Home barista having an identity crisis, requesting emotional support.

I've been perfectly happy with my Expobar Office Lever and Baratza Vario for about 8 years now but they're starting to bug me. Never suffered from upgrade-itis before today and now I've got a bad case....

Hey all

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a la Spaziale Dream or Vivaldi. Leaning towards the tank version, not the plumber in version, but still undecided.

From all I've read I don't think I'm interested in an E61 machine. I've been mainly looking at none E61...

Getting back into the game. Previously used a manual OE Pharos grinder which did the trick but took forever and had tough adjustment settings. Not opposed to buying secondhand, saw a few good options on the forums for sale. Located in Seattle so can visit brick and mortar spots...

Hey all,

Two of the little magnets in my Decent dosing funnel came out after the first week of use. A quick Google search tells me this is a common problem with many magnetized dosing rings. Not a big deal, but if I can find an easy-to-use food safe glue that will effectively...

Hello all,

I have gone through a number of espresso machines over years. The last one I've been using for awhile is Jura F9 (superautomatic). It's old and it breaks every couple years but it produces great espresso. I decided to switch to a manual and after a long research I...

The third and last machine from my most recent shipment is this La San Marco Tipo 75. I intentionally wanted a two group as I like using them in the winter and fall. Perhaps down the road I can fit in an Export version 8) . Initial state looks pretty promising on the outside. As...

I live in a small apartment, which is just right for me but this does have its drawbacks. Where I have my coffee island only has one outlet within reach. I know I can only power one espresso machine and the grinder running safely. But since both machines are La Pavoni's, I can...

I am at a loss. I am getting sour undrinkable shots. I have not changed anything that I can identify. I am using the usual beans I purchase from a local Italian market and 18 grams of coffee in a VST 20-gram filter. I pull 1.5 oz in 26-28 seconds. I am also getting wet pucks...

Working on my GS3 to change the vacuum, steam, and safety valves I noticed a number of issues.

We are vacationing in Waikoloa village and open to any suggestions where to pick up Kona beans or prepared Kona coffee. Obviously while in Kona almost all coffee is trying to capitalize on the name and it's not all created equal. The one place I really like that I've been to...

I have only had my ECM Puristika for 2 months, but already decided to upgrade various parts. So the first thing to go was the rubber grouphead gasket. Thinking that I should get the same size as the original one, I ordered the blue Cafelat 8.5 mm E61 gasket. However, it was too...

Hi, I just received a Lido Basic grinder, and would like some advice on whether my expectations were perhaps too high?

With that said, I've been making and grinding coffee for about 5 years now, and have owned a host of hand grinders, none of which would constitute high-end...

I feel like the current standard for french press, where the grounds are steeped into the water top to bottom, leaves room for oversaturation of flavors from the grounds, considering that they are left in the coffee after brewing. The sludge that this creates at the bottom is...

Hmmm another sale and no greens included. Funny I wanted to do a poll on this but their email beat me too it.

Hello has anyone taken a look at this video from one of ECM's authorized retailer? Around 8.32 of the video, it states that it is recommended that no more than 4 oz of water be dispensed from the water spout to avoid running the risk of overheating the hx heating element. Is...

Does anyone know the distance the burr travels with each marking change? Just curious.

Depending on origin, degree of roast, age of roast.... the range of adjustment has been around plus or minus one increment marking.

~8kg run through the grinder. Wondering if the...

I typically let my Full City roasts rest about a week before pulling shots, but that lag time really puts a damper on experimenting with roast profiles. Is there a faster method to roast/brew/taste, like, same-day? The tasting notes just need enough veracity to provide general...

Hi Community, first post here so please bear with me :).

My first espresso purchase was what looked like a 1967 La Pavoni Europiccola. Looking at many of the resources online, it did look and feel like one.

However, after further inspection I have some doubts and would like to...

We're heading to Italy for a month and want to get some advice on what to do with our machine. It's plumbed with a water filter system. I'd rather not bother with fully draining (tilting machine) the boilers.

Release from boilers, shut down power and water to machine.

When I...

Do you know where VST Inc. is located? If the vstapps site is official, the about us and contact us pages both lead to 404 errors.

Moderator note: Split from Differences between IMS and VST baskets