Please bear with me - I am new to the world of brewing my own espresso. We got a good deal on an open box Cellini Evoluzione and decided to take the plunge. I have a few questions I am hoping the board might be able to help me sort out:

1) When I brew I am consistently getting a 9.5 bar extraction, I read that 9 bars is ideal - should this be adjusted on the Rocket? I have searched a little and see it is common for a Rocket to be set at 9.5 so this may not be a big deal, just want to make sure I am not missing something.

2) I am using a Breville Smart Grinder - the grinder will only go down to about halfway on the espresso grind meter, anything lower an no coffee comes out of the machine while I grind. In addition, as I move the grinds finer I have noticed that the Rocket is not able to brew (no coffee pours out of the portafilter) - does this mean the grind is too fine? I may need to return/exchange the Breville Grinder but I want to know if you have any tips on these issues/observations. Also, I am using La Colombia Nizza beans.

3) Finally, I am getting wet pucks. I have cleaned the Rocket using cafiza tablets and the pucks are still watery (or is some water to be expected?).

Thats all - really excited to learn all there is to using this machine.

mccanale wrote:When I brew I am consistently getting a 9.5 bar extraction...

Close enough (especially considering the gauges aren't that accurate).

mccanale wrote:...as I move the grinds finer I have noticed that the Rocket is not able to brew - does this mean the grind is too fine?

Yes. I haven't used that particular model, but Is Breville Smart Grinder any good for espresso? isn't encouraging. What you describe is commonly known as a "choked" extraction; the solution is grinding coarser.

mccanale wrote:Finally, I am getting wet pucks... is some water to be expected?

Yes. Search on "wet pucks" or "puckology" for many previous discussions of this common (newbie) quandary.

Thanks for the response - I am sending the Breville back. I was not happy with it overall - I do think its an interesting grinder but the inconsistency and inability to grind on its finest settings made me a little uneasy about keeping it.

I am considering a Baratza Vario but it seems like those have some quality control issues as well. Do you have any recommendations for a good grinder?

I believe it's well established through reviews, owner testimonials, and forum discussions that the Baratza Vario is a high quality grinder. See this site's Baratza Vario Grinder - Second Look or CoffeeGeek's First Look, to name only two reviews.

Another nice grinder is the Baratza Preciso, oftentimes available refurbished from Baratza for $240 + shipping.

I have been looking at Baratza as well, I guess I am a little torn because I have read a lot of reviews regarding display issues and that the grind settings seem to move while the unit is grinding.

I suppose no grinder is perfect though and when you read reviews/complaints on the internet you are mostly getting those that have had some kind of issue. Overall it does appear to be a solid grinder though. I just wonder if its going to need to be replaced in the next 5 years or if its something you can keep for the long haul.

Granted, the next step up is almost double the price and I am still getting started learning.

I went ahead and returned the Breville and picked up a Baratza Vario - I am pretty impressed so far. It is a very nice grinder and you can tell the difference in the grinds and in the flavor of the espresso. There is a pretty big difference in price but there is definitely an improvement in the quality of the shots that you can taste.

Overall I am very happy with the purchase of both the Rocket and the Baratza (so far).

The problem you had with the smart grinder is they now put additionnal shims to make it grind finer and they probably put too much. All you had to do is remove one of those and you would have a nice range!

You'll get more comfortable with your Rocket after a few months. It took me a while to get used to the change from my Silvia to a my Giotto but now I'm able to consistently get a good espresso. I also bought a Vario shortly after getting my Giotto and I'm really happy with the grinder and how well it works out for me. I'm not sure if you're grinding direct into the portafilter or not. If you're pouring it into the portafilter from the grind box of the Vario I'd recommend Orphan Espresso's funnel.