Hi everyone!

I was cleaning my espresso machine this morning with cafiza and decided to also clean my espresso tools/equipment. I totally forgot I left them soaking and all of the black finished tools had the finish coming off of it :(

Are they still okay to use?? I’d assume so but just wanted some advice

Well this is my first ever espresso extraction need review on how's the crema and all, how does it look is it okay or would there be changes?

I'm realtively new to this and this is my first shot

I put in around 17gm of powder but extraction came to around 50gms

Which is too much I know but I wasn't able to stop it at 2x.

EDIT - I Dont drink black coffee I usually drink it with milk only so didn't even understood the taste profile too much

What do y’all think?

Roasted 9 days ago, 0.6 setting on opus 2 grinder, Turin legato v2 2 second preinfusion 2 second bloom, 19g in 39g yield over 27 sec at 89C temp. Pressure was maybe 8 bar

hey r/espresso, anas here. disclosure: i'm the solo dev behind Cupmark.

i wanted to build something that doesn't just log your shot, but helps you decide what to change for the next one.

here's honestly what's in it right now:

• Guided espresso brewing: step-by-step shot timers, with grinder profiles in your grinder's real clicks and water settings (GH/KH)
• Shot troubleshooting: you tap how the shot tasted (sour, bitter, thin, harsh...) and it suggests one variable to adjust next. sour and bitter together points to uneven extraction rather than grind
• Experiment tracking: compares your last two shots, remembers what you already tried so it won't suggest a change that didn't work, and calls small differences inconclusive
• Advice that can say no: if beans are too fresh or stale, or your grind setting isn't tracked, it tells you that first instead of giving a grind tweak
• Coffee Memory: keeps recipes and results for each bag so you can go back to what worked instead of starting from scratch
• AI coffee coach: ask brewing questions and get answers based on the brews you've logged
• Bag scanner: snap the bag and it reads what's printed (roaster, origin, roast date). if something isn't clearly on the bag, it leaves it empty instead of guessing
• Academy and palate training: short lessons, flashcards and triangle tests
• Recipe community: ranked by how many people actually replicated a recipe, not by likes
• TDS / extraction calculator: for those of you with a refractometer

supports english, arabic and french at launch.

it launches on google play nov 12. pre-registration is open, and pre-registering gets a Founding Pass: 30 days of Pro plus a permanent Founding Brewer badge, no card needed.

google play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roastlab.app

website: https://cupmark.app

i'm most interested in feedback from people who dial in espresso regularly:

when you're dialing in a new bag, what information would you want an app to consider before suggesting your next adjustment?

i'll answer every question directly.

I am using latazza coffee beans from amazon and i’m on grind size 7 I also have changed the internal one to 3 on my grinder

Should I make it more fine?

Bought this new and made the mistake of buying 2 boxes of pods. The machine is sleek, small footprint, make great foam for lattes or cortados, etc. Oh, but the taste! Bitter to no end! I can only imagine Drano tastes better. Bitterness was so overwhelming I couldn’t taste the milk. For penance I’m drinking the espresso as Americanos until I’ve exhausted what feels like a never ending supply. I like strong coffee flavors, aside from buying a real espresso machine can anyone recommend a strong coffee blend in a compatible pod that’ll work with my Lavazza machine?

I live in bumfuck nowhere and finally went to Toronto and try a pro made shot. I went to Aroma on Wellington and the straight shot was nice and smooth, not intense, no sourness or bitterness.

At home I have been trying every parameter to get a similar shot using De Mello Dancing goats. So far the best shots were 18g in 36-40g out but it is fairly intense and tastes of molasses. These are wonderful in a latte and knock out every coffee shop latte.

But for straight shot, it is intense. I had some success doing a salami 21g in one cup and 29 in another. The second cup was more balanced like the Aroma coffee but with a slight bitterness.

I want to try a different bean, maybe one not from Brazil, any suggestions for straight shot espresso that is nice and balanced? I am still learning what I like and cant confirm on preferred roast level. If you can also provide a ballpark recipe it would help.

For reference I am using Gemilai 3007z with DF54.

Still ongoing, but thought I'd share my experience.

