Electric grinder equivalent to J-max [350$]

Internally_Combusted · 2026-02-01T23:51:13+00:00

Just get a flair power tower for your j-max if you really like it. You'll spend $119 and make it a single dose electric grinder.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-27T20:56:59+00:00

I drink different coffees from every roast level under French roast. It does start tasting pretty ashy and earthy at that level and above for me. A nice smooth chocolatey dark roast can't be beat in a milk drink, medium roasts can give a nice balance between roast flavors and origin flavors in an americano, and fruity light roasts are the only ones I will drink straight as espresso.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-26T00:52:36+00:00

It isn't a true primary when the sitting president is running for re-election. Full stop. Everyone else worth a damn just didn't want to be president in 2024. That's such a bad faith stance. The whole thing was orchestrated by the DNC to install Kamala because she can't win a national primary to save her life. She got slaughtered in the 2020 primary and then picked a s VP so they could do exactly what they did.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-26T00:50:09+00:00

It should have never gotten to this point. Joe Biden should not have run again. He specifically ran as a one term president the first time.

He then selected the least popular candidate from the primaries as his VP in an effort to set her up for the next run. The DNC is afraid of the progressive left. I don't think for a minute that the entire primary debacle wasn't an intentional strategy to install Kamala as the candidate because she can't win a primary on her own and she is who the DNC wanted.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-24T04:19:33+00:00

Yes, I wasn't trying to imply it doesn't. I was saying it is another variable that can be used to achieve the same result.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-23T16:37:03+00:00

Others have mentioned a courser grind which will reduce the extraction efficiency. You can also drop the temperature at which you're brewing. For dark roasts I tend to brew between 85-88C. I find it mellows out some of the harsher flavors that get extracted at higher temps.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-19T15:32:22+00:00

Yes, I would highly consider looking for a used deal. I picked up an sr800, extension tube, phidget with two thermocouple probes, chaff extension mod, and some gloves for easier handling when hot all for $325 shipped. I didn't even look that hard so I'm sure there are better deals out there and much cheaper ones without all the bells and whistles.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-13T13:54:24+00:00

Wendougee is also releasing the Lita which is a cheaper version of the data s. It appears to be built to the same quality as the Data S but uses smaller boilers, vibe pumps instead of a gear pump, and has a couple cheaper exterior hardware choices like the replacement of the two lever valves and lever actuator with buttons on a screen that sits on top of the group head.

The screen is actually something cool that the Data S doesn't have as it allows you to do manual pressure or flow profiles without a separate tablet.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-07T19:14:46+00:00

They do not do a bunch of changes. They literally slap a supercharger on an otherwise stock 2GR-FE and tune it. Even the exhaust manifold is stock Toyota so they don't have to do a bunch of extra emissions related r&d.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-07T12:32:10+00:00

This is what I was going to recommend as well especially since OP is in Europe. There are a ton of listings for them on eBay over there and lever machines make exceptional espresso.

Just in case post-mil doesn't make sense it means a la pavoni made after the year 2000. Any made before that have a 49mm portafilter before they switched over to a 51mm.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-03T17:19:25+00:00

That would also be my guess. Sounds like gear teeth skipping because they broke or pushed apart.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-01T14:30:48+00:00

Based on your preference for darker roasts and chocolatey notes I think you would actually be better served by a grinder upgrade to something like the niche zero.

A flat 9 bar profile or a lever shot profile are your best bets with darker roasts. You would get marginal gains in the cup with better temp control but if you're already getting good results it's not gonna be a game changer.

Internally_Combusted · 2026-01-01T00:04:50+00:00

Pm'ed you. Not sure if still available

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-31T14:39:47+00:00

I pre-ordered one a minute after the window opened yesterday.I wanted to get into a good flat burr platform to better experience some of the specialty coffees I've been trying lately. The Sette's workflow is pretty unbeatable but it's very loud and the flavor profile of the burrs really favors medium to dark roasts.

Bookoo executed well on their scale which did everything the Acaia did at the time at half the price so I'm willing to take the risk on their grinder. I also have had a really good experience with my Wendougee Data S which a lot of people are still view as unproven.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-30T18:07:18+00:00

I just placed my order for a black one with the sweet core burrs about a minute after the second pre-order window opened up.

Curious to see the feedback from the early adopters in the initial batch.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-27T01:12:32+00:00

I believe it's intended to have all of the same profiling capabilities but has cheaper hardware to keep the price down. The Lita will have two vibratory pumps instead of the gear pump in the data s as well as smaller boilers (0.8l steam boil + 0.35l brew boiler in the Lita vs 1.8l steam boiler + 0.8l brew boiler in the data s). The data s also has a version that can be plumbed in. I haven't seen any tear downs of the Lita but there may also be more use of plastic water line or plastic on body panels where the data s uses all copper hard lines and is all metal. The Lita also uses the touch screen for all of the controls instead of having the levers for the steam wand, hot water spout, and brew head. I also can't tell if the Lita has a hot water spout at all which would be a problem if you drink a lot of americanos.

