Looking to upgrade my espresso and grinder setup and would like some advice from anyone who has made a similar jump.

Currently running a Turin Legato V2 with a Turin DF54. I feel like I’m starting to hit the limits of the setup and want to step up to something that gives me more consistency and, ultimately, a better overall espresso experience. I’d also like to improve the steaming power.

For the grinder, I’m interested in going GBW. I’ve been looking at the All Ground Sense, mainly because I like the ease of cleaning and overall design, and the Eureka Atom W65, which seems like it may be the better long term option for higher volume use. The mahlkonig have peaked my interest as well.

For anyone who has experience with either grinder, how do you like them? Are there any other grinders in that price range that you think would be a better choice?

I’m planning to keep my DF54, so I’ll still have a single dose grinder available. That makes me more interested in having the GBW grinder as my everyday workhorse.

On the espresso machine side, I’m really eyeing the La Marzocco Mini. It seems to be one of the best options, although obviously it’s a significant jump in cost. What I really like about it is its ability to handle pretty much any situation especially when I have family or friends over and need to crank out a bunch of drinks back to back.

My thought is to upgrade the grinder first, get comfortable with it, and then eventually move to the machine upgrade.
For anyone who has upgraded from a Turin/Legato setup, what route did you take? What made the biggest difference in your espresso experience?

Would love to hear any recommendations or things I should be considering before I pull the trigger.

I got this Breville dual boiler a few months ago as a gift, and I noticed my puck screens are ever so slightly dented in the centers of them. Is the screw on the group-head supposed to stick out like this on the BDB?

Picked up a free Nuova Simonelli Oscar II today, and it needed some serious TLC. The wand was working but the grouphead was so backed up so I ordered some new parts. Also needed a new tube since one bursted, see last pic. Luckily there is practically zero corrosion on the boiler.

Decided to paint the plastic panels a different color, hopefully I get the grouphead working and start using this as my daily!

Anyone have experience with this machine and have any tips to improving its longevity besides regular maintenance? Thanks

Chefman Crema Deluxe Double Boiler not dispensing from brew head, new out of the box. Help?

Title is the question.

I got myself a Chefman Crema Deluxe Espresso machine with the double/dual boiler, brand spanking new. Took it out of the box today (waited til my birthday to spoil myself), and immediately ran into issues. When selecting single or double, it will turn the pump on and off for 1 second, then turn back on and stay on, until it beeps 5 long beeps and the lights flash.

Before you tell me to remove the red plug on the bottom, I already did and the frothing wand works fantastic! Amazing steam pressure, perfect hot water temp.

Does anyone have any idea what to do? I can request a replacement, but I’d like it to work now, rather than wait another 3-4 days to enjoy a nice cup of coffee from home.

Thanks!

My Pro 300 has been acting strange the last few days. I affix my filled portafilter, turn the machine on and wait for it to come to temp. Then when I flip the brew switch, the pump comes on but... no espresso. I flip the brew switch off, remove the portafilter check my screen (clean) and switch the brew switch back to on - water like everything is normal... I have a portafilter pressure gauge and it reads the normal 10 bar when I have it installed and the brew switch on. The other weird detail I've noticed is that the machine never automatically fills the boiler anymore... I can run water through the machine without the portafilter on, but my reservoir just slowly goes down, as if it's pulling directly from there rather than the boiler. I've been using the same grinder at the same grind setting with the same 20g dosage for the last 2 months without any issue. I've removed the housing and checked my 3 way valve selonoid, but it seems fine. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I currently have been using Nespresso Creatista Plus for my espresso drinks for many yrs. But looking to step up my game.

I’ve been eyeing Breville Oracle Jet for a bit and now also thinking of Meraki gen2.

I want great espresso but also want quick when I want or if I feel like geeking out I can take time. So looking for an espresso that will give me both options. 3rd option that creeped up recently is fellow espresso.

Anyone who had used both can share experience?

Lastly, I see Meraki has a 30-day home trial. I am thinking of buying that 1st and seeing if it works out. I have used oracle jet at Williams Sanoma so pretty confident there. The Meraki has no retail presence. Anyone ever had issues with 30-day trial with them?

Hi all! I am beyond brand new but excited to now have a DeLonghi espresso machine (Dedica Duo) but haven’t been able to practice pulling shots much because my new grinder I was gifted is giving me problems. It is the RUI Mini E-Grinder.

I specifically wanted to have a grinder to grind fresh beans each time because I have heard that is best. My husband (reasonably) wants to see if I actually use this espresso machine and found this small compact and portable grinder as a good option for our small kitchen space for me to START with, and maybe upgrade grinders if I make a lot of lattes haha.

THE PROBLEM!! I have watched a video on this grinder, taken it apart twice and brushed all the spots of it free of grinds, and use the recommended < 18 grams of beans for each use. Yet, when I put it 14-17 grams of beans to grind it will only grind a VERY small portion and the rest stay whole beans. I have been trying to grind enough 4x now to pull a SINGLE shot today. I need help. I had a friend doing it with me and we do not know what could be going wrong. We have followed all directions and even correctly dialed down what looks to be the best grind it can offer (yesterday it ground them all but was too coarse).

For reference, I have attached a photo of what 15g ground beans looks like (except of course all 15g were not ground properly due to whatever malfunction is happening.)

Does anyone have any experience with this? I only got to pull 1 very bad shot yesterday when my grounds were too coarse 🥲

Setup is a breville bambino + breville smart grinder pro (outer setting 3 inner burr at 4, default inner burr is 6) im using a medium roast bean, Rancho Arriba coffee which is a single-origin Dominican coffee.

Im getting 36G in about 30 seconds (counting from press of button to start shot) out of 18g in so technically im the ok zone, but not sure if the flow looks right or should look slower.

