This is kinda the direction I was leaning - I have about 5 portafilters with Bakelite handles so why not go for the rubber version? Sounds like rubber it is!

Hi all. I have been using a bottomless portafilter almost exclusively for years. However, I prefer the consistency and mouthfeel of espresso out of a spouted portafilter sometimes. I have been using the VBM dual spouted one for about a week and it drives me nuts...the constant drips from the spouts,...

Sounds good. I will have the VBM opened up next weekend to install a new vacuum breaker (mine is hissing and leaking, causing the boiler to refill several times a day and I am trying to fend off scale buildup and prevent excess water use). It is always good to have a peek at what the insides of the ...

Since you're in the San Diego area, you are welcome to Check out my setup (Mahlkonig K30, VBM Domobar DB V4.0, and beans from the most local of all roasters - me). Send me a PM is you're interested and don't mind driving out of town to the outskirts of the backcountry. The bar is always open!

Understood completely. Just wanted to make the point that grinder design has proven to be, for me, far and away the most significant variable. I'm sure the K30 is not alone in enabling more even extraction with minimal fussing. Sorry I can't offer alternatives from personal experience but for me the...

I never was able to get consistently perfect pours with my Mazzer Mini, no matter what I tried. Dose, distribution Hocus pocus, nutation, NSEW tamping, yogurt cups, Stockfleths (not as easy as it looks), Chicago chop, WDT, RDT, WTF, etc. You know what works the business? Mahlkonig K30 baby! 3.2 seco...

It seems that a lower starting water level in the HC would result in a dry puck since the piston would still have a seal against the cylinder walls with all aged exhausted into a drip cup, no? In any case, that is only one aspect. When the Lezyne CNC pump is mentioned, are you talking a floor pump

With regards to the soupy pucks on the HC: is it possible to slightly underfill the chamber so that at the end of the shot the puck is purged with air, like what happens with an Aeropress? I, too, am on the fence between these two and between the two Portapresso grinders for a future purchase. This ...

I have only done informal testing but reports that the K30 Vario cannot be single-dosed are simply not true. I have pulled about half my shots with my new Vario with single doses of nearly so due to inanely designed cabinet in my kitchen. The K30 is very low w/o a hopper. I have fabricated a custom ...

I cold brew in a sealed Nalgene bottle or mason jar. I then filler using a clever or, usually, do a first stage through a metal strainer, then an Aeropress with paper filter. This gives a smooth, liquory and fine-free brew. The clever took forever to drain and I wouldn't brew 24 hrs in an open vessel