My V1 Bianca steam wand has started leaking at steam tip/wand seam. Disassembly shows signs of O-ring deterioration and scarring on Teflon tube where steam leaked between O-ring and Teflon tube at top of wand. Not thrilled about potential extractibles from Teflon with high pressure steam, and I miss...

I do not recall the US agency that sets the standards for water treatment (NSF, ASTM, ...?), however, it is my understanding that there is a difference in the US standard and the EU standard that comprise the definition of water softening. Keep in mind that these are very specific and broad ranging ...

Yes we did have the portafilter holder in place (very positive locking mechanism, no chance of falling out by mistake). I think that part of the problem is that the sides of the grinder body come almost flush with the trailing edge of the filter basket (part closest to you). This means that you can ...

I'll try to explain what I mean about the 'drop pattern'. The Mini, like most grinders, has what you might call a delivery throat for the coffee to travel between the burrs and final delivery to the doser. The doser acts as a collection/mixing chamber and finally the 'trap door' that they finally dr...

Steve, The maximum brew temperature will depend on the p-stat setting for the boiler. I have mine turned down so that it averages slightly below 1.0 ATM. At idle, without starting the pump, the meter will read about 202 deg. for the brew water and about 201 for the group. However, to conserve energy...

Steve, I'm afraid that you are asking questions beyond my level of knowledge. I would guess that the accuracy of either would be more than adequate for the intended use. The smaller diameter should in theory give a faster response time. Presumably the teflon coating will make it compatible with the ...

Steve, The K type thermocouple that comes with the meter is inappropriate for use in the water path (as you have unfortunately found out). I used the 5SRTC-TT-T30-36 which is teflon coated. Unfortunately they only come as a 5-pack for $59. I agree that the 36 gauge would require less torque to get a...

Eric's memory is impressive! We looked at the screw on my machine and it is a smaller diameter than in the E61 group. It also appeared to me that tapping the threads to the larger diameter would also be a problem because there appears to be little room between the screw head and the flat part of the

This was my first attempt at judging, hence no frame of reference, just first impressions. I am glad that I did the Judges Calibration course. It was quite intense, and I learned precisely what to look for in the competition as well as tips for my own home brewing. I would encourage others to partic...

My understanding of laminar flow is that liquids (and gases) flow in layers, and with different flow rates in these layers due to decreases in resistance towards the center of the liquid or gas stream. For example, in a pipe or tubing, the fastest flow rate is in the center of the flow. Another exam...