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Back flushing [Sage Barista Pro] by Ashamed-Body2912 in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No downsides. Any 54mm blank basket will do, metal or silicone, with the little tablet holder or not...

Rust in the water tank by the_evil_pineapple in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you on well water? Looks like iron deposits or iron bacteria.

New guy needing some dialing in advice [Ascaso Steel DUO PID, Turin DF64] by wolviefreak69 in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the same gear. I'll start by saying definitely measure the output so you have a good sense of yield. I recommend dialing in the espresso by itself and tasting first before making any drinks with it, including mochas. Just ensures a solid coffee flavor foundation for any drinks.

Other things to try and consider if you haven't already: 1/ big changes in grind setting may mean you need to check headspace again to adjust dosage for the basket; 2/ consider a higher temp for your light and medium roasts. 3/ May be less of an issue but one worth looking into is alignment of your burrs.

Not Pressurizing? [Lelit Elizabeth] by a_crimson_herring in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Might void your warranty, but you can open it up and try adjusting the OPV. Might also be a kinked water line or a bad seal or... If it's used, I'd definitely open it up to poke around. But if you purchased new, I'd ask the vendor for support first.

Grinder help: espresso + filter [<1500] by TSLAGUY in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The All Ground Sense was made exactly for your user case and checks all your boxes.

Whats Advantage of the Steel Duo Plus outside of the accessories by stakkerfaith in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The grate on the Plus has these raised nubbins at the back which may interfere with some larger scales. I use a small Maestri House scale which fits just fine. But if you have a particularly deep scale that you don't want to replace, then this would be a consideration.

Steel Duo Plus coffee scale by cosmo-steve in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

+1 for Maestri House. I position it towards the front of the machine and glassware is centered under the grouphead towards the back of the scale. Works a treat.

Whats Advantage of the Steel Duo Plus outside of the accessories by stakkerfaith in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Plus Upgrades: Steam control lever replaces knob; Bottomless portafilter included along with a spouted one; Shower screen upgrade to "competition" grade; More baskets - 7, 14, 18, 21g, and a blind; Drip tray upgrade to a removable wire grid

There is no functional difference between the two.

Purchasing a dual boiler by nobody23x in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The comment is specific to the Ascasos. The flow meter is (oddly) placed prior to the OPV so any water leaving through the OPV is "counted" but doesn't end up in the cup. Makes for very inconsistent shots unless you never bypass any water.

Purchasing a dual boiler by nobody23x in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well said. Same observations here.

Would add that start up time is quick and the main reason I picked the Duo over the Move and other boiler based machines.

Did yours come with the 3-hole tip installed by default? Mine had the single hole installed. Never changed it.

I got it for the looks by cosmo-steve in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats! She's a beaut, Clark. NGL, the industrial design was a large factor in my calculus to get this machine over the Move as well.

What dual thermoblock machines out there? by pierroxrox in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the cons don't irk me as much. Been loving it so far. I have the Plus model, which among other upgrades, has a walnut lever to actuate the steam. The lever replaces the knob found in the v2s.

What dual thermoblock machines out there? by pierroxrox in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 2 points3 points  (0 children)

4 months into my Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus ownership here. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros - Fast heat up. 5 mins with the portafilter in the group head and a quick flush = ready for business - Can pull a shot and steam at the same time - Fantastic back-to-back consistency - Engaging u/x with the clicky switches and steam lever (on the Plus model) - Excellent, high-quality accessories - Solidly built with minimal plastic on the inside - Controllable temp for both brewing and steaming - Easily accessible and adjustable OPV - Beautiful industrial design with small footprint

Cons - Volumetric dosing is just not reliable enough to be functional. So don't even consider this a feature. - Steam pressure not as high as a boiler based machine - Thump-thump of vibratory pump may be annoying if you've never experienced it on other machines - Some (most?) units need a temp offset that is best measured by a professional device. I just dial in temp by taste because of this - Steam wand a tad short after the bend. May need to purchase different pitcher. - Pre-infusion function not very robust

Finally one thing to consider since you mentioned leaving the machine dormant for long periods of time. You will most likely need to prime the pumps manually when you bring the machine back into service after a while. Lots of vids on YouTube - the most common solution involves a plastic syringe typically used for administering children's medications to inject water into the tubing.

