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Koffee_Kosmo · November 2013

Best roasted beans to use is to purchase them from MyCuppa and Ministry Grounds also Cosmorex coffee Welcome to the forum :thumb: KK

Lacehim · November 2013

Welcome KimJ :D We all have to start somewhere! I used to drink nescafe! ??? Are there any local roasters near you? I'll vouch for KK's list above too. All excellent fresh beans, just stear clear of the supermarket offerings because they are 99% stale. Look for coffee with a roasted on date, or talk to the roaster themselves. Your new machine should be capable of a decent cup, but the most important thing is to have fun, and enjoy the coffee that you make yourself. We are all here to help if you need any.

UNM · November 2013

Kimj, although I have been through a few espresso machines, I still have my Gaggia classic and it is more than capable of making wonderful coffee. If you need any advice once it arrives, start a thread and ask away, plenty of us will be only too happy to help where we can. If you are wondering whether these machines are reliable, mine was made in 1993 or 1994 and is still going strong. If anything does go wrong, parts are easy to source.

MOQ · November 2013

Hello all Although I've been making espresso at home for a long time on what was then quite good domestic equipment (we're talking mid-90's) it's only been the last 12 months that the real coffee journey began when I walked into a cafe and the owner stunned me with a dbl-shot macc that had as much complexity as wine. Being a food and wine nut, this began yet a whole new adventure, and what a wonderful adventure it has been. So new machine, new grinder, new filter/softener. The R58 is a delight but not without its peculiarities. The K3 is somewhat disappointing, good thing I managed to buy a used BNZ conical. It's fully dismembered at the moment awaiting re-powercoating, sothe K3 will go to a mate who is aware of my complaint but isn't as obsessed. Which is kind of weird as he was the one that started me on the wine journey 30yrs ago! Anyway, I'm loving this coffee adventure, something my obsessive nature truly revels in.

Lacehim · November 2013

Hi MOQ, Welcome. Nice bit of kit there. Lots of $$$. Did you buy your R58 new? Check out http://www.bestcafes.com.au/forum/espresso-machines/ because we would love a few photos and a bit of info about your R58 on there. There is also a grinder section if you need help with your rebuild. Another member has the same grinder and loves it!

Brett H · November 2013

Welcome MOQ. I'm glad to read someone else on the internet that isn't fussed with the K3. I was able to swap mine for a Rocky with my retailer here in Bris and was much happier.... Especially when I bought a K10 conical

Welcome!

MOQ · November 2013

on 1385371884:

Hi MOQ, Welcome. Nice bit of kit there. Lots of $$$. Did you buy your R58 new? Check out http://www.bestcafes.com.au/forum/espresso-machines/ because we would love a few photos and a bit of info about your R58 on there. There is also a grinder section if you need help with your rebuild. Another member has the same grinder and loves it!

on 1385376630:

Welcome MOQ. I'm glad to read someone else on the internet that isn't fussed with the K3. I was able to swap mine for a Rocky with my retailer here in Bris and was much happier.... Especially when I bought a K10 conical Welcome!

Thanks guys, nice to join a friendly forum! I'm involved in a totally unrelated pursuit and hosted for a forum once upon a time, but had to close it down because the members behaved like a bunch of infants dosed up on something weird (definitely not coffee). Compared to my enquiries on a GS/3 and 1Grp Synesso the R58 was a steal, although I still have my heart set on one of those. R58 was bought new, as was the K3. I'll check out the machines section if there's an R58 thread (I'm guessing yes) and will post a photo once I get the BNZ rebuild done and it has pride of place next to the R58. I'm comfortable with disassembling/reassembling intricate things, the BNZ grinder was easy and I took photos just in case. However if I need assistance I'll sing out for sure, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. @Brett H ... what issue did you have with your K3? On mine the rotating collar is quite loose and can rock back & forth. If I wind it down slowly the burrs touch on one side, and if I push on the other side the touching stops. This leads me to think the burrs cannot be parallel ... in which case the particle distribution must be all over the shop. Was yours suffering a similar problem?

MOQ · November 2013

on 1385339865:

For anyone that may be in the Castle Hill area of NSW, I loved the coffee I had at Trellinis Bar and Resturant, so if you know the name of what they use and if I can purchase it I'd be most appreciative.

@KimJ looks like the place has been sold and the owners moved onto another venture. Just had a look at the website and it has a big apology posted. They list the details of their new venture so maybe shoot them an email and ask what they used at Trellini's.