Im sure puck prep is dialed, WDT, distribution, even tamper etc.

Should i be after that “honey like” consistency?

Hi all

Recently got a Breville dual boiler upgrading from my previous (15 year old) barista express. I’d love to get a new portafilter with a wooden handle but was hoping to get a hybrid one that can be bottomless but also screw on the double spout when needed.

Does anyone know of any such portafilters available? I’ve read it’s important to get Breville compatible 58mm filter and am having trouble finding one. I’m in Australia if it helps.

Thanks in advance!

Looking for a recommendation for an espresso machine in the US that is ideally under $650/$700. Could possibly go above budget during holiday sales so feel free to recommend up to $1,000. I drink iced lattes almost exclusively, sometimes just drink shots of espresso. Usually make 1 or 2 double shots per day. Doesn’t need to be a small machine, but also not something huge. Beginner level, but very willing to learn. Currently using a nespresso vertuo next and sick of the cost of the pods!

I'm not sure if the images are good enough but I'm trying to confirm whether or not this is a good wipe. The Mizen Omni burrs have a pretty wide flat outer edge and I got a little ham-fisted with the dry erase marker... Any insights?

Hey all,

I've been in the market for an espresso grinder ~$300 CAD, and have heard a fair amount of good things about the DF54. That being said, the Opus 2 was also recently released, and purports to solve many of the issues of the first generation. I haven't been able to find many comparisons of the two online, so I'd love to hear people's thoughts on which is a better choice for someone who almost exclusively drinks espresso. Any advice or other recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Already have a breville dual boiler, but saw an Elektra T1 super silent for sale at an estate sale near me. Unknown if in working condition and wouldn't be able to really find out until after purchase as it was removed from it's plumbing attachments, but presumably was previously in working order. Seemed intriguing to get essentially a commercial grade machine for $500 knowing it may take some time and several hundred to get it back up and running.

Any experience with this machine?

Gambling with house money or foolish money pit?

This may sound funny. Is it worth the extra money to get the Micra?

Did someone upgrade from an e61 to the Micra?

I make 2-4 cups of latte or cappuccino each day. Every now and then, I have a party that may exceed the regular 4 cups.

Currently have Breville Barista Express.

hello! I am working on making a little at home coffee set up and don’t know where to start with espresso machines. for context, I worked as a barista for over a year in a chain fast paced coffee shop so i do know how to maintain machines/use them, but i don’t know what to buy for my own set up. I’ve been looking at the breville bambino but know there are a lot of extra items needed to get a quality shot. any suggestions on most important equipment, anything i can add on down the road and save for my next paycheck, or things i absolutely have to have if i wanted to brew a solid shot today? open to any and all suggestions TIA!

​Hey guys,

​Came back from vacation to find my Mahlkönig X54 way off. While trying to recalibrate it, I ran into two issues:

​Clicking Sound: There's a dull clicking sound whenever I rotate the grind size scale.

​Mechanism Movement: With the lid removed, adjusting coarser moves the mechanism slightly to the left, and near the coarsest setting, it swings back to the right. I expected vertical (up/down) movement instead of sideways.

​Is this lateral movement normal for the X54's worm gear / adjustment mechanism, or is something misaligned? Any feedback would be appreciated!

Hello,

I have this delonghi dedica which has an issue with the steam wand… basically, when you shut the steam wand off, it still leaks steam. This is an issue because after I finish steaming the milk, every time I pull the jug away from the milk, the residual steam keeps going and makes a huge mess and froths up the milk.

I replaced the internal valve/switch but it’s annoyingly still doing it.

Not sure what to look at next! Could the OPV cause this behaviour?

As the title says, I have for example a Delonghi EC155 and I want to add a solenoid valve to it, along with further upgrades in the future. As I understand solenoid valves, I believe it’ll need some sort of relay that’s triggered by the pump switch being turned off? I have very rusty electronics knowledge so please let me know how possible this would in theory. I know space may be a limitation but am I oversimplifying the circuit?

Thanks!

Higher ratio timing

I have almost exclusively brewed a 1:2 ratio.

Recently i got some higher quality light roasts and have been dialing in longer/ higher ratios

My question is when Going for a 1:3 or 1:4 should I still be starting or looking for a 25 seconds 1:2 ratio. So a 1:4 would take about 50 seconds. Or is this a bad practice/place to start

We took the plunge and purchased a black SAGE Bambino paired with a DF54 grinder after using a Moka pot for a few years.

If you have this machine, any tips are welcome!

Found a Facebook marketplace Breville Barista Express for $75. But it needs a repair for the internal meter.

Is this worth it? Or is this repair going to be more than what this machine is worth?

Not sure the age of the machine or if there are any other issues..

Hello! I’m a new mom who’ll be going back to work soon. I’m looking for a way to make coffee at home (lattes, cortados, cappuccinos, iced coffee) without too much hassle. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of third-wave coffee; I prefer classic Italian-style coffee. I’m not looking to become a coffee geek, but I want an efficient system that will satisfy me for a few years. I have a budget of about $400. From what I’ve read here, I understand that I’m better off investing in a good grinder than a fancy machine? I’d prefer an electric grinder. What do you think of the Breville Bambino + Baratza Encore ESP combo? Thanks :D

Hello everyone,

I am having trouble finding the exact model number of the "new" quick release knobs that are compatible with the ESP. Are they the same as the quick release knobs for the ESP pro? Thank you

Is leaving the water chamber empty if you don’t make espresso often good or bad?

I make an espresso maybe once a week sometime once every two weeks.

Trying to figure out the best way to manage the water and what not to make sure the machine doesn’t get gross.

Should I leave the chamber empty without water? Or do I need to be replacing water daily and running a shot without actual coffee in it (unsure if this damages the machine or puts extra ware and tear on it)?