Owner experience with the Strietman CT1 - Page 64

#631: Post by **pGolay** » April 17th, 2019, 1:46 pm

Hi Chris -
I keep the PF in the machine and only pop it out when I drop the basket in. But I always have, and cannot say anything about how it is if I don't...

I find it stabilizes in about 10 minutes - I keep a ThermoPop in there, sticking out next to the piston con-rod. One of these days I'll drill a small hole in the lid for it. The temp wavers a bit and and try to time my pull when the thermometer gives me the temp I am shooting for.

I have seen the water boil when I was trying higher temperatures (96c+) , but not normally, at least I have not noticed it. I do find that very stiff temperature control is not very easy to adjust with any precision.

I watch the temperature and grind when it's getting close.

I agree this is a nearly perfect machine for plain espresso - good every time, even with me at the wheel.

#632: Post by **jfdana** » April 17th, 2019, 5:40 pm

Just a simple thought about the design; the function is ideal.

While it looks modern in a good way, and we love ours, the CT1 reminds me of what Christopher Dresser might have made should he have lived long enough to experience espresso.

#633: Post by **Deval** » April 18th, 2019, 4:43 am

Hi,

I have also started a new thread Strietman CT1 stroke length piston diameter... But thought I will ask for help here as well... As lot of activities are happening on strietman here...please do help if possible...

Thanks
Deval Vyas

#634: Post by **erik82** » April 18th, 2019, 5:03 am

djcuvcuv wrote:Question about workflow for all the CT1 folks out there:
- Do you find that there is a difference if you pre-heat the portafilter by locking it in during some/all of the heat-up time? (for me i think i get better results if I lock it in for the last 2 or 3 heat-up cycles)
- Do you find that you get better results by letting the machine heat up longer than the user manual figure of 8min? (for me I found that 15-20min yields better results due to increase temp stability)
- Does the water in the boiler appear to come to a full boil briefly/momentarily during the first few heat-up cycles? (for me yes it does, but after about 12-15min this stops occurring)
- Do you find that timing the shots with the heat cycle (i.e. begin shot when red light ignites) yields better results? (for me yes it does)
- Lastly, has anyone come up with clever ways to minimize the idle time between grinding and starting the shot given the above timing restraints? (i just wait for the last heat-up cycle to be about 1/3 done (pure guesstimate) and then I grind the beans)

I always keep the portafilter in.

What I did notice is that when the CT1 is fully heated from a cold start the temperature is higher (1-2C) than after that. I always keep the CT1 on for a couple of hours and notice that all shots after the first one are better and the group is more stable.

Most of the time I grind when the red light goes off and put the portafilter in at around 1/3 of the heating cycle as the temperature is the most stable at that point. Keep in mind that the heating element heats the group and not the water. When the red light turns on again the water temp is still declining and will incline a couple of seconds after that. About 1/3 of the cycle the temperature is very stable to within 0.5C for about 30-40s which is perfect for espresso timing.

April 18th, 2019, 8:40 am

Thanks everyone for your help. Reassuring to hear that my findings are more or less consistent with yours.
Erik, I did not realize quite when that sweet spot was in the cycle. I tried it this morning and it really did produce a better shot overall than my typical routine, which was grinding at the beginning of the last heat cycle, and pulling the shot right when the red light goes on. Thank you man.

#636: Post by **djcuvcuv** » April 22nd, 2019, 11:23 am

I did see some people post about switching over to the lev-tamp; but I'm curious if anyone has switched over to a more traditional tamper, and if so, if this resulted in any increase in shot quality.

I've found my own way of using the strietman tamper, and so far as i can tell it works great, plus im only pulling 1-2 shots a day; however, it does seem like a good idea on some level do just get a traditional tamper and use the tried and true technique/posture.

If anyone has any thoughts or experience, i'd be very interested to hear it, including details about the shape of the base (flat/convext/etc.).

Best,
Chris

tldr: please convince me not to buy a custom-fit pullman tamper lol

#637: Post by **TheGriz** » April 22nd, 2019, 4:21 pm

It depends on how level you tamp tbh. I was getting great shots with the standard tamper just fine. However, when I switched to a LevTamp, I noticed my shots were far more consistent as there were less variables to worry about.

The main thing I would get over a tamper though is Gabor's piston from naked portafilter. Having the pressure profiling capability changes the game. You can make a "better" recipe for pulling your shots.

#638: Post by **nester** » May 3rd, 2019, 6:07 pm

Ok guys, we got a fresh whispers of the new CT2 unit.

https://mailchi.mp/270cbf27491b/strietm ... DQjw_xE6W0

#639: Post by **TheGriz** » May 3rd, 2019, 6:58 pm

While I appreciate a more precise thermostat, it seems not much has changed according to that post. 5mm is pretty negligible when it comes to cup height. If we were talking 12mm+, then I would get one without thinking about it.

#640: Post by **Balthazar_B** » May 3rd, 2019, 8:59 pm

nester wrote:Ok guys, we got a fresh whispers of the new CT2 unit.

https://mailchi.mp/270cbf27491b/strietm ... DQjw_xE6W0

Whispers? More like a shout out, since Wouter is taking orders and should be shipping in 90 days or so.

Sounds like the changes he's made are all for the better, and will significantly improve an already-impressive product.