Koffee_Kosmo · November 2013

Welcome to the Crema forum MOQ Q - Do you home roast ? As a fellow BNZ MD 74 owner I can vouch that its a great grinder I have posted a reversible and non destructive mod to make it from a stepped grinder to metro metrical adjustment Having said that - the MD74s steps are very fine and I use it in stepped mode KK

MOQ · November 2013

on 1385383092:

Welcome to the Crema forum MOQ Q - Do you home roast ? As a fellow BNZ MD 74 owner I can vouch that its a great grinder I have posted a reversible and non destructive mod to make it from a stepped grinder to metro metrical adjustment Having said that - the MD74s steps are very fine and I use it in stepped mode KK

No roasting, I have the very good fortune of being able to buy 5S beans at a very nice price, courtesy of the cafe owner that poured that mindset-altering macc. We became instant friends and I visit his cafe at least once a week despite being >25km from where I live, and we sometimes do lunch + cafe crawls on his day off ... just for something different! I saw your mod on the MD74, thanks. I am thinking of making a vernier style adjuster, but first I have to finish reconditioning the grinder, install it, and play with it while I contemplate how to make it. I'm not that worried about drilling into the chassis as I know I can patch it and re-powerdercoat it, but if I can do it without having to drill it, of course that'd be preferable. However, interesting to know you made your own micrometric adjuster, but that the steps are adequately fine for you. I have a mate who advised me to buy the BNZ and he is an awesome barista, he said the steps are no problem. One mod I might contemplate is a doserless setup. I saw someone had done this by adapting the Mazzer stainless steel funnel to the MD74. Not convinced as I think the doser acts as a clump disperser, and we all hate clumps! It could be an experiment anyway as it'd be easy to revert back to the doser.

Koffee_Kosmo · November 2013

It can be converted to doserless as it's fairly straight forward KK

conikal · November 2013

on 1385339865:

The only other beans that I KNOW I have had and like is Manfredi and Piazo D'Oro but do not know anything else other than the name. For anyone that may be in the Castle Hill area of NSW, I loved the coffee I had at Trellinis Bar and Resturant, so if you know the name of what they use and if I can purchase it I'd be most appreciative.

KimJ. Even some supermarket beans will be much better than instant or the Aldi capsule coffe you are used to. But For the best results, only use beans that have a " Roasted On date" of no more than 3 weeks before you buy them. That rules out most all shop bought beans. Look for a local cafe or roaster who will sell you small ( 250gm) packs,..but try his cafe coffee first to see if you like it. There are some good roaster/cafe's on the central coast,...get looking ! Trellini's changed owners over 12 months ago. Now called "Criniti's".. BUT,.. if anything the coffee is even better since they now have a nice Izzo "Pompei" Lever group machine ....(but sadly using Izzo's beans ?)

Brett H · November 2013

Hi MOQ, The nice girl who sold me the K3 couldn't believe that I was upset about the slop in the collar but mine and the three others they had in stock all had lots of play in the collar. Perhaps just a bad batch. The Rocky was a much better experience!

MOQ · November 2013

on 1385445006:

Hi MOQ, The nice girl who sold me the K3 couldn't believe that I was upset about the slop in the collar but mine and the three others they had in stock all had lots of play in the collar. Perhaps just a bad batch. The Rocky was a much better experience!

Hmmm, I'm really glad I am not the only one who has experienced this. Once I get the BNZ running I'll contact the importer to discuss options. My fave cafe just bought one and I exclaimed "Oh NO!!" but when I went to demonstrate the fault I had it didn't seem to do it. Roughly what date did you buy, do you know the date or manufacture? Mine was built 19 Nov 2012

Brett H · November 2013

Hi mate, mine was much older like 2009. I already had an old Rocky so just ended up updating it with a newer/same version.

AlexNJ · December 2013

Hello good people! One of the reasons I am here is is my interest in the custom wood handles i saw elsewhere on the web for my Breville Dual Boiler. They look luscious! And I would love to have one made for myself. If someone can point me in the right direction, that would be great! When work is not looming, I will write back with my story. Sincere thanks.

Kelsey · December 2013

Hi Alex, Glad to have you with us! Unfortunately the member who created those handles is no longer with this community, but there are a number of other members who do do this sort of thing from time to time. Derrilex is one, BLDRFX another. Good luck!

MOQ · December 2013

on 1385531835:

Hi mate, mine was much older like 2009. I already had an old Rocky so just ended up updating it with a newer/same version.

Sounds like the problems have been long existing. Well I've put the K3 aside temporarily as a friend asked me to collect his used gear and it included a K6. Naturally I offered to clean it up and of course had to "test" it. After nearly a week I am convinced the K3 is not grinding properly as the shots from the K6 offer much more subtle flavours. Can't wait for the BNZ to be put into action. What's the hold-up? I want to bead-blast the casings and powerdcoat them in a far more decorative way than standard powdercoats. While I can buy prismatic metallic flake powdercoat from the US (yes, it looks wild even in photos), my usual powdercoating company won't use an unknown product in case it screws up their gun, which is fair enough. Add to that the festive season when they all close down ... Sadly, the K6 gets shipped to the owner next week, so I'm going to have to have to put up with the dodgy K3 for a while longer.

Brett H · December 2013

on 1386302825:

Sounds like the problems have been long existing. Well I've put the K3 aside temporarily as a friend asked me to collect his used gear and it included a K6. Naturally I offered to clean it up and of course had to "test" it. After nearly a week I am convinced the K3 is not grinding properly as the shots from the K6 offