...so I've read the HX love article.
Also read the machine reviews. Most of them score a 7,5 morning after score.

But I'm still a little worried about the learning curve. How long did it take for you guys / girls to make a decent shot on your new HX machine?

(Not the 'god shot', but a shot that didn't taste bitter or sour)

Thanks for the help!

Literally about ten minutes. HX temperature management is simple. Activate machine until steam stops sputtering out, then wait an amount of time (I like about 10-15 seconds but this will vary with machine and boiler setting). My Anita also seems consistent from shot to shot or rather I don't feel that I have to alter my flushing to get the same temperatures each time.

I've never used any thermometers or anything fancy and I have no "tasteable" trouble pulling great shots time and time again. I've also not had any real issues with temp experiments (pulling cooler or warmer shots for whatever coffee I'm working with). Would it be easier with a brew group thermometer? Yeah probably but even without one I seem to be just fine (or at least that is what my tongue is telling me).

Don't be afraid of HX, its easy to get the hang of.

TimEggers wrote:Don't be afraid of HX, its easy to get the hang of.

So true Tim, right on.

Just follow the great advice on this forum and stay reading.
I was very happy with all my first shots.

My photo ID is one of them

Enjoy
Michael.

There are so many variables, wulip. Important ones are fresh beans (generally within 1-2 weeks of roasting) and a grinder high-end enough for espresso (Rocky and up, seems to be the consensus). Actually getting the hang of a hx machine and the flush, well that depends. If you read a few articles and follow their advice, you can pick it up almost immediately. I had trouble tuning my ear to the end of the hissing; getting a bottomless pf helped. I am now over a year into my coffee journey and I am still learning. Initally, I was able to make lattes superior to most coffeeshops. Now, I am finally making near-God shots I am able to drink w/o milk. It depends on what you drink; if it's all caps and lattes, then the steamed/frothed milk will cover a multitude of sins. What would help is if you can locate someone near you who has a hx and ask to see how they use it.

javabob wrote: I had trouble tuning my ear to the end of the hissing; getting a bottomless pf helped.

Why leave the Portafilter in?

Much easier if you pull the PF completely out, start to prepare the shot, then do your flush (with no portafilter in it is very easy to see/hear), finish prep, insert PF, pull shot.

Literally about ten minutes.

That's amazing!

Do you know if most people get the hang of it that fast?

I'm very curious if this is the average learning time people need.

wulip wrote:

TimEggers wrote:Literally about ten minutes.

That's amazing!

Do you know if most people get the hang of it that fast?

I'm very curious if this is the average learning time people need.

I can't speak for anyone else but yeah I had no problem getting the hang of it. In fact I really like the way the HX can allow me to experiment with temps on the fly. I feel a sort of freedom in this design.

10 minutes may be a bit fast, you can rough tune the process that quick, give it another weeks practice to get it fine tuned.

How hard is it, let me give you an example, lift lever, hissss..spit..hissss..gurgle...SSsssmmmmmmmm...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8 lever down, grind, dose, tamp, get the cup, lock in the portafilter and lift the lever (or push the button). If the shot is bitter, flush another couple of seconds or work your portafilter a little faster, if the shot is a little sour then flush less or prep your portafilter a little slower. Some machines have a fast recovery so you may have to prep your portafilter before the flush.

The reviews give you a headstart on the temperature management of a specific espresso machine. As I frequently say, if someone finds HX temperature management challenging, wait until they run into genuinely daunting tasks like extraction and taste flaw diagnosis. I fully appreciate why someone may not want to deal with temperature management issues as a matter of inconvenience, but as a matter of difficultly? I don't get it. However, if it's an issue that worries you and Eric's adapters don't allay your concerns (discussions: 1, 2, 3, 4 from the FAQs and Favorites Digest), a heat exchanger probably isn't a good fit for your needs.

I started with a Silvia and after about a year of reverse temp surfing with a thermocouple on the top of the boiler HX flushing was a no brainer in comparison. Very simple. Very intuitive. If you've got a machine where you can clearly hear the end of the water dance counting is a very reliable and flexible way to hit your brew temp. I like hands on control and while I haven't used a double boiler that can be set for brew temp I'm not really tempted to prefer one since I find flushing to be very on the fly flexible for brew temp control.

As well a lot of good HX machines are fitted with e61 levers so not only can you have flexible brew temp control you can benefit from the preinfusing capability of an e61 lever.

From Silvia to Vetrano getting good at flushing took less than a day once I understood the principal and dynamics.