Not trying to spam the community but I was really proud of how this one turned out. Basically a perfect shot for my personal tastes.

For those curious:
18g of Lavazza Oro ground on a Timemore S3 at setting 0.0
Tamped with the Normcore V4 ripple (it was $25 off otherwise I would’ve gotten the smooth one)
Machine is Gaggia Classic Pro
Scale is Timemore Black Mirror Mini
Portafilter is the one that comes with the machine, with the regular 18g basket that comes with (not the pressurized one)
Cup was from the thrift store, no idea who makes it

Feel free to ask any other questions about equipment I may have forgotten to add

  • godot@lemmy.world
    9·
    10 days ago

    That looks really nice. As much as I like boutique coffee, I’m also a big fan of an inky, oily Italian espresso.

    Your setup seems pretty solid. Since you’ve gotten into espresso relatively recently, is there anything you’re considering changing and what, if anything, would you have done differently?

    • BurntWits@sh.itjust.worksOPM
      6·
      10 days ago

      Thanks!

      If I knew I’d be getting into espresso I would’ve gotten a different grinder, but mine works fine. Manually grinding for espresso is a bit of a pain, and the S3 isn’t exactly designed for espresso. The smallest grind size is about the course-ist I’d go for espresso but it works. If I were to start over again I’d get an electric espresso grinder. Other than that, no regrets. For things I’d consider in the future, I want to try a puck screen to play with, and a nicer portafilter and basket. And then eventually an electric espresso burr grinder too, I’d like to save up for a flat burr grinder though. I’ve heard about the DF54 and DF64 as affordable options for their given burr sizes so I may consider those. I also picked up a 9 bar OPV spring and a one-hole steam wand tip but I haven’t installed either yet.

      • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world
        3·
        9 days ago

        I have the df64. It’s definitely as solid as it looks. They’ve updated it a few times as people point out little annoyances. The main thing that still annoys me is a common feature on all of the fancy grinders: the chute has a gap between it and the collection cup. This lets chaff fly out and get everywhere, and you have to wipe it up periodically.

        Idk why all of these companies keep building that way. I blame Niche.

        There are definitely cheaper (but absolutely solid) pourover grinders, and cheaper (but still solid) espresso grinders, but there probably aren’t many grinders at that price point that can swap back and forth with precision. I can do a pourover followed by an espresso and nail my shot timing every time. With really dark roasted beans (which I dont use unless I was gifted some), there can be a little bit of retention when switching between a pourover and an espresso (less than half a gram).

        • BurntWits@sh.itjust.worksOPM
          2·
          9 days ago

          That’s the direction I’m leaning, but I can save a couple hundred bucks going for the DF54 so that’s an attractive option to me as well. I can also save a little more money going for an Encore ESP. My wife also knows of someone nearby selling a Baratza Sette 30 for $225 CAD and it looks in pretty good shape so that’s another consideration, but we’ll see. I do kind of want to save up for the DF64 but that’s also a lot of bags of coffee I could buy instead if I went for a cheaper grinder. I’m very undecided at the moment.

          Edit: there’s someone else selling a Sette 270 for $250 as well, so I’d choose that over the Sette 30. But still not sure if I should go that direction or save up for a flat burr.

          • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world
            2·
            9 days ago

            I have the predecessor of the encore (basically updated to an encore), and it’s a great grinder. I know a couple of people with the ESP, and they seem to like it as well. The only downside is the grind adjustment ring and burr carrier are plastic so it can technically get a little wobbly over time. Those parts are easily replaceable, though.

            The sette, I think is mostly just for espresso? I know you can also buy the parts to turn it into the sette 270, too, so that might be a good way to go.

            • BurntWits@sh.itjust.worksOPM
              2·
              9 days ago

              Yeah, Sette is mostly for espresso but can do courser grinds. Here’s the grind size chart for it:

              I actually enjoy manual grinding for pour over and french press, just not espresso, so I’d be fine with just an espresso electric grinder and continuing hand grinding for anything courser.

              Do you know much about the DF54? Is the 64 a large upgrade or incremental?

              • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world
                2·
                9 days ago

                It’s been a couple years since I bought it, so I couldn’t remember all the reasons I went df64 over 54, but I just remembered that I made a spreadsheet of a few models I was considering. Looks like the main differences other than burr size are that the 64 has a 250W motor compared to the 150W of the 54. The df64 also has a plasma generator to combat static. I think 64mm burrs are also more common (not that I’m going to buy new burrs for a long time).

                Also, idk where you are looking, but espresso outlet/turin grinders gives you a lot of money off if you pre-order. I’m not sure what the equivalent Canadian company is that buys pallets of them from whatever factory produces them, but that would probably be your cheapest bet if you don’t mind being patient.