That does solve the mystery. I'm going to see if I can install a vacuum breaker, as I was hoping to be able to run it off a smart plug so it's ready in the mornings

I worked through the boiler bolts finally. Initially, 5 of the 9 bolts came off without too much trouble, but the remaining 4 didn't want to budge. I needed more leverage for the socket wrench so I screwed two 1" square dowels I had lying around to a 2x4 to rest the boiler on its side and protect

Will give it that a try, thanks!

This can certainly be a hard choice - especially because there is so much more to a brewer than taste in the cup: aesthetics, quality, fun factor, repairability, etc. I also love the Chemex and considered and Ottomatic. It's beautiful but the online reviews aren't great; that said I haven't seen too many expert reviews. I felt

For beans I got a jewelers scale off eBay for $7 that has lasted years. Handy for small stuff. My baking scale was an $11 amazon.com/Ozeri-ZK14-S-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen/ which does well for coffee now <$10 I want one with a timer now I know I may be buying twice, but it lets me know what features I really need

Whole Foods here sells RO/DI bulk at $0.49 a gallon. At $0.30/kWh, distilling doesn't make sense for me. (ZeroWater pitcher is the "oops, forgot to pick some up" back-up plan.)

The piston shaft was separated from the piston with the help of a vise and c-spanner. A fair amount of rust was shaken out, but it seems to spin much more smoothly now. I wont attempt to disassemble any further, just clean it up.{image}

The number on the PID isn't the brew temperature, especially on an HX. I'd worry if it varied more than one degree since its sensor is what it is controlling. I may have missed it, but I didn't see any Scace or other thermometry. This is a common "PID fallacy" -- the number on the display doesn't indicate brew temperature

Very helpful thanks

I'd also consider the Lelit Elizabeth for compact machines and the Bianca for full-sized ones. The Bianca's water tank can be mounted on the side, which might make it easier to fill and work with in your space. Bellazza seems to me to be be a lot about low price and marketing ("proggettato in Heidelberg")