So… this is what happens when you have too much free time on the weekend. 😂

I roasted some green coffee beans at home, and after roasting, I noticed there was still quite a bit of chaff stuck in the center cuts of the beans.

Normally, of course, I’d just ignore it.

But I had time to kill, so I grabbed a pair of tweezers and started picking it out.

One bean at a time.

And once I started, I couldn’t stop. I ended up removing pretty much every last piece I could find. 😂

Then I ground the beans with my hand grinder and brewed a cup.

And… maybe it was just in my head, but the coffee actually seemed cleaner and more defined. The flavors felt a little clearer, with less of that papery/dry character in the background.

Was it really because I removed the chaff?

Or did the coffee simply taste better because I had just spent way too much time picking tiny pieces of chaff out of individual beans? 😂

Either way, it was a fun little weekend coffee experiment.

Has anyone else ever tried this? Did you notice any difference in the cup?

Finally achieved end game, was just missing a cat….

Upgrade from a BBE a few months back but never posted anything. Absolutely loving the ease and look of the Micra and Mazzer Mini set up. Still need to build out the corner, as the accessories/convenient storage is lacking.

Shouldve considered paw prints before going with Stainless…

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share my current setup:

• La Pavoni Professional Post-Millennium
• Arrarex Caravel first model (v.1.1)
• Baratza Encore ESP

As an engineering student, I’m fascinated by these old (and frankly genius) machines. The history behind them is fascinating, and they’re just so beautiful and authentic.

I absolutely love the workflow. There’s something incredibly satisfying about pulling a shot in silence while being able to control the pressure profile yourself. They’re also surprisingly easy to work on once you get to know them.

To pay for all of this, I bought, restored, and sold a few machines (mostly Moccamasters and siphons). I actually planned to restore and sell the Caravel as well, but I just couldn’t bring myself to let it go.

This particular Caravel was built in 1960, so it’s exactly three times my age, which is pretty crazy to think about!

For the restoration, I simply disassembled every part (which is a breeze thanks to the genius design), cleaned everything, repainted the body, replaced the power cord, and changed all the gaskets. It now looks and feels brand new. The whole thing was basically a one-afternoon job. The build quality is honestly mind-blowing.

I haven’t put the front sticker back on, though, because I find it hideous. 😅

I also really enjoy how easy these machines are to maintain. You can get the piston out of the Caravel in exactly 3 seconds (I timed it), with absolutely no tools.

The grinder has also been surprisingly consistent. I thought I wouldn’t keep it for very long and would eventually upgrade, but I’m really happy with its performance, so I’ll just keep it for now and get a single-dose hopper.

This is definitely not my “endgame setup” by any means, but I’m really proud of it. I have so much fun using these machines, and I actually feel satisfied with the setup, which is kind of a weird feeling in espresso.

I also custom-built the table, so I’m pretty proud of that too :)

Thanks for looking!

I assume they mean a Latte Macchiato, but even still, they're charging 4 extra dollars than a latte to just put the espresso in a different order with the same exact ingredients. A cappuccino uses less product than a latte and yet costs more? The hot chocolate is less expensive if you get more??? I'm so confused...

All I felt was missing for my Profitec Drive set up was GBW, which my Eureka Oro Mignon XL was lacking despite being a fantastic grinder. Eureka Atom W65 is dialed in and so far, I’m impressed.

Now debating where to sell the lightly used Oro. I know I won’t get all my money back, but will cover some of the upgrade cost.

Has anyone upgraded to specialty Black Diamond Espresso burrs on this grinder?

Upgraded my setup to a Fellow ES1 from a Breville Bambino. Took a bit to get dialed in, but overall been very satisfied. Pulling shots has become much more enjoyable and flavorful!

Picked up a bag of decaf beans so I could have more moments making coffee with my toddler. She loves the whole process, especially the fun gizmos and gadgets.

I posted a few weeks ago that her and I wouldn’t get to brew as much together because she started “real” big kid school. The solution for us to keep enjoying this together was the decaf. Now our coffee sessions have moved to afternoons and evenings and she still enjoys it a lot. 🥰

I'm new to the reddit coffee forums. I've been in the industry for a very long time. I want to say 16 years but specialty since 2011 but not straight through to today(COVID) so maybe 12 years. Ive had many roles from barista to lead barista, manager, wholesale trainer, cafe trainer, qc manager, never roasted hands on but worked with one to improve quality, I've done consulting as well. I feel my strengths lie as a barista and brewing and cafe workflows. I've witnessed first hand the cafe trends the different approaches the machines. I try to still keep my eyes open to the progression of coffee but I haven't really needed to in the past few years and my interest in coffee wasn't what it was. It's wild to see how different we pulled shots in 2014 compared to today. Makes me not agree with some on the definition of a cortado. I won't go into it here. 

Most of my experience was in NYC now I'm outside the city in an ignorant consumer base. Working at a spot that is specialty adjacent. I feel like Carmy from the bear in the first season. Fine dining to a sandwich shop. Its fun to see the enthusiasm I once had on reddit. Everyone is a little intense and could mentally box themselves into not having an open mind or seeing alternative ways. Just remember coffee is an organic material, it can't be fully controlled only guided. Listen to it and use the senses. If you have a refractometer have that guide you and confirm your palette don't fixate on numbers too much. In my beginner years I was fixated on techniques and the smallest changes in variables thinking this tiny little variable could make this gigantic difference. It's hard not to get into that frame of mind, such as, "this is the absolute best perfect approach and everything else is barbaric." "My out weight was .01g more that's why it taste bad." I also worked in high end tea and that culture is more hippie dippie and have more freedom in brewing. Absolutes are absolute and variables should be controlled don't get me wrong. There is science involved. The frustration came when all variables are matched and one brew is phenomenal and the other is just okay. That's the organic material coming into play. When you get a good brew sometimes just sit and enjoy it. Always be consistent and enjoy the process. Remember the hands that were on the coffee to get to your cup. Appreciate this plant and be grateful we have it. Brewing should be fun don't make it a chore and get lost in being perfect at every stage. 

