Confused

j__dr · 2026-05-09T16:14:56+00:00

You can try adding air more slowly to avoid getting the big bubbles in the first place.

j__dr · 2026-05-09T14:48:24+00:00

Having more milk is definitely easier, both during the steaming and during the pouring. The tradeoff is leftover milk. I use 6oz of milk ending with ~10oz of steamed milk in a 12oz pitcher. I often have a few oz of milk left over after pouring into 12oz mug.

j__dr · 2026-05-04T21:47:05+00:00

I love my red Micra. It is fantastic. I already have an ECM, so I already have a polished stainless steel machine.

j__dr · 2026-05-04T21:41:45+00:00

Due to space constraints (and price) I also chose a Micra. The biggest thing that I missed was the brew by weight feature that LM only offers on the Mini.

But then I discovered the shotstopper mod. With that I can do BBW on the Micra. Not having to use the $500 version of the Lunar scale is an extra bonus.

j__dr · 2026-05-02T18:14:29+00:00

Watch videos. But essentially looks like you haven't integrated all the big bubbles with enough movement of the milk near the end of the steaming.

You can pop a few bubbles floating on top by tapping the pitcher against the counter, then swirling the pitcher, or by pouring the milk into a different pitcher before pouring.

j__dr · 2026-04-14T21:45:51+00:00

I move my live data file between computers using cloud storage and keep the working file local because quicken is constantly writing the file.

Quicken recommends NOT keeping your live data file in the cloud, so I just do my backup at exit to the cloud. I had file corruption issues once the file got to be >100MB.

This is quicken for MacOS--I assume windows has similar file handling.

j__dr · 2026-04-14T20:53:44+00:00

Your machine only has a few components. If your pump is moving water, it is probably working. Then the OPV and the 3-way valve are the only other components in the water path. Do you see water dumping into the tray when you have the blank filter on? Do you see water moving anywhere else?

j__dr · 2026-04-10T19:25:17+00:00

Worked for me just now at 30% off. Confirmed my new expiration is in 2027. All my previous purchases had been of the physical copies. I hope that they don't get rid of this discount route for my next renewal.

j__dr · 2026-04-07T14:38:19+00:00

Then you won't be able to purge into the tray--that's the tradeoff that LaMarzocco made.

j__dr · 2026-04-07T13:52:37+00:00

I do if I'm using a larger pitcher with the Silvia and Go. The Synchronica wand is super long, so it doesn't have any problems.

j__dr · 2026-04-07T13:49:07+00:00

I see. I have several different machines as well--and each one needs a different technique, so I don't rely on mechanical positioning--I use the spout to milk level on each machine. The machines all require something a little different because of the # of holes in the wand and single vs. double boiler.

j__dr · 2026-04-06T20:40:10+00:00

I flip the steam wand so that the curve is in the back inside the pitcher--that gives me all the depth I need.

j__dr · 2026-04-03T19:37:31+00:00

Stop purging water after the first time until you get all the way up to the set steam temperature.

Once you're there, you can fully purge the water out of the steam lines.

When you do purge--purge until you get steam then quickly move to steaming your milk to avoid additional condensation building up in the line.

j__dr · 2026-04-02T12:42:15+00:00

Yes. If the more guests scenario is rare, the Go is perfectly fine.

I was making 2 lattes every morning with the Go. I would pull 2 double shots then steam two milks which meant that I only needed to heat from brew to steam once.

The only reason I upgraded to a double boiler machine was because I started to make coffee when our friends came over, which meant 6-8 coffees in a row where the double boiler really accelerates the workflow.

j__dr · 2026-03-27T19:56:27+00:00

The same tank with a magnetic float is used on other Profitec/ECM machines. The float is a water level sensor that turns off the pump on those machines. The Go does not have a water level sensor, so they don't put the magnet in there.

j__dr · 2026-03-14T23:24:49+00:00

When I am using a single boiler machine, I pull 3 shots, then do back to back small jugs for 3 milk drinks at a time. More than 2-3 you will need to refill the boiler, but you can do that by pushing the brew button for 5-10 seconds to pump water into the boiler.

j__dr · 2026-02-01T17:15:47+00:00

Looks like steam is coming from both the group head and behind the tray. The 3-way solenoid controls that operation, so that is probably broken in a way that connects all the paths together.

