I was lucky on my old Delonghi EC702 - it came with a pf holder that was made in 2 halves so I just cut the plastic bar and remove the bottom half. I think I have heard of people sawing off half of the metal on the all-metal ones, but I don't think that ended well, so maybe keep your eye out for a different pf holder that might fit better. Onward! (a bottomless is sometimes helpful but not the panacea it is hyped up to be - You can tell a lot just by watching the speed and evenness of the output from the spouts.) It's not what a pull looks like, to me, but how it tastes! There is a lot of (sometimes elitist) espresso hype. Go for the taste! (I tend to aim for 1:1.5 rather than the 1:2 oft posited as the ideal - why? - better taste! YMMV!!!!!!!

mixespresso wrote:I just removed the gasket and the screen and then put it back again, as I had noticed that the screen was not levelled...

It went from crazily splashing water to just leaking... so yes, it is about finding a way to properly lock it

I tried again and crazy splashing is back... so that just false hope

kris772 wrote:I was lucky on my old Delonghi EC702 - it came with a pf holder that was made in 2 halves so I just cut the plastic bar and remove the bottom half. I think I have heard of people sawing off half of the metal on the all-metal ones, but I don't think that ended well, so maybe keep your eye out for a different pf holder that might fit better. Onward! (a bottomless is sometimes helpful but not the panacea it is hyped up to be - You can tell a lot just by watching the speed and evenness of the output from the spouts.) It's not what a pull looks like, to me, but how it tastes! There is a lot of (sometimes elitist) espresso hype. Go for the taste! (I tend to aim for 1:1.5 rather than the 1:2 oft posited as the ideal - why? - better taste! YMMV!!!!!!!

image

That is very handy (the 2 halves PF)

Yeah, it was fun, but, if I were you, I would forget about the naked holder and just use the original (since that seems to work fine) and focus on how you dose it, dose weight, and taste result. There were also times where I definitely felt that I could get a dependably better taste from the original pressurized basket than the non-pressurized one. Again, YMMV, but don't eliminate choices simply to be "part of the club". To me, the only important club is the taste one. brew to enjoy, and enjoy what you brew. May not fit someone elses' idea of "ideal" but then, it didn't cost 3 or 6,000! I got a lot of good brews from my old Delonghi before I happened on to the Livia. sure, I'd love a GS3. But, then, I could visit Paris 6 times instead!

Thanks, @kris772,
Honestly, I had a naked PF for 1+ years before, and I really loved it. Combined with the Eureka Specilitá grinder that I bought my shots improved a lot.
Having said that, I completely get you. In fact, my wife does not want to know anything about my new coffee processes/upgrades/habits... she is extremely happy with her pre-ground Lavazza coffee and the Delongui pressurised filter. She fills the basket, presses the button and a few seconds later she has a cup that she has been appreciating daily for many years. She of course appreciates when I brew a lovely speciality coffee with all my adjustments but, for her, the extra work is not worth it.

The previous naked PF was an Amazon purchase from China and the ear ended up breaking after a while. So, this time I bought an Italian-made one, which feels way more robust but it does not lock due to the different ear dimensions...

As an update, I was able to brew a proper shot today by using force to push the PF all the way during the brewing process...

but that is not sustainable, as I cannot see the naked brewing nor it is enjoyable doing it

Maybe at some point get another of those Chinese/Amazon ones, but though I am not an advocate of abusing the return process, with something like a pf holder where you cannot tell if it works until you have it in hand and have actually tried it, I would say buy from wherever you can return it, just in case. I try to keep the packaging nice so they can re-sell it to someone else. There is a lot of variability in Delonghi (and many other manufacturers') brewheads.

You might also experiment with occasionally getting freshly roasted beans if you have a local roaster handy, just to experiment - I suggest freeze after 7 days after roast (in glass mason-type jars if you have them) and then take from freezer as you need and freshness taste will last a lot longer. Or try a lb from Red Bird coffee roasters in Colo. since they are inexpensive and you get them a couple days after they have roasted them.($5 for USPS Priority). I have a # of "Sweet Brazil" Daturra in the mail as we speak. Who knows! (grind will need to be a couple clicks looser for beans taken from the freezer - I do not thaw them, just pour out of jar into cup on scale(and put jar right back into freezer), weigh, toss in grinder, grind, dose, and go.)(the concept of "weighing" here is simply for some level of "consistency" - try different weights and see if you get different tastes!)

Always experiment!!!!!!! BUT... taste is the goal!!!

kris772 wrote:Maybe at some point get another of those Chinese/Amazon ones, but though I am not an advocate of abusing the return process, with something like a pf holder where you cannot tell if it works until you have it in hand and have actually tried it, I would say buy from wherever you can return it, just in case. I try to keep the packaging nice so they can re-sell it to someone else. There is a lot of variability in Delonghi (and many other manufacturers') brewheads.

You might also experiment with getting freshly roasted beans if you have a local roaster handy, just to experiment - I suggest freeze after 7 days after roast (in glass mason-type jars if you have them) and then take from freezer as you need and freshness taste will last a lot longer. Or try a lb from Red Bird coffee roasters in Colo. since they are inexpensive and you get them a couple days after they have roasted them.($5 for USPS Priority). I have a # of "Sweet Brazil" Daturra in the mail as we speak. Who knows! (grind will need to be a couple clicks looser for beans taken from the freezer - I do not thaw them, just weigh, toss in grinder, grind, dose, and go.)

Always experiment!!!!!!! BUT... taste is the goal!!!

Thanks kris772, that is pretty much the approach I follow: I buy from the local roaster, beans go to the freezer and straight from there to the grinder.
Depending on the roast level I buy, they will go to the DeLonghi machine as an espresso or if too light...I will brew them as v60 as I cannot get the DeLonghi machine hot enough to handle light roasts. Having lots of fun! The day I get a bigger kitchen I will buy a new machine, but for now, I will try to get the best out of the little DeLonghi!

And yes, I think getting a new Chinese-made PF is the way to go

Excellent! Sounds like a good plan!