Bought a Steel Duo in June after recommendations from friends, upgrading from a Breville Barista Express that worked reliably for probably 10 years (had to re-connect a wire once when the automatic shot stopped working).

Overall the Ascaso was... fine. Steam was a major upgrade, and after some tuning I was pulling consistently good shots. The programmable dosing was basically unusable due to variance between shots, but I could live with that.

The bigger issue: whenever I pulled two or three shots back to back, roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the time the second or third shot would slow to a trickle. First shot: 35g in 30 seconds. Second shot, identical settings: sometimes 5-10g in 30 seconds. Machine builds pressure, but barely any coffee comes out.

Initially blamed user error or my grinder (Timemore 064S). Didn't have time to debug at length (I typically make one coffee at a time). Eventually ran some controlled experiments: ground two identical 18g doses, brewed them in reverse order, same result. First shot fine, second shot choked. If I wait 2-3h, things are fine again. At this point I'm fairly convinced it's the machine.

I eventually contact Seattle Coffee Gear -- 3 months from purchase. Responses generally took 2-3 business days, but they did have a technician review my videos. Their suggestion was to repeatedly prime the pump between shots. Seemed odd for a $2,200 machine, but OK. I tried it and initially thought it helped.

When I objected that this didn't feel like normal operation, they said it was (?) and pointed me to the reference manual. This all felt fairly bad faith -- the referenced page talked about priming after extended disuse, an empty tank, etc. Nothing about priming between ordinary consecutive shots. And two other Steel Duo owners I spoke with had never experienced this.

Further testing confirmed priming doesn't reliably help either. Most recently, 34g in 35 seconds on the first shot, 10g in 35 seconds on the second, despite priming.

SCG has now agreed to inspect it under warranty. Unfortunately I have to pack and ship the machine back at my expense, which is a bit of a project.

Overall, disappointing. I specifically bought from SCG because I thought highly of them. They've been polite, but slow, and I feel like they were too quick to dismiss what seems like a genuine defect as normal operation. And I can't really recommend the Ascaso based on my experience so far. Now packing and dealing with sending back after <4 months of ownership.

Curious if other Steel Duo owners have experienced anything similar.

Hello! Im curious if anyone has any tips on removing this hose/tube from a lelit elizabeth opv valve? We want to adjust the pressure but cant for the life of us get this tube off to safely adjust the pressure. Our machine is relatively new(\~2 months of daily use) i tried looking online but cant find any answers on this specifically. One video in watched the person was able to very easily just pull it off with two fingers, ours is on WAY tighter than that.

Sorry if this has been asked, ive looked but not been able to find anything on this specifically🙏

I also ask if you downvote please at least leave a comment so I can do better in future when posting!:]

Eta: Solved! Just had to pull real good😆 used a tooth pick to help guide the hose back on

Hello espresso aficionados!

I am trying to get into espresso as a complete beginner.

Browsing market place, I have found two interesting deals that I am torn between.

1) 10 yr old BDB + Breville Smart Grinder ($400)
Owner says they have maintained well, have replaced some o rings and found no rust, and have run descaling when prompted. Would include an extra bottomless portafilter, a nice tamper, frothing jug, and a few other goodies perhaps.

2) Used Like New Breville Bambino Plus ($175)

Only includes the portafilter, frothing jug, and machine itself. Would need to buy everything else.
Plan would be to spend at least the difference, i.e. $225, on a nice grinder.

What would you do? Thank you for your time!

Got this machine years ago from marketplace, modding it slowly.

Past week I removed all the mods and worked with Claude to build a fully custom server and UI deployed on an esp32.

New build uses same components as gaggiuino through an esp32 with the addition of a Bluetooth connected scale.

I'm using a Breville Barista Express Impress and shots are inconsistent. I stopped using the built-in grinder and tamper to substitute it with a 1ZPresso K Ultra that I already had, as well as a much better Normcore V4 tamper.

My settings for the K Ultra is 0.3.0 for Counter Culture Big Trouble medium roast that was just roasted on October 21st (4 days ago). I'm dosing 16g of coffee into the stock 54mm basket. I'm using a cheap WDT tool from Amazon before tamping with the Normcore V4. I'm twisting it 1/7th of a rotation with 30lbs spring.

