I'm getting a Notte it seems. I'll report back on how things go.

In the interim, my experiments say there's no cafe around here with a grinder that can go fine enough for my europiccola.

dont do a rocky. went that route and years alter found out why i should not have: the grinds are not quite up to apr overall.

get a good hand grinder. builds forearm muscles and is quieter in the AM.

martinlhoff wrote:@italianfiddle - Niche Zero is tempting but (as far as I can see) unobtainable in the US unless you're ready to pay double its original price in ebay.

Life is busy enough that a hand grinder isn't really an option.

why? you really dont have one minute?

Out of curiosity, I just timed this for my 1Zpresso JX, which I am using for a newly acquired Europiccola. It took 42s for a 13g dose. One additional argument against a hand grinder, though, is that I am finding myself pulling two shots for most espresso drinks, so that time is 2x for most drinks. I personally really enjoy the all-manual process, so a hand grinder with a lever machine is perfect.

I had recently bought the JX thinking I would never get in to espresso, and then got a great deal on a pre-millennium Europiccola after diving down the espresso rabbit hole. In retrospect I would have bought the JX-pro had I already had the machine, but I am getting quite good results for an all-in setup for under $450 for both pieces. No regrets, and I must say this is a fun and rewarding hobby.

Wow, my Atom 75 takes a whole 3.20 seconds for 18 grams.

You pay 10x as much for a grinder and it does the job 10x faster! I wonder if it is 10x better espresso?

OK! So got a Mignon Notte to keep budget under control (the Niche Zero. After a bit of fiddling with a locally roasted bean -- medium roast, I'm getting pretty good tasty espresso with crema. This is my setup:

• Grind setting on 2

• A pretty solid tamp (will start exploring with a lighter tamp)

• Ensure the grouphead gets to 90C (using temp strip) -- past 95C it's too hot

• Dose around 14g ~ 14.5g

• Pull the lever firmly and accept a slightly fast extraction

• Extract 30g

The naked portafilter shows an initial donut/ring during preinfusion, but after a couple seconds (or, the moment I put pressure) all the portafilter is showing coffee so I'm not going to stress about that.

I manage temperature with a combination of wet/dry pumps with the lever to warm it up, and a wet cloth to cool it down.

Awesome! Good luck dialing it in. I'm still learning a lot about the Europiccola. It's also taught me a lot about my semiautomatic by showing drastically different flavors from the same beans.

I got a niche zero about a month ago, a complete game changer. I have a comandante too - they're in different leagues. It's pretty easy to get a niche in the US. I signed up for the email list and bought one by clicking on the link in the email. I got the black one - it's pretty sharp looking, works without issue, is thoughtfully designed and has one switch so not much to fall off it. It feels like a quality product, it's completely, delightfully utilitarian but also very pleasing to use. I'd highly recommend it.

After I saw this I have to have a BPLUS Apollo for my La Pavoni Professional

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNqDpHiMQGk

Been holding out for the Venetian Red to be stocked again but beginning to think I better snag one while I can