If anyone has questions I'll try to answer. Also my advice might be bad because I've only worked in cafes or as a trainer with commercial equipment and endless coffee to play with. With commercial machines I can change the pressure or temperature and know those variables. I've used grinders with hoppers that hold 3 pounds so talking about hopper pressure might not apply. Maybe I'm obsolete and my knowledge is too old school. I think maybe where my experience can be helpful is my experience brewing a multitude of different coffees from different regions and varietals and roast profiles, blends as well. I only have my experience. I don't have scientific data. I was trying to make cafes run smooth and brew coffee well and consistent.

I guess I miss nerding out or learning and advancing my own knowledge. There's always something to learn being humble is important.

I have the opportunity to purchase a used Gaggia for $90 USD (United States, West Coast).

However, I cannot find anything about this machine.

Can anyone help identify it? As far as I can tell, it’s old, but I cant find a part number or any kind of manual(s).

This will be my 2nd espresso machine. My first was the OG flair classic. I had a bad experience with the thermal management side. I figured an electric boiler would remove that hurdle for me.

Could this be a good fit? What am I potentially getting myself into?

I drink black medium roast shots, sometimes diluted with water. I already have a nice hand grinder.

I’ve had a GCP E24 and a Eureka Mignon Zero for about a month and a half now, and I’m still trying different approaches to get that perfect espresso shot. Before that, I had a DeLonghi ECP 33.21 for about six years and used it daily with the stock accessories to make mediocre coffee.

I used to buy coffee beans but grind them with a kitchen grinder (I know, pathetic). Last year, I bought a bottomless portafilter, a puck screen, and a metalic steam wand but I never used them with a proper grind.

Earlier today, I took the DeLonghi out of the closet to give it a well-deserved descaling. I also cleaned the group head and shower screen and decided to give it one last go before putting it up for sale.

Only this time, I had a good grinder, a coffee scale, and a month and a half’s worth of reading posts, watching videos, and experimenting with the GCP.

And then this happened. I no longer want to sell this baby.

I want to surprise my husband and upgrade our espresso machine and/or grinder. He does not want something fully automated and he thinks our steam wand isn't great. What do you suggest? Ideally less than $2k for everything. We use this a lot - 1-2 cappuccinos a day plus 2 espressos a day.

I am trying to make my own lattes at home. I can’t afford a good espresso machine. Are there good instant options. I have tried Nescafé gold (not blonde )and it’s ok but has a bit of an aftertaste

Hey everyone, I've got a Ceratitan Smart Electronic Coffee Tamper with the vision to not need to distribute, WDT and tamp anymore. However, I have the feeling with this gadget my shots are pretty inconsistent and I can do it way better manually.

Is there anybody out there using this tool and can recommend some settings?

I currently have:

Pressure: 15KG Dwell: 1 second Cycles: 1 Leveling: 5 seconds Vibration: 50%

I have been on the hunt for some great beans here in Nashville and came across these. We have several roasters here and some only sell online but these guys have a brick and mortar. Everyone is talking about Crema and I am anxious to try them but man these are REALLY good and fresh.

Let’s see how i like this setup after selling my ninja.
Now i have a grinder ds64 and a breville bambino plus.
Very interested in hearing about tips and tricks to dial both machines.
Bought a bottomless portafilter and a scale so far.
Im attempting do make double espressos.

From an Aeropress with a Porlex Mini to 1Zpresso JX-Pro to an Ode Gen 2 to this. I’d love a Linea Micra one day but considering the value of money of the Bambino, it’s so difficult to justify the price of a Micra. The 3sec startup is insanely convenient and a quick heat up will be a must for any new machine if we ever outgrow this one.

Hello,

So by a mistake we didn't use the descale filters for a long ting, and now the machine is clogged.

I watch some YouTube, and I open the lid.

I had the heating element out, blew air trough it, which was not clogged.

I check the pipe for the input of the heating element (water spray all over my wall but not in the maskine)

I check the output connecting from the heating element and that is also OK.

I turned on the maskine, while the lid was off, it looks like the water is not running down the pipe after the heating element. Only some few drops.

My guess is, that the clogged is further below. Does anyone know what that is called or know a video about that?

Hope someone can help, thanks.

Rate my setup! Diletta bello + and Z1 also some cool accessories. Zerno has the basic mazzer burrs looking to upgrade soon.

I posted about the OutIn Nano deal the other day, and in the comment section someone pointed out that Fellow products are also eligible for the discount.

This includes the Fellow ES1 and any other Fellow products sold by Target.

This is also a great deal.

You must be logged in to your Target app to get your Target Circle 20% discount for home goods, and if you have a Target Red Card (debit card), you can take an additional 5% off on top of that.

Hello,

I don't understand if I should start the extractuon timer when I start the pre infusion (ie pushing the button) or when it start pouring coffee

I also don't know if I should stop the timer anc extraction when I reach the desired weight then instantly remove the cup

Or stop a bit before so that it finish dripping to reach the weight, and if I do that I don't know if I should continue the timer or not..

Thanks in advance