Coffee Appreciation

I found that Niche Zero+the Gaggia version of the La Pavoni lever machine knocked out reliably nice espresso more easily than my new combination of Linea Mini and Niche Duo.

I also used my Gaggia 105 heavily for a decade and as long as you refresh the gaskets periodically it just motors on.

As a fellow G105 owner, I find this incredibly interesting. Always envied the 'consistency' of fancy semi-autos to do good coffee every time whereas I have to focus (and have a bit of luck) to get the most from the lever.

With the lever I could make basically the same espresso every time I used the machine- albeit the second one was always the first “proper” one if that makes sense.

The Mini is very sensitive to how you distribute the grounds and how you tamp, you can get an easy 10 second variable from those two on extraction time.

The naked portafilter also makes the presence (or not) of channeling very apparent.

Haha, I feel you on the 'second one'.

My aeropress is misbehaving. I put the coffee and the water in. Start to plunge and there is a lot more resistance that normal. I find I’m pushing with my considerable weight and might. And it’s still very resistant. I’ve given it a good clean, my grind and beans are the same. So I’m stumped.

Tried it with just hot water to see if the higher resistance persists? Not sure what the preferred method is, but giving the plunger a deep clean would be my first port of call

Anyone got an Ikawa coffee roaster?

I have the La Pavoni Europiccola - pulling an empty shot when it comes up to temperature seems to solve the first shot problem. I think it likes to have the grouphead primed with hot water before you start.

Yeah I’ve done a deep clean.

I’ll try with the water and see what happens.

I too pull an empty shot to clear it out, but the first drink always goes to the MiL 😂

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So after many hours of youtubeing it feels like I’d get more consistency out of a gaggia classic pro, but I worry with the old/modded ones I could end up with anything from a peach to a dog and while it looks like they are alomost infinitely sercivable, I wonder whether a new one is a safer bet…

I’ve found this one that is a bit over budget but comes with an intact warranty and an upgraded spring…

https://www.thehomebaristas.co.uk/coffeemachines/gaggia-classic-pro-with-9-bar-spring-for-prosumer-extraction

Is obviously then need another million things, most importantly a grinder which I don’t mind buying second hand as at least corrosion isn’t too much a factor, but that can all come with time…

List of things I think I’d need

• grinder
  
• Scales
  
• Naked portafilter
  
  
  

If you buy that machine, I’d buy some cheap scales to get you going. Eg

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134622620695
That’s what I use, as do a few others in the thread. Does the job.

You’ll manage with pre ground coffee for a while too (and it’ll give you a good point of reference once you do get a grinder, which is likely to be another outlay).

A cheap WDT for “stirring” the coffee grounds before tamping makes a big difference too.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185859117940

Add 18g 58mm ridge less VST basket to the list, I’d get one before I’d get a bottomless portafilter.
https://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/vst-filter-basket

Don’t know what tamper you get with that machine but a competition (58.4mm) is a nice addition too.
https://clumsygoat.co.uk/products/motta-competition-tamper-black-wooden-handle-58-4mm

Machine's in the shop this week, and absolutely loving the aeropress with the free half n half i was fortuitously given at the shop.
I usually drink black coffee cos I'm an adult but goddamn cream in coffee is delicious.

This is going to sound nuts, but are you using a different mug/cup/flask? I ask because if a try to use mine with the keep cup I got recently I can’t push it down as it makes a seal around the top. Then all of a sudden coffee sprays out of the edge and all over the place. TBH it took a couple of goes to work out what was happening. Just a thought.

This tamper (which I didn’t know existed) has made me want to measure my current tamper.

Measure your basket. How much slop is there when you’re tamping? There’s an annoying amount of “play” between my tamper and basket, still never bothered to upgrade my tamper mind - it has been on the list for a long time!

what grinder would be appropriate to pair with a moccamaster?

Wouldn’t your existing grinder be ok?

Ode V2?

The niche would be fine but this would be for another location. So contemplating drip coffee and a different grinder.

Ode is a good shout. Seems to be the best filter grinder at the price at the moment. Or a 2nd hand v1 if its a secondary setup?

In saying that I replaced my Virtuoso with a hand grinder and haven't looked back. 1zpresso K Max. The cups are excellent and it grinders pretty fast. I would have gotten the zp6 but it wasn't available (they told me it was discontinued and then re released it a few months later)

Ode seem to have durability problems tho. Seen quite a few reports of people killing them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sage-BCG820BSSUK-Smart-Grinder-Coffee/dp/B00P81AQUU?th=1

£180 smart grinder pro is working great for my same use case with the sage brewer.

https://proespresso.co.uk/products/rocket-espresso-boxer-single-group-compact-commercial-coffee-machine-price-includes-vat

One of these popped up on Facebook and is being sold by a friend of a friend.. someone reassure me that I’m being mental to even consider this, both for electrical works, compete overkill and plumbing reasons…

Buy immediately