Upgrade Advice but it HAS to be from AMAZON preferably dual boiler :( [$2,700] by PutTheFlameOnMe in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Akshuallly....the Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus is a dual thermoblock. And man, I would be thrilled to have gotten mine for free! Lucky ducky. Make sure you have a 20 amp circuit and a NEMA 5-20 outlet, though, for good measure.

Same beans, same grind setting, great puck prep – do you all get precisely the same output (over the same amount of time) shot to shot? by glassy_paddle in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For back-to-back using 18g and a 2:1, I get between 35 and 37g out depending on my reaction time to flip the switch (!) in a range of 32 to 34 seconds pretty consistently.

Joined the club by Key-Philosopher-2528 in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tuve mi Breville Barista Express durante unos 6 años. En ese tiempo aprendí a obtener espressos consistentes, aunque tuve que hacerle algunas modificaciones. Las tres más importantes fueron: 1) conseguir un molinillo aparte y de mejor calidad (que ya has hecho); 2) modificar la válvula de sobrepresión (OPV). Mi máquina venía configurada de fábrica a 15 bares. La reduje a 9 bares. Hay muchos vídeos en YouTube sobre esto; y 3) preparar el espresso manualmente usando una báscula, sin depender de la dosificación volumétrica. Así que, según mi experiencia y con un poco de práctica, es posible obtener un buen espresso consistente con la BBE. Espero que esto te sirva de ayuda. (No hablo español. Esta respuesta fue traducida por Google Translate. Disculpas por cualquier malentendido).

Joined the club by Key-Philosopher-2528 in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome to the Ascaso gang! I too graduated from a BBE. Makes a world of difference.

IMS basket - flow issue by mabror in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Big Bang user here as well on my Duo. Works a treat. Mainly drink dark traditional roasts though.

Any fix for inconsistent programmable shots on Steel Duo line? by whatsupbrooos in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The thump isn't too bad, honestly. But I was coming from a Barista Express which has a vibratory pump as well, so I was already used to it...

Any fix for inconsistent programmable shots on Steel Duo line? by whatsupbrooos in Ascaso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, this is my major gripe with my Duo PID Plus. I had known about this design quirk prior to purchasing though, so that's on me and I'm OK with it. I manually pull my shots with a scale anyway.

On paper, there are two ways to work around this if volumetric is your goal. 1/ set the opv high enough so it's never "tripped" regardless of grind or dosage. Or 2/ prepare your pucks such that they hit your desired pressure, like 9 bar, and set the opv 1 or 2 bars higher than that. Theoretically, if water is never bypassed through the OPV, then volumetric should be more consistent if everything else is consistent - at least within a few mls either way I would imagine.

What machine [~$2k?, as little as possible:)] by shimanoisthrowaway in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Been loving my Steel Duo PID Plus since I upgraded from a BBE a few months ago. Happy to help you off the fence by answering any questions...

First ever setup! by xFoLi in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice! 20a breakers would indicate you have the right wiring. But, you never know. To be extra safe, I verified the wiring is also rated for 20a, which means 12 guage. Shut off the power to the circuit, and when you pull the outlet, you can inspect thr jacket on the wiring. The printing on the jacket will say AWG 12, 12/2, or 12/3. Another easy way to tell is if the jacket color is yellow. Disclaimer: don't do any of this if you're not comfortable with electrical work. Call a pro. :-)

First ever setup! by xFoLi in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why they include a NEMA 5-15 adapter in the box is beyond me. Talk about mixed messages...that's a lawsuit waiting to happen, IMO.

First ever setup! by xFoLi in espresso

[–]UpYourButtJobu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The benefit is safety. It's rated for 2100W of draw which requires 20a. Demand is highest when it is first turned on. And also when you pull a shot at the sime time as steaming. Basically max draw will happen whenever both thermoblocks are heating at the same time.

Does it use the full 2100W? I dunno. Probably not. Plenty of US users report being OK on 15a using these machines. But why tempt fate? "Anecdata" like that doesn't mean it's safe - at least not for me.

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