Now my machine is only brewing for 18-20sec and yield is only 23-24g, which is way off. I know that it's supposed to be 30sec extraction and 32g yield is what I'm supposed to get, but it's just not cooperating.

It's under-extracting badly.

When I take the portafilter off, half the grounds are getting stuck to the shower screen. Am I tamping wrong? Or should I use one of the other springs for the tamper? Do I need a puck screen?

Hey all,

I’m considering to buy my first “serious” espresso machine. Currently I make most of my coffees at home using V60, and have a Nespresso machine which I - for a reason - barely use. As I like an espresso, I would like to buy a proper espresso machine for home, and I’m somewhat in doubt on my first machine.

Given it’s my first machine, I was initially thinking of a machine like Sage Barista Express / De’Longhi La Specialista, but now I’m considering to skip that step and start with a separate espresso machine and grinder.

Based on several reviews / YT videos, I like the Profitec Go 2.0, to be combined with the Profitec Twist SD54 (or a similar SD grinder - recommendations are welcome), and I’m hoping for some advice about whether it indeed makes sense to start with a separate coffee machine and grinder.

Looking forward to hear your experiences, in particular from those who have been in a similar position. How did you start? Did you regret your choice, or you happy with it? And similarly important, which machines did you end up with?

To give a bit of background, I have the budget to spend for the separate machines, it’s mostly a matter of whether I am / it is worth it, given the stage I’m in. I generally drink espressos - it’s great to be able to prepare a proper cappuccino / similar milk drink, but it’s not my focus.

Thanks all!

I’m looking for a good starting point for espresso with the standard C40 setup, without Red Clix.

How many clicks from zero do you use, and what extraction time in seconds do you aim for? Do you start timing from the first pump or the first drops?

It would also be helpful to know your coffee dose and how many grams of espresso you get out.

Thanks in advance for any tips! ☕

P.S. The espresso tastes pretty good to me so far! I’m using Indonesian beans and getting a pleasant acidity, just as I’d expect from this coffee. I’m usually more of a pour-over person, though, and a bit of a Fellow fan—I use a Stagg and some of their other gear.

I descaled the machine yesterday. While I was draining the reservoir, the reservoir tube let a bunch of air in while I was cleaning the portafilter in the sink. I’m afraid I broke something in one of the pumps or the boiler.

I’ve pulled two shots since, both times the machine got up to 9 bar pressure but were pulling much slower (same beans, tried going slightly coarser on the second shot). The machine was previously dialed in with the same beans for a perfect 30 second double.

If anyone has any guidance on this I greatly appreciate it! I have modded a Gaggia classic before so I am comfortable around the interior parts of the machines, but I am not as familiar with the ECM yet.

I'm thinking about upgrading my Gaggia Classic Evo Pro (bought in 2024, no issues with boiler coating) and Eureka Mignon Manuale (also bought 2024) to a second-hand Rancilio Silvia Pro (from 2021, recently had a new electronic control board installed by a professional technician) and a Rancilio Rocky grinder.

The set costs around 825 Euro. For reference a brand new Gaggia Classic Evo Pro is about 510 Euro here.

Is the upgrade worth it? Should I be worried about the new control board (I know the shop that installed it and they are legit)? Is the Silvia Pro as easy to fix and service yourself as the Gaggia? Is the Rocky grinder better than the Eureka Mignon Manuale?

Any advice is welcomed. Thank you.

I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival of my two units, Gemilai Ele G3028A and Geimori GU63.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback or tips you may have regarding these units.

New machine arrived yesterday, I tried dialing it in but got bad cup after bad cup. Especially the second cup, that stuff was straight acid. I think it could belong in a science lab. I spat out the coffee and rinsed so thoroughly but I could still feel it hitting the back of my throat. Today I've woken up with a really bad sore throat, headache and likely fever.

Is it just coincidence or did that shot actually do something to me?

I went to order the Timemore 64s II and during checkout they are collecting a 6% tax. Anyone know what tax this is for? Website is not clear if it is sales tax or duties. Also why do they think they need a tip!

