Hi all, first time posting here.

I am currently considering which grinder to purchase for espresso. Anyone know where I can get a Compak K3 here and what is the estimated price? Thanks.

Yeah, got a quotation from them. Still comparing Eureka Mignon Manuale and Compak K3. Anyone can comment on retention and ease of cleaning the burs? And general performance? Thanks.

Had a look at the Compak K3 Touch Advanced. The demo unit was not able to grind espresso fine until the top part was unscrewed and some cleaning was done and the burr recalibrated. Seems like I might run into this problem in the future if I buy this model. Anyone have used this model before and can share your experience? Much appreciated.

It was 2300. But I went with something else.

Yeah, I know. Since it did not grind properly at first, they demoed the maintenance process as well.

I got the Niche Zero.

Anyone still buying beans during this lockdown period.

Anyone can share a good recipe for V60?

Tried to follow James Hoffman's recipe, but have a hard time swirling the mix as the water drained too quickly, so now just stir a bit with spoon.

Right now, I am dosing 12g and pouring out 250g in about 2 minutes, with 40s of blooming. The taste is OK but I wonder if it can be improved?

Hi, guys, I am looking to upgrade my espresso machine. Some questions that I would like to ask the more experienced users here:

1. Are the Chinese machines as good and as reliable as the European ones?
2. How do you find the longer startup time of boiler machines vs the thermoblock ones?

Thanks.

I want to upgrade from thermoblock to HX or dual boiler. I would like to have better steaming. But I guess I am spoilt by the quick startup time of my thermoblock. Any recommendations? I'm currently eyeing the Lelit Mara X.

The ear of my china bottomless portafilter broke off. Upon checking further, the basket rim was also bent and the puck screen was bent as well.

Took out the shower screen - seems fine. I reverted back to the ori portafilter and the brew looks ok.

Heads up to you guys. My brew was leaking a little for a couple of days. I thought it was the gasket and ordered a new one. I did not check the portafilter or the basket.

Appartamento does not have PID and is terribly expensive for what it offers, among Italian machines. For example, Quickmill Rubino or Lelit Mara X are cheaper HX machines. I was contemplating the Quickmill Sunny, which is priced closed to the Appartamento. It has a thermoblock for brewing, a 1.5L boiler for steam, and has pressure profiling. It comes with a barista kit with a bottomless portafilter. It has quick heat up time since it is not a E61.

https://www.jcoffee.com.my/product-category/coffee-machine/

Yes, in fact, at that kind of price point, you probably would want a double boiler with better temp stability and no need to do temp surfing. Italian options:
- Breville BDB - "consumer" grade. dual 750ml SS boilers
- Lelit Elizabeth - 600ml SS steam boiler, 300ml brass brew boiler
- Rancilio Silvia Pro X - can't remember exact specs, but I think 1L SS steam boiler
- Quickmill Sunny - not exact dual boiler because usess thermoblock for brew but 1.5L SS steam boiler

But at that kind of price point, with Chinese options, you can get rotary pump.
- Gemilai 3131A - 2L SS steam boiler, rotary pump

I was keen on the Chinese machine too but i am worried about reliability and support, plus it is quite big.

So far, my WPM 210 is still soldiering on. I had replaced its steam pump 3 times because of leakage over 4 years of use.

The machine usually comes with all the required accessories out of the box. You just need to buy the grinder and maybe a milk pitcher. And the beans, of course.

You equipment setup will depend on your budget. What's your budget?