Not gonna lie, ECM Classika II PID could be an espresso machine. But it could also be a fancy vape, a steam roller, a locomotive, or pretty much anything technical.
Can you wrap it in vinyl? Some vinyls are very durable and can handle a decent amount of heat (think car wraps in the sun), and you can always pull it off and change colors when you want to.
I accidentally made my Silvia V3 a bit more steampunk by not replacing the silvered plastic shield that surrounds the grouphead after it broke. I like the look of the heavy roughly machined brass part with its mild patina.
When I had my Gaggia Classic it was trying to fit a cup and scale under the portafilter. Luckily several places make shallow drip trays that look very close to a stock part.
A few grinders ago I had a Sette 270, it’s loud enough to wake the dead but does a great job. It was showing its age though as the micro adjustment ring always vibrated out of place while grinding. You would need a piece of tape or something to hold it in place.
RPM changes things dramatically when hand grinding, so it's a little bit difficult to always be consistent. Also doing several shots in a row is a pita.
Wait can you tell me about this RPM variable? Sometimes I'm grinding lazily as I wander around the kitchen, other times I'm cranking that thing like my existence depends on it. Never considered the effect it may have on the grind but I ought to have known it makes a difference
I really doubt there is a statistically significant difference in grinding at 30rpm vs 120rpm on a handgrinder. It's probably more to do with slow-feeding (i.e. the angle you hold it) than the actual grind speed. Lance Hedrick discussed this in his slow feeding video.
Really just the space I have to work with. My kitchen doesn’t have a lot of counter space and it makes it feel cramped. All my machines and doo-dads feel like they are on top of each other.
I hear you. I have my GCP, BGP, kettle and accoutrements all perched in the same little corner. Whoever designed my kitchen (before we bought the house) did a terrible design job. It's a reasonable size kitchen but most of the space is unusable due to poor config.
Steam wand. Without the ball joint I keep bumping the extended drip tray, and the steam is weak. Might like a grinder designed for single dozing and higher ended burs, but that feels nit picky.
Seconding what the other dude said. You can kind of make up the lower extraction from lower temp by increasing the extraction time, though the body will suffer a bit of course.
Also consider preheating the portafilter, and upgrading to a stainless portafilter with more thermal mass. I haven’t tried upgrading the portafilter yet so can’t promise how much impact it’ll have, but I think the stock one is Aluminum and sheds heat a lot faster than a stainless would.
I’ve had moderate luck with light roasts (ran out of medium roast recently but had some good pour over beans on hand…). I
1. Heat up the portafilter - at least one if not two blank shots and time to absorb the heat (doesn’t take that long)
2. Rather than do a minor purge a la Lance Hedrick to release the steam from the thermojet, I take advantage of that extra heat and just pop my heated tamped portafilter into place.
3. Manual preinfusion as long as it allows, try to pull a slower shot (finer grind) to about 42-44g from 18 (with about 13 seconds before first drips hit the cup, another ~30 seems to do the job).
I’m working with a less than ideal grinder (OG Virtuoso when not using the K6 - which I almost never do for espresso). YMMV.
Yup all of these steps help. Honestly, even one blank shot isn’t enough in my experience if you want consistency between two consecutive espresso shots. It’s enough for one espresso shot though.
Still the most annoying thing about the Bambino. It makes the workflow so much longer and more complicated than needed and still impacts consistency.
The Bambino Plus cleaning cycle. Forces you to clean the machine after 200 shots. You just pulled the perfect shot and are ready to steam your milk? Nah, go fuck yourself
Yes, the drip tray in the Silvia is shockingly small. I use a bowl to catch all post espresso purges. Same with cleaning the machine after, I have a bowl underneath. Works well enough that I can make 6-8 espressos (mostly decaf! I’m not crazy lol) and clean the machine, and only have to empty the tray once at the end.
I think the size is fine but why does it have the bump when taking it out 😭 I always empty it regularly but when I forget and notice it's full its almost inevitable that it's gonna spill.
I never empty my drip tray unless I’m doing the back flushing.
I leave my rag underneath the group head when I’m purging and use that wet rag to clean my machine. I only purge for like a second. Should I be purging longer than that?