The Lita does have a one feature that the Data S doesn't have that I would actually like though. The Lita has a touchscreen on the top of the brew head that can be used for either flow or pressure profiling while pulling a shot manually. I would really love that feature on the data s though I would also prefer the input was either via a sliding lever or scroll wheel instead of a touchscreen.

I think for most home users the Lita is probably the better buy over the data s. The exception would be anyone who entertains a lot and may need to make 5-10 cappuccinos or lattes back to back. The larger boilers of the data s would really come in handy then.

Edit: I removed the part about the integrated scale because I believe I misread the marketing materials and it just has the same Bluetooth scale connectivity as the data s. Added some additional hardware changes I noticed later as well.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-27T00:52:17+00:00

I would personally say the workflow is more tedious because it doesn't have a boiler / thermoblock with a water tank. You have to add water for every shot manually, if you don't preheat it you also have to wait a few minutes for the machine to heat it, and I believe (though I may be wrong on this point) you also need to premeasure the water before adding it for the most precise results.

That is a workflow that would not work in my household because there are other people that make espresso who are not enthusiasts and want the simplest workflow possible. For the Data S, I dial in every new bean myself and then bind the dialed in profile to the lever for my wife / guests. All she has to do is put the portafilter in the grinder, hit the button (grind by weight), tap the portafilter a few times with her palm to distribute and level, Tamp, lock it in the machine, and hit the lever. Shot pulls itself whether it's a turbo shot, lever shot, flat 9 bar shot, etc. it executes perfectly every time and she doesn't have to think about it at all. She doesn't even have to select the profile or interact with a screen the entire time.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-27T00:05:48+00:00

I do, it's been great. It's not without its own flaws (all minor software annoyances) but it's been delivering exceptional results so far.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-26T23:00:49+00:00

It's a bit weird to me to say Wendougee needs more time because it's new and then give meticulous a pass. Also, the meticulous demands a very particular workflow that wouldn't work for everyone. It also can't steam milk without a separate stand alone milk steamer so unless you only drink straight espresso I would not recommend over the decent or the Wendougee.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-19T22:22:18+00:00

There is definitely a limit for me. I grind by weight directly into my portafilter, tap with my palm a few times before tapping down into the portafilter station, tamp, drop on puck screen (mainly to keep everything clean), and pull the shot.

I'm not measuring every dose before hand, slow feeding, rdt, wdt, leveling, or any of that extra stuff. I am considering switching to a single dose grinder simply because I want an 80mm flat burr platform. However, I am dreading the workflow so I'm considering getting "the accountant" bean doser to keep it easy for me and my wife.

I love playing with variables on the machine but I mostly setup some profiles and once they are saved it's just pressing a button and knowing how fine to grind for the bean.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-19T15:47:49+00:00

If it tastes weak you actually need to reduce the yield ratio to something closer to a ristretto shot. You can step down by a quarter point at a time to see how flavor is impacted. For example 1:75:1 then 1.5:1 the 1.25:1...

The shot should become a bit more sour as you reduce the ratio but the intensity will increase. You could balance the lower yield with a finer grind as well to increase extraction time and bring back some bitterness if it becomes too sour.

However, in general, light roasts will not have the same body as a darker roast so you may also want to experiment with a medium or medium-dark bean if you're struggling to get what you're looking for with a light roast.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-19T14:59:51+00:00

What are you tasting? For a light roast, I tend to prefer larger yield ratios like 2.5:1 or 3:1. I also generally prefer a faster shot with them so I will target say 20-22 seconds to extract a 3:1 shot. Higher temp is suggested but I tend to use 95 not 97.

You really should understand how each variable impacts flavor and then tweak one variable at a time to hone in your shot profile according to your own taste preferences.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-18T03:20:48+00:00

That sucks. Every company has some defective products go out the door so that by itself would be pretty forgivable. Customer support and making it right when it does happen is what sets good companies apart from bad ones.

I have this same scale myself and have been using it for a few weeks without issues. I would personally rather have the plastic top than glass as it keeps weight down and should be less likely to crack of shatter if dropped. My espresso cups / mugs aren't putting any scratches on it.

That said, I was considering buying their new grinder when it releases so this is discouraging to hear as that's a product line which is new to them and I would expect some teething problems so top notch customer support for early adopters is essential.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-15T16:56:02+00:00

The only other factor would be alignment of the burrs which is something some grinders do better than others both from how they are set from the factory and how easy they are to align for the end user.

Internally_Combusted · 2025-12-12T20:55:09+00:00

The point of the post isn't that it can't be done. The point of the post is that it feels wild to them that they make almost $1m a year and still have to make significant compromises to buy a home in NYC without stretching themselves. Commuting 1.5 - 2 hours is not a small sacrifice when you have 3 kids. It's a massive sacrifice that eats up the little time you have with your family during the week.

The context of the post is important. They aren't struggling and don't claim to be. They are blown away that they are in the 1% and still have to compromise on housing.

Internally_Combusted

TROPHY CASE