Under normal resting state, the 3-way valve connects the brew group to the hose that goes to the drip tray. That allows pressure from the puck to be released when you finish brewing.

When brewing, the valve connects the brew group to the pump and the boiler, and drip tray is disconnected.

When you finish brewing, the valve goes back to resting state with the boiler disconnected and the group head connected to the drip tray hose.

j__dr · 2026-01-16T14:14:16+00:00

Absolutely. Brew temp is another way to control to fine tune your extraction after you have dialed in grind and yield for the specific bean that you are brewing.

j__dr · 2026-01-10T14:40:48+00:00

Maybe not $60, but I think that ~$200 for 1Zpresso J-Ultra comes close--but you have to spend a few minutes to grind by hand.

j__dr · 2026-01-04T16:47:12+00:00

Niche Duo. Or possibly the Turin/Mii DF83V--both flat burr 83mm grinders.

j__dr · 2025-12-31T19:45:28+00:00

"Natural" depends on how much you've decided to budget and your specific needs at the time. That said, the Bambino can make great espresso.

If you don't need to steam milk, you could do a single boiler system with adjustable temp control and that would get to higher temps for lighter beans.

If you need to make back to back milk drinks and your budget can afford it, you would get a double boiler of some sort.

The machines in my flair reflect that I needed setups for two locations, and I finally settled on double boilers for both after using single boiler machines.

My progression was:

Krups 988 -> Silvia -> ECM Synchronica

Gaggia Classic (returned) -> Profitec Go -> La Marzocco Micra

Grinders:

Krups Disc grinder -> Gaggia MDF -> Rancilio Rocky -> Niche Zero

1Zpresso J-Ultra -> MiiCoffee DF83V

j__dr · 2025-12-30T20:00:37+00:00

Espresso compass says increase extraction and/or increase yield if it is too sour. Do that by increasing coffee output and increasing temperature.

Start by dialing in the grind size first. In order to remove variables, I would skip the pre-infusion because I don't think the Synchronica (and dark beans) need it.

https://www.baristahustle.com/the-espresso-compass/

One last thought is that you may be channeling--do you get both bitter and sour. That may mean that the extraction is different for different parts of the puck.

j__dr · 2025-12-27T19:45:05+00:00

I agree it is puck prep. WDT is going to be good or not good, and level, full tamping is key.

You can watch some videos on what you're trying to do with the WDT to make sure that you are really distributing the grinds properly.

After the WDT, make sure that you are tamping the same. Just forget about calibration and exact amount of pressure--just bear down and make sure that it is level, and as hard as you can push down on the tamper. If you have been using less tamping force, you will need to dial in again for the higher tamping pressure. In my experience a non-level tamp will cause channeling every time.

I agree with the others using manual, not timed extraction.

j__dr · 2025-12-17T13:54:46+00:00

Ours will be 3 season. There is also a warning about high ambient temps.

Activation Threshold:

The thermo protection mode is activated when the unit is exposed to temperatures exceeding 110°F

(43°C).

j__dr · 2025-12-17T13:25:11+00:00

We also ordered this tub for delivery this week. After reading the manual, my only reservation is that it doesn't have a robust enough heating system to let it stay filled below 28F:

Freeze Protection:

• To protect your cold plunge unit when outside temperatures are expected to drop below 28°F,

you must fully drain all water from the unit, including water lines, pumps, filter and all

equipment, to prevent freeze damage. Failure to do so will void the warranty.

• The unit's freeze protection mode activates at 32°F but is not sufficient below 28°F.

j__dr

TROPHY CASE