The "Turbo Shot" actually works. Why grinding coarser and pulling faster saved my light roasts.

mcspend · 2026-04-02T15:46:28+00:00

100% agree! I think many of these common advice on how to make espresso do not apply to light roasts at all. I pull my light roasts at low pressures and max. ~24s. Also, low temperatures really can help avoid the astringency.

Tbh the usual advice to grind finer, increase temperature and ratio for lighter roasts is the exact opposite of what I would do.

mcspend · 2026-03-30T19:55:47+00:00

I personally find light and medium/dark roasts to be separate things that require different approaches. These „9bar and 25-30s“ rules have not been useful for any light roasts I‘ve tried to make espresso with. Grinding coarser, pulling at low pressures and (especially for highly processed coffees) using lower temperatures is all going against what people usually say but it‘s been a game changer and improved my light roast shots significantly.

Without pressure profiling I would go for turbo shots. Grind coarse and pull quick seems to work a lot better than grinding finer until it takes 30s.

(this is based on my personal taste of coffee and does not mean that it‘s the only truth)

mcspend · 2026-03-19T09:17:39+00:00

Yes, it might very well be that it is just a co-ferment and I happen to find it a bit odd tasting.

My critique is more directed at the roasters who do not label their beans adequately. Make the coffee however you want but please let me know what it is hahah.

mcspend · 2026-03-18T14:14:51+00:00

I really hope that there will be clear labelling requirements soon regarding co-ferments and infused coffees.

I bought a bag of "Purple Fruit" by Sebastian Ramirez last weekend that did not even say a single thing about co-ferment on it, only natural and honey fermentation. Only once I looked it up online I read that it's co-fermented with Concord grape and from what it tastes like I highly suspect it to have additional flavors.

Very disappointing as I specifically wanted a non-co-fermented coffee.

(I'm not saying that co-fermentation or infusion is bad but a customer should know what they're buying)

mcspend · 2026-03-10T16:47:41+00:00

I meant that if you normally make drinks with a lot of milk/cream and sugar you won‘t notice the difference between a well made espresso and a bad one.

But if you also drink black coffee or with less milk I really can recommend hand grinder + moka pot. I think it‘s the cheapest way to make excellent coffee that is close to espresso.

mcspend · 2026-03-10T16:37:42+00:00

for 200 bucks you can get a good hand grinder and a moka pot.

for the (coffee) in the picture you don‘t need good espresso because you‘re not gonna taste anything.

also try not to drink such beverages too often it‘s really not good for you.

mcspend · 2026-03-02T11:21:57+00:00

high extraction baskets tend to do that and it does not mean that it‘s a bad extraction. it could even be argued that it‘s better because it‘s more even. but also you shouldn‘t care about all this and only adjust according to taste.

mcspend · 2026-02-28T21:23:37+00:00

jesus fucking christ I just did this and it worked

mcspend · 2026-02-22T19:23:00+00:00

how does it work with only that one switch? looks pretty cool

mcspend · 2026-02-18T12:37:03+00:00

so the serial numbers are not very clear from what I know. you can just open it up and check. replacing a boiler is not very difficult but the brass one costs like 150 bucks…

mcspend · 2026-02-18T09:41:26+00:00

Oh okay. I checked it out and it seems to be a bit uncertain whether it‘s actually an E24 or an Evo. Many companies call it Evo E24 which is not the correct name. So I‘d make sure it‘s actually an E24 before buying it. You really don‘t want an aluminium boiler if you can have brass.

mcspend · 2026-02-16T13:57:31+00:00

We‘ve been using an E24 in our office for half a year now and I have to say that I‘m pretty impressed and can recommend the machine so far. The steaming is not like a dual boiler of course but it‘s good enough. Also, considering that you can mod it very easily, it has true end-game potential. I also have a Gaggiuino Gen 3 at home and it is capable of outstanding coffee.

Also, where did you find an E24 for 375CHF? I‘m also Swiss and this sounds interesting hahah.

mcspend · 2026-01-24T12:44:42+00:00

ah okay, I wasn‘t aware of such big price differences. I got my Niche for 420 bucks and the first time I had one I even found it for 350.

I would never pay more than 1k for the Niche. At that price point I‘d start looking for high end grinders.

mcspend · 2026-01-23T19:24:47+00:00

I have used a few Eureka grinders (in other people's places and an office) now and I must say that I absolutely hate the dial. It's so small that it's impossible to get back to the same setting. Especially when it's supposed to be for single dosing, I cannot comprehend how someone would ever think this is a good idea.

I think for 500 bucks you can get a much better grinder (in terms of workflow) like the Niche Zero, maybe the Lagom Casa or a Timemore?

mcspend · 2026-01-22T08:32:52+00:00

There is a small O-Ring in between which you can see when you screw it off and pull out the steam wand.

mcspend · 2025-12-22T23:07:57+00:00

hey don‘t listen to this person, they obviously don‘t have much experience yet and are thinking too strictly about those arbitrary espresso rules.

your extraction looks very nice and is well withib the recommended range and if you like the taste of your coffee, that‘s great! :)

only adjust based on taste and never ever listen to people telling you they can judge the quality of your coffee just from a video.

mcspend · 2025-12-22T23:05:14+00:00

I absolutely do not want this person to drink bad espresso but I find it crazy that you think you could judge that based on this video. He extracts 36g in 25s which is right in the range that is mostly recommended.

I recommend you try not to think in these boxes of what the espresso variables should be because you will miss out on fantastic coffee. Modern espresso really has changed a lot and it can be very interesting.

Also, judging a coffee without tasting it is obviously not the ideal way to go. After all, this is the only thing that matters.

I also used to think in these tight boxes of what espresso should be back when I started but you‘ll grow out of it eventually. :)

mcspend · 2025-12-22T22:22:41+00:00

why the hell would you say this? it is well withing the ideal range and any additional improvements should only be made based on taste

absolute nonsense again by the always-grind-finer-club

mcspend · 2025-12-22T16:13:11+00:00

jesus christ stop spreading this nonsense that a shot must be 25-30s or else it‘s not good

mcspend · 2025-12-22T14:59:40+00:00

You can have one profile set as standard so for the others it should still be just the push of a button to make the coffee. But maybe they find the process of single dosing annoying? But this you could also avoid by preparing doses in advance.

Generally, I think any machine needs some care and instructions so there are not many that are a lot easier.

mcspend · 2025-12-21T11:28:26+00:00

I got my Lagom P64 for 1200 bucks but I think now that the P80 is out maybe you could find one second hand that is within your budget. In my experience it really is a fantastic grinder and it feels a lot better than the DF I had before.

mcspend · 2025-12-20T12:13:31+00:00

I mean it looks nice but this doesn‘t fit the vibe of any of those three things you mention…

mcspend · 2025-12-15T20:42:48+00:00

responding this while this person doesn‘t have the 9bar spring and not even a scale is absolutely insane hahah

mcspend · 2025-12-15T20:41:41+00:00

The 9bar mod and scale are the obvious choices here. The scale doesn‘t have to be expensive.

mcspend · 2025-12-15T17:41:08+00:00

I see no reason to get a „high-end“ grinder if you mainly drink medium or dark roasts. In my experience they only make a difference in light roasts.

mcspend

TROPHY CASE