(GPGT)Espresso machine hoot

derazor

Banned
Joined
May 19, 2011
Messages
28,105
Reaction score
3
Where to find the full episode.
I think he nailed the point, the coffee must be hand picked and most espresso blends consist of Brazilians.

Cause it's cheaper and the taste is very neutral.

Yah bukit timah can't find
 

patryn33

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
23,202
Reaction score
80
Where to find the full episode.
I think he nailed the point, the coffee must be hand picked and most espresso blends consist of Brazilians.

Cause it's cheaper and the taste is very neutral.

Try iTunes travel channel only has clips.
Worst case torrent. Search dangerous grounds. It's season 2 now.
I just DVR them since I don't have time to watch them .

If I am lucky Monday I have 2 diff black cat coming in. Got a friend to help me buy.
 
Last edited:

Lazy_Tiger

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
1,010
Reaction score
21
Wow that is really cool.
How much did you pay for it (incl shipping)

By the way, I have read through all 73 pages of this thread and have learnt a fair bit from everyone here.

I would like to consult you all regarding my current plans of upgrading.
I have shortlisted several machines (mostly from one of the MO threads here) as well as Papa Palheta (Rocket) and Highlander (VBM), which is to say my budget is from $2000 to $4000.

Bezzera BZ10
Bezzera BZ10 Espresso Machine - Fine Coffee Company Singapore Malaysia

Bezzera Mitica
Bezzera Mitica Vibration Machine - Fine Coffee Coy Singapore Malaysia

Bezzera Magica
Bezzera Magica Espresso Machine - Fine Coffee Coy Singapore Malaysia

Expobar Brewtus Double Boiler Brewtus Espresso Machine - Fine Coffee Company Singapore Malaysia

Rocket R58
Papa Palheta | Merchandise | Rocket R58 V2

VBM DomoBar Junior
https://highlandercoffee.com/online...2-domobar-junior-lever-hx-heat-exchanger.html

VBM DomoBar DB
https://highlandercoffee.com/online...es/13-domobar-super-db-double-boiler-pid.html

Can you guys kindly advice me which machine is more worth getting as i am currently using Delonghi EC820B that i mistakenly gotten last year along with a cheap Delonghi Burr grinder.

I enjoy drinking espressos as well as making milk based drinks for my the other half.

Or should i simply upgrade my grinder first, if so, which grinder should i aim to get first, one that is value for money as well as good performance.

TS and other members have deeply poisoned me with pictures of their HG One, and i am currently in talks with Craig and i am able to still get a set of Mazzer TiN

Thanks in advance!

I think u might want to wait for food and hotel 2014 expo and see if there are other manufacturers u can considerr. I think if u drink espressos u need to get a good combo of both grinder, and espresso machine to upgrade from a delonghi because espresso brewing is quite demanding and the level of machine u have May not make good espresso even if u get a good grinder.

I used to use a delonghi burr grinder and it's not very good. Decent for brew coffee if you are got too particular but hard to dial in for espressos.

If u want to use 1 grinder for both espressos and brew coffee then I suggest the baratza vario or forte because it's easy to quickly change the settings. Most of the grinders discussed in the thread are espresso only grinders. u can use them to get large particle sizes for brewed coffee but that would mean unscrewing the burr assembly a lot to create the gap. Quite leh Cheh and some have a stopper u need to unscrew first.

Db can use more electricity because of 2 boilers but some machines allow u to switch on only 1 boiler I f u want do not make milk drinks. This is what I do with my vbm db since I don't steam often. The brew boiler is small and heats up fast so u don't waste the electricity. The main advantage of the db machine is actually the PID. I didn't go for hx machines because I do not like the idea of having to flush then machine with a predetermined amount of water etc before brewing as it's leh Cheh. Flush too little and your coffee will be burnt. Flush too much and your hx will lose too much heat and the coffee with be under extracted and sour. If u want to make espressos back to bAck u need to intimately understand the rebound time of your hx machine so that your espressos are consistent. Not easy if u experiment alot and want to tweak your coffee perfectly to your taste. So that's why I bought the db. There are single boiler pid machines on the market but it's few and I have not it seen it sg.

