Coffee Appreciation

Was it the pink bolt or the little R on the side of the tamper or the principle of the thing? You might not want to look at this if it’s the latter.

Vibe pumps are a bit noisier and don’t tend to last as long (I’ve replaced a couple over the years) but they’re cheap and easy to replace.

The latter, and I need to learn some self-control. Definitely felt like it done a great job of attracting swarms of MAMILs on the weekends.

The rorary pump has more consistent and higher pressure, also you can plumb it in.

https://www.wholelattelove.com/blogs/comparisons/vibration-vs-rotary-shots

Having a dual boiler machine is nice but for one or two people using it at home you don't really need it, the second boiler is basically so you can use the steam wand without waiting for the pressure to build back up after pulling a shot or two.

Having a dual boiler machine is nice but for one or two people using it at home you don't really need it, the second boiler is basically so you can use the steam wand without waiting for the pressure to build back up after pulling a shot or two.

Not sure if it's due to the single-boiler or a machine-specific issue, but the Gaggia Classic tends to have issues producing steam pressure alongside pulling a regular shot right? It's been over a decade since I owned one but I recall that being a common complaint about them.

I wouldn't expect to be able to pull a shot at the same time as using a steam wand with a non-commercial machine, even a dual boiler one.

Why? They're completely independent systems in the same housing. I do it every day. It's not just so you can pull multiple shots one after the other, I've got a brew boiler PID controlled at 93 degrees which pulls a shot whilst I steam the milk from an entirely separate steam boiler which is PID controlled at 125 degrees. There's no interaction between the two boilers so I'm pouring steamed milk into an espresso the minute it's been pulled rather than letting it cool whilst I steam the milk...

It's just been my experience of using them. The second boiler for steam is usually much smaller than the main one so it runs out quicker, if you pull a couple of shots and do some steaming at the same time you'll soon need both refilling and heating up at the same time meaning they both go slower. Doing one shot and steaming at the same time might be fine and it's certainly better than a single boiler or heat exchange set up so if it works, fine, but I'd be shocked if you could do more than 2 shots in a row while steaming without losing pressure.

Fair enough - the minima has a 0.8l brew boiler and a 2.3l steam boiler. The rocket you suggested has a 1.8l boiler (for comparison).

I've done 4 back to back flat whites a couple of times with no issues. It really is very good.

Doesn't even touch the top end of my budget, and I love the look of it.

You should leave a little bit of room in the budget anyway, because you'll want to get a distribution tool, better basket and shower screen, a naked/bottomless portafilter, tamper mat, dosing funnel, knock box, a good scale, and maybe even a secondary tamper depending on the basket diameter.

I've been using the Lelit Mara X (post) for about 4+ months or so, and make about 2 to 5 milk drinks a day, everyday. (Lactofree milk keeps it happy...)
I have to admit the regreasing of the lever after a chemical backflush might be a pain point, so far I've backflushed (with puly-caff) only once and it didn't require any re-lubing yet... Got the Molykote lube ready in the drawer if needed though.

Ran out of coffee yesterday, so put in an order with yellow bourbon. Expecting to be without coffee until next week but look what turned up at 9.30 this morning.

@StevePeel you are an absolute legend sir.

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Same with us! Can't argue with NDD. Thanks YB! Our new grinder arrives today too.

No wukkas, enjoy :)

Depends on space I would really consider a Lelit Elizabeth. Will blow the Rancillio Pro out of the water for less ££££.

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/brands/lelit-elizabeth-pl91t.html

Looks pretty unassuming but it's a bit of a beast in terms of capabilities.

Depends if you want the shiny e61 look though.

Buuuuut you may well appreciate what the Decent Espresso machine has to offer. It's a significant cost but it's constantly upgraded, a bit like a Telsa - gets more capable the longer you own it.

Also, to be a total PITA if your machine is as nice as the ones you're looking at you'll want a nicer grinder to get the best out of it.

Super uncomfortable to use too!

For my 40th I treated myself to a Lelit Bianca. Slightly over your budget, but it’s absolutely amazing. Manual pressure profiling gives huge control and flexibility, the build quality is sublime. I honestly couldn’t recommend it more highly.

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/brands/lelit-bianca-dual-boiler-paddle-pl162t.html

This is what I was talking about that you can retrofit to the minima, if you're keen on flow profiling.

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/4573/s/lelit-bianca-flow-valve-kit/category/500/

Ah, interesting. I didn’t know that existed.

I have to say, when I first bought the machine I thought the paddle would be a bit of a gimmick, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I use it every shot. It allows a very slow pre infusion with the valve just open and then when the pressure in the basket hits 10 bar I open things up fully until the shot is 10g away from done and slowly reduce the pressure until target weight is achieved.

This is a really simple, repeatable profile that I’ve found makes a fantastic espresso with light roasts.

steam knob pin on my classic somehow jammed itself closed and wouldn't turn even with massive set of pliers on it. had been leaking from the wand for a while but I'd been making do with just keeping a jug under it. had also cracked the inside of the steam knob so it would work but wouldn't always grip properly and i finally swallowed my pride and spent a tenner on a part that should be about £4 tops.

£55 lighter and about 20 minutes of fiddling I was back up and running with a new steam tap, steam knob, no more leaking and I finally installed the replacement silvia steam wand arm that's been sitting in my parts bin for over a year.

so nice to have such a serviceable machine that something can be fixed as quickly as the part can be shipped out to me.

only thing I'm not sure about is I also found a 3 hole nut for the steam wand in my parts bin which I put on but now I can stretch the milk but cannot get the milk to spin, I assume it's a matter of practice but may end up changing it back very quickly if not.

only thing I'm not sure about is I also found a 3 hole nut for the steam wand in my parts bin which I put on but now I can stretch the milk but cannot get the milk to spin, I assume it's a matter of practice but may end up changing it back very quickly if not.

ok google tells me this was a step in the wrong direction. will be swapping that back tomorrow.

Yep, I tried that once.

That's cool, I was wondering how useful it is. The bianca is a rotary pump though right? I'm not sure how much of a benefit it would be on the minima - I already get a slower ramp up to 9 bar as the vibe pump gets up to full flow so kinda get that pre infusion by default. I don't get the ability to reduce the pressure towards the end of the shot like you do though.

Yeah, it’s rotary.

The dump tube on my Classic split. Odd. I replaced it with a 3k glossy carbon tube.

I blame this forum.

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Haha that's amazing!