Coffee Appreciation

Does a pressurised basket count as espresso, or just a hot immersion brew with fake crema?

Genuine question rather than gatekeeping - I don't know whether it brews similarly.

I still have the pressurised thing that came with my Gaggia although I've never really used it: maybe I should compare it to the regular basket with coffee ground correctly for that, and find out.

I’m no expert, maybe more informed forumengers can chime in?

You're not going to stop the loss of volatile compounds to oxidation; you can increase brew time for sure but you are still going to get runny, one-dimensional-tasting black liquid, albeit not as watery given you have a longer brew time at least. Which then makes you wonder why you even bother with espresso when an aeropress will do?

What sort of a grinder am I looking for?

As a use case, I probably wouldn't want one that holds all the beans, as I like to flit between different roasts, decaf occasionally etc.

I have an older 1zpresso jx pro and am happy enough with it, but I only have one double per day and I’m the only one in the house that drinks coffee. If I wanted an electric grinder I’d probably go for a niche or timemore 064s

The Sage one @HatBeard is selling on previous page would be fine

Looks like I'm in the market for a new machine. Part of the portafilter holder on my dualit went flying off when I tried to make a shot this aft.
Thinking of moving into the real espresso world but in a 2nd hand style - Sage dou temp, Gaggia Classic? Rancilio? Or even a La Pavoni for the glamour? Looking to spend a couple of hundred max...

I've advertised a la pavoni on coffeeforums today if that's of any help!

i've not used it but it appears you can get single dose hopper upgrades for the smart grinder pro which would help swap between beans using single dosing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FusedLine-Silicone-Anti-Popcorning-Compatible-Breville/dp/B0B5D15HY4

I actually have a gaggia classic I’m looking to move on.

@Kalkhoff very temping. My heart says La Pavoni - whose wouldn't? My main concern is the stuff I've read about the overheating issues when trying to pull more than 2 shots. Is that a real thing? ..Oh, and getting 3rd degree burns when carelessly reaching to turn it off at the plug.

@Light_EDDed cool. my head is saying Classic would be more practical. More details, please- year, condition, any mods, price? Thanks.

La Pavoni owner here, overheating issues after many shots is indeed a thing. Can always put a damp cloth on the group after 2-3 shots if that's a concern. Can't imagine owning a different machine though! (My only other personal machine was a Gaggia Classic, great little machine to be fair)

No issues with getting burned though!

No burns in around 9 years of using La Pavonis. Overheating can happens when making multiple drinks, but you can buy a 'Bong Isolator' which helps to reduce the group from over heating. Steam for days as well.

I made the jump and never looked back. My daily has been a professional but been using a Europiccola for a while and no difference in output at all 😁

I've got a Gaggia Classic and a La Pavoni.

Classic is for consistent, easy espresso in the mornings before work (caveat: it's got a PID).
I get the La Pavoni out at the weekends.

You really can't go wrong with either.

Anyone tried this? (single dose hopper for Smart Grinder Pro)

One of the reasons I struggle with dialing in my shots is that even two back to back shots with the same grind and beans can taste different. I don't purge. So I'm wondering if retention is a problem and in the long run this is cheaper than throwing away grounds

There's some useful(?) looking ones on Etsy with a bellows to blow grinds though which looks like it would help.

Yeah I think that's the same company in the Amazon link above, but postage is £24 on Etsy for me

I always blow my Mazzer Super Jolly out with one of those rocket blowers after each use. The retention is surprisingly large (always noticeable after my wife has used the grinder and not blown it out after, a lot of retained grounds come out to the point which would surely affect the shot).

Midnight blue
Descaled weekly
No mods
2ish years
I’ve have two espressos a day just to give you an idea of the mileage.
I’d like £400 for it.

Cheers. I've decided to go La Pavoni. I maybe in touch when I discover I'm not up to the challenge...

Nice one! There's a few of us with Europiccolas here so feel free to reach out with any questions!

Don’t blame you la Pavoni is stunning

I have the Etsy single dose hopper for my Eureka Mignon Manual, it's perfect for my needs.

Thanks. My bikes run friction shifting, so it seems like the natural choice. I'm used to levers. Plus I've brought it from @Kalkhoff so I'm hoping for 24hr customer service.

Awesome, one thing I'd recommend if you're going to be making milk-based drinks, is to replace that steam wand tip with a single-hole one. I spent some time trying various options and came to the conclusion that an M6 acorn nut with a small hole drilled in it was the best option.

Aside from that and replacing the stock bakelite handles/boiler cap with some fancy wooden ones, I don't think I've done anything to mine outside of regular servicing.