For grinder get at least 58mm class, doserless grinder. Actually even if u have no choice and get a doser version( only if it's cheap) it's not thAt big an issue because u just need to clack clack the dose lever while the thing is grinding. The doser vanes can help prevent clumping and help with distribution.

If u are not very familiar with make espressos u can take their basic espresso brewing courses so that when u do go and demo the machines u know what to look out for and what features u want to help u in your workflow.

I think best is no rush to buy. U can make an appt with the various distributors to demo the machines. Good luck!:)
 

chikyblink

Master Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
2,977
Reaction score
4
Finally had some time to play with the pharos this morning. This thing is very well made. Feels like a high quality product in your hands. Comes with WOT instructions, no illustrations but its easy to understand and use.
Tried grinding on my workstation but it feels awkward and hard to hold down the grinder. Plus my table is some cheap ikea lightweight product and will wobble about. Not even halfway through I gave up, sat on my sofa, locked the pharos between my knees and continue grinding. Much much better.
Not too hard to grind as I imagined. Incredibly fast too. 16gm took about 30 revolutions. On my HG One, same dose took 40+ revolutions, plus a few more to clear completely.
Grounds removal is as painful as I've imagined. Lots of shaking, tapping, more shaking, sometimes digging. It gets really tiring after the second grind session.
Grind retention is anywhere from 0.3gm to 0.7gm depending on the amount of time shaking and tapping. Also, it is not as clean and neat as the HG One. You can get grounds everywhere due to the shaking and tapping if you're not careful.
1st shot at the recommended settings is tight. 17gm in 25sec. Taste good though. Second shot, adjusted 1/8 turn coarser, resulted in a gusher! I thought the reason is because of channeling but the 3rd shot is also a gusher. Looks like the turn settings is really tight. Ran outta time though and couldn't test more.
 

Lazy_Tiger

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
1,010
Reaction score
21
Finally had some time to play with the pharos this morning. This thing is very well made. Feels like a high quality product in your hands. Comes with WOT instructions, no illustrations but its easy to understand and use.
Tried grinding on my workstation but it feels awkward and hard to hold down the grinder. Plus my table is some cheap ikea lightweight product and will wobble about. Not even halfway through I gave up, sat on my sofa, locked the pharos between my knees and continue grinding. Much much better.
Not too hard to grind as I imagined. Incredibly fast too. 16gm took about 30 revolutions. On my HG One, same dose took 40+ revolutions, plus a few more to clear completely.
Grounds removal is as painful as I've imagined. Lots of shaking, tapping, more shaking, sometimes digging. It gets really tiring after the second grind session.
Grind retention is anywhere from 0.3gm to 0.7gm depending on the amount of time shaking and tapping. Also, it is not as clean and neat as the HG One. You can get grounds everywhere due to the shaking and tapping if you're not careful.
1st shot at the recommended settings is tight. 17gm in 25sec. Taste good though. Second shot, adjusted 1/8 turn coarser, resulted in a gusher! I thought the reason is because of channeling but the 3rd shot is also a gusher. Looks like the turn settings is really tight. Ran outta time though and couldn't test more.

Perhaps need more time to season the burrs. I think the Pharos can be easily modded for better ergonomics. Congrats on your buy anyway! Would make a nice second or office grinder. Is it easy to adjust it for brewed coffee?
 

Lazy_Tiger

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
1,010
Reaction score
21
when you order? tempted for the free shipping? My beans finishing

Thursday i think. I have some strangers reunion espresso blend and geisha beans to tide me over while waiting for it.
Waiting for square mile red brick and sweet shop too.
 

chikyblink

Master Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
2,977
Reaction score
4
Perhaps need more time to season the burrs. I think the Pharos can be easily modded for better ergonomics. Congrats on your buy anyway! Would make a nice second or office grinder. Is it easy to adjust it for brewed coffee?

