Coffee machine recommendations?

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#2912487 10-May-2022 20:14

If it's just for a couple of days grind just before you go. It won't be perfect but it'll store OK in an airtight container. This is what I do for my Aeropress when I go camping.

If you are going for longer then take a normal grinder

jonathan18

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#2912491 10-May-2022 20:28

That's what we normally do. The problem was we broke our last grinder when it fell out of the boot after my wife packed it loosely on top of other luggage. It was the hassle of going without a grinder after that has led me to want a second grinder rather than risk another such disaster! A smaller one would have been ideal, but a second SGP will totally do the job.

yann

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#2912502 10-May-2022 22:01

I tend to go the hand grinder route, but if you're looking for something automatic/portable, then perhaps the Lume?

https://alternativebrewing.com.au/products/lume-portable-burr-grinder

I think James Hoffmann did a review a while back, so there could potentially be some improvements to the model. I've not kept an eye on it since seeing as I have enough grinders already!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0fYF5-rid8

Yann :)

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#2912596 11-May-2022 10:53

Handle9:

Get a dosing cup. You grind into the dosing cup then put the portafilter over the cup and turn upside down. If you give it a tap before removing the cup the dose will settle and not overflow the portafilter. It significantly reduces mess and gives a more repeatable process, especially with a distributor.

Amazon has a heap, just don't buy a 58mm dosing cup for a Brevile machine :)

Distributors are good but you still need a relatively level dose before you use the distributor other wise you end up with highly compressed areas and not so compressed areas. My workflow is grind into dosing cup, dose, level by hand, use distributor and then the hand tamper side for the final tamp. It's very repeatable and consistent, which is what I'm looking for.

@Handle9: I thought I'd report back on the use of a dosing cup. Initially, I was somewhat underwhelmed, as dumping the full two shots of grinds in at once inevitably results in some overflow when using a distributor (OCD-type), whereas my previous first shot/small tamp/second shot/distribute/tamp meant I didn't lose a grain. I also found it hard to get it to settle evenly, so it's not surprising the end result was little or no benefit.

After watching a video of a barista using a cup I've worked out how to get it to settle much more evenly before lifting off the cup - a matter of kind of swirling the portafilter in the air, then the tapping as you suggested. Since working that out I've noticed the pressure is astoundingly stable and consistent, so thanks for the recommendation.

Having told myself I wasn't going to fall down this particular rabbit hole, I've also ordered a pack of acupuncture needles off Ali Express to make some 3D-printed WDTs for my home and work machines; will be interesting to see if there's any difference in practice and this way it's way cheaper than buying them (I like the wooden ones they sell on Ali Express, but they have only four needles and those are of a really wide diameter).

Handle9

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#2912695 11-May-2022 15:51

jonathan18:
Handle9:

Get a dosing cup. You grind into the dosing cup then put the portafilter over the cup and turn upside down. If you give it a tap before removing the cup the dose will settle and not overflow the portafilter. It significantly reduces mess and gives a more repeatable process, especially with a distributor.

Amazon has a heap, just don't buy a 58mm dosing cup for a Brevile machine :)

Distributors are good but you still need a relatively level dose before you use the distributor other wise you end up with highly compressed areas and not so compressed areas. My workflow is grind into dosing cup, dose, level by hand, use distributor and then the hand tamper side for the final tamp. It's very repeatable and consistent, which is what I'm looking for.

Handle9: I thought I'd report back on the use of a dosing cup. Initially, I was somewhat underwhelmed, as dumping the full two shots of grinds in at once inevitably results in some overflow when using a distributor (OCD-type), whereas my previous first shot/small tamp/second shot/distribute/tamp meant I didn't lose a grain. I also found it hard to get it to settle evenly, so it's not surprising the end result was little or no benefit.

After watching a video of a barista using a cup I've worked out how to get it to settle much more evenly before lifting off the cup - a matter of kind of swirling the portafilter in the air, then the tapping as you suggested. Since working that out I've noticed the pressure is astoundingly stable and consistent, so thanks for the recommendation.

Having told myself I wasn't going to fall down this particular rabbit hole, I've also ordered a pack of acupuncture needles off Ali Express to make some 3D-printed WDTs for my home and work machines; will be interesting to see if there's any difference in practice and this way it's way cheaper than buying them (I like the wooden ones they sell on Ali Express, but they have only four needles and those are of a really wide diameter).

I’m glad to hear it’s working for you. I’ve finally succumbed and bought a WDT tool. Further down the rabbit hole I go. At least there’s a few of us down here :)

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#2912701 11-May-2022 16:23

Handle9:

I’m glad to hear it’s working for you. I’ve finally succumbed and bought a WDT tool. Further down the rabbit hole I go. At least there’s a few of us down here :)

Ditto, I must admit I am quite impressed by the difference it makes.

I looked into getting needles and doing it myself, but since I am neither good at woodwork nor have easy access to a 3d printer, IMO the $20 I paid from But First Coffee in Wellington was pretty reasonable for clearly the same 3d printed design as Jonathan18 linked.

I had been using a dosing cup, but after adding a dosing funnel, I now just grind directly into the portafilter, do a couple of swirls with the WDT, and after a couple of taps on the bench to settle, it almost forms into a puck by itself before tamping. Combined with some great beans from a local roaster, Cyclista, I feel like I have finally dialed in my coffee to taste. Good flavor, clean extraction, and the puck doesn't come out looking like a soggy mess.

jonathan18

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#2912707 11-May-2022 16:44

ShinyChrome:

I looked into getting needles and doing it myself, but since I am neither good at woodwork nor have easy access to a 3d printer, IMO the $20 I paid from But First Coffee in Wellington was pretty reasonable for clearly the same 3d printed design as Jonathan18 linked.

