Marshall wrote:I used them to pull shots, which is to say I hit them once to start the shot and a second time to stop it. :D

I programmed them to be 2.5oz volume, hit them to start and pulled the cup out when the shot was done. Worked like a charm.

I'd like to make a few comments on the ergonomics and ease of use of the GS machine pictured above. I understand completely the concept of learning to forgive a few shortcomings, with older machines we tend to be a lot more forgiving because we like to believe that at the time it was the best solution available and that any big mistakes are part of the charm and character.

That little machine has some really silly mistakes such as the hot water valve which is possessed by some demon to spit boiling water in every direction except into the cup. The solution? don't use it except for the odd bit of espresso cup washing and warming. And you know what? even the current LM machines had the same hopeless water spout until a few years ago.

The steam wand is not at all bad, in fact it is one of the only machines I can do anything that closely resembles latte art with

What would be great on the GS3 would be to incorporate the control switches into the centre group cap and maybe have the display on the side. Or at least have a semi-auto brew switch in the center cap. Just like the older style solenoid GS machines.

With regards to style I think what immediately comes to mind is balance. If you look at the Speedster as well it has great balance like a cat on all fours. The GS3 has something missing that maybe a Kees would pick up on and tweak.

Paul

ps that brown GS group paddle is real. It was one of the first samples from a company I had remold the originals - no spares exist so it's a case of make your own. I think that one was CNC cut in bakelite.

Excuse me, but this thread is becoming a parody of what many of us think of CG. All this fawning over equipment at this level is somewhat nauseating. I say this as someone who truly admires what LM is doing with this machine, and how they interract with our community. I wish them great luck with the GS3 and hope they sell a ton of them.

Have people forgotten that the great majority of what is going to be in yoiur cup is the beans you start out with, most of the rest in your grinder and grind setting, with a modest amount in your barista skills and even less in your machine? If you want truly great espresso, buy better beans or learn how to roast better. Most of respondants on this thread presumably already have very good gear and barista skills; the incremental gains from a better espresso machine are going to be incrementally very small.

ken

I don't think anyone at this level forgot what goes into a great cup of espresso. I'm here to learn, and discussing all the little details of high end equipment is of use to me, heck I even find Mr. Fox's numerous temp data graphs useful. I know people like that spend much time on this kind of thing, and I appreciate it. The people of this site have taught me a lot, and I for one would like to see this type of discussion continue.
So please, keep it coming.

Dan, my point was that the SERBC is not gonna be in Atlanta anymore. It will be back at Playmakers Repertory Theatre on the UNC campus.

On a different note, what's wrong with using the automatic buttons on the GS/3? Other than it doesn't "look hardcore?"

As I've always said, if the auto-buttons are there, might as well use them. Some people are under the misconception that if you use the semi-auto function on an automatic machine, say, a La Marzocco Linea, that it somehow bypasses the flowmeter, effectively bypassing the diminished brew temp stability of AV Lineas (vis-a-vis EE/semi-auto Lineas). It's not true.

On the GS/3, the flowmeter occurs on the cold-water side, so the flowmeter doesn't effect the brew temperature stability. Now when I had the GS/3, I used the on-off switch for sure... but only cuz I'm used to it. On a machine like that, I don't think there's any shame in using the auto-pad.

But that's just me.

Ken Fox wrote:Excuse me, but this thread is becoming a parody of what many of us think of CG. All this fawning over equipment at this level is somewhat nauseating.

Ken, I hope you heard the sound of bitten tongues all over the Internet when you wrote that.

This GS3 obsessing is like what you do when you order a hot car that won't be delivered for several months. All you can do until then is fantasize about how much fun it will be to drive.

Ken Fox wrote:Excuse me, but this thread is becoming a parody of what many of us think of CG. All this fawning over equipment at this level is somewhat nauseating.

Is this the same "Ken Fox" that:
- owns two $2500 espresso machines,
- exults at their improved performance after PIDing them,
- tinkers with internal piping to modify temperature profiles,
- obsesses over pump type, preinfusion pressure and rampup times,
- installs auxiliary pump timers,
- publishes thousands of words and dozens of graphs documenting their technical performance?

Couldn't be. This must be a parody of Ken Fox.

AndyS wrote:Is this the same "Ken Fox" that:
- owns two $2500 espresso machines,
- exults at their improved performance after PIDing them,
- tinkers with internal piping to modify temperature profiles,
- obsesses over pump type, preinfusion pressure and rampup times,
- installs auxiliary pump timers,
- publishes thousands of words and dozens of graphs documenting their technical performance?

Couldn't be. This must be a parody of Ken Fox.

I've done most of that stuff to embarass people who think they have to spend a pile of money to get these sorts of results, rather than tinkering with what they already own

And, if you've actually *read* those long boring posts something is conspicuously absent; much of an impression that this sort of stuff matters, at least in a major way. I did say that putting in a delay timer on a rotary machine that has an instantaneous pressure ramp up, results in fewer sink shots, in that way getting the newer more expensive machine to emulate an older technology, cheaper machine.

So I repeat: play around with your existing machine or buy the latest and greatest, just if you are already reasonably skilled and if you already own decent level equipment, the improvements you will see in the cup are apt to be vanishingly small.

Have fun in Chicago; hope you brought along a melita cone, given this recent picture of Jim's Isomac:



ken