Here's a list of mods available from the Daddy!
Here's a list of mods for the Pharos:

Acrylic scale $15
Alum bolt covers set (61&62mm) $50
Drilled and tapped stainless thumb nut with nylon tipped setscrews $16
Roller bearing set $6
Stainless pointer $5
Stainless main bolts with washers $16
Handle zeroing pin $8
Ground catcher mod $130
Solid stainless ball knob for main shaft $25 (Gen1, coarse thread)
Extended handle ( two additional mounting holes, 6" and 7" ) $25 (Gen1, coarse thread)

Installation/super alignment available, $25 plus return shipping via UPS

DIY shipping via USPS priority $10 ($31 international), without ground catch kit
$5.25 ($25 international)

Current lead time, two weeks.

I can be reached @ voodoodaddy.mods@gmail.com and continue our chat there.

Best
Will

I had no time to try for brew coffee, for now. Also ran outta beans for brew. Thinking of ordering from OZ as well.
 

rosli8079

Member
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
440
Reaction score
0
Wow that is really cool.
How much did you pay for it (incl shipping)

By the way, I have read through all 73 pages of this thread and have learnt a fair bit from everyone here.

I would like to consult you all regarding my current plans of upgrading.
I have shortlisted several machines (mostly from one of the MO threads here) as well as Papa Palheta (Rocket) and Highlander (VBM), which is to say my budget is from $2000 to $4000.

Bezzera BZ10
Bezzera BZ10 Espresso Machine - Fine Coffee Company Singapore Malaysia

Bezzera Mitica
Bezzera Mitica Vibration Machine - Fine Coffee Coy Singapore Malaysia

Bezzera Magica
Bezzera Magica Espresso Machine - Fine Coffee Coy Singapore Malaysia

Expobar Brewtus Double Boiler Brewtus Espresso Machine - Fine Coffee Company Singapore Malaysia

Rocket R58
Papa Palheta | Merchandise | Rocket R58 V2

VBM DomoBar Junior
https://highlandercoffee.com/online...2-domobar-junior-lever-hx-heat-exchanger.html

VBM DomoBar DB
https://highlandercoffee.com/online...es/13-domobar-super-db-double-boiler-pid.html

Can you guys kindly advice me which machine is more worth getting as i am currently using Delonghi EC820B that i mistakenly gotten last year along with a cheap Delonghi Burr grinder.

I enjoy drinking espressos as well as making milk based drinks for my the other half.

Or should i simply upgrade my grinder first, if so, which grinder should i aim to get first, one that is value for money as well as good performance.

TS and other members have deeply poisoned me with pictures of their HG One, and i am currently in talks with Craig and i am able to still get a set of Mazzer TiN

Thanks in advance!
Don't listen to a lot of ******** here.

Straight facts you must know.

DB also have to flush after idling, before your first come and after you last cup.
The flushing part is super cool and the impressive part, give you smoke effect. Your spouse sure find you more man.

If you are a latte/cappuccino drinker, get HX will do.
The temperature will hover a little by a few degrees, maybe 1-3. But it will hover around a set of optimal temperature which is still good for espresso. DB will still hover, but by 0.x degrees

By all means, siam single boilers.

And also, DB must descale two tanks, two blardy tanks and use more power.

Go visit food asia show, no point one.
I went there i think last year or year before for 2 days.. I only drank alot of wine and ate a lot of those biscuits. ZzzZ

Anyway back to the machines.
Cause each manufacturer use their own blend of beans and own setting of grinder.

If A machine tastes better, doesn't mean A is better.
It's because you like A's beans better.

Essentially, if they are of the same class, say HX on common E61 grouphead, they work essentially the same.
So just get the most affordable option will do, unless your carrot head needs a trim.

This information was brought you by one Italian coffee company at the show, who has no affiliation with any of the equipment seller.

Anyway, i was as clueless after the show and emailed those big vendors in US/UK like wholelattelove, bellabarista, etc.
Some very dishonest, push the expensive ones simply for more margin.(althought i was just asking for fun)
When asked what's the difference between the ex and cheaper one, they give you cok reasons.

Wholellattelove imo is more honest, tell me just go for the cheapest of the class. Cause the machine's job is just to ensure the temperature and pressure. 20% of the job. Your grinder another 20%, your skill another 10%.
Your quality and freshness of the kopibean is the one that contributes the biggest chunk of how it ends up.
Your beans are ****, you get ****.

