20-bar?!?... That's pretty hardcore liao.. lol
For RMB 899, it's a bit expensive, but since it's a dual use machine, it looks good on the table ba..

By the way, what coffee grinder are you using then?

Some of them are kopitiam'ers.. some are dupes from RWI i gathered..

Breville's machines all have weak steaming function.. adding more holes to it will only deteriorate the steaming function further.

Machines that have strong steaming function.. there is significant difference between single hole and double.. the double will quickens the entire frothing session by 5-10sec(my own experience) and still able to stretch properly (creating the swirling motion)

am not sure that by going from double to (triple, quadruple, etc) will retain the advantage. i don't have a quadruple-hole steam tip to qualify a comment.. and i seldom use the triple either.

from your replies, i gathered that you're very new to this espresso machine/roasted beans.. the machine you purchased via taobao isn't cheap, there're of course, better alternatives for the RM555(+s/h), but since you've bought it, my as well make good use of it then..
the reason i asked you about your grinder is.. it will make logical sense to decide on the type of roasted beans you're planning to buy.
thus, if you're using a "blade" grinder.. forget about those expensive beans(e.g starbucks, or gourmet grade beans)

the keyword is spelled clearly... "breville"

If you spent time to read into this thread with earlier post, i've mentioned that you may try Nestle Just Milk(the pink one).

We've tried to froth a few UHTs and not all of them are equal.. This Nestle is able to retain the microfoam much longer. Taste wise, you have to discern for yourself and your potential customer(s).

a "burr grinder" is the best way forward.. of course, by now, you've noticed that there're manual burr and electric burr grinders.
do take note to "pair" your espresso machine with your grinder wisely.

an expensive/good grinder, pairing it with a toy/entry-level espresso machine will not bring much benefit to the end result.
for example, your espresso machine is considered "toy level".. lots of plastic components, thin stainless steel at best.. pressurized for consistencies(albeit lacking quality extraction). so, if you pair it with an expensive grinder or commercial grade grinder, you won't get much benefit from it.. but those grinders will be a good keep should you one day upgrade your espresso machine later.

so when people recommend you a grinder of choice, do take into consideration of this pairing-combo..
some people recommend you something with a hidden agenda, meaning, they have something to fence it off to you.. selling you shit that they don't want to keep anymore.. beware of such salesman tactics.

Hi,
Just tried this milk today.. It tasted a little more creamier than the pink-box variety. This is UHT recombined milk and it froth well and able to hold the microfoam for the whole duration the drink is consumed (~30mins).
The microfoam does have this silky sheen to it.. The pricing is really attractive, even amongst its peers(aka UHT). So for cafe owners or home users who would like to explore cheaper alternatives that won't hurt the pocket/wallet/P&L, you may give this a try.

And it stores(and aged) like UHT too..


Am sure the word "Barista" sure catches some attention here.. lol

I think they're available countrywide from Nestle but i guessed you meant it as, POS retail specific.. My source is a retailer in PJ and the boss mentioned that this is going to be regular item in store, so stock reliability is not an issue. furthermore, no MOQ is imposed but taking a carton will even suppress the price from it's below RM6/unit..

got 2 unit to try out, and froth it a second time today.. equally stable microform as per yesterday trial.. (but my beans are terrible, fresh.. but terrible)

"thick foam" is an indication of over stretching in the initial stage.. too much air is injected into the milk.. your Arissto frother + wand(?) combo maybe is good for building 3D latte art..

i use a 600ml pitcher too but my setup is very different from what you're using now.. 600ml is a good size to froth..

our earlier hearts.. these are noob level attempts


these are froth using a WPM machine then..

Makes you think it's a straight-forward microwave doesn't it?
Nope, that's a dual grill(and/or)microwave machine.. Nothing is mentioned about activating the grill mode for the entire process.
But i know what you're talking about.. metal into that box while it's running!!!
How about a non-ionizing metal.. is it possible? that contraption doesn't look simple

If you are using a "pannarello" steam tip; a thousand tips wouldn't help you to froth a good milk for latte art.
if you can unplug that plastic pannarello from your machine, you may try(albeit difficult) to texture the milk. It can be painfully slow, but some folks have done it using a modified Delonghi EC 155.

