction / grind will be a challenge. For example i shoot for 18g in and about 27-31g out with a 32-36 second extraction time. (Usually) All of this could fluctuate and still be great but the point is more so w a constant g weight in you can get much more consistent flow rate and extraction weights in the cup. Godspeed.

this is great advice. one thing worth mentioning - the consistency of the puck after you finish pulling a shot is not indicative of anything. If the puck looks soupy after, it's usually because you underdosed the basket, and when the pressure is cut everything gets pulled up. If the puck looks solid (usually with the top of the screen imprinted on it) that's because the coffee didn't have enough room to expand fully and ended up getting pressed against the screen. Looking at pucks after pulling a shot is like reading tea leaves; unless the leaves clearly spell out something like "you have prostate cancer" I wouldn't put too much stock in them.

My additional unsolicited advice: always only change one thing at a time. So for the next 10 shots, keep basket weight within .5 grams dose weight (ideally within .1 gram), and only focus on grind size. Learn to pay attention to how the shot develops, specifically learning to look for signs of uneven extraction or over extraction (channeling/gushing/blonding).

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[Doremite]

Puma, you have a bottomless portafilter riiight??? Observe and feel the flow brother.

[puma]

Only unsolicited advice I’d offer is to weigh the grounds. Depending on your grinder there could be a decent amount of retention causing noise in the amount of grounds in your basket. If you can get a consistent g weight in the basket you can set that variable steady and play w grind settings. If your dosage weight is fluctuating then dialing in the right extraction / grind will be a challenge. For example i shoot for 18g in and about 27-31g out with a 32-36 second extraction time. (Usually) All of this could fluctuate and still be great but the point is more so w a constant g weight in you can get much more consistent flow rate and extraction weights in the cup. Godspeed.

Thanks. I've been keeping it at 15 grams for a while. I've actually not weighed after. Or have I timed the extraction. Major newbie here...Much to play with!

this is great advice. one thing worth mentioning - the consistency of the puck after you finish pulling a shot is not indicative of anything. If the puck looks soupy after, it's usually because you underdosed the basket, and when the pressure is cut everything gets pulled up. If the puck looks solid (usually with the top of the screen imprinted on it) that's because the coffee didn't have enough room to expand fully and ended up getting pressed against the screen. Looking at pucks after pulling a shot is like reading tea leaves; unless the leaves clearly spell out something like "you have prostate cancer" I wouldn't put too much stock in them.

My additional unsolicited advice: always only change one thing at a time. So for the next 10 shots, keep basket weight within .5 grams dose weight (ideally within .1 gram), and only focus on grind size. Learn to pay attention to how the shot develops, specifically learning to look for signs of uneven extraction or over extraction (channeling/gushing/blonding).

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Thanks for the feedback. I'll worry less about the appearance. I think my problem may have been too small a dose. My first few coffees I did not weigh, and once I started I was putting more like 12g in...Since then, been at 15.

Thanks for the advice. I've been keeping it at one variable change at a time. Perhaps it's impossible to say, but should I bump up to a bigger dose? Closer to 18g like mentioned above?

Puma, you have a bottomless portafilter riiight??? Observe and feel the flow brother.

Nope, I do not. Until now, I did not even know what they were. Looks like another purchase is needed. Looks useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHG1EWbrk9Q

[tgapp]

worry about dose weight after figuring out everything else. if you're using an 18g basket then my advice is to dose 17g but that's just me. underdosing makes it harder to distribute a puck but it gives the coffee more room to expand. still - fuck with this variable last.

get yourself a $2 dissection needle and learn how to do WDT: https://youtu.be/kJbQuGwNGMM . basically, just zoom around with a needle in the basket to bust any clumps before distributing and tamping.

next upgrade (and this is hands down the biggest upgrade you'll ever make to your machine) is getting a precision basket. this will complicate the learning curve a bit (you'll need to grind much finer, making the aforementioned needle zooming even more important). this is the best precision basket IMO - I would get the 20g version if it were me:

https://decentespresso.com/basket

for $25 it's a no brainer

finally, a bottomless portafilter is a really nice thing at any stage of this journey. not necessary, but it does give you a ton of insight into how the extraction is happening and whether or not you have problems with your distribution.

good luck, send me a note once you get shit dialed and I'll mail you some beans

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[Doremite]

Follow tgapp, he knows the way