You get good beans but no longer fresh, it's still ****. haha
Your machine how good how expensive also no point.

Good night
 

Lazy_Tiger

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
1,010
Reaction score
21
Don't listen to a lot of ******** here.

Straight facts you must know.

DB also have to flush after idling, before your first come and after you last cup.
The flushing part is super cool and the impressive part, give you smoke effect. Your spouse sure find you more man.

If you are a latte/cappuccino drinker, get HX will do.
The temperature will hover a little by a few degrees, maybe 1-3. But it will hover around a set of optimal temperature which is still good for espresso. DB will still hover, but by 0.x degrees

By all means, siam single boilers.

And also, DB must descale two tanks, two blardy tanks and use more power.

Go visit food asia show, no point one.
I went there i think last year or year before for 2 days.. I only drank alot of wine and ate a lot of those biscuits. ZzzZ

Anyway back to the machines.
Cause each manufacturer use their own blend of beans and own setting of grinder.

If A machine tastes better, doesn't mean A is better.
It's because you like A's beans better.

Essentially, if they are of the same class, say HX on common E61 grouphead, they work essentially the same.
So just get the most affordable option will do, unless your carrot head needs a trim.

This information was brought you by one Italian coffee company at the show, who has no affiliation with any of the equipment seller.

Anyway, i was as clueless after the show and emailed those big vendors in US/UK like wholelattelove, bellabarista, etc.
Some very dishonest, push the expensive ones simply for more margin.(althought i was just asking for fun)
When asked what's the difference between the ex and cheaper one, they give you cok reasons.
Good night

Not all db need to do cooling flush.if your db need to do a cooling flush before u brew then the e61 thermosyphon is poorly tuned and needs a limiter or your offset temp is not correctly set. This essentially makes the pid pretty useless and that machine design is a failure......

Cheap and expensive machines have a big difference.....compare a expobar brewtus with a rocket R58 in in the flesh and u see where your money goes......the brewtus is good machine but if you are willing to pay more for certain features or material quality then why not. Compare the pressurestat they are using and the boilers and the finish. Rotary pump vs vibration pump, old design vs new.. Integrated pid vs off the shelf pid..thickness of the group head chrome plating....plumb in capability...well though off layout offering u the ability to easily change brew pressure without having to dig into a tiny space to find a nut.I can go on and on.....


E61 group heads between different manufacturer are not the same....some suffer from overheating of the thermosyphon and temp instability esp for hx machines (because hx machines use water from the single boiler and this water can be very very hot and tuned with a pressurestat that can have a wide band). Also becareful some so called e61 group heads do not offer line pressure preinfusion and progressive preinfusion despite looking like a e61.....

Don't be shy to get a single boiler esp if u are an espresso only drinker, don't need to make many drinks and the single boiler has temp stability, controlled by a properly tuned pid, matched with a thermally stable group head..

If you are concerned about hx thermAl stability then u can do what chickyblink did. Get Eric's thermometer and plug it into the group head. Or better yet...get a scace II portafilter! Hx can make good espresso but need to know the specific machine's temperature profile intimately. That being said a Silvia also can make good espresso

Don't worry so much about descaling.... Singapore water is very good. Once year is more than enough and descaling is easy. Should worry more about back flushing the group head and flushing the steam wand after steaming milk.

DB can brew espresso only using only the brew boiler turned on. The brew boiler is much smaller than the steam boiler and with pid control it's thermally stable without needing to boil large volume of water like a hx esp when u do not need to brew back to back. If u need to brew a lot quickly then just turn on the steam boiler for the hx in the steam boiler to bring preheated water to the brew boiler.

Hope this helps...Have fun with exploring!:s22:
 
Last edited:

rosli8079

Member
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
440
Reaction score
0
Not all db need to do cooling flush.if your db need to do a cooling flush before u brew then the e61 thermosyphon is poorly tuned and needs a limiter or your offset temp is not correctly set. This essentially makes the pid pretty useless and that machine design is a failure......

