User Experience with the Strietman CT2 - Page 19

#181: Post by **erik82** » July 24th, 2021, 2:24 am

Chrikelnel wrote:Thanks! Yeah after the responsiveness of the Timemore I'm not thrilled with the idea of returning to a cheaper scale. With my robot I got pretty good at eyeballing weight and then confirming on the scale after, I'll probably just continue doing that until I get frustrated enough to pony up for a lunar.

Got the lunar and love it. No more other scale for me especially with customizing the settings to allow for only 2 modes (weighing/pourover and autostart for espresso) to easily switch back and forth. Been using it for over 6 years and never any problems so it'll last. If you have a MAX and CT2 it should be a nice addition of the same quality.

I think a good scale if definitely worth the money as it's one of the most used equipment (weighing beans, espresso, pourover, timing espresso and pourover etc.)

#182: Post by **truemagellen** » July 24th, 2021, 8:28 am

LBIespresso wrote:I see you can't fit a scale in there either

Maybe with a clever

#183: Post by **robeambro** » August 7th, 2021, 2:26 am

Could somebody school me on how to interpret the red light to more or less guess what the temperature trends are? I know I could buy a thermometer but I really have no use for it otherwise and I don't like buying objects with the aim of using them only a few times.

Let's imagine I set the temp with the dial, say at 92c, and let's imagine we waited 10 minutes.

As far as I understand, the heating cycle will be +/- 1.5c.

To my understanding, red light goes off means the water will be at 92c. Correct?

Approximately, what happens to the temperature afterwards, and for how long?

And, when the red light goes on again?

#184: Post by **erik82** » August 7th, 2021, 3:27 am

Here you go. When the red light is off the heating element is on and vice versa. When the heating element is on it's heating the group and the group will heat up the water. So when the heating element goes off (red light on) the water temperature will be still declining of stable and start rising after that. Just after the keep temperature of the water the heating element will start again because then it's at the lowest point at the group.

August 7th, 2021, 5:00 am

What would be the conclusion - when is the best time to start pulling the shot at a desired temperature. I am mostly waiting 20+ minutes to heat up. After that period when the heating element is off, it needs around 7 min to start heating again. Within these seven minutes, when the heating element is off, I pull the shot around two min after. If I target 96C (set temp) or any other temperature - where would be that temperature approx, after how long in that period of time after heating element is off?

Cheers!

#186: Post by **erik82** » August 7th, 2021, 9:30 am

Depends on what profile you want. I can pull shots within a 0.5C range during the total shot and PI time when I start at around 2min after the heating element stops (flat max temp profile). Or I wait a bit longer and get a classic temp declining lever profile where you can start early or late whatever you want to achieve. No set parameter that works best.

Ad with the manometer you can combine that with a flat temp and pressure profile like a saturated group machine or declining pressure and temp like a lever. Or just do a flat temp with declining pressure like a lever with saturated group. It can do kind of anything you like it to do.

#187: Post by **LBIespresso** » August 7th, 2021, 4:36 pm

I have had my CT2 for about a month and a half. In short: Very high praise for an incredibly simple, reliable, gorgeous machine that truly makes it hard to pull a sink shot.

I have had a Cremina for about 4 years and have Gabor's pressure kit and a thermocouple on the bell. It has been an excellent and enjoyable learning experience. For quite a while I went back and forth on adding a CT2 since I don't make milk drinks and I love the look of it. I had also read much in the way of positive reviews. My reasons for not getting it sooner were the cup/scale clearance (7.3 centimeters) and I wasn't sure if I should get a larger machine like a Bosco. I know, like trying to decide between a 911 and a Bentley but that's where I was at.

My biggest takeaway is how easy it is to pull great shots. With my Cremina I pay close attention to dose/yield, temp, time, pressure profile and all of this while looking at the shot mirror. With all of this I can get highly repeatable results...for better or worse. So I figured I would get the pressure kit and thermocouple for the CT2 even if I only used them to get to know the machine. But before I did that I bought the Acaia Pyxis so I could at least start with the scale. After my first week, I decided that I don't even need the thermocouple or the pressure kit. Every shot has been good. Literally every one. The range has been good to excellent. So now I have no plans to get the pressure kit or add thermometry.

Since the baskets fit the Cremina (without the PF spring) I got an extra one of each. They are 15 and 18 gram baskets which i fill to 14 and 16 grams. I prefer them to the baskets from my Cremina with the LF stamp. I will say that the CT2 does leave a divot on the top of the puck that did not seem to negatively impact taste but I did not explore much because I started using old Aeropress filters cut to size on top. That fixed that. I have pulled 1:1 Ristrettos to 2.75:1 almost allongés and all were fantastic.

After a 20 minutes wait for it to heat up It is ready to go with very stable temps but I can pull a shot in 10 if I want. Others have documented this better than I would so search here if the post above from Erik82 doesn't answer your questions about that.

If I had to choose between my Cremina and my CT2, hands down I would keep the CT2. Oh yeah, and I would certainly pick the 911

#188: Post by **mikel** » August 7th, 2021, 6:08 pm

Two things that helped the divot go away for me was the slow raise at the start and a 50 micron mesh screen I cut out to fit on top of the puck. If I raise too quick I can see more water run out the center as it leaves the center piston hole. I haven't had the occasional early blonding since doing both.

#189: Post by **djcuvcuv** » August 7th, 2021, 7:41 pm

all very helpful info here thanks everyone. one thing i was always confused about is how/why the shower screen doesn't prevent the divot from forming? i do see the piston has a center which releases the water in a single stream, but shouldnt the dispersion from the showerscreen mitigate any jet from actually puncturing the puck?

that said, i use the BPlus Cafe puck mesh/screen and/or just a slow/careful initial lever raise and i dont have that divot at all.

i 2nd all the positive "impossible to pull a bad shot" comments so far. ive had the ct1 for 3+ years and the ct2 now for over a year and i honestly don't think ive thrown more than 3 shots in the sink ever (and if im honest, the shot was fine and i only threw them bc i was keen on really optimizing/chasing a very particular result)

#190: Post by **Ad-85** » August 8th, 2021, 3:33 am

New owner enters the ring. Wouter just finished making my machine and it's scheduled for shipping on Tuesday. I chose Wenge wood and I hope it looks beautiful. I already got a bravo tamper so I ordered some bases from Gilberto and I ordered the bPlus dispersion screen as well (sadly I forgot to order all these before! I just placed my order yesterday and I hope they'll arrive on time). I've been eyeing CT1 for a while then CT2 was announced and I found myself always checking the website, reading this thread, asking owners and watching youtube! Dammit I resisted myself for a long time before finally caving in to my deepest desire of owning a CT2 and making shots with it. This machine can't arrive fast enough