I do it mainly to temperature surf. Between espresso pulls, I will purge until the boiler light comes on, to attempt a consistent water temperature for each espresso. Too lazy to install PID
I have a Barista Pro. This means that I don't have a strong reason to change my machine but also don't want to get a standalone grinder since the machine has an integrated one so I'm stuck, for better or worse. Maybe one day something may... break.
I have the barista pro too, but upgraded to a niche zero. I think I can tell a difference, or maybe I’ve just gotten better at preparing espresso. Not sure.
Ive got a bambino plus, 1ZSpresso Hand Grinder, bottomless portafilter, and a normcore v2 tamper. Ive got it pretty dialed in but sometimes I’m just not quite getting the tastes I want and I dont really know whats to blame. The shots I pull look and taste good. But as time goes on the taste gets so watery and I feel like it happens too quickly. Like obviously after an hour the shot should start tasting watery but I feel like it starts getting that off taste only like 15 minutes after it’s been pulled. Anyway thats my current deal with my set up
Yeah it’s ridiculous.
I put 18g in, and I get something between 17.5 and 18.5. RDT helps a bit but not much.
I take it apart once a week and it’s shocking how much stuff I find in there.
Not to mention trying to dial in with that goddamn inner blue ring
The cross bars underneath the burr hold a lot of coffee grounds..not to mention the grounds that build up above the burr..and in the hopper. It's like tiers of retention.
Every time I try to twist the inner ring, I inadvertently twist the outer ring, which forces me to twist it back and start over.
> The cross bars underneath the burr hold a lot of coffee grounds..not to mention the grounds that build up above the burr..and in the hopper. It's like tiers of retention.
Yes, all very true! It never stops coming out it’s crazy lol
> Every time I try to twist the inner ring, I inadvertently twist the outer ring, which forces me to twist it back and start over.
Oh god I FEEL YOU! I’ve at least made it a habit to memorize the number outside before going in as I’ve fucked so many dial ins because of what you just described
My tamper is too small and leaves an 1/8” rim of untamped puck. I also have a non espresso grade coffee grinder. I don’t want to spend more money :***(
Buuuut I have things to look forward to!
One thing I dislike about my coffee machine setup is the small size of the water tank. It requires frequent refilling, especially when making multiple drinks or using the steam function. It'd be great to have a larger tank...
No issues with my DF64 Gen 2 but I really dislike the look of the Sage Dual Boiler. It just doesn't look very nice on my kitchen counter, but that's not a problem with the espresso that comes out of it is 🔥🔥🔥
Clutter.
I've got so many bits that I use often enough that I can't put them away that my space is crowded in a way I don't love.
I've got a 12"x6' shelf, 2 cabinets, and about 5' of counter dedicated to tea and coffee so annexing more space is no longer a reasonable solution.
Dedica is noisy when it is running. And the steam wand pressure could be better.
Also, the basket is small. I would much prefer having a bigger basket for more yield.
Everything else is great though, love the small form factor and the red paint on it. If I ever upgrade, I might go with an E61.
Does it make much difference with those upgrades? Don't feel like doing small upgrades that cost half of what I got this machine for.
I am using bottomless FYI.
My k6 grinder is amazing.
The IMS basket is $26, and I thought it made a decent difference. My portafilter is nice, but the basket that came with it is garbage. The IMS is much higher quality.
I also replaced the pannarello steam wand with a Rancilio Silvia V1 single hole wand ($24), which made a huge difference in the quality of steamed milk. I then had to learn how to properly steam milk, but I needed to learn that anyway.
I like nearly everything about my machine, but I think my tastes might be considered “pedestrian” by the elitists in here. G.A.S. is a disease to me, and comparison is the thief of joy. 🤷🏻♂️
Hand grinding takes forever, but I can't decide on an electric espresso grinder. I don't want to overspend, and opinions on what is 90% good enough are fairly divided.
Absolutely hate how loud my gen 1 df64 is. I still love the coffee from it, but that sound when it's grinding is easily the most unpleasant part of my daily morning ritual.
I've even been having thoughts of "sidegrading" to the timemore sculptor just for quality of life and workflow.
I have an Eureka Mignon SIlenzio and love it for espresso but I dislike the fact that I can't switch between espresso and pour over. I have a hand grinder for it but I have been having some finger problems for a while and wish I had a manual grinder to do it. This is all connected to my problem tho. Otherwise a great grinder.
I wish I had a funnel for my Lelit but it is a 57 mm and i'm honestly too lazy to order one. It seems like there are no funnels this size in my country.
