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I agree with that as I don't like to say 'shot' either and prefer to call it a double extraction. Never bothered with singles as they're more trouble than they're worth, requiring a finer grind, more attention to distribution/very even/level tamping, etc. due to the difference in basket...

Since I started espresso 9-10 years ago I have never bothered with time/volume/ratios. If you're a stickler for 'Italian rules' or need to rely on that to get you in the ballpark then have at it. Once the puck has given up all the good it has to offer that's it regardless of what you end up...

I have heard of Bosco levers, but never used one. Levers are simple in design/function/maintenance, but don't mistake that simplicity for being easy. You have several types of levers... a true manual is where YOU control the pressure based on leverage. Then you have spring loaded, where you...

First thing... how is the taste as that is what matters most? How is texture/mouth feel? Second... if you get a lot of crema that dissipates quickly that is usually indicative of coffee that is a bit too fresh and needs to age a bit longer to mellow out. The mesh pattern on the puck means you...

I've ran a few commercial machines with rotary pumps (which is what you have) and have never noticed any issues with the pump/lines to/from it getting even warm. Are you sure it's plumbed into a cold feed? Also, are you sure that you're sending water to the boiler, rather than pulling it out of...

Not sure about the Aurelia II, but I owned/operated a 2 group Aurelia in a mobile setup. Even though it had the volumetric water dosing and 3rd steam wand that could be programmed to stop at a set temp I never bothered with either of those features. I steamed every pitcher by hand and...

The coffee/paper filter (if you're using them) will absorb some water, but it shouldn't be absorbing 1/4 of it.

I'd suggest keeping your current brew ratio as is and just add a bit of hot water to the mug. Cutting back on the amount of coffee used usually throws off the balance. Better to brew a bit stronger then dilute if needed for most.

Based on the pic of portafilter shape/single spout and Illy's designs over the years that appears to use pods of some sort. I could be wrong though... The machine design reminds me of those from Saeco and even the Gaggia Classic to a degree. Would be interesting if you pop the bonnet and see...

Yeah it can give you more time, but whether it's an advantage would really depend on your technique. I hardly steam milk, but when I do I like to aerate/heat as quick as possible.

No it can't as you must extract OR steam.

I've only seen them offered in standard 58mm. Honestly, I think if you have good distribution/tamping those devices are more form than function. I've watched quite a few videos of them compared with traditional distribution methods and there was nothing impressive about them. Most users seem to...

Well there is no 'temp solenoid'... it likely has a 3-way solenoid as it shares parts with the Silvia as well as having 2 thermostats, one for brew temp and one for steam temp. You say the unit gets extremely hot... what part of the machine are you referring to? If it gets too hot there should...

Could be some clogging, but have you by any chance changed brands of milk as I've seen that happen all too often? When running a commercial setup I noticed inconsistencies with different brands of whole milk, which was the most common (by far) we used.

Yet another reason I will continue to buy green coffee from Sweet Maria's... For my taste in espresso I much prefer blends as it adds complexity in the cup, layered flavors/texture if you will. I've tried quite a few single origins over the years for espresso and find them flat/boring...

It isn't just about particle size/fines, but also the shape of the particles. A blade 'grinder' basically pulverizes the coffee in all directions until a particular particle size is achieved, whereas a proper burr set utilizes a precise slicing action to achieve a particular particle size in one...

There are lots of lower end/cost hand mills from Hario, Kyocera, etc. Many have ceramic conical burrs and will be much better than the cheap electrics. Can't comment on speed as I've never used any of those. I have two vintage hand mills, both cylindrical (not typical box type) that have high...

The grinder you bought will surely have this burr type attached in pic. They are just OK, but a step up from blade 'grinding' for sure. They spin at high speed to spit the grounds out quickly without a lot of precision and usually a lot of static. The nubs on the burrs actually do most of the...

Yeah this is one case where the wife isn't correct. The pause/pour 'feature' is actually not good if you're looking for a balanced pot. When coffee is brewed the most flavorful solubles/caffeine start being extracted when water saturates the grounds and weakens as it progresses. Grabbing a cup...

I can respect that as I surely don't have lots of $ to throw at coffee. Bought my Silvia/Rocky barely used, but at a great price. Built my roaster... my entire setup cost me about $500 and paid for. Even though you're not interested in roasting thought I would add that all said/done my coffee...

