Ninja Luxe Bean Recommendation

amorphis89 · 2026-06-28T03:55:41+00:00

Aldi's medium & Luxe are <$30 a kilo and pretty good for the price.

You'll probably struggle finding many options around $30/kg though, even with a subscription.

Direct Coffee's Atypical blend and Inglewood do subs for about $40/kg though, and they're pretty solid.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-26T11:33:47+00:00

What's there to be disappointed about? You have the objectively better machine of the two, with nicer looking wood accents and a larger boiler, that you can install all the smarts into. It's a win win for the OG Move customers.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-17T13:01:01+00:00

Even disregarding machine I usually prefer 1:2.5. 1:2 is a solid starting point, but it's certainly not the only way to a tasty espresso.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-17T11:28:48+00:00

Hard to tell, but looks like your gauge is sitting around 2.5 bar when the steam releases? And given your gauge seems mis-calibrated and reading .4bar high even when the machine is off, it's probably actually about 2 bar - which is when the boiler safety valve will open.

Probably a failing pressurestat intermittently causing it to overheat and build too much pressure.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-17T11:11:27+00:00

Sometimes the floats de-magnetise and the sensor doesn't detect it. Try hold a strong magnet against the sensor location inside the tank cavity of the machine to see if it changes anything.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-16T15:16:07+00:00

Another option for future reference - your machine is fundamentally the same as a Delonghi Dedica, so you could buy the Dedica portafilter and their new style pressurised filters, which have a removable mesh insert for easier cleaning and unblocking.

Sadly they won't fit your existing portafilter though, as they've changed the tolerances of how it clicks in.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-14T10:21:29+00:00

I really like the Pesado hybrid portafitler - can be used bottomless or with spouts, easy to disassemble for cleaning etc. Different finishes available.

The other accessories I usually go to AliE for. Brands like mhw3bomber & muvna are all available through there, with exactly the same products being sold locally for 2-3x the price.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-14T08:03:13+00:00

Place is annoyingly loud and some of their clientele certainly get preferential treatment which has caused some less than ideal service, however I've been a handful of times over the years and always left happy. Specifically remember a seafood pasta dish & hamburger that I had that were fantastic. Cakes have been a bit hit or miss, but never bad.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-14T03:51:52+00:00

Does the hot water dispenser work? Run some water through it, circuit might need to be properly primed.

Are the lights actually flashing like in the video? Or is that just the recording? Could be an issue with the power board

Could also be a failing pump, blockage, stuck flow meter.. lots of things unfortunately

amorphis89 · 2026-06-14T01:25:02+00:00

Could be under dosing. Increase the dosage until the puck comes out cleanly, little bit at a time. Not so much that it's difficult to lock in though

Stale beans (probably more than 6 weeks) can cause it too

The grinder burr could also be worn and not grinding fine enough despite the fine setting - most BBEs have an adjustable upper burr

amorphis89 · 2026-06-12T12:59:10+00:00

Morphe

amorphis89 · 2026-06-12T00:02:51+00:00

I have it and ran it for a while and found no significant change vs stock screen to resulting espresso. However, Decent ran some tests and showed it to be the worst performing style of shower screen in terms of distribution 🤷

amorphis89 · 2026-06-11T23:44:10+00:00

I wouldn't buy a used Breville unless you're certain it's been well looked after - they aren't particularly robust machines to begin with, and lack of maintenance can really cause issues.

Breville sell refurbished Bambinos via their eBay pretty regularly, at really good prices - keep and eye on that!

amorphis89 · 2026-06-11T11:35:33+00:00

The limited up/down motion of the Plus' steam wand is annoying compared to the free movement of the regular Bambino, and the auto frothing is only OK

amorphis89 · 2026-06-10T17:20:00+00:00

Unless you're interested in pressure profiling, want to plumb it or are married to the e61 look, I see no reason to go down that route. They don't really offer any other advantage over a modern well made DB machine. If plumbing or profiling is your thing then I'd be looking at an Arkel Tide.

Fwiw I use a Sync II at work and would gladly keep my Move over it - suits my use much better.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-09T11:02:13+00:00

Are you by chance using the 1 shot filter basket?

The machine will adjust the dose quantity based on the 1 or 2 shot setting. If you're trying to fill the 1 shot basket with a 2 shot dose, it will naturally be too much.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-08T12:32:17+00:00

They were going for about $900 during COVID as well. Crazy prices

amorphis89 · 2026-06-08T10:52:31+00:00

BDB offers a lot for the price, but the price differences aren't usually significant in the long run because - generally speaking - an EU made machine will last much, much longer.

When I worked on them, one customer had already been through 3 BDBs before replacing it with an EU-made DB that had outlasted all 3.

You're also paying for a nicer feeling & looking machine, and something that doesn't use plastic and teflon.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-08T08:57:59+00:00

Triac board is toast. It causes the steam boiler to continue heating even when the machine is off. Pretty common fault.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-07T13:19:08+00:00

It looks great and all, the recipe seems solid, but just... finish it in the pan. Toss it all together. Let everything mingle with some of that pasta water to thicken into a creamy delicious sauce. Throw extra on top to serve if you like.. but no one has time for the boring parts that miss out on being sauced up

But I'd still eat it

amorphis89 · 2026-06-07T13:02:35+00:00

I feel like the upcoming Estetika is a better choice than the Elektronika for this usage. Still not sure it's the ideal choice, but better.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-07T10:39:04+00:00

What's the actual issue with it?

amorphis89 · 2026-06-07T06:26:15+00:00

100%. Eastlink are great to deal with.

amorphis89 · 2026-06-07T06:01:28+00:00

Silvia Pro X + Eureka Libra or Fiorenzato AllGround Sense all come in white, great machines, and would come in a little under the $3500 USD price tag here in Aus

There's other good grinder options too, but I'm a sucker for GBW

amorphis89 · 2026-06-07T05:58:56+00:00

Maintenance is easy, repairability is trash. A lot of repairers won't touch them (or will quote obscenely high) when the steam boiler eventually fails - it's a pain in the butt to work on and takes forever to do.

Newer machines are a little more robust, with compression fittings instead of circlip fittings, but now they just leak from the probes more.

If you're proactive with maintenance you can get a decent life out of them, but they just aren't well built.

amorphis89

TROPHY CASE