Got a call-back from Roger at Chris' Coffee. He tried to help, but the problem wasn't what he thought it was. He's going to consult with one of the techs and call me back tomorrow. I'm just thrilled that they didn't wait until Tuesday to respond.

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. I'll update again once we get this fixed.

Jack

Chris' customer service is really top-notch. They will get you going one way or another. I know that it is frustrating to have this new toy and not be able to use it, but it will all be worth it soon.

JR_Germantown wrote:Got a call-back from Roger at Chris' Coffee. He tried to help, but the problem wasn't what he thought it was. He's going to consult with one of the techs and call me back tomorrow. I'm just thrilled that they didn't wait until Tuesday to respond.

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. I'll update again once we get this fixed.

Jack

That's some excellent customer service, right there!

Roger from Chris' Coffee called back today. He had concluded that it must be a loose connection, and offered to let me return the machine, or open it up and look. Since I'd rather do surgery than ship it back, I opened it up. I found a wire completely loose from the PID display, and connected it. I'm sure it came off in shipping, since they bench tested it.

My hat is off to Roger and the team at Chris' Coffee! I was really surprised to get this fixed over the weekend.

And I've pulled two shots so far. The first one wasn't fit to drink, because I was guessing at where to set the new Forté grinder. The second one wasn't perfect, but it made a nice macchiato. And wow, I'm not used to this kind of steaming power. This is going to take some getting used to!

The Forté has been impressive, but I had to set both grind selectors to the finest setting. I'm afraid I'm going to have to calibrate it. I wish Baratza would stop shipping espresso grinders that aren't set up for espresso.

Jack

Great! I wanted to order one soon and was curious how yours would be resolved.

How are the knobs on the machine? Is it instant on and off or a few turns for steam? I'm debating on whether or not to get the joysticks that CCS sells.

I've steamed only one drink. How are the knobs? All I have to compare them to is the old Gaggia. I didn't even notice if it came on instantly. The knob was slow enough to give me some control.

Jack

JR_Germantown wrote: ... And I've pulled two shots so far. The first one wasn't fit to drink, because I was guessing at where to set the new Forté grinder. The second one wasn't perfect, but it made a nice macchiato. And wow, I'm not used to this kind of steaming power. This is going to take some getting used to!

The Forté has been impressive, but I had to set both grind selectors to the finest setting. I'm afraid I'm going to have to calibrate it. I wish Baratza would stop shipping espresso grinders that aren't set up for espresso.

Jack

I'm actually looking into this EXACT setup.. the Vetrano 2B and Forté-AP. Disappointing to hear that the grinder isn't giving you the out-of-the-box results you expected. Keep us posted how it turns out.

-Joe Fish

Joe, it's been doing well since I calibrated it. I've gone back and forth between grinding by weight vs. grinding by time. At the moment, it's by time because I don't like using the bin. I was able to drop the portafilter hooks low enough that my OE dosing funnel fits perfectly, and that cuts down on stray grounds.

Jack

Thanks for the follow-up Jack!