Having a large gas cylinder to power the MyPressi Twist could have a lot of advantages. However, incorrect implementation and not following correct safety procedures with high pressure gas cylinders could make such a set up POTENTIALLY LETHAL.

For example. All high pressure cylinders have extremely sturdy covers that are mandated to be screwed on at all times when the cylinder is not in use. These covers protect the main valve, because if the valve was accidentally broken off or in some cases just incorrectly opened even a partially filled the cylinder can become a missile.

The following is a link explaining some of the issues. Scroll down to "Projectile Cylinder" & "Faulty Gas Cylinder Regulator Causes Explosion"

http://www.umdnj.edu/eohssweb/aiha/acci...linder.htm

Talk to the company that supplies your compressed gas cylinders. It is in their best interest to help you.

Hope this helps
Geoffrey

'Kay, y'all let me know if I'm doing something wrong here, or if this is normal. I just spent a week in the desert with the mypressi (and it was wonderful, I suggest trying some Amaretto, and some really good mead through the mypressi) and had a handful of shots make that 'pssssst' sound for an extended time after releasing the trigger. I'm used to a second or two, but a few of these were five to eight seconds of fairly high pressure release. It also seemed as if the trigger weren't returning fully when this happened. Bad technique? Normal? Any ideas?

Psyd wrote:It also seemed as if the trigger weren't returning fully when this happened.

That's not normal, although we've seen it happen. I'll send you an email so we can organize a replacement. There's actually a full list of issues at http://help.mypressi.com.

Best regards,
Stephen

See related thread A New Twist on Espresso - NYTimes.com.

Yesterday I took my weekly trip to my local roaster, Rojo's Roastery in Lambertville, NJ. I talked to the owner, David Waldman, about the Twist. He had one in for evaluation but had not yet tried it. We then proceeded to try it out with his coffee. The shot was not dialed-n, pouring fast. However, it looked great.

David gave the shot a compliment: "It tastes like my espresso." And his machine is a Synesso!

I'm considering getting a Twist, but have a Baratza Virtuoso. Can I get a sufficiently fine grind for the Twist?
From reading this thread and the second look, it seems the shot quality is pretty good. Will it produce a better shot than some of the cheap entry level machines on e-bay? (Saeco Magic Plus, Saeco Aroma Ariete Cafe Prestige, Gaggias,etc.) I know I'd need to buy a better grinder also with any machine.
Is this a good way to get a good shot at home until I can afford a decent quality espresso machine and grinder?
I really hate to buy entry level products, then work my way up to what I'll really be happy with long term. The Twist appears on the surface to be a reasonable alternative IF I can use my Virtuoso. I've never made espresso at home so I'm not sure just how fine "espresso fine" is, and if the Twist requires as fine a grind as a machine.

Glenn K.

The Twist will make at least as good a shot as the entry level machines, IMO. I don't know if the Virtuoso will cut it though.

Haven't used a Virtuoso so I can't say for sure, but I think you'll be fine with it. It will definitely go fine enough but the real question is if there will be too many fines in your grind. If the grind distribution is poor, you can still get a nice looking shot but it will probably be bitter.

This would apply to any espresso machine, though, so if you like how your espresso tastes using this grinder on another machine, you'll probably like it on the TWIST as well. It's a fairly forgiving device, so you'll probably find a way to make it work with the Virtuoso.

I've used the mypressi with a couple of hand grinders - the Kyocera ceramic mill and the Zassenhaus knee mill. Both easily produce fine enough grinds for the TWIST, though the resulting shots are not as balanced as with other grinders I've used (a Mahlkoenig and a Bunn).

But if the hand grinders can manage, I'm sure the Baratza can as well.

Has anyone tried it on this or another entry-level 'real' grinder?

I've used my Rocky on the setting that I usually use for my Silvia (both on their way to their new pa) and got great results. I got a bit of a slower pour through the mypressi, so a bit coarser would have produced a better shot. After that it was the Majors and the Zass. I got better shots with the Major, but the Zass performed better than the Rocky.
A pretty good general statement is that as it works for an espresso machine, it works for the Twist, because it *is* an espresso machine.

I've never made espresso, only bought at cafes. That said, how do I know what the proper grind is for espresso? I realize I'll have to experiment some to dial in, but where do I start? Knowing all grinders are different, is there a way to measure or some guideline or rule of thumb to get me in the ballpark?
I've read other posts where Virtouso owners have used Baratza's instructions for calibrating their grinders for espresso and their desired settings range from ten to fourteen. seems like a wide range, even accounting for differences in coffees, machines, etc.
Assuming I can get the proper grind, is there some reason why this would'nt be the best option until I can afford quality esspresso equipment? I'm just looking for a really good shot without spending too much money I'll regret later (stepping stone equipment), I don't care about convenience, wow factor, etc.

Glenn K.