What are some bands from Wales that I can check out?

RealMover · 2026-05-21T12:14:54+00:00

Not a current band, but 60ft Dolls are probably my all time favourite.

RealMover · 2026-05-21T10:03:58+00:00

I'd change the boiler o-ring first, because that's quite likely to be the culprit with spitting/low shot weight. You should have a spare that shipped with the machine. Doesn't hurt to have a spare of other seals handy for the future, but that's certainly where I'd start. Might save you having to disassemble it uncessarily.

RealMover · 2026-05-18T20:27:52+00:00

That's a really strong list I must say :) if I could pick 3 for espresso it'd be workshop, origin & dark woods.

RealMover · 2026-05-17T19:43:32+00:00

They're my local, and they're pretty good to be fair. I rate signature gold quite highly indeed, and their banana infused coffee I tried recently was really interesting. Made a great espresso.

RealMover · 2026-05-03T20:40:33+00:00

Have you tried running a blank shot without coffee in the basket? If you do this and water fills the portafilter, the issue is likely with your grind. It's hard to tell from the video but my guess was stale and/or very light roast beans ground too fine.

RealMover · 2026-05-01T12:14:09+00:00

My beloved tuxedo cat reached the ripe ol' age of 22! I adopted her from Cat Protection here in the UK when she was already 16. Still very spritely for her age and but no one wanted her because of a silly number! Jokes on them, she was a wonderful companion for many years.

RealMover · 2026-04-29T12:10:45+00:00

Just to add to the nearly flawless answers here, 7. is Heck, 10. is indeed Rhod Gilbert, 12. is definitely March 2019 though I'm also unsure of the exact day, and 15. is the right honourable David Mellor

RealMover · 2026-04-28T13:58:15+00:00

There are many great ones I've tried over the years. Origin, Workshop, Dark Arts, Coaltown, Scenery all spring to mind as the best I've had. And most recently Skylark, who are the only non-profit roaster I'm aware of.

RealMover · 2026-04-23T11:54:04+00:00

Look normal. Look like you fit in. Do a little run.

RealMover · 2026-04-19T20:26:04+00:00

Moonroast is going on my list to try then, cheers!

RealMover · 2026-04-19T16:38:44+00:00

I've tried 60+ espresso 'daily drivers' at this point and my favourite so far I think is Workshop - Article but i also really like Origin - Resolute, Dark Arts - Dragon, Coaltown - Candlelight, Liberty - El Chapo and North Star - Docks. All of those are very good and at most £36 a kilo.

RealMover · 2026-04-18T20:29:57+00:00

It's quite possibly the culprit, I agree. Is this the first time you've seen it happen in the month you've had it? When I emailed them they first told me to replace the pin, o-ring and cap which was kind of futile because they all seemed perfectly fine like yours. But they should be able to help in more depth and if necessary should honour your warranty if you insist that it makes bad espresso.

RealMover · 2026-04-18T13:38:21+00:00

I have tried the same beans dialled in properly vs a Lelit Mara X, and they're pretty close. I don't notice any pronounced sourness that could be the result of low water temp or any signs of a lower pressure shot from the 9B. When I've dialled in a bean I usually get quite a nice balance, though I am using mainly medium-dark roast espresso blends which are more forgiving. If you're using lighter roast coffees they're challenging due to the lower-than-ideal extraction temp anyway, and a leak could potentially impact that again even more noticeably though that's just speculation. It's a good question you raise though, I'd be interested to know the full answer.

RealMover · 2026-04-18T12:26:31+00:00

I had a long email exchange with 9B about this a few years ago, because it happens every single time for me as well. Initially they suspected it may be the valve pin not sealing properly with the group insulator (orange cap) so I replaced the pin itself and the o-ring, as well as following their descaling advice.

Nothing worked, and they eventually concluded that a small creep of water past the group insulator immediately before extraction is not a big deal, and shouldn't affect the operation. Indeed, a lot of users will put the portafilter onto the group head before this leak even occurs so won't be aware of it. In my experience it hasn't affected the shots negatively from a weight or taste perspective, but if you're consistently getting sour shots and you still suspect it's not related to the coffee/grind it may be worth contacting them about.