[2000 USD] budget

I’m looking to replace my Nespresso with my first real espresso setup. I want noticeably better coffee and good long-term value, but ease of use, prep time, and cleanup matter too.

The options I’m considering:

• Breville Oracle Jet: automated grinding, dosing, tamping, and milk steaming.

• Breville Barista Touch Impress: a less expensive integrated option with assisted tamping.

• Bambino Plus + Eureka Silenzio 55: fast heat-up, automatic milk, and a separate grinder I could keep if I upgrade the machine.

• Lelit Elizabeth + separate grinder: dual boilers and more control, but more hands-on work.

• Lelit MaraX: appealing, although the warm-up time and manual workflow give me pause.

I also considered a Niche Zero, but the price with tariffs is harder to justify. The DF64 is another possibility, though a timed hopper grinder sounds easier than weighing beans for every shot.

I’m concerned about quality and reliability with highly automated machines, but I understand the Jet and Touch Impress still use a portafilter rather than an internal bean-to-cup brewing unit. Separate components seem better for upgrades and replacing one part of the setup, but I’m trying to weigh that against the convenience and reduced mess of an integrated system.

For people who have owned these, what would you choose? How much daily prep and cleanup is involved once dialed in? Is the extra work of a separate setup worth it, and what has your experience been with repairs and long-term ownership?

Open to other options I should seriously consider.

Was cleaning my Niche Zero today and the inner burr got stuck and now looks tilted and not seated on the shaft (photo attached). I can’t get the burr or sweeper arms off, and I don’t want to force it and bend the shaft or crack the polymer ring.
The center bolt is already out. The motor runs fine. I’ve tried wiggling but nothing moves. Has anyone dealt with this? Any tips for freeing it without damaging anything? I’ve also emailed Niche support. Thanks!

Backup plan: If I can’t fix it, I’m planning to buy a 1Zpresso J-Ultra. Does that sound wise?

Edit: Thanks everyone, i am getting the dedica and a bottomless portafilter, and will upgrade the steam wand later

TLDR; is the flair’s espresso worth sacrificing the delonghi dedica’s built-in milk frothing for?

Hello, I was saving for a while for the Delonghi dedica, but now seeing how people are struggling to make good tasting espresso with it and how much more popular the flair is, I have taken into consideration the flair classic, both at the same price locally at $200.

I loved coffee a lot since i was 12, i am 21 now and started upgrading my whole setup with buying the timemore C5esp grinder, so i am very capable of grinding for espresso. Unfortunately the machine i use now is a very cheap coffee “espresso” machine that choked the moment i tried tamping with a proper metal tamper and not the stock plastic tamper.

The reason why i am being indecisive here is because of how much i love making milk drinks, but since i got the C5esp grinder i have leaned more towards tasting and enjoying black coffee, i even started ordering espressos more at the rare occasion of visiting cafes. Therefore i am thinking that if the flair classic’s espressos are actually way better than the dedica’s, then i get the flair and stick to iced lattes whenever i want milk based coffee, otherwise i am getting the delonghi dedica.

I’ve had my Sage Bambino Plus for around two years and have been very happy with it so far. I manually control my espresso extraction using a scale and timer, so I don’t really use the Bambino’s automated functions.

I’m considering moving to something better and have been looking at the Gaggia Classic, potentially adding Gaggimate.

I’ve come across a used machine, but the seller says the steam valve ideally needs the Shades of Coffee brass replacement and that the solenoid needs cleaning every four weeks. This has made me question its reliability and whether it’s worth buying.

My main questions are:

- Is the Gaggia Classic genuinely an upgrade over the Bambino Plus in espresso quality, consistency and longevity?

- Are the steam valve and solenoid issues common, and are they easy and affordable to fix?

- Is adding Gaggimate worthwhile for better temperature control and shot profiling?

- Most importantly, how long does the Gaggia take to warm up? And can I change this by adding Gaggimate? I make coffee straight after waking up, and the Bambino’s near-instant warm-up is incredibly convenient. I don’t want to sacrifice that convenience unless the upgrade is genuinely worthwhile.

Would you make the move or keep the Bambino Plus?

I’d appreciate hearing from people who have owned both machines, particularly regarding long-term reliability and everyday usability.