"Spec"tacular BNZ MD74 - FINALLY!

MOQ

OK, I know you've probably thought "all talk, no action" ... not so. I'm a meticulous planner and implementer, and patient. So while I've probably received plenty of rolled eyes talking about my BMZ refurb project, I can joyfully report it's 99.9% complete and operational AT LAST. The last 0.1% will be revealed next week or so, it should finish off the refurb project nicely.

Only took me 6 mths but I gave the other half an undertaking not to start on it until I completed another slow-going project (don't ask).

So here it is, first photo showing the "spec"tacular prismatic flake powdercoat in all its glory, plus a snap of how it sits next to the R58. Before any of you mention that the grinder is out-of-focus in the first photo, this is the best way to show off the multi-colour highlighting effect.

So after assembly and initial testing I burned through a kilo of stale old beans yesterday to get it vaguely close to espresso grind. This morning debuted it with our usual blend. Interesting and different is all I can tell you so far as I'm still tweaking the grind/dose and adjusting the doser. However what was detectable was additional fruitiness.

But damn is this baby quiet, such a welcome change from the cacophony of the K3 PEG. Worth the admission price just to be able to converse with others while grinding.

Lacehim

Nice setup and well worth the effort in the end! 🙂 :thumb:

Koffee_Kosmo

Gorgeous :thumb: But I am biased because I own a BNZ MD74 I kinda like the original silver because it suits my kitchen decor So that makes two happy owners KK

MOQ

Mine was a boring black one to start with and it was in need of a repaint as the cafe had knocked off a lot of the paint banging the portafilter into it. I'll be a lot more careful! My initial approach was to coat it in a stock colour but I discovered some more interesting finishes made in the US and went crazy. Of course it was chosen in consultation with the wife, and since I had chosen a finish with her favourite colours in its highlights, I got the green light. I'm looking forward to discovering what this baby can deliver taste-wise.

Koffee_Kosmo

I have always compared it to a Robur That can't be a bad thing :angel: KK

MOQ

I was lucky enough to spend some training time on Roburs and was deeply impressed with the flavours using the same SO bean I had been buying, and realising how much I was missing out on with the K3. That was my impetus to get on with my rebuild. What sort of differences did you find between the BNZ & Robur? I don't have the luxury of being to compare the two side by side (not that I can think of, yet!)

Koffee_Kosmo

MOQ wrote:

I was lucky enough to spend some training time on Roburs and was deeply impressed with the flavours using the same SO bean I had been buying, and realising how much I was missing out on with the K3. That was my impetus to get on with my rebuild. What sort of differences did you find between the BNZ & Robur? I don't have the luxury of being to compare the two side by side (not that I can think of, yet!)

It's been a while since my testing and I have changed machines But both the BNZ and the Robur do justice to the the bean

Brett_H

I commission thee... Starlight Express! Congratulations on a stunning rebuild... It looks awesome!

MOQ

Thanks guys, it has been an interesting project and now it'll be an even more interesting process learning how to tune it in. My initial impressions are that it does reveal more fruit and more acidity. I had to up the brew temp yesterday on my regular blend, and today's SO pour was still quite bitey so it might need another tweak. Plenty to play with, especially now that I threw the junky inconsistent cheapo scales and bought a Bonavita so I can very accurately and consistently measure each dose.

C-man

I like the paint job a lot, in fact we are looking for a special 2 pac white paint for our new kitchen. something with just a touch of bling in it. Where should we look for paint? thanks C-

MOQ

Not sure on paint finishes, sorry. This was a powder-coat that can only spray onto metal due to the electrostatic difference between the job and the powder (so I'm lead to understand). If you're asking about refinishing metal surfaces PM me and I'll tell you where to look.