Yes I realize you're using the espresso in milk, but the fresher/better quality the base (espresso) the better the end result will be. Roast level doesn't affect crema much if any at all based on what I've tinkered with over the years. Fresh roast will produce buttloads of crema regardless...

Yeah fresh for espresso means the window of opportunity is to start using the coffee within days (4-5) post roast and using within 2 weeks or so. It is THAT critical I assure you. I won't even leave coffee in my grinder hopper overnight as even that bit of exposure to oxygen makes a difference...

This is a typical double I extract from my unmodified Rancilio Silvia/Rocky. Around 18.8 grams of home roasted Altiplano Blend (Sweet Maria's) aged 6-7 days. Reddish brown, very thick/silky... Probably 2/3 of the volume is crema until it settles a bit and crema still clings to the demitasse all...

The color of the coffee itself is pretty good, but of course the crema is thin/pale. Main thing is taste... as long as it's good to you, then that's what counts. You would be surprised with how much different super fresh coffee would be.

Yeah I agree and have said the same thing for some time... people chase numbers over flavor/texture, etc. I do weigh my doses at home due to the complexity of my routine, but have never measured tamp. My average tamp is likely 10-15# max as I like to grind a bit more fine and tamp less. You can...

Not likely unless you want to ruin a dedicated roaster.

Best time is when you want/crave it.

Crema is more from freshness than any other factor. Grind, tamp, pressure all play a part though. I've never gone by time, volume or the latest fad... extraction ratios. Never at home or commercially. Have always extracted/made changes based on taste, texture, color, flow rate, etc. When you...

We all start somewhere and if YOU are satisfied with the end result that is all that matters. I'm a firm believer in using what you have/can afford and maximizing it. I have gone the full spectrum in the last 9-10 years from a basic pump machine to higher end home machines, to a manual lever, to...

All three are pressurized baskets and the 1st one is likely to be used for pods.

If that is your absolute max on budget I'd recommend a Gaggia Classic. Great price/machine for good/solid espresso. Decent steam quality as well. Can last 8-10 years if preventive maintenance is followed. No way would I consider any Breville machine if long term reliability/self-repair is...

Less holes should give you more pressure and more holes more volume. Sometimes less holes are best when boiler is on smaller size, but not likely an issue with a good solid HX machine. You can always plug 1-2 holes with a section of toothpick to see what changes that makes.

I have owned 2 FF machines and they are rather good quality/capable machines. Both (FFX5 and FFX1 3rd Gen) have heavy brass boilers/plumbing/wiring/switches. Both of mine would 'blink' the light often as they don't have high/low temp swings as a typical thermostat clicking the element off/on...

I have owned 2 FF machines and they are rather good quality/capable machines. Both (FFX5 and FFX1 3rd Gen) have heavy brass boilers/plumbing/wiring/switches. Both of mine would 'blink' the light often as they don't have high/low temp swings as a typical thermostat clicking the element off/on...

Honestly I think double boiler/HX machines are a waste unless you want to do a lot of steaming. Of course arguments can be made regarding thermal mass, temp stability, etc. I've owned and/or used some really good machines and based on extracting tens of thousands of doubles over the years I see...

To each his/her own, but I KNOW that vacuum packing/deep freezing roasted coffee has merit. I started experimenting with this for decaf I was using on a commercial level. Thankfully not many customers ordered decaf as to me it's a waste of what could be awesome coffee otherwise and I of course...

In a commercial setting where you MUST be able to keep up with demand a 2 group is really what is needed. I wouldn't say it's necessarily going to consume more power if you think about it this way... a 2 group is going to have a lot more thermal mass/boiler capacity and won't have to work nearly...

Yeah +1 on the scale as it will help with dosing, minimizing waste, etc. Although I now use a digital scale with a .1 gram resolution, for years I used a kitchen scale with a 1 gram resolution and that worked fine. Most people likely won't taste the difference 1 gram makes, but I'm at the point...

When starting out going by numbers (time/volume) can be useful to get you in a good range, but after some time you will develop a sense/taste of what works/what doesn't for you, your equipment, coffees you like to use, etc. then can fine tune based on that. Personally I find it hilarious when...

+1... I have only bought greens from Sweet Maria's. I know they are a bit more $ than other green sellers, but their customer service, knowledge, homework/cupping notes they do on all the coffees they sell and freshness/consistency of those greens puts them at the top of their game. Over the...

