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Yeah no doubt for the most part supermarket stuff is far from specialty and usually quite stale. I will say an exception is some stores having artisan roasted coffee as a Lowe's Food 5 mins from me carries rather fresh Counter Culture, which is somewhat local to me as well. Have also seen...

I gladly say give what you have a fair shot and don't buy into common forum B.S. you might stumble upon. Granted the built-in grinder might not be top notch, but is likely suitable for the masses. If you're drinking straight espresso with lots of varying coffees then yes a quality hand grinder...

People read into claimed studies a bit too much if you ask me. There are tons of variables that affect all of us daily and you will drive yourself crazy trying to avoid or indulge in certain things. Personally I have battled so much in life to this point I simply refuse to be bothered by cancer...

Based on plenty of pros/cons often mentioned regarding the Breville Double Boiler/Oracle it seems that the Oracle should be quite capable if it's functioning properly. Many users have found the built-in grinder/tamping setup to be the weak link and choose to use an external grinder and dose/tamp...

A desirable end result doesn't just happen with most things in life. After trying all sorts of machines, grinders, etc. I will gladly state the absolute most important variable is the coffee being used. Terms like gourmet, specialty, etc. are simply subjective/opinion, so figure out what will...

You mention freeing up the wand as well as the knob being locked into a half open position, correct? The steam valve could have buildup inside keeping it from moving freely. Best thing to do, and quite easy, would be to take the steam valve apart and maybe give it a quick clean/descale. Often...

I don't buy into theory on what different coffees 'need' as there can be wild variation. For example, I have an Indonesian Bali natural that I push into Full City range for deep level of development as the coffee just stands out when pushed a bit darker. The grind fineness needed for that...

What's up with the 'best' questions posted way too often, bwahaha? What's ideal for me might be a joke to others as better, best, etc. is opinion and not much else. Slayer machines are definitely top notch for what you want out of one, but the design seems to revolve more around lighter roasted...

Why people get caught up in thinking there are magical components in life is beyond me. Like insisting on having certified organic items when you can't control the quality of the air you breathe, can't always control the quality of water you drink, etc. Regardless of how clean you think you're...

Opinions/expectations certainly vary, but claiming that is sort of a stretch. For example, you can buy 'coffee products' all day long online from Amazon, eBay, etc. and the majority of it will be garbage. Old green, stale roasted, name it... Of course some online sellers are fine on quality...

For some time I've been really digging dry processed anything... currently have a killer Brazil that excels even as a single origin. I say that as I strongly prefer a quality blend over pretty much any single origin, but just how I roll. I do have one blend in my stash year round when possible...

Great thing with coffee is the taste/texture can be altered in tons of ways. For example, if I cut a roast batch a bit short on development I can tweak variables to make it more palatable. I can boost water temp a bit to offset excess acidity... I can blend in another coffee such as an...

Show us the way to coffee nirvana...

The V1 I had did quite good with temp stability/recovery as I added an Auber PID after a few yrs of using it in stock form. Nothing wrong with temp surfing on the standard model, but the PID does keep the machine ready when you are instead of having to wait for it. I will definitely say the Pro...

Regarding grinders there's just a ton of possibilities on the market and it's easy to overthink it, second guess, that sort of thing. I'm a fan of hand grinding so there's that, but not for everybody of course. On machines, I've never owned either, but not really impressed with the build...

There are quite a few single dose offerings available as most companies have jumped on the bandwagon. From a burr symmetry POV I'd go the Niche Zero route IF I wanted single dosing and could tolerate the soft design. The Mazzer Kony burrs in it will give fantastic grind quality/consistency for...

Thing is with a class you're simply being persuaded to a degree to follow what others think is 'correct'... Like those that just have to follow the 'rules' listed by the SCAA. Might work for them trying to establish industry standards, but means little to me. Problem with life in general is we...

Skill/technique, quality/fresh coffee and balanced water... never about how much is spent beyond a reasonable point. I've been in shops that had easily spent $20K on just the machine/grinder and the espresso couldn't match what I can get out of a moka pot with coffee I roast.

Dunno about these days, but for some time the BDB came with 2 types of baskets. A single/double that are SINGLE wall as in standard/non-pressurized and a single/double that are DOUBLE wall that pressurizes the system so a less precise grind quality/stale coffee can be used for tolerable results...

