Hello Stefano,
I was wondering what your kit was. With all the help that we have gotten from you I hoped you were able to enjoy a really good machine. Thanks for posting!
-Richard

Stanner, is it correct that you actually PID'd the heating block (thermoblock) of the Hamilton Beach appliance? I suspect that this sort of a machine will have a boiler.

espressme wrote:Hello Stefano,
I was wondering what your kit was. With all the help that we have gotten from you I hoped you were able to enjoy a really good machine. Thanks for posting!
-Richard

Richard, I suspect Stefano is able to enjoy many great machines!

Yes, but Scott -- which machine does Stefano use as his "home" choce, that is the question . . . I suspected it was a Vibiemme Double Domo, but it's nice to actually see his setup.

Thanks, Stefano, for posting.

orwa wrote:Stanner, is it correct that you actually PID'd the heating block (thermoblock) of the Hamilton Beach appliance? I suspect that this sort of a machine will have a boiler.

This is correct; not only did I PID it but I used a cheap Chinese controller which works better when using centigrade. People have had trouble with these but for me it's worked great.

Stanner wrote:This is correct; not only did I PID it but I used a cheap Chinese controller which works better when using centigrade. People have had trouble with these but for me it's worked great.

So, at what temperature you set the thermoblock prior to brewing and at what temperature it settles right after finishing the brew?

I set the machine at 91*C and by then end of the shot it's down to ~88*. I haven't looked recently so I'll check tomorrow.

Last year, my photo featured Rocky and Silvia.





It's all very tasty and cozy in my corner of the coffee world. The only upgrade I'm planning is a new SS steam arm when it becomes available.

Mary

Holy Crow, Mary. You certainly didn't go 1/2 way on your upgrade path! WOW. I'm jealous Great pics.

Beautiful setup, Mary!

This is my office setup. Does it count?

Aren't you -- uh -- missing something, Ian?

I'm dying to know what the home-made corkscrew is for. Perhaps to open the office Cognac which is where the jigger comes in to play?

The 'corkscrew' is a custom made "MC4 Schoz Xtraxian Tool"

zin1953 wrote:Aren't you -- uh -- missing something, Ian?

Marbles?

Snakes alive, Mary! Not only did you go whole hog, but I remember your post from last year...because of the brilliant fall colors in the yard. I'd never pay enough attention to the shot with those trees just outside. A really lovely setup!

Paul

I appreciate the warm comments. No need to worry about losing concentration, though. Those trees in their seasonal glory aren't even visible during my coffee drinking hours. And as usual in life they come with a down side--bags and bags of leaves to be gathered every weekend and blisters from raking. I just carried 30 bags of leaves to the curb for morning pickup.

Anybody else ever go to bed thinking about waking up and having their next shot? I do love the morning ritual.

Mary

OK, so maybe I went a bit overboard...



But I'm looking forward to playing around with it...



I received it today, tested it a bit, and then performed the surgery... took out both microswitches in the doser and added the tape to make it sweep completely. My first impression is that it's huge, but a whole lot less trouble than Vetrano is to move. the height is really nice, too. Anyhow, it took surprisingly long to dial in for me--the steps are dramatically less sensitive, as near as I can tell, than the Super Jolly. And it threw me off at first, because I was expecting it to be at least somewhat similar to my Super Jolly. I think it took about 4 shots to get even close, and that 4th one was a pretty heavy-bodied ristretto--1-1.25 oz. in about 45-50 seconds (!). It was pretty good, but still needs 1-2 more adjustments. I wanted to continue dialing it in, but it was 7PM and I had to leave for Austin for the weekend... Separated from my coffee until Sunday!

Wow Shadowfax I really love your set up, I am jealous.

EspressoObsessed wrote:Anybody else ever go to bed thinking about waking up and having their next shot? I do love the morning ritual.
Mary

Probably most of us! I know I often fall asleep thinking about the new coffees I got in that day & which one I'll brew in the morning.

Nick, that thing makes the Vetrano look downright small!!