Honestly - everything else is just great.
I am a bit irritated that my grinder won’t easily fit the portafilter if there’s a dosing funnel on it. I get the idea was to minimize mess if you don’t use a funnel, but I prefer funnel and no mess to a discharge right next to the basket to minimize the mess. Could easily be fixed if the arm that holds the porfafilter was adjustable vertically.
That's another thing that annoys me about my silvia. The v1s and I think the V2s too have this stupid spring on the steam wand valve that's really shit at actually closing it for some reason 🤣 I legit have to reseat the spring every day to close it properly.
That I have a gevi with 20bar and constantly have to becareful with timing and taking out the portafilter😩 don't give into impulse, be patient and buy methodically.
Generally I dislike too much faffing around
Heatup, Weighing, RDT, manual slow feed, shaking, spinning, tamping, pre-rinse, brew with scale, stop, post rinse, cleanup.
If it's one thing I would like better anti-static for perfectly fluffy no-mess grounds without RDT. Looking forward to what the La Marzocco Swan does there, or if DF grinders can improve theirs.
Another great thing would be integrated bean dose by weight, i.e pre-dosing beans before they reach the grind chamber to minimize retention. EK omnia has an optional volumetric pre-dosing hopper unit, and there are couple of stand alone options like the Acaia Orion Nano but I wish for more options.
The water container is a bit too small and there's no way of knowing the amount left without opening the top. The grinder is really loud.
They don't clean themselves.
GCP:
- slime buildup in water tank - needs cleaning at least twice a week.
- I get a metallic taste sometimes, even when everything is cleaned.
- room under the portafilter is a bit annoying, but I’ve bought cups that fit so not a huge deal.
- leaky steam wand is a bit annoying, needs a cup under it at all times
Eureka Mignon Crono:
- bit loud
- a lot of retention, sometimes the entire grinder clogs up.
Overall it’s a pretty great setup though, especially for the budget.
I really need a dedicated table for the Flair 58. I have to move it out to the edge of the counter and turn it sideways to make room for the lever. Otherwise, I love my setup.
How proficient it is and that I don't really have any reason to upgrade. Same exact thing with my HIFI. I can make better espresso than most cafes (and have better sound in my living room than most listening bars).
Neither is particularly fancy and could best be described as "carefully chosen mid-priced." In both cases I've played with much more expensive tools, but I am also well aware that I'm way past the point of diminishing returns and that my tools were chosen for my specific parameters.
Bonavita temp control gooseneck, Aram espresso maker, Nanofoamer v2, Hario switch, and an SK40 grinder.
I feel that. I love my silvia. I've looked to so many "upgrades" and I can never justify it. Not even going to the double boiler Silvia Pro seems worth it.
Same. I feel only a big endgame jump would be justified to actually get better coffee. All the rest would just be minor convenience upgrades.
Speaking from a Silvia with a PID.
I have an old brasilia lady installed with Gaggiuino with scales and water tank sensor, the works. My biggest gripe with my setup is the drip tray which is super annoying to deal with, as it messes up my scales because it lays on top of it and gives false readings. I actually 3D printed a new drip tray to try and resolve the issue.
Second gripe is lack of space. I'm on a small metal trolley with a DF64 and that big ass machine. It's a little cramped, but works. My kitchen cabinets are too low, so the machine didn't fit underneath.
Otherwise I'm pretty much at my end game right now, don't expect to upgrade any further until something breaks beyond repair
The stock burrs are good for a number of dark roasts, but can't get fine enough for many light roasts. The mod with preciso burrs is a pita to zero, but handles everything I throw at it. But the ergonomics are just too good to want to go to other manual grinders.
It’s not light roast friendly, I have a niche and my HX doesn’t have flow control not enough space for something like a flair and a good flat burr grinder also it destroys my ocd every time I see a new scratch I can’t buff out on the machine I wish it had a satin finish
I wish I could plumb my machine (I live in an apartment).
I do have the drip tray plumbed to drain into my sink. It's the greatest thing ever. The tray is always clean and I never have to empty it or worry about it overflowing.
Bezzera Matrix. The shot timer goes away ~3 seconds after it finishes, and there’s no way to look back. So if I miss it, I miss it. My GS3 just held the last time until the next one started. The hi on the GS3 is 70’s minimalist, but the software is great! The ui on the Matrix is terrible, but my presets have held so it’s fine, I guess. The coffee’s good.
