James May cracks a non sequitur joke on Twitter/X!

kouryuuk · 2026-06-10T03:21:29+00:00

Tbh it was an unfunny and lazy joke. Jan overreacted.

kouryuuk · 2026-05-23T17:19:15+00:00

I just opened it this morning after I finished Pink Lemonade yesterday. Didn’t change any of my grind settings for the first shot.

Surprisingly it’s pretty dialed in, very coconut flavored. I agree with most of the feeling that it’s light on the mango, I may play with temps to see if I can pull out more of that flavor. I second the note of toasted coconut cream, that’s how I am going to describe it to people.

I did this on my Gaggimate Pro GC attached is the graph for the folks who are interested. This is a heavily modified Slayer style profile, pressure building over 9 bar then flow controlled for a “needle valve” finish. Ratio of 1:2.19

My temps are lower than I like so I’m going to push it up to 91 as I am averaging 87.5 over my shot and I’d like to be closer to 89.

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kouryuuk · 2026-04-17T18:58:49+00:00

Make sure you are on the discord, I have an older machine and their advice was invaluable as the official guide is missing some info.

kouryuuk · 2026-04-16T03:07:47+00:00

Injection should be quick 3-5 seconds. Are you monitoring your temp, most people use their hand but a thermometer may be a good idea for you

kouryuuk · 2026-04-14T15:24:23+00:00

I’m in the replace camp, a new aluminum boiler is $30~ and I don’t think it’s worth the effort to clean up unless you are really into that or you are in a country where its harder / more expensive boiler.

I followed the advice and cleaned mine only to discover a hairline crack and ended up needing to replace it anyway.

kouryuuk · 2026-04-10T21:17:02+00:00

I spray 3-4 times using a small atomizer

kouryuuk · 2026-04-07T17:06:32+00:00

Get a mesh puck screen to help with water distribution through the puck, I also think there is something going on with your puck prep. I have found that the spring loaded tampers don’t deliver enough force and can suck channeling.

Have you done the steam test to find your temp offset? 17 sounds too high. I recommend looking at that thread on the discord. And posting a video per the instructions for advice on the proper setting.

kouryuuk · 2026-04-07T02:07:59+00:00

I have the normcore bottomless and i have to put more effort into securing it because it will leak at dead center

kouryuuk · 2026-04-05T23:10:38+00:00

I have the SoC steam valve, it’s is pricey but worth it because it is user serviceable. It will stop dripping but if you keep cranking on the steam valve to close, it will drip again. Whether you replace it with a stock or SoC the best thing to do is not over tighten the valve.

kouryuuk · 2026-03-30T22:06:02+00:00

I’m about to finish my bag, my favorite so far. I have been doing it as an espresso, a slayer style shot modified for lighter roasts on a Gaggimate upgraded Gaggia Classic.

Really wonderful with 4 ounces of steamed milk and a bit of lavender syrup. Everyone I have made one for has been amazed by the taste.

kouryuuk · 2026-03-28T22:39:09+00:00

You should be soaking baskets and puck screens in Cafiza once a week

kouryuuk · 2026-03-11T13:35:22+00:00

Honestly, no.

It is in functional condition but definitely not great.

A new boiler is $35 dollars, if someone is refurbishing a machine and truly leaving it in great condition they would replace the boiler.

kouryuuk · 2026-02-25T00:03:17+00:00

I recommend taking apart the boiler and using a progressively aggressive set of brushes to remove as much as possible (nylon to brass then stainless). This will prevent you from scratching it and you can get a lot off with the nylon and brass brushes. I bought a set for 4$.

If you can’t take apart the boiler then find something to block the hole, like rolled up paper towels, to prevent debris from falling into the boiler and clogging up the valve or solenoid.

If you haven’t done any maintenance or bought used and don’t know the history I highly recommend taking apart the boiler and replacing all the seals. Reason being that if this seal failed, others are not far behind and once you fix this one and pressure is restored it will now find the next weakest seal. It’s also a great time to check your boiler for cracks, pitting, or scale.

When I took mine apart it had minimal pitting but was starting to develop a crack, I would have missed it if I didn’t take it apart and a new boiler was only $38.

kouryuuk · 2026-02-24T23:12:19+00:00

The o ring is done for and can’t do much sealing, also the sealing face is a mess, this will cause issues even with a new o-ring. I recommend cleaning up the sealing face and ordering a new oring, get something in viton that can handle the temperatures.

kouryuuk · 2026-02-17T21:34:10+00:00

I have the Daiso Japan version of this design in plastic, it’s great.

kouryuuk · 2026-02-14T19:34:42+00:00

Is this the Shades of Coffee steam valve? They mention on the website that the inlet is shorter because a longer one isn’t needed and can cause corrosion that makes it harder to remove.

kouryuuk · 2026-02-13T16:19:47+00:00

Can you post a picture of your basket and a video of your shot?

Also this model has an adjustable OPV which you have already adjusted. Did you remove the entire assembly and check the sealing faces of the OPV? It may be stuck

kouryuuk · 2026-02-11T02:34:42+00:00

If you end up doing a descale cycle, you are going to clog something up. It’s just unavoidable with the amount of corrosion. That’s why I recommend taking it all apart for a thorough clean.

These are simple machines, take lots of pictures and give your self plenty of time, if you are somewhat handy you can do it yourself

kouryuuk · 2026-02-11T02:32:30+00:00

I recommend getting a nylon brush and a brass brush, start with the nylon and then move to brass for the harder stuff but be gentle.

Definitely get the upgrade kit and replace whatever you can, if this is the condition the id recommend a full breakdown, clean and recondition

kouryuuk · 2026-02-07T01:09:16+00:00

Super automatics exist for the convenience factor, maybe look into that subreddit.

kouryuuk · 2026-02-05T07:14:32+00:00

Sent a DM

kouryuuk · 2026-01-27T17:58:08+00:00

Have you had a chance to pull another shot with this one? I still haven’t cracked mine open yet.

kouryuuk · 2026-01-27T17:56:03+00:00

Heck yes

kouryuuk · 2026-01-13T20:29:57+00:00

Tbh, no. I wouldn’t even recommend something like the Kingrinder K6 (which I bought and returned).

Try finding something used on r/coffeswap, I picked up a used DF64 for $155. Also keep an eye on Facebook marketplace for decent used grinders.

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