That guy was trying to source for a cafe.. adding a pasteuring procedure onto the cafe's workflow may create auxiliary issues later.

microwave and beans(devoid of liquid as default) are both illogical combo to begin with.. why blast an organic matter with DNA-altering wave is something i find difficult to brain..

la marzocco is a good brand to begin with.. but with your budget, i doubt you can even touch that machine.. serigala is right about the sub RM20k pricing for new. unless you can find a used unit..

if you're looking for a sub RM8-10k machine with a double boiler and a single e61 grouphead, you may try taobao. there's a brand that's quite reputable.. they add in a rotary pump for a few hundred RM more..

if you're seriously thinking about cafe business, i would urge you to give guys like Coffex or Dankoff a visit, they can provide good resources at areas such as hardware, service, consumables(e.g beans, syrups, etc) and consulting(training, etc)

i've been to both of them(Coffex/Dankoff) and i don't have a preference to either of them, but i can tell you that it's worth a visit to establishment such as these mentioned before you start your cafe business.

Breville?!? ... wouldn't even touch it with a 10-foot pole. If you've seen how the unit looks like internally, you'd know it's built for aesthetics' reason. reliability and robustness are very lacking in this brand..

i believe you have to read up alot about espresso machine before you point a finger to choose.. facade alone won't help you. best is to experience the machine hands on, ask for a demo, etc.

reading your post makes me wonder this entire gig is setup by a bunch of business/management guys who conceptually, knows all the right theories.. lol

you've totally misquoted the seller's descriptions.. what the seller meant to say was.. (in automobile terms; "it's a low mileage car, sonny and it's as good as new")

You're right, same address on the pack.. same importer too.. but it's been such a long time we got another bag of this monjava..

Congrats... this was the model that i initially wanted to get.. but ended up with 210s2. Hope you managed to get the grouphead rubber casket as well..
it takes time to learn about milk frothing.. the hissing sound; not too much(wand tip too high), not too little(wand tip too deep)..
by the way, you're using the 1-hole tip or 2-hole tip?

Nice art there, bro.. if i were you, i'd panicked and end up with a 3D cabbage art instead

Hi,
If you don't really have a choice, then choose the cheapest of the lot there.. for all these machine(s) you've quoted are basically of the same category/class.. 15-bar is basically a "joke" to catch your attention as the output of the ULKA pump inside is either restricted or of lesser quality as compared to prosumer's or commercial machine. Besides, you don't need 15-bar for espresso, just 8-9 bar will do.

If for the price you're willing to consider RM500-RM1k, there're much much more better alternatives if you source them online via taobao(China).. Warranty wise, you're on your own. Do remember, espresso machines are "appliances" and not mere electronics, so they're more robust than the latter.

We were like you, moving from strainer/cloth filter to a machine, albeit we started with a steam-powered espresso machine. Taste wise, it's definitely a few notches up from strainer/cloth filter, more intense (sometimes more bitter due to "stale beans/grounds").

With a better machine, you may have to then seriously consider a proper coffee bean grinder to pair with it. Then you will be able to experience the real difference of freshness and subtle taste/aroma from a fresh roasted beans as opposed to "ground coffee".. Well you can benchmark your setup with a reputable coffee cafe.. a proper coffee grinder is very important as we learnt it very much later. as it will improve the taste tremendously!!

Using a blade grinder on grounds will give you terrible results; the clumps will form much quicker than it would than beans and the friction heat accumulates rapidly thereon.. For the fun of it, we have once tried re-grinding ground coffee using a burr grinder. The results? Not much advantage as ground looses freshness very quickly.

Since you won't be needing lotsa grams of coffee, you may try using a stone mortar and rub-grind them. if you have those smooth marble-like stone mortar, even better (else those tool can be found in any Mr.DIY). You can control the grind momentum much better with a mortar than a blade grinder..