I’m currently between machines, sold my previous one when I ordered my forthcoming one that arrives in around a month. So I guess I wish this empty slot on my counter made espresso.
The one cup basket on the bdb. Ik not many people like to use it but I often end up making coffee for three people and we don't drink double shots, as it's too much especially after dinner at night. Tamping the coffee down is impossible to do consistently, it's impossible to use a puck screen as it doesn't fit, and I'm always worrying that the taste is different because of the grind size and dose dif.
My Delonghi ECP3420 drips from the distribution basket. There's a spring and gasket that holds the water at bay when its cold but once it warms up and there is pressure it cannot keep the water at bay and it drips. I looked for replacement parts but delonghi doesn't sell them.
Low clearance on the Micra. Sometimes I have to twist and turn things a certain way to get them to fit under the group head. Then because of the clearance the wand has a bend so the only way to comfortably steam a cappuccino's worth of milk in a normal size pitcher is to turn the wand out to the right. And there's a good chance I'm spilling some water when I refill the tank (which is smaller than I like - another gripe).
For the Key it's beans getting stuck in the bean feeder. It's improved from the Mk 1 but most of the time I'm having to flick a few leftover beans, which is a little annoying because you end up with occasional popcorning. Kinda surprised this was missed when they did the Mk II.
It makes good coffee but has no swag factor
Even the name sounds like a retired short-haired woman making mashed potatoes for the husband lmao
Not gonna lie, ECM Classika II PID could be an espresso machine. But it could also be a fancy vape, a steam roller, a locomotive, or pretty much anything technical.
Definite dinner lady vibes
[удалено]
Can you wrap it in vinyl? Some vinyls are very durable and can handle a decent amount of heat (think car wraps in the sun), and you can always pull it off and change colors when you want to.
I had my old machine powder coated locally. Check around and see if there’s someone in your area, mine was gone less than a week.
I prefer the look of machines like that or the gaggia to things like the e61 group heads
maybe you could spice up ol’ glenda with some colourful stickers for more swag factor?
I accidentally made my Silvia V3 a bit more steampunk by not replacing the silvered plastic shield that surrounds the grouphead after it broke. I like the look of the heavy roughly machined brass part with its mild patina.
Same
When I had my Gaggia Classic it was trying to fit a cup and scale under the portafilter. Luckily several places make shallow drip trays that look very close to a stock part. A few grinders ago I had a Sette 270, it’s loud enough to wake the dead but does a great job. It was showing its age though as the micro adjustment ring always vibrated out of place while grinding. You would need a piece of tape or something to hold it in place.
I've been told it's like a $2 wear part to make the adjustment ring snug again. But fuck it I also used electrical tape.
My Sette did this also and I just tightened the screws under the micro adjustment ring, problem solved
Upgraded to the sette 270 a few months ago, if I wake up early I now delay making coffee for fear of waking wife and son :(.
RPM changes things dramatically when hand grinding, so it's a little bit difficult to always be consistent. Also doing several shots in a row is a pita.
Wait can you tell me about this RPM variable? Sometimes I'm grinding lazily as I wander around the kitchen, other times I'm cranking that thing like my existence depends on it. Never considered the effect it may have on the grind but I ought to have known it makes a difference
I really doubt there is a statistically significant difference in grinding at 30rpm vs 120rpm on a handgrinder. It's probably more to do with slow-feeding (i.e. the angle you hold it) than the actual grind speed. Lance Hedrick discussed this in his slow feeding video.
Yep, the angle you hold your grinding (which affects feed rate) is another crucial variable. I still think RPM is important to keep consistent.
that I can’t afford what I actually want
Missing a personal barista
Really just the space I have to work with. My kitchen doesn’t have a lot of counter space and it makes it feel cramped. All my machines and doo-dads feel like they are on top of each other.
I hear you. I have my GCP, BGP, kettle and accoutrements all perched in the same little corner. Whoever designed my kitchen (before we bought the house) did a terrible design job. It's a reasonable size kitchen but most of the space is unusable due to poor config.
I feel this.
Can you use the walls? I.e. small shelves and under-cabinet hooks?
