(GPGT)Espresso machine hoot

[testerjp]

A lot of ppl get the TIN burr but also buy the 71mm burr as it grinds faster.

After a week of chemex got me beans for espresso

When i was in Seattle, the coffee are normally sold in 340g bags. Origin from Mandheling and Papua New Guinea, both Asian coffee.

In SG, it's 250g for the same price

 

[patryn33]

mine is the newer version. stepped adjusted without the compression screw. I got the TiN burr set.

Takes awhile to break in right?

I am thinking if get it just use it for pour over for 3 mth b4 switching to espresso

 

[patryn33]

When i was in Seattle, the coffee are normally sold in 340g bags. Origin from Mandheling and Papua New Guinea, both Asian coffee.

In SG, it's 250g for the same price

Considering shipping from origin to states to sg.
Yes 12 oz very normal, if can I generally score 1lb.. Iirc Intelligensia 1lb is little cheaper

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Takes awhile to break in right?

I am thinking if get it just use it for pour over for 3 mth b4 switching to espresso

yep needs a bit of breaking in.i used about 1kg of cheap coffee to do it.

Its great for double duty. Very easy to switch between espresso and pourover. The micro steps work well to maintain settings between the 2 grind sizes. because there is no grind retention you don't have to grind the beans out when adjusting settings. very clean and efficient grinder.

 

[patryn33]

yep needs a bit of breaking in.i used about 1kg of cheap coffee to do it.

Its great for double duty. Very easy to switch between espresso and pourover. The micro steps work well to maintain settings between the 2 grind sizes. because there is no grind retention you don't have to grind the beans out when adjusting settings. very clean and efficient grinder.

Just 1 kg? That's not a lot when I read around it feels like it needed a lot more.

Great if easy to switch over, I am still waiting for funds lol

Now plenty of stock not so high demand

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Just 1 kg? That's not a lot when I read around it feels like it needed a lot more.

Great if easy to switch over, I am still waiting for funds lol

Now plenty of stock not so high demand

I think others in HB used more to break it in but I felt 1kg is good enough. I experienced alot of channeling without doing the break in.

Yep very easy to switch between grind settings. when switching back to espresso after grinding for pourover you'll still get the same pour rate. the marking on the steps take out the guess work when switching back and forth. the settings are stable. When I was using the compak k3 it was really very leh cheh to switch and i used a rocky for pourover duty.

 

[patryn33]

3 grinders! Where you find countertop for all the stuff.

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

3 grinders! Where you find countertop for all the stuff.

I gave away the k3T. The rocky sits in the living room and is collecting dust now. but i guess i'll just keep it in case i break my hands and can't hand grind anymore.

Only the hg one of the counter top now

 

[stonecold996]

Anyone bought the cafelat bottomless portafilter? Is it any good? Its quite expensive for what I can find on eBay...

 

[testerjp]

Don't see the point, i will just buy a bottomless straight. Don't you already have a double/single?

Quite dishonest for them in their intro video to use a dirty like **** portafilter compare with their product. Bottomless are always easy to clean.

In fact it looks like they deliberately dirty it cause i can't see how can the side be that dirty.
Judging from my drip tray which is made of stainless steel, coffee will still stick to the surface if they are not cleaned.

Last i think most portafilters are made with brass plated with chrome. Brass can retain heat much better.

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Don't see the point, i will just buy a bottomless straight. Don't you already have a double/single?

Quite dishonest for them in their intro video to use a dirty like **** portafilter compare with their product. Bottomless are always easy to clean.

In fact it looks like they deliberately dirty it cause i can't see how can the side be that dirty.
Judging from my drip tray which is made of stainless steel, coffee will still stick to the surface if they are not cleaned.

Last i think most portafilters are made with brass plated with chrome. Brass can retain heat much better.

Lamarzocco changed their portafilters to SS because its easier to clean esp for high volume cafes. Apparently oils adhere to SS less easily.