Cheap and expensive machines have a big difference.....compare a expobar brewtus with a rocket R58 in in the flesh and u see where your money goes......the brewtus is good machine but if you are willing to pay more for certain features or material quality then why not. Compare the pressurestat they are using and the boilers and the finish. Rotary pump vs vibration pump, old design vs new.. Integrated pid vs off the shelf pid..thickness of the group head chrome plating....plumb in capability...well though off layout offering u the ability to easily change brew pressure without having to dig into a tiny space to find a nut.I can go on and on.....


E61 group heads between different manufacturer are not the same....some suffer from overheating of the thermosyphon and temp instability esp for hx machines (because hx machines use water from the single boiler and this water can be very very hot and tuned with a pressurestat that can have a wide band). Also becareful some so called e61 group heads do not offer line pressure preinfusion and progressive preinfusion despite looking like a e61.....

Don't be shy to get a single boiler esp if u are an espresso only drinker, don't need to make many drinks and the single boiler has temp stability, controlled by a properly tuned pid, matched with a thermally stable group head..

If you are concerned about hx thermAl stability then u can do what chickyblink did. Get Eric's thermometer and plug it into the group head. Or better yet...get a scace II portafilter! Hx can make good espresso but need to know the specific machine's temperature profile intimately. That being said a Silvia also can make good espresso

Don't worry so much about descaling.... Singapore water is very good. Once year is more than enough and descaling is easy. Should worry more about back flushing the group head and flushing the steam wand after steaming milk.

DB can brew espresso only using only the brew boiler turned on. The brew boiler is much smaller than the steam boiler and with pid control it's thermally stable without needing to boil large volume of water like a hx esp when u do not need to brew back to back. If u need to brew a lot quickly then just turn on the steam boiler for the hx in the steam boiler to bring preheated water to the brew boiler.

Hope this helps...Have fun with exploring!:s22:
Wah you really hard sell.

DB still need to remove water stucked at channelling points la. You got read or not?

The pid don't control every single part of the boiler, to the pipes and to the grouphead. You will still need flush the trapped water idling in between. This is infact necessary for any coffee machines.

As i said, a hx machine will automatically run within a range of optimal temperature, so please don't over exaggerate that it will "overheat", as well say the machine melt. :s13:

Flushing is nothing more than on pull down the lever and let water run a few seconds, which is still applicable for ANY DB expensive or cheap. And it's not a difficult but can be a pleasurable task.
Flushing also helps keep the grouphead clean
In fact if you talk about back to back fast, you need to heat your portafilter and the best way is to flush water on it to heat up fast, so flushing is neccssary and always recommended for any case.


Only R58 has rotary pump and plump in?
I tink almost every brand outside has such options and rotary pumps though last longer , they will die easily on empty tanks and cost more to replace. So plump in is neccesary and plump in is not for everybody.

Don't put all the gimmicks that R58 is a much more superior machine.
The functions all works the same and please don't exaggerate there's really additional features or significant advantages.
They work the same and brew the same with little differences. There are thousands of good reviews on cheaper brands that are proving them as excellent.

For someone looking for a value for money solution which you properly missed reading, he can save half the money with just a HX and does a coffee that can be as good as from a cafe. With practise, he can solves all the temperature tiny issues. Most cafes are still using HX from what i read somewhere.


Anyway end of story.
Your coffee source is like ****, it's still ****

So it doesn't matter how nice your coffee machine looks or how much money you spent on it.

If i have a high budget, i will rather save the money on a cheap machine and buy a roaster and good greens.

I can 100% confirm it makes you better coffee than you spending 2x on the machine. (of cux you mush roast and source adequately)

As the buyer already stated and you had again missed out reading, he wants a milk drink for his spouse, single boiler is almost totally out unless he really has a lot of time to waste.

Good night again!
 
Important Forum Advisory Note
This forum is moderated by volunteer moderators who will react only to members' feedback on posts. Moderators are not employees or representatives of HWZ Forums. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts. Please refer to our Community Guidelines and Standards and Terms and Conditions for more information.
Top