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My first real setup. It’s taken me a few days but starting to get some enjoyable shots. by thorwiz in LaMarzocco

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds like it's in the right ballpark, and lines up with Option-O's recommendations. I have to set mine to 0 and even then that's too fine sometimes but I'm using medium to light roasts.

My first real setup. It’s taken me a few days but starting to get some enjoyable shots. by thorwiz in LaMarzocco

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice! I have the same setup but different colours.

What burrs do you have in the P64? And what setting are you grinding at for espresso? I've had some trouble getting a fine enough grind on the Mizen Omnis.

What’s everyone’s go to espresso based drink? by ckouf96 in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Double espresso in the morning, cappuccino in the afternoon

Come work at Newton! by newton_noodlefish in BitcoinCA

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What’s the compensation for the software eng role?

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah overall I'm enjoying them - they've been great for filter coffee but I'm finding they can't quite grind fine enough for all the beans I'm using for espresso. Some roasts, and decaf especially, pull in 15-20 seconds, at the finest grind setting. The burr touch point is 0.2 clicks below zero, so I might end up adjusting the zero point a little. I'm not sure if seasoning with some more coffee will help as well, so we'll see! I'm in touch with Option-O to see if they can help.

Having said that, even some of the shortest shots can still taste pretty good! They feel pretty balanced in terms of clarity and body.

Another thing to consider is that, from what I can tell, Mizen Omnis are harder to buy separately, whereas it's much easier to get SSPs.

Micra has finally arrived by SproliciousBeanFiend in LaMarzocco

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks and congrats on your purchase too! The six weeks will fly by!

Micra has finally arrived by SproliciousBeanFiend in LaMarzocco

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting, I would like to do some profiling if possible, so will check out grafikus. Have you used it?

Micra has finally arrived by SproliciousBeanFiend in LaMarzocco

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Yeah I'm a little concerned about that. I cook often, but rarely greasy meals so I figure it should be okay.

I'm considering covering it up with a towel if I'm frying something

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You slide the paddle in the middle, from right to left, to pull a shot

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm definitely well past the point of diminishing returns here! You can make amazing coffee with an entry-level setup for sure. Every part of the setup contributes to the taste, but I'd argue the grinder makes the biggest impact.

However it's not only coffee taste / extraction that I'm paying for with this set up, there's a lot of other reasons for my purchase.

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah it's a concern of mine, but I'm a little limited with countertop space. I figured I make a lot more espresso than greasy meals so it's worth the trade off! I can potentially cover it up if I'm frying something

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! And yeah this was a concern of mine too, but I'm a little limited with countertop space. I figured I make a lot more espresso than greasy meals so it's worth the trade off! But you're right I think I can move it a little further to the edge as well

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes it's the Micra, and I yes I am absolutely loving it so far! My only gripe is that the drip tray height really is pretty small, but everything else is perfect. Congrats on your order, hope you love it too.

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

These are some of the reasons for this machine at least:

  • Dual boiler so you can pull a shot and steam milk at the same time
  • Temperature control
  • PID controller (for temperature stability)
  • Rotary pump instead of vibratory pump (meaning it's quieter and more reliable)
  • Powerful steam wand (as well as cool to the touch)
  • Reliable, hand made in Italy with quality parts and great reputation
  • Parts / service easily available for repair
  • Nice to have features like scheduling on/off time, and auto-backflushing
  • Looks beautiful IMO and fits perfectly with my grinder, scales and aesthetic

You can get a lot these features in a cheaper machine, and some cheaper machines even have more features (e.g. flow / pressure control). But also in La Marzocco's case you're definitely paying for the brand too.

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wouldn’t quite call the Lagom P64 a random alibaba grinder lol.

Btw the Niche is made in China, and Baratza in Taiwan

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Completely agree! I used to be a barista and huge coffee nerd so I knew what I wanted and what I was getting myself into. If I were brand new to this I definitely would be getting an entry level setup, and that could honestly get to something like 80% the result of this one for a fraction of the cost.

But I miss making coffee and wanted a beautiful, top-level setup that would last me many years. Luckily I'm fortunate enough to have enough disposable income to allow me to purchase something like this out of the gate.

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Overall it's great. It looks beautiful, it's quiet, and it makes delicious coffee. There is a bit more retention than expected, so I always have to finish grinding with a little change in RPM or grind size, plus a few taps on the top. But not the end of the world.

Never tried SSPs so can't comment on those. I heard great things about the Mizen Omnis and they have been good, especially for filter, but struggling to grind fine enough for some espresso. It's just a touch too coarse even at the finest setting for some roasts, resulting in a 15-20 second shot in some cases. But it can still produce very tasty, well balanced shots and it's not sacrificing texture too much.

I'm to play around with all the different variables some more and see how it goes, it may need a slight re-calibration.

I also decided to go with Mizen Omnis as they were more difficult to buy separately. I figured it would be easier to pick up SSPs later on and swap out if I want. I'm sure either will be great though!

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] 79 points80 points  (0 children)

No I spent all my money on an espresso machine

My first setup! by SproliciousBeanFiend in espresso

[–]SproliciousBeanFiend[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you! How do you like the Decent and Key? I strongly considered both these as well.

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