SS is more durable than chrome plated brass. Chrome plating can get chipped off with heavy use. If you work in a cafe you can see the portafilter lugs are the 1st to go and will have a rough surface. This will cause wear and tear to the mating surface at the group head.

Cafelat claims SS retains heat better than brass and is less heavy for the barista to use.

There are other ergonomic features (flat tamping edge) etc. I agree its ex but if you are looking for a bottomless, might as well consider this if you have spare cash.

Just need to be sure that the portafilter fits the particular machine.

 

[rosli8079]

It's quite amazing if they can say SS retain heat better than brass.
Conductivity
Brass – 109 (not 159)
Stainless Steel – 16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_thermal_conductivities

Even stainless steel boilers are a very bad idea.

Do they clad layers of copper in it?
Looking at how thin is it, don't think so.

In the video, when you insert the below piece to make it a double/single portafilter.
There's a silicon holding gasket. Silicon has poor conductivity and creates another barrier to transfer heat to the underlying piece
If that nozzle is not heated well enough, i think it plays quite a big part to the end result as the cool SS will cool your extraction.


Cafe switch their machine on the whole day and the portafilters are always heated and for a long time. So they are more likely to be heated well enough, for home won't do unless you on the whole day.
However, if it's a high traffic, i have doubts that SS portafilter can retain the heat though.

For the bottomless, the coffee normally gets into contact onto just the basket then go straight out. Don't see how will it touch the holder much, so don't see any major issues with that.

In Italy, they been using such chrome plated brass portafilter like forever, much longer than Americans by multiplications.
Mine haven't chipped after using for few years of use.
Over a long time, SS can rust too.

I dunk my portafilters to my used grouphead detergent and they are clean like new after a spa.

I won't consider to buy that at all, but you can try and let us know

 

[IntelFlash]

I learned something interesting.
La mazcocco was popularized by Starbucks.
Was their biggest client.
In fact, the Americans are already taking the helm.

When everyone were saying that Starbucks taste like crap.
They don't know it's made from the same LM machine used by hipster cafes today.

I think Starbucks roast fresh with huge probat machines too.
Maybe the difference between a Starbucks and s hipster cafe was lesser than we think.

But anyway Starbucks had switched to auto now in USA and many countries. For super high volume , it's more convenient for them.
In nations where they ditch their LM.
People purchase them second hand cheaply, that explains why some nations there's so many LM.

Learned the info from a cafe owner in Malaysia .

 

[DriftKing]

Yes, certain Starbucks overseas mainly US does use commercial machines, and they also are the main customer of Clover Machines. But in Singapore.. they are all made by the automatics, workflow like bubble tea shops... we can order oreo crush at starbucks now.

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

It's quite amazing if they can say SS retain heat better than brass.
Conductivity
Brass – 109 (not 159)
Stainless Steel – 16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_thermal_conductivities

Even stainless steel boilers are a very bad idea.

There is more to heat retention that just thermal conductivity....

Sorry its LM who claims SS has better heat rentention, not cafelat.

http://www.lamarzoccousa.com/blog/stainless-steel-portafilters-2/

LM, Synesso, Olympias and Slayers are using SS boilers. Low scaling, better strength. no leeching of metals. What is there not to like? What on earth are you talking about?

Cafe switch their machine on the whole day and the portafilters are always heated and for a long time. So they are more likely to be heated well enough, for home won't do unless you on the whole day.
However, if it's a high traffic, i have doubts that SS portafilter can retain the heat though.

Heat retention is never an issue with high or even low volume cafes. Only home users wash their portafilters after pulling a shot. Cafes just knock out the puck, wipe the screen and load up the next dose of coffee.

In Italy, they been using such chrome plated brass portafilter like forever, much longer than Americans by multiplications.
Mine haven't chipped after using for few years of use.
Over a long time, SS can rust too.

LM is an Italian company and probably the most innovative one in a sea of copy cat italian coffee machine companies. Chrome can be stripped from the portafilter with repeated use. image search old dirty portafilter. The bottom of the portafilter has been stripped of chrome.