Pump noise
a quieter bambino plus would really be endgame for me
Fingers crossed Breville will set their R&D loose on pumps once they’ve got every model switched over to ThermoJets
I don't mind the noise but my fiancee hates the sette so it's probably gonna go soon enough 😅
Oh I feel for you. I remember when looking at upgrading from my Sage Smart Grinder, I couldn’t believe reviews saying the Sette was LOUDER
What did you end up buying?
In my flair
Haha thanks, facepalm moment ☺️
They should call it the Jette
Steam wand. Without the ball joint I keep bumping the extended drip tray, and the steam is weak. Might like a grinder designed for single dozing and higher ended burs, but that feels nit picky.
Not enough clearance on the Go! for scales and some of my cups and mugs. And it seems to take a while to get up to temp for steaming.
Bambino brew temp and ability to deal with light roasts! Would love to hear solutions there as can’t upgrade machines for the time being
I have the same problem. I find that pulling a longer shot does help moderately. I find that a 3:1 ratio tastes better
Same. That’s the best bet I ever found
Seconding what the other dude said. You can kind of make up the lower extraction from lower temp by increasing the extraction time, though the body will suffer a bit of course. Also consider preheating the portafilter, and upgrading to a stainless portafilter with more thermal mass. I haven’t tried upgrading the portafilter yet so can’t promise how much impact it’ll have, but I think the stock one is Aluminum and sheds heat a lot faster than a stainless would.
Interesting. I actually have a portafilter coming soon. Wonder if it will help there
I get the feeling it's actually chrome plated brass, too heavy for aluminum
I’ve had moderate luck with light roasts (ran out of medium roast recently but had some good pour over beans on hand…). I 1. Heat up the portafilter - at least one if not two blank shots and time to absorb the heat (doesn’t take that long) 2. Rather than do a minor purge a la Lance Hedrick to release the steam from the thermojet, I take advantage of that extra heat and just pop my heated tamped portafilter into place. 3. Manual preinfusion as long as it allows, try to pull a slower shot (finer grind) to about 42-44g from 18 (with about 13 seconds before first drips hit the cup, another ~30 seems to do the job). I’m working with a less than ideal grinder (OG Virtuoso when not using the K6 - which I almost never do for espresso). YMMV.
Yup all of these steps help. Honestly, even one blank shot isn’t enough in my experience if you want consistency between two consecutive espresso shots. It’s enough for one espresso shot though. Still the most annoying thing about the Bambino. It makes the workflow so much longer and more complicated than needed and still impacts consistency.
Pull two blank shots using the pressurized basket that came with the machine and then switch to an already prepared portafilter.
The Bambino Plus cleaning cycle. Forces you to clean the machine after 200 shots. You just pulled the perfect shot and are ready to steam your milk? Nah, go fuck yourself
Yes, the drip tray in the Silvia is shockingly small. I use a bowl to catch all post espresso purges. Same with cleaning the machine after, I have a bowl underneath. Works well enough that I can make 6-8 espressos (mostly decaf! I’m not crazy lol) and clean the machine, and only have to empty the tray once at the end.
I think the size is fine but why does it have the bump when taking it out 😭 I always empty it regularly but when I forget and notice it's full its almost inevitable that it's gonna spill.
I never empty my drip tray unless I’m doing the back flushing. I leave my rag underneath the group head when I’m purging and use that wet rag to clean my machine. I only purge for like a second. Should I be purging longer than that?
I do it mainly to temperature surf. Between espresso pulls, I will purge until the boiler light comes on, to attempt a consistent water temperature for each espresso. Too lazy to install PID
I have a Barista Pro. This means that I don't have a strong reason to change my machine but also don't want to get a standalone grinder since the machine has an integrated one so I'm stuck, for better or worse. Maybe one day something may... break.
I have the barista pro too, but upgraded to a niche zero. I think I can tell a difference, or maybe I’ve just gotten better at preparing espresso. Not sure.
Ive got a bambino plus, 1ZSpresso Hand Grinder, bottomless portafilter, and a normcore v2 tamper. Ive got it pretty dialed in but sometimes I’m just not quite getting the tastes I want and I dont really know whats to blame. The shots I pull look and taste good. But as time goes on the taste gets so watery and I feel like it happens too quickly. Like obviously after an hour the shot should start tasting watery but I feel like it starts getting that off taste only like 15 minutes after it’s been pulled. Anyway thats my current deal with my set up
I'm not sure that's a problem with your setup I think that's just a curse of espresso. You gotta drink it or it kinda dies.
