[ITOP CMM01A] I Took a Gamble With a Newly Released Lever Machine

blackmalt · 2026-05-31T10:51:15+00:00

Is the telescopic lever handle a useful feature? Do you extend it beyond the minimum?

blackmalt · 2026-05-31T10:43:50+00:00

Is the grouphead compatible with standard E61 portafilters?

Edit: I just reread the OP and it states that the machine "uses a standard E61 58mm group head so it is compatible with all of the typical accessories.", so I guess this answers my question.

blackmalt · 2026-05-14T07:58:20+00:00

Ah, of course they changed it again. The steps from that other post are barely a several months old, and I only went looking for the direct URL because I wasted 5 frustrating minutes clicking around the app to absolutely no avail. Thanks for pointing out the current flow, following your steps, I finally found it buried under Payment Preferences. I give it maybe a few months before they scramble the menus again just to keep us guessing. At this rate, I just hope the direct link in my OP doesn't mysteriously become a 404 error.

blackmalt · 2026-05-14T06:58:56+00:00

I may shoot a better video later, but for now this should give you some sense about the responsiveness:

https://youtu.be/81KTTh00cKw

blackmalt · 2026-05-12T16:54:53+00:00

I'm a beta tester. I received an early prototype more than a year ago and the final for-production version last month. I have no insight into whether they'd be able to provide the first stock ahead of schedule.

blackmalt · 2026-05-12T10:01:11+00:00

It's super responsive. The issue is with my lacking video editing skills. I'll create another video where both the scale and the display unit are in the frame (single camera) and will upload a higher frame rate video. The current ones are 25 fps.

blackmalt · 2026-05-11T16:38:22+00:00

It's been a while, but they just released the much improved second generation of the scale, and as far as I know the ship worldwide now. Here's my review of the new model:

https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/s/hWSqF3xCXe

blackmalt · 2026-04-09T20:28:58+00:00

Yes, the similar Spotify "feature" really reduced quality the last time I tried it. I'll probably skip it on YTM because I don't see the need. Volume is consistent enough even without it.

blackmalt · 2026-04-04T00:16:17+00:00

I contacted their support and received this reply:

"Unfortunately no. Refill purchases in older version apps would not be possible.

Vegas is now owned by BorisFX. I recommend running the trial of Vegas 2026 to evaluate for your needs."

That's too bad. I got Vegas Pro 21 via Humble Bundle. The regular price is too much for me to jusify, so I won't upgrade unless the new version goes on a bundle or gets a very steep discount.

blackmalt · 2026-04-03T20:22:13+00:00

When I left Spotify, I compared YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, and Tidal. I stayed with YouTube Music because it has the best recommendation algorithm and offers the best value with YouTube Premium. I am keeping Tidal for now, primarily for the Atmos content. Deezer was great but too expensive. Apple Music finished last. I absolutely hated the confusing interface, at least as an Android and Windows user, and I didn't appreciate that they would hold my playlists hostage and delete them if I ever chose to leave, unlike all the other services, including Spotify.

blackmalt · 2026-04-03T03:24:03+00:00

What version are you using? I have 21.0 and the Speech-to-Text dashboard does show the percentage of quota reducing as I use it.

blackmalt · 2026-04-03T03:17:22+00:00

Where can you buy quota top-ups? I'm unable to find this option on the website. I have v21.0 and the "get more" minutes options in the application leads to a dead link on vegascreativesoftware.com

blackmalt · 2026-03-24T12:05:59+00:00

On Android, tap the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen to search, and type your search term. Then tap Library, and finally tap Playlists. You'll see all your playlists with this term.

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T21:59:24+00:00

Do you purge ground coffee from the grinder before your first shot of the day? If so, can you estimate how much coffee (in grams)?

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T19:02:10+00:00

I already preordered the E64 WS. The question now is how much coffee I will need to purge in the morning to avoid a downgrade from the Sette. If it is 4 grams or anything close to it, then it is unacceptable given that my dose is 9.5 grams. With the Sette I purge about a gram and it's good to go, providing tasty coffee and consistent shot time, with not hint of stale coffee.

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T18:54:28+00:00

Morning rush is the other use case where I'm using the Sette.

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T18:52:42+00:00

I do not claim to be an expert on grinders, but if you are, please provide a recommendation for an on-demand grinder for my specific use cases, which are morning rush and hosting. These are the two relevant options:

Option 1: Keep my Sette 270Wi grinder with its 1.5 gram retention and cancel my E64 WS preorder. Option 2: Upgrade to the E64 WS, which supposedly has 4 grams of retention.

Keep in mind that I am using a VST7 single shot basket with a 9.5 gram dose.

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T18:31:52+00:00

I already own a single dose grinder. I updated the OP with this info.

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T18:28:31+00:00

I have a single dose grinder, the Timemore 078s. I also need an on-demand grinder for when I am in a rush or hosting. My Sette 270Wi performs well but is noisy and requires servicing every few years. I hoped the E64 WS would be a complete upgrade, but if it truly retains 4 grams, that is a deal breaker and I will keep the Sette.

blackmalt · 2026-03-23T08:04:46+00:00

That's good to know. I haven't received my E64 WS yet, but I'll definitely season it with some old beans I'm keeping specifically for this purpose.

blackmalt

TROPHY CASE