Thanks, I figured there wouldn't be too much to gain in the cup, and workflow of the Niche is already dead simple. I do like having an extra grinder for decaf, so I was looking for a new toy to add to the counter. But I will temper my expectations that the taste will be much different than the Niche

A dialed in Niche or HG1 should be all you need for top notch shots from med-dark beans. You just might be able to squeeze minor improvements in texture by moving up to the top echelon, which would be any MonoCon from early iterations to the MC5. The earlier ones will be easier to source secondhand. If you're cashed up

My gs3 cord itself gets pretty warm during the initial warm up at full power. That and my lights dimming made me a little nervous, so I use it in half power mode

Same beans/blend?

The LM GS3MP has a lot of things going for it. If you want a machine with flow control where you live in the moment of each shot, 120vac no 240ac connection required, reservoir or direct plumbed. Next step up is either a lever or a machine that is 240vac, direct plumb only. "Home-Barista.com makes me want

I guess it depends on one's level of pickiness but I find letting beans thaw to be helpful. Less fussing with grind settings. I played around with microwaving my beans after watching James Hoffmans video and it did seem to produce a better shot. It was also not very efficient so I no longer do it. Have fun and

Small burrs are preheating your coffee and brewing starts in the grinder If you're a mazzer fan like me, try to go straight to 83mm and find the Major. After some two years of lazy searching in local marketplace I've got one like new for 250€ and grind quality significantly better than my SJ. Comparing both

Appears to be coffee ground buildup. Are your beans typically covered in oil like a dark roast or some type of flavoring? If so I would recommend a bean less oily or more routine cleaning. You should be able to remove the burr and clean the residue out with cotton swabs or paper towel

Thank you. I just don't understand what the purpose of this extra step is if it's causing more channeling. I did it slower last time with about 4 rotations and there was less channeling but still more than I usually get without WDT. One of the needles bent from rotating it too fast. Why there's no instructions that

Some good ideas in "Sweet, rich, big bodied, low acid coffees for espresso"