Simply tell them to figure it out for themselves as people shouldn't rely on others to suggest what they 'should' like or make use of. FAR too often people will ask (on all types of forums) what's the best when 'best' doesn't exist. We all have different expectations, levels of experience, that...

I wouldn't consider anything on the lowest tier as espresso capable to begin with. Too many marketing crutches more for convenience than performance. Never used a Slayer, but I don't buy into the 'modern' fad as necessary. I have used quite a few different machines for home and commercial and...

In a sense NO... main thing a commercial machine/grinder is designed/built for is high volume/quick recovery/long term reliability. For espresso if you can manipulate the water temperature, brew pressure and flow rate within a decent limit you can have fantastic espresso from most any machine...

My next step will be hand roasting each bean individually using natural sunlight with seriously enhanced magnification... might take awhile so I will update in a few yrs after I finish the first pound, bwahahaha...

Honestly there will always be those that think they have a unique sense of taste, smell, etc., but at the end of the day who cares? I don't buy into the cupping, etc. as that can clearly result in sensory overload. All that matters to me is what I crank out of my setup in my home that I find...

Honestly I have never found it to be that involved... I prefer blends over any single origin I've ever used as most are one-dimensional regardless of what's done with them. A blend can give a unique layered flavor profile/texture that a single origin just can't match all said/done.

THICK

Keep in mind that the numbers tossed around are very basic, sort of ballpark figures. Every coffee, setup, environment, etc. will need changes in your variables to maximize each. You can buy the same exact coffee month after month for a year and each batch will need slight changes pretty much...

Who cares what that guy or others like/dislike with coffees?!? Same with food critics, tool reviews, you name it... People get paid to post reviews, certainly doesn't mean it will work in your favor. The only way to know if a product will work for your use/expectations is to give it a try...

Joining forums to post clickbait garbage, usually for financial gain, doesn't benefit anyone either and gets old rather quick.

Don't buy into the 'professional taster' B.S. as taste is highly subjective and one man's junk will be another's treasure. I've never read into any reviews for anything in life to be honest as when you ask 100 people you will get 1,000 varying opinions. That is a main reason I got into roasting...

Awesome... I normally just fire my roaster up, toss the coffee in and let it rip until green turns to brown!

Honestly don't understand why people ask for the 'best of' when that's clearly a matter of opinion. I also can't agree with 195 degrees F being 'ideal' as that definitely depends on the coffee being used as in origin, roast level, grind fineness to a degree, etc. Truth be told those lower tier...

Keep in mind the coffee being used is the main contributing factor (mainly process method and roast level based on what I've used), but I do indeed get more texture with conicals. Not a drastic difference compared to the flat burr electric I have using 'traditional' 64 mm burrs, but a quality...

Taste is subjective and varies among us all. To claim a preference is based on ignorance is a bit much. I've been involved in specialty coffee for quite some time now and have tried all sorts of coffees along the way. Tons of blends, single origins at various roast levels. Started home roasting...

You might be better off checking out the BDB fanboy threads at Home Barista as they go a bit above/beyond trying to maximize those things.

Posts like these 'might' help some along the way, but why continue to post YT clickbait that is simply benefitting others monetarily? If people are having issues they can simply ask and members will likely offer useful advice and not resort to garbage links...

Yes I figured as much on the heat, but I've also wondered if there's a slight possibility that the fungus I came into contact with could've been on the green and being around that while roasting led to me inhaling it before the heat really did its thing. Not going to overthink it though as there...

To each their own, but I wouldn't waste time or $ on any coffees such as that. The insane cost is simply due to supply/demand and there are so many fantastic coffees that can be had for a fraction of the cost. FWIW for 4+ yrs now I've been recovering from a severe illness caused by a fungus and...

Yeah the burrs in the Helor I have are from the Mazzer Robur. Grinders in that range tend to draw 900 watts or more every time clicked on. I think of that savings long term as well as a quality manual grinder really has little to wear out in time. I will wear down before it ever will. Take a...

Most quality hand grinders can go toward Turkish fine as I've pushed a few that fine out of curiosity. Of course the finer the grind the longer it takes, same as with any electric as the burrs are working harder. In the past I had the JE-Plus from 1ZPresso and it is a fantastic espresso range...

Will mention a handful of things regarding your post.... Baratza has always had great customer service and does offer solid grind quality/features for the price point, BUT that clearly comes at the expense of longevity. I had a Vario for some time and for awhile it performed quite nicely. Then...