Glad to hear you've got it all sorted - suggest we need to have a coffee-off one day!

As for 3d printing - don't forget, all residents of our fine city have easy access to cheap 3D printing at Blueprint (library makerspace) - they now have it set up so files can be submitted online and one just needs to go in to pick up and pay for the final product. I submitted my file yesterday, and just got the confirmation it's ready to pick up. Now I only have to wait the 3-5 weeks for the needles to turn up! Only got one done to see how it comes out, but plan to make some more for family members.

Anyway, here's the damage for getting it printed; (not sure how I'll pay for that fraction of a cent):

Your model has now been printed and is ready to collect from the Library Makerspace. The total cost of the item(s) is $1.4000000000000001

See https://citylibrary.pncc.govt.nz/explore/faq/can-i-get-something-3d-printed

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#2915950 19-May-2022 13:20

Oops, I bought me a birthday present of a coffee portafilter/tamper/distributor/accessory holder from Ali Express and managed to order the wrong size - for a 51mm portafilter rather than 58.

I'm keen on recovering what I can for this one as I'm going to order the correct size; before I stick it up on TM I thought I'd just see if there's any interest on here - this is perfect for most of the Breville range, which use the 51mm portafilter.

It's fairly light but decently made; comes with soft plastic inserts for all crevices, and an adjustable screw to keep the portafilter balanced.

Cost me $68, and obviously I don't expect to recover it all so am open to sensible offers; DM me if interested.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004246041581.html

Handle9

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#2915994 19-May-2022 15:32

In more bad news it’s not suitable for most of the Breville range. The infuser, BBE etc use 54mm.

It’s good for a lot of the DeLongis etc and some low end Breville machines.

jonathan18

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#2916002 19-May-2022 15:42

Handle9: In more bad news it’s not suitable for most of the Breville range. The infuser, BBE etc use 54mm.

It’s good for a lot of the DeLongis etc and some low end Breville machines.

Damn, that's a shocker... Even smaller potential market than I thought.

I'm not sure it'll even make particularly good firewood to keep us warm this winter, given it contains glues, polyurethane etc.

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#2916003 19-May-2022 15:44

jonathan18:

Handle9: In more bad news it’s not suitable for most of the Breville range. The infuser, BBE etc use 54mm.

It’s good for a lot of the DeLongis etc and some low end Breville machines.

Damn, that's a shocker... Even smaller potential market than I thought.

I'm not sure it'll even make particularly good firewood to keep us warm this winter, given it contains glues, polyurethane etc.

I was under the impression that glue and polyurethane were amongst the most sought after and efficient fire-enhancers out there.

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tim360

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#2919120 26-May-2022 17:40

After spending way too much time researching espresso machines I finally settled on the Breville Bambino to start me off on my home espresso journey.

Paired with a Baratza grinder I'm getting some reasonable shots, however still a long way to go. I can see a rabbit hole of accessories and techniques coming up.

The Bambino's positives include:

Small footprint, easy to move to the back of the bench for more space
Looks good
3s heat up time, basically instant
Good steam pressure for milk
Manual options, I can program the double shot button for the kids to use the pressurised baskets then pull manual shots when I'm using the un-pressurised basket

Two things that I really don't like about the Bambino

The god-awful plastic tamper
The lightweight aluminium portafilter

If anyone has a spare stainless Breville portafilter, from a broken machine or surplus to requirements, let me know as I'd be keen to buy it.

sen8or

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#2919322 27-May-2022 08:12

To help you on your quest -

It might have a near instant "heat up time", but for the sake of good espresso, please give it plenty more time than that. Put the portafilter in the group head and leave it for a good 10+ minutes, this should allow time for all the system to heat including the group head / portafilter. Cold is the enemy of espresso which is why so many have cup warmers etc. You can hurry the process along a bit by running a blank shot or 2 through the group / PF to heat them (I usually run a blank shot into the cup to warm the cup, 2 birds - 1 stone).

A tamper should be cheap enough to get, I wouldn't get obsessed about the latest / greatest but anything with a decent weight will make tamping easier.

tim360

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#2919382 27-May-2022 11:31

sen8or:

It might have a near instant "heat up time", but for the sake of good espresso, please give it plenty more time than that. Put the portafilter in the group head and leave it for a good 10+ minutes, this should allow time for all the system to heat including the group head / portafilter. Cold is the enemy of espresso which is why so many have cup warmers etc. You can hurry the process along a bit by running a blank shot or 2 through the group / PF to heat them (I usually run a blank shot into the cup to warm the cup, 2 birds - 1 stone).

That's what I thought too, I assumed the same best practice applied to other espresso machines would apply to the Bambino as well.

However it appears that these new thermojet machines are quite different, according to these German guys Breville design & measure the temps at the head based on a cold portafilter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUKBZVymQBs&t=102s

My shots aren't good enough, or consistent enough, yet for me to notice the difference between pre-heated shots and 'cold' shots so it's a moot point at the moment.

As you say a blank shot warms your equipment as well as cleaning out any leftover grounds so is good practice anyway.

jonathan18

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#2920285 30-May-2022 08:45

Acupuncture needles arrived on Friday, and they slotted perfectly into the the 3D printed handle. Now just waiting for the collar to arrive as it's a messy job without one!

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