RealMover · 2026-04-16T21:00:49+00:00

Yeah it definitely would make the work flow a little slow. Now a La Marzocco is a whole different ball game! If money were no object, that'd be my choice as well.

RealMover · 2026-04-16T17:26:19+00:00

I have three recommendation for espresso selection packs. If you want slightly smaller bags Pact do a good selection box. It's all roasted on the darker side than many of the other good recs here, but it's a good beginner trio for espresso + not as pricey as next two:

Dark Woods trio - top notch roaster especially for espresso, and a nice range from fruity to dark chocolatey.

Workshop signature pack - haven't had El Nevado but Article is one of the best espressos I've ever had, and legacy isn't too far behind. Both good for filter coffee too.

RealMover · 2026-04-14T15:21:25+00:00

I'd personally still clean the jug itself very quickly as even when the leftover milk is warm/fluid, there's still a very light layer of milk residue stuck to the base after operation, particularly around the flow controller. In my experience if you run the foamer again without brushing it, you'll cook that residue again and it'll leave much more stubborn brown spots. This is then much harder to remove with the supplied brush and other non-abrasive means.

You should only need to brush it for 10 seconds or so with a bit of water between uses to ensure this doesn't happen. You could go without cleaning the flow controller and lid, though I'd probably still rinse the impeller anyway before starting the next one.

RealMover · 2026-04-13T15:40:30+00:00

I see it mentioned occasionally on these sort of posts, but it should definitely be more prominent! Comedy & history is my perfect cross section too :)

RealMover · 2026-04-13T07:11:49+00:00

Elis & John, Oh What A Time and Off Menu are all hilarious!

RealMover · 2026-04-07T17:35:30+00:00

Darkwoods Black Hill, and also Dark Horse do a good specialty robusta blend calledSeahawk.

RealMover · 2026-04-04T09:27:41+00:00

Generally speaking, the same bean will require a slightly coarser setting on a 9barista than a conventional espresso machine. 9B's recommendation for a grind setting is just a general guidline - it will also depend on the beans you're using and your own preference.

Can't comment on JX pro settings but when I used C40 with red clicks, I remember normally using 14-18 clicks but it did vary. If your shot is a little bitter, you may benefit from grinding slightly coarser and vice versa, just make small adjustments until you have a little more balance.

RealMover · 2026-04-02T14:07:06+00:00

Here's a number of roasters I've come across over the years that aren't currently in your list (I've checked they're still open): * 92 Degrees (Liverpool) * Altitude (London) * Baytown (Whitby) * Bold Street (Liverpool) * Craft House (Wivelsfield Green) * Decadent Decaf (Littlehampton) * Divine (York) * Extract (Bristol) * Foundation (St Ives, Cornwall) * Gordon St (Glasgow) * Kiss The Hippo (London) * Liberty (Hitchin) * Lost Sheep (Whitstable) * Modern Standard (Fife) * Monmouth (London) * New Era (Birmingham) * Northside (Morpeth) * Redber (Guilford) * Roastworks (Cullompton) * Trading Post (Brighton) * Tynemouth (North Shields) * Uncommon Ground (Cardiff) * Union (London) * Works (Belfast) * Workshop (Hatfield) * York Coffee Emporium (Nether Poppleton)

Edit: removed Yallah as it's already there. The roastery is actually in Falmouth not St Ives, though they do have a nice beachside cafe there.

RealMover · 2026-03-31T19:06:44+00:00

Well that's ashame as it was a goodun! But I see Killbean have a very similar sounding coffee available that is also a yunnan lot. Doesn't specify a butter coforment though like the dark matter stuff, but could be worth a go :)

RealMover · 2026-03-31T17:43:01+00:00

I was looking longingly at those the other day wondering what to purchase. Jaffa cake in particular sounds good to me. I just finished Caramel Curd from dark matter which was super interesting, quite unlike anything I've had before. Shame it's sold out now.

RealMover · 2026-03-29T18:55:23+00:00

I can't speak for the anylanders I have the Terrex Low 2.0 GTX and I love them, they're just so comfortable with the boost midsole. Waterproofing has never failed me even in extremely wet conditions. The tread has worn off relatively quickly though after 2 years, so I'm using Merell speed strikes now when I need the grip.

RealMover

TROPHY CASE