Every single person alive (or dead, lmao) will tolerate things differently. Asking for health advice online is a bit hilarious as nobody can honestly answer. I handle coffee quite well digestion-wise as well as caffeine. I can easily/safely consume up to 1 gram daily with no change in blood...

As in flowing from the group? Wand? Not sure if that machine has volumetric control, but if so it could be that not sensing flow/volume properly and keeping the pump going. Could also be a circuit board issue as Breville machines tend to have various problems within a few yrs of use based on...

Yeah lots of constantly changing variables involved with espresso. IMBHO it's never mastered as something will change to affect daily dialing in and keep you somewhat guessing regardless of equipment, skill, etc. For me that's part of the enjoyment as it never gets boring and usually some off...

Easiest approach would be to go to Lowes/Home Depot and get a 1/2 ton mini hydraulic jack and raise that side of the machine up to smooth flow out... bwahaha not really. There are different variables at play that can affect that like the machine not being level (now see you addressed that), can...

After buying tons of coffee from many commercial roasters years ago as well as doing my own roasting just over 6 yrs now I will honestly say any decent roasted to order coffee at (still) just $12/lb is a steal... I felt the Redbird 5# bulk bags averaging $60 shipped was a solid deal over 6 yrs...

Thing is Cusinart designs/builds appliance grade devices that appeal to the mass market looking for affordable and good enough. Their focus clearly isn't coffee specific and never will be. Their grinders are a cheap/all-in-one that will never be even decent for most coffee enthusiasts regardless...

Case in point... a guy I know somewhat into home roasting gave me a bit of green to try that just wasn't cutting it for him. Not sure of the exact origin, but labeled Congo ______. Notes basically come across as cocoa and pronounced acidity. I took it a bit darker than my usual batches to really...

Also keep in mind (if not already mentioned) that some coffees just aren't ideal for espresso regardless of equipment, variables tweaked, etc.

Great advice given thusfar and the general 'rule of thumb' is 7+ days post roast rest for most coffees to mellow out for espresso. Gives it time to degas and develop more flavor, balance, etc. For the greens I like and taken to a full city range I find most start to peak around day 6-7. After...

Don't think it was mentioned, but what coffee are you using? If the least bit stale it will seriously affect things and won't give satisfactory results regardless of the grind, dose, etc.

Definitely the old school tried/true Rocky. Has 50 mm flat burrs and a quite capable grinder. Over time burrs do wear and can create less-than-optimal grind quality, could be a bit of slack in the carrier threads that can be remedied with a wrap of teflon tape, etc. The Rocky is really designed...

Actually used the Capresso for awhile and it is a good solid performer for the money. The grind chamber is rather large and will lead to retention and the sweet spot for espresso range fineness is limited, but usable. For the price point it does pretty well. What Rancilio grinder do you have as...

Personally have never found pre-infusion on any machine to really be useful. Only real positive I see with using it is less puck destruction on start-up, but if you make a bit of effort on consistent puck prep there shouldn't be much of a problem. I will say don't get too caught up chasing...

Thing is to not get overwhelmed as espresso IS quite involved and takes time/effort/patience to figure out. It's never the same day-day, never push button easy, etc. The things you will read/watch regarding time, volume, yield are just very basic and mean little as every setup, every...

The practice of doing so will maximize freshness, etc. Interval depends on the coffees you like, mainly roast level as that somewhat determines surface oils, environment as humidity causes retention at times, etc. Whether I use the electric or hand grinder I give them a quick brush/vacuum after...

First extraction being a bit different is usually due to stale retention from the previous use. Then by the 2nd extraction you have fresh ground that will behave as you expect. When I use my electric I purposely cause the flow to back up into the chute a bit to give me very well controlled...

A capable grinder will not only grind fine enough, but will do so consistently AND have a good/usable range in that finer zone. Lots of grinders will go fine enough, but the particle size will vary greatly. Espresso specific grinders are designed/built to higher tolerances so the slightest...

My V1 had the stainless piece around the group that never had any wear. The Pro has that nice flat black plastic type and it's fine by me as the thing really helps keep the group insulated and is just warm and no issues with being burned making contact with it. Never ordered from EspressoParts...

I didn't 'need' a double boiler, but my V1 had some heavy use on it. Although I meticulously cared for it I knew in time the element would go out and that would involve a bit of downtime to replace the boiler, etc. Decided to splurge on the Pro version as it should last the rest of my lifetime...