How many SS spoons in your house have rusted?

 

[sohzai]

It's never really about the machine I guess. Coffeebean uses good machines too.

It's about how the drink is made, how all the other factors and looked at and how the staff are taught.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

I learned something interesting.
La mazcocco was popularized by Starbucks.
Was their biggest client.
In fact, the Americans are already taking the helm.

When everyone were saying that Starbucks taste like crap.
They don't know it's made from the same LM machine used by hipster cafes today.

I think Starbucks roast fresh with huge probat machines too.
Maybe the difference between a Starbucks and s hipster cafe was lesser than we think.

But anyway Starbucks had switched to auto now in USA and many countries. For super high volume , it's more convenient for them.
In nations where they ditch their LM.
People purchase them second hand cheaply, that explains why some nations there's so many LM.

Learned the info from a cafe owner in Malaysia .

Starbucks USA was actually quite decent in the states when they first started out. Starbucks singapore was using old starbucks beans which was already stale. But by that time starbucks came into singapore, Starbucks USA was already deteriorating in standards.

Their main workhorse that time was the Linea. The linea is still made by LM and is a solid basic no frills machine. Probat is used by everyone from the most clueless roaster to the most highly regarded.



The difference in quality between starbucks is not due to the machines they used. Starbucks became bigger and their supply chain started to become stretched and more commercialised. They started to become a mass caterer like nespresso or peets coffee. Hence from quality focused they had to ensure mass production but yet meet minimum standards. Low quality beans started to get mixed into "Single origin" blends. Guatemala, costa rica ethiopia, christmas blend holds no meaning but gave the buyer the illusion of choice.

and yes the coup de grace is the transition to auto machines.

and anyway "hipster" cafes here do not usually use lineas. They are not "hipster" enough.

 

[testerjp]

Stainless steel has no anti microbial properties, copper do.
In hospital they use a lot of copper tubes .
Actually i wonder how much germination can happen in a stainless steel brew boiler in a double boiler.

Is it ok for water to keep reboiling in a double boiler?
According to my grandma myths, it's not good.

Copper I think conduct 25x faster than stainless steel.
Good for getting the first cup fast.
Copper and brass corrode but still retain its character.
all stainless steel will eventually rust la.
I forgot was it heat or water will accelerate it.

I'll pick copper boilers anytime, particularly for home or office. No brainer actually. Heat up faster.

No scale problem in SG.
If we do, descaling will still be required as frequently no matter copper or ss. Your pipes and other area still clogs what.

Can see a lot of companies in USA or main market there prefer stainless steeI. Not sure is it a regulatory, cost or operational decision but surely not recommended for home though .
Maybe they made stainless steel for those with copper intolerant disease. Americans sue over anything.
But copper is necessary in diet though.

Anyway I won't buy a commercial machine

 

[testerjp]

It's never really about the machine I guess. Coffeebean uses good machines too.

It's about how the drink is made, how all the other factors and looked at and how the staff are taught.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

I think it's just the roast.
They roast until super dark so it's still prominent with a lot of milk using lesser coffee.

On the other hand I had tasted cafes that taste so light like lemonade in singapore.
Which is imo worse.

I been to Java and Fika Fika cafe, both had wcg champion baristas and in Nordic roast, also don't taste so light and sour.

Actually they taste just normal

 

[CTBR]

I just went to starbucks for a cup of espresso to wake myself up a bit. This was my first visit there since I got my own espresso machine. As I was queuing, I looked at the beans in the hopper and they looked like charcoal. I thought to myself, "can't be as bad as I remembered." Stared at my espresso, saw a pale layer of thin crema which might not mean much. Mustered up some courage, took a whiff and a sip. Another sip. I think I must have been screaming "no no no" internally as I walked out of the joint. Sorry for the rant but I think my tongue and stomach were very offended. Is this what people around the world put up with daily? It tasted just like instant coffee imo..