I've been using my Breville dual boiler (BDB) for almost 3 years. I've not compared it to the chinese made machines, but it's been a joy to use, relatively forgiving and very consistent. It's also very easy to maintain and has been reliable pulling an average 2-3 shots daily. I've not been adventurous enough to try the Slayer shots on the BDB but it does show the flexibility of the machine. I paid RM4,500 for it from Midah Electrical back then.

Don't forget to check out the Oscar 2, should be around RM3,800 thereabouts, also a good choice but someone else will have to comment on how this compares to the Chinese ones.

Yes,  crema is extremely dependent on the type and roast date of the coffee
It would not be a good measuring stick on how well a machine is performing
Unless you're all about Italian style darkr/obusta based espresso, I rather recommend you grade the machine by consistency and the cup by taste rather than appearance (blindfold yourself if necessary to remove bias)

Machine Specs Consistency
Same pressure, same volume of water over time & same temperature throughout
Higher end machines is basically being able to very consistently maintain the above variables even in very fast paced environments (back to back shots)

Taste Consistency
Taste consistency is more difficult as it is a cumulative output of multiple systems
1. Coffee Beans - roast profile/storage/defects
2. Grinder performance/consistency
3. Distribution/Tamping (human dependent)
4. And then of course the espresso machine consistency
So in summary, if we are simply evaluating how good an espresso machine is, look at how consistent it is in doing it's basic job of dispensing water rather than how tasty the espresso it can produce since the second part involves many other components

30% crema.. you mean something like this?


it's not a very good/reliable indicator for a good coffee, but it's just added fun like a glass of guinness stout.. besides, it won't stay and the crema will collapse eventually over time.. by the way, i'm using a china machine here.. it's very easy to over-generalize "china machines" into 1 single stereotype.. if you know what you're looking for, you can get seriously good stuff for a reasonable price..

Seriously, what China machine (and grinder) are you using here?! Name and model to be specific..

May I ask why? Are your timings ok? 25sec to 35sec?

More (or most) importantly, how's the taste?

I would suggest a machine that can do pressure profiling. This way you can dial down the pressure, keep the grind a little coarser, and achieve the longer extraction time.

Maybe a Flair.....

Bro, have you done any mods to your machine?

Else, what you have is an entry-level(to some, it's toy grade) China machine.. 20-bar(by some non ULKA pump; Defond), pressurized portafilter(gives wholesome fake crema).. we have used such China machine before; don't stress yourself out too much about extraction results, it's difficult to even have a stable temp on such entry-level machine to begin with..

if you want to move up and don't wish to spend too much but yet able to have a lots of room to learn... the good 'ol rancilio silvia (if you can find one) is very good, price wise too.. but if you intend to go China again, i have a few serious brands for consideration; milesto, expobar, wpm (each have it's own individual series; from the lesser to the greater within each brand).. e.g meaning not all wpm machines are the same.

(Update - it seems La Marsa Coffee might still be selling the Silvia, do check with them)

Most likely is your grinder.
What grinder are you using ?

nameless burr hand grinder, how much it cost?

Almost confirmed grinder issue.

Could be due to the inconsistency particle size of the grounded coffee beans from the hand grinder.
Nameless handgrinder from China ?

Donlim DL-KF7001 with "wonderful grinder" (highest spec, titanium coated or something)

I'm not familiar with your grinder, although when you mentioned 'nameless' what came to mind was the Anonymous hand grinder, which is very good.

When you say you get uneven flow, can you give more details?

Do you WDT?

Can you share your dose size?

There is some debate on the efficacy of levelling; looks really cool though.

Try reducing your dose maybe 1g at a time. Overpacked portafilters give inconsistent results. Each basket really has quite a narrow range of ideal dose size.

Have you tried the coin test? Tamp a dose then gently place a 5 Sen coin on the dose. Lock the portafilter, then immediately unlock it and check. Ideally the coin would not cause any depression in the dose. If you feel you have lots of space, you can up your dose.

Water to coffee ratios make a big difference in taste. No right or wrong, just your preference. The 'normal' ratio is often described as 2:1, meaning 2 parts coffee output for 1 part coffee grounds. This can go down to a ristretto being 1:1 (or 0.5:1 for a double ristretto) to lungo which is often described as 3:1 and others even higher. Tune the ratio to your taste. Too bitter, cut back on the water. Too sour, add some water. Of course I'm being way too simplistic as many other factors come into play.

I was just browsing through the specs of your machine: 20 bar! That is crazy high. Any way to tune it down? Overpressure valve?

(and aiyoh no Sifu terminology la....we are all enthusiasts on a journey)

You can make great coffees with Delonghi. Don't simply put down with the bad reviews out there.

Just had the Donlim KF6001 for about 4 months, using a Hario mini slim to grind fine enough for this machine. Honestly, this machine isn't bad for the cost.

By the way, anyone knows a good way to steam milk for latte art? I'm using this steam wand from this machine and so far all my milk aren't thiccc enough for latte art.

Not sure whether its me, machine or milk choice. Been using various whole milk and low fat milk such as Nestle, Goodday, Vsoy.