I won't waste $ buying roasted coffee again. Been home roasting for a bit over 1 year now and have achieved fantastic results consistently. So far my cost (green coffee from Sweet Maria's, shipping, 17-18% loss and a bit of electricity) is averaging $8 per pound and is on par with anything I've...

I will do a bit of searching, but here is a long thread at CoffeeGeek on the machine. Maybe some of those users can help... CoffeeGeek - Espresso: Espresso Machines, DeLonghi EC155 (and EC152CD, EC310, etc.) Modification Guide & Ideas

I can add a bit of info as my wife and I operated a full blown mobile espresso setup for a handful of years. An accumulator tank acts like a pressure tank with a well/pump. As stated above it maintains line pressure so the pump isn't constantly running, but I don't think it's necessary. The...

Finer grind will cause the puck to retain more moisture, but to obtain more concentrated flavor it's a trade off. What coffee(s) are you using? Freshness and roast level can affect this as well.

I know nothing about those machines, but maybe it's just the design/function. A few things worthy of mentioning... Can you change the dose? Have you tried other coffees? In a semi-auto with a 3-way I often have wet/soupy pucks, but this is affected by dose, grind fineness, different coffees...

I think something like the EK43 is ridiculous overkill for home use. Maybe high volume cafe use for pourover, drip, etc. Guess I will never know if it's good for light roasts/espresso as I don't like anything lighter than full city for espresso. I have seen a pic on a forum with what I believe...

Those light pieces could simply be chaff.

Nothing against Breville as they have gotten a lot better, but still are an appliance company. I have seen pics of them internally and not impressive for the price point. Most aren't easily fixed mainly due to lack of parts to be found based on what owners say. The Classic is a good solid home...

For that price range the Gaggia Classic would serve you well. It does have a hybrid boiler design (aluminum upper/chrome plated brass lower/group), which is a proven/safe design and great performer for solid home use. They use a thick aluminum boiler/external heating elements so heat...

I wouldn't even consider Cuisinart as they are appliance grade. May work good for now, but how about 5-10 years from now. Something like the Technivorm will likely never wear out.

People make a rather big deal over nothing these days. You will see mention of hazards from using certain types of materials, but in all honesty and practicality we can't escape every little threat in daily living. From the air we breathe, water we drink, foods we consume, meds taken, etc...

For espresso only (for myself and family members) I average roasting/consuming about 7.5-8# of green coffee monthly, so that equals around $55. Can vary slightly based on the blends I get from Sweet Maria's. A 19 gram double costs me around .32 on average, so I'm saving a ton by...

That's awesome... let us know how well it serves you. You should tell us more about your roasting operation... BTW I see you have a rather large bag of Charbux coffee!

If you ask me those that constantly spout off about having to spends thousands to obtain good/consistent espresso at home are likely lacking skill to make use of better equipment. I know for a fact after having owned/used some really good equipment over the last 8-9 years that once you get to a...

Yeah and lower priced home grinders likely won't last long at 1-2 lbs. daily. For what you described definitely commercial bulk grinding is the only way to go. Also, no way I would be using a home grinder like the Krups to grind coffee being sold.

Home grinders are meant to grind no more than 1-2 lbs DAILY and usually with a low duty cycle, meaning grinding a bit, stop a bit, etc. 5# in 30 minutes is commercial territory. For high volume, but good grind quality/decent price I would definitely seek out a used bulk grinder like those you...

Yeah I had to use several toothpicks as well as a very stiff (nylon) group brush to remove the coffee tar out of the threads. Since the burr carrier in the Rocky is solid brass I soaked it in near boiling water to help soften the tar. Everything else was cleaned by hand and it took awhile. The...

When you do get it to turn is it smooth? Does the burr carrier/collar appear to be level? I ask as I would hope it wasn't cross threaded. Could just be severely gummed up. I recently bought a Rocky that was hardly used, but sat for years with molded coffee tar gunking up the threads/burrs. Had...

Definitely not impossible, but not rich/dense enough for me to bother with. I like ristretto type extractions and push maybe 1.5 oz of water through 19.5-20 grams of fairly finely ground coffee. Dunno about the Italian restaurants as I never order coffee anywhere as it's 99.99999% likely to end...

That is like claiming La Marzocco is the premier for espresso machines and just an opinion/brand bias. I used a BUNN VPR in a mobile espresso van and it worked great. Simple, well built and quite affordable. Largest airpots we used were around 80 oz. capacity. Over time I got away from doing...