Advice for new Profitec Pro 800 user - Page 3

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TundraRunner
Posts: 30
Joined: 3 years ago

#21: Post by TundraRunner »

Have had the 800 for a couple months now, coming from a DE1 Pro. Most everything has been covered here, but I've mainly been enjoying medium to medium-dark roasts and have gone between about 246-250 with good success. I also sized up my basket size from the 18g decent basket to a slightly larger 18g ims, helps with shot volume. I've found steam pressure is adequate at those temp settings for the 4-6 oz of milk I steam.

As for preinfusion, I honestly just use the lever down position to fill the group, if I want more volume I leave it down longer and vice versa. For milk drinks I will typically not leave it down, usually good for ~30g yield total with no preinfusion time up to 40-50g with 10 sec preinfusion. All dependent on how I have the beans dialed though. It's been a really fun machine.

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BaristaBoy E61
Posts: 3512
Joined: 9 years ago

#22: Post by BaristaBoy E61 »

My advice would be to never let your guard down regarding safety procedures for using a spring lever machine and to make sure that everyone else living in or invited into your home understands the risk and safe procedures to not get injured.
"You didn't buy an Espresso Machine - You bought a Chemistry Set!"

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spiffdude
Posts: 359
Joined: 14 years ago

#23: Post by spiffdude »

BaristaBoy E61 wrote:My advice would be to never let your guard down regarding safety procedures for using a spring lever machinenot get injured.
So aside from

1- never let the handle go if you've cocked it empty
2- never disengage the portafilter if it's still pressurized (actively dispensing coffee, or hissing just after le last drop has come out)
3- hugging/kissing your new shiny machine when it's been on for a while (learned this 10 years ago on my previous e-61 machine)

Anything else us new owners should know about?
Damn this forum, I've had too m..muh...mah..mmmm..much caffeine!

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BaristaBoy E61
Posts: 3512
Joined: 9 years ago

#24: Post by BaristaBoy E61 »

Always stand to the side of the lever when using so that no part of your body - especially your face - is within the lever's arc of travel!

Make sure guests and anyone using the lever know this - even if the machine is 'OFF'!
"You didn't buy an Espresso Machine - You bought a Chemistry Set!"

BSdV
Posts: 62
Joined: 2 years ago

#25: Post by BSdV »

I got my Pro800 exactly one year today, and overall I love the machine. Almost all except the pretty long warm up time, but that's normal for a dipper with this lever group I suppose.

Most of the time I'm using temperature setting of around 124C/255F. This gives me a bit better steam pressure when preparing cappuccino's. If I would not be needing that I might have gone a few degrees lower perhaps.

Buying this machine has not been cheap though. Since then I've spent much more than I liked or expected on various shower screens, a range of filter baskets, upgraded from a Eureka Specialita to a Mazzer Major V grinder, which I then later upgraded with SSP burrs... I also stopped liking poor over, much to my regret, so for travelling I also bought the Cafelat Robot..scales, distributors etc.
I finally settled on the pretty standard IMS competition filter baskets with the convex shaped bottom, not much unlike the cafelat robot basket.

What struck me a little bit is that with the Cafelat Robot and Comandante C40 hand grinder I've managed to get the best tasting espresso's I've ever had. Espresso's I don't manage tasting as good with my Pro800 / Mazzer Major V combo.

So quite recently I changed the Mazzer stock burrs for SSP burrs, which I think was a worthwhile upgrade. Also I've removed the inner spring from the lever group. Removing this inner spring has made the machine more enjoyable to use for my wife and I also find that the results have improved with smoother tasting espresso's.

Overall the change of grinder and burr upgrade, removal of the inner spring and undoubtly my improved understanding of making espresso's on this machine make that I now pull consistently good espresso's from it. Sometimes great tasting espresso.
I never get any more undrinkable "sink" shots anymore.

Still, the number of what I consider "great" tasting espresso's is higher when I grind with the C40 and use my Cafelat Robot.

I'm very happy with the Pro800. Just wish I'd manage to get the same quality shots as I do with the C40/CR combo.

Tjyven
Posts: 113
Joined: 3 years ago

#26: Post by Tjyven »

Have you tried using your C40 together with the Profitec 800?

BSdV
Posts: 62
Joined: 2 years ago

#27: Post by BSdV »

I actually don't think I have no... strange come to think of it.
But it really only struck me how much more consistently good/better results I was getting during my last holiday.
At the time been thinking about the reasons for that and as soon as we returned from holiday I installed the SSP burrs and removed the inner spring from the lever group. Also started using a common IMS competition basket with the rounded corners, to mimic the shape of the Robot basket somewhat.
These things have vastly improved the shots I've been pulling, and now I consider almost every espresso I'm pulling quite decent, and some really good.
With the SSP burrs the grind quality improved and I stopped using a WDT and level tool and fussing too much over puck prep. Altogether this resulted in better tasting espresso with less hassle.

I'm not going to change much anymore in this setup. I'm very happy with the Mazzer grinder. It's a beast of a grinder, I know it's overkill and likely not the best suited for home use, but I love it. The inner spring from the lever group will never go back in. And after trying multiple fancier or supposedly better baskets I think I have settled on the IMS competition basket.

Didn't use the CR and C40 anymore until I went back to work, at sea, a little under 2 months ago. At which time again I was amazed of the ease with which I can make consistently great tasting espresso with this setup.

Overall I'm still making better espresso's with this setup than I do with the Pro800/Mazzer Major with 83mm SSP burrs. But the difference is getting smaller and hopefully with practice I'll manage to duplicate or exceed the CR/C40 espresso's some day.

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Eiern
Posts: 627
Joined: 9 years ago

#28: Post by Eiern »

Another thing that can change things, especially if away from home, is water.

BSdV
Posts: 62
Joined: 2 years ago

#29: Post by BSdV »

That's for sure. But onboard I already don't use the best water for espresso as it's almost the same as distilled water. After the fresh water generator (sea water is evaporated and then condensed back to freshwater) it goes through a rehardening filter, but this really only adds minimal amount of minerals.

EvilCookie
Posts: 9
Joined: 7 years ago

#30: Post by EvilCookie »

Hey guys. I recently got a pro 800 myself and I keep seeing others suggesting to get a group head temperature strip. I looked around and found a few choices. Would someone be willing to link to a specific one I should get and where exactly should I stick it on?