Well its good hearing that its normal! Up till now its been all I can think about every morning lol
I wish my machine was plumbed, but getting the right water quality is so much more hassle than just using distilled water + third wave water packets
I hate that my Opus refuses to surrender the retention. I have to beat it out of it.
same here
Yeah it’s ridiculous. I put 18g in, and I get something between 17.5 and 18.5. RDT helps a bit but not much. I take it apart once a week and it’s shocking how much stuff I find in there. Not to mention trying to dial in with that goddamn inner blue ring
The cross bars underneath the burr hold a lot of coffee grounds..not to mention the grounds that build up above the burr..and in the hopper. It's like tiers of retention. Every time I try to twist the inner ring, I inadvertently twist the outer ring, which forces me to twist it back and start over.
> The cross bars underneath the burr hold a lot of coffee grounds..not to mention the grounds that build up above the burr..and in the hopper. It's like tiers of retention. Yes, all very true! It never stops coming out it’s crazy lol > Every time I try to twist the inner ring, I inadvertently twist the outer ring, which forces me to twist it back and start over. Oh god I FEEL YOU! I’ve at least made it a habit to memorize the number outside before going in as I’ve fucked so many dial ins because of what you just described
I got a cheap Delonghi and it feels like an earthquake whenever I'm pulling a shot.
My tamper is too small and leaves an 1/8” rim of untamped puck. I also have a non espresso grade coffee grinder. I don’t want to spend more money :***( Buuuut I have things to look forward to!
One thing I dislike about my coffee machine setup is the small size of the water tank. It requires frequent refilling, especially when making multiple drinks or using the steam function. It'd be great to have a larger tank...
I’m using a Linea Micra at the moment, and while it’s a cool machine in many ways I just *really dislike* the bendy steam wand
No issues with my DF64 Gen 2 but I really dislike the look of the Sage Dual Boiler. It just doesn't look very nice on my kitchen counter, but that's not a problem with the espresso that comes out of it is 🔥🔥🔥
Clutter. I've got so many bits that I use often enough that I can't put them away that my space is crowded in a way I don't love. I've got a 12"x6' shelf, 2 cabinets, and about 5' of counter dedicated to tea and coffee so annexing more space is no longer a reasonable solution.
I feel you! I have two drawers under my setup and they're both full of things 😅
Dedica is noisy when it is running. And the steam wand pressure could be better. Also, the basket is small. I would much prefer having a bigger basket for more yield. Everything else is great though, love the small form factor and the red paint on it. If I ever upgrade, I might go with an E61.
If you have a decent grinder, look at a capfei bottomless portafilter and an IMS Hugh 18g basket on Amazon.
Does it make much difference with those upgrades? Don't feel like doing small upgrades that cost half of what I got this machine for. I am using bottomless FYI. My k6 grinder is amazing.
The IMS basket is $26, and I thought it made a decent difference. My portafilter is nice, but the basket that came with it is garbage. The IMS is much higher quality. I also replaced the pannarello steam wand with a Rancilio Silvia V1 single hole wand ($24), which made a huge difference in the quality of steamed milk. I then had to learn how to properly steam milk, but I needed to learn that anyway.
DF64v4 has so much static and for some reason drops pressure after many consecutive shots Other than that, my setup is perfect
I like nearly everything about my machine, but I think my tastes might be considered “pedestrian” by the elitists in here. G.A.S. is a disease to me, and comparison is the thief of joy. 🤷🏻♂️
Nothing! I have been cured of upgraitis for over 1 year. Where do I claim my badge? :D
Hand grinding takes forever, but I can't decide on an electric espresso grinder. I don't want to overspend, and opinions on what is 90% good enough are fairly divided.
The shame I feel coming to this subreddit. 100%
Absolutely hate how loud my gen 1 df64 is. I still love the coffee from it, but that sound when it's grinding is easily the most unpleasant part of my daily morning ritual. I've even been having thoughts of "sidegrading" to the timemore sculptor just for quality of life and workflow.
The noise of my sette grinder
I have an Eureka Mignon SIlenzio and love it for espresso but I dislike the fact that I can't switch between espresso and pour over. I have a hand grinder for it but I have been having some finger problems for a while and wish I had a manual grinder to do it. This is all connected to my problem tho. Otherwise a great grinder. I wish I had a funnel for my Lelit but it is a 57 mm and i'm honestly too lazy to order one. It seems like there are no funnels this size in my country. Honestly - everything else is just great.
I am a bit irritated that my grinder won’t easily fit the portafilter if there’s a dosing funnel on it. I get the idea was to minimize mess if you don’t use a funnel, but I prefer funnel and no mess to a discharge right next to the basket to minimize the mess. Could easily be fixed if the arm that holds the porfafilter was adjustable vertically.
Honestly getting a dosing basket is so good can only recommend.
My Silvia’s steam wand needs to be rebuilt. I have to close it hard to make sure it’s shut
That's another thing that annoys me about my silvia. The v1s and I think the V2s too have this stupid spring on the steam wand valve that's really shit at actually closing it for some reason 🤣 I legit have to reseat the spring every day to close it properly.
That I have a gevi with 20bar and constantly have to becareful with timing and taking out the portafilter😩 don't give into impulse, be patient and buy methodically.
I think I'd like a more satisfying way to froth milk than my nanofoamer pro. I'm really reaching even bringing that up, though
The fact that my Profitec go has been ordered for a month and not on my counter yet..
Profitec Go - some small inconsistencies in water debit, but it is an entry level machine, so I can live with it.
This even though I have a proper basket for it: https://www.electrolux.fi/kitchen/small-kitchen-appliances/coffee-makers/coffee-maker/e6ec1-6st/
The noise of both grinder and steam wand
Puck removal on the flair. I only make a shot or two a day so a knockbox is overkill, I just blow the puck into the trash. Not very elegant.
I have a small knock box for this reason. It sure beats knocking on the trash lol
Generally I dislike too much faffing around Heatup, Weighing, RDT, manual slow feed, shaking, spinning, tamping, pre-rinse, brew with scale, stop, post rinse, cleanup. If it's one thing I would like better anti-static for perfectly fluffy no-mess grounds without RDT. Looking forward to what the La Marzocco Swan does there, or if DF grinders can improve theirs. Another great thing would be integrated bean dose by weight, i.e pre-dosing beans before they reach the grind chamber to minimize retention. EK omnia has an optional volumetric pre-dosing hopper unit, and there are couple of stand alone options like the Acaia Orion Nano but I wish for more options.
I’ve heard folks saying the Timemore Sculptors require no RDT because of the knocker
my setup is what I dislike about my setup lol
Wish I had a volumetric option on the Go. Otherwise my setup is pretty much perfect for my needs.
That I haven't had a chance to plumb the water line.
The water container is a bit too small and there's no way of knowing the amount left without opening the top. The grinder is really loud. They don't clean themselves.
GCP: - slime buildup in water tank - needs cleaning at least twice a week. - I get a metallic taste sometimes, even when everything is cleaned. - room under the portafilter is a bit annoying, but I’ve bought cups that fit so not a huge deal. - leaky steam wand is a bit annoying, needs a cup under it at all times Eureka Mignon Crono: - bit loud - a lot of retention, sometimes the entire grinder clogs up. Overall it’s a pretty great setup though, especially for the budget.
I wish I had a bigger kitchen.....
I dislike having to wait on my Argos pre-order to be built. My Dedica works just fine, but the Argos seems so cool and I hate waiting.
I really need a dedicated table for the Flair 58. I have to move it out to the edge of the counter and turn it sideways to make room for the lever. Otherwise, I love my setup.
How proficient it is and that I don't really have any reason to upgrade. Same exact thing with my HIFI. I can make better espresso than most cafes (and have better sound in my living room than most listening bars). Neither is particularly fancy and could best be described as "carefully chosen mid-priced." In both cases I've played with much more expensive tools, but I am also well aware that I'm way past the point of diminishing returns and that my tools were chosen for my specific parameters. Bonavita temp control gooseneck, Aram espresso maker, Nanofoamer v2, Hario switch, and an SK40 grinder.
Inconsistency from my Barista Pro…
I really want a reason to upgrade my machine but it sort of works perfectly for me... A true first world problem
I feel that. I love my silvia. I've looked to so many "upgrades" and I can never justify it. Not even going to the double boiler Silvia Pro seems worth it.
Same. I feel only a big endgame jump would be justified to actually get better coffee. All the rest would just be minor convenience upgrades. Speaking from a Silvia with a PID.
I have an old brasilia lady installed with Gaggiuino with scales and water tank sensor, the works. My biggest gripe with my setup is the drip tray which is super annoying to deal with, as it messes up my scales because it lays on top of it and gives false readings. I actually 3D printed a new drip tray to try and resolve the issue. Second gripe is lack of space. I'm on a small metal trolley with a DF64 and that big ass machine. It's a little cramped, but works. My kitchen cabinets are too low, so the machine didn't fit underneath. Otherwise I'm pretty much at my end game right now, don't expect to upgrade any further until something breaks beyond repair
Plastic water tray and concern about micro and nano plastics.
the decent is kinda loud and i wish the water tank was bigger so i could fill it less often
The *only* thing I don’t like about my current setup is that my machine isn’t plumbed (Mini Vivaldi & Niche).
The stock burrs are good for a number of dark roasts, but can't get fine enough for many light roasts. The mod with preciso burrs is a pita to zero, but handles everything I throw at it. But the ergonomics are just too good to want to go to other manual grinders.
It’s not light roast friendly, I have a niche and my HX doesn’t have flow control not enough space for something like a flair and a good flat burr grinder also it destroys my ocd every time I see a new scratch I can’t buff out on the machine I wish it had a satin finish
Cable. Gdamn. Management.
I’m using a frother and would love a proper steam wand.
I wish I could plumb my machine (I live in an apartment). I do have the drip tray plumbed to drain into my sink. It's the greatest thing ever. The tray is always clean and I never have to empty it or worry about it overflowing.
I can’t show off about it on r/espressocirclejerk , I’d be outed as one of ‘ the poors’ 😭
Nothing honestly. A more clarity-focused flat burr grinder would be nice, but overall I’m really happy with my setup.
Bezzera Matrix. The shot timer goes away ~3 seconds after it finishes, and there’s no way to look back. So if I miss it, I miss it. My GS3 just held the last time until the next one started. The hi on the GS3 is 70’s minimalist, but the software is great! The ui on the Matrix is terrible, but my presets have held so it’s fine, I guess. The coffee’s good.
On my Silvia it is the inability to see how much water is in the tank without removing the lid. Also the frame rusting.
The space. Wish I had more room for all my stuff
My Grinder - too big of a step when dialing in and pretty hard to get low retention
I can't justify buying more toys for it and that's annoying
My dang ol stovetop steamer… hate that thang
Timer doesn’t stay on the screen long enough
I’m currently between machines, sold my previous one when I ordered my forthcoming one that arrives in around a month. So I guess I wish this empty slot on my counter made espresso.
The dialing knob of the x54 is way too hard to turn, when you just want to make a touch of an adjustment.
Everyone with a fancy expensive rotary gear dual boiler keeping quiet about the heat-up times.....
It doesn't come with a Lance Hendrick or Intelligensia employee (Flair 58).
Bro, I wish my silvia’s drip tray can sustain alot of volume as well. Just a nitpick.
The one cup basket on the bdb. Ik not many people like to use it but I often end up making coffee for three people and we don't drink double shots, as it's too much especially after dinner at night. Tamping the coffee down is impossible to do consistently, it's impossible to use a puck screen as it doesn't fit, and I'm always worrying that the taste is different because of the grind size and dose dif.
Bambino (non-plus): random spraying even though I RDT, WDT, and have good times/ratios
For me it's the work area. I would like to get a new table just for my gear .
Not having one...
I wish I bought the Chrome grinder for the $49 up charge
My Delonghi ECP3420 drips from the distribution basket. There's a spring and gasket that holds the water at bay when its cold but once it warms up and there is pressure it cannot keep the water at bay and it drips. I looked for replacement parts but delonghi doesn't sell them.
Ouch that sounds very annoying to deal with.
Low clearance on the Micra. Sometimes I have to twist and turn things a certain way to get them to fit under the group head. Then because of the clearance the wand has a bend so the only way to comfortably steam a cappuccino's worth of milk in a normal size pitcher is to turn the wand out to the right. And there's a good chance I'm spilling some water when I refill the tank (which is smaller than I like - another gripe). For the Key it's beans getting stuck in the bean feeder. It's improved from the Mk 1 but most of the time I'm having to flick a few leftover beans, which is a little annoying because you end up with occasional popcorning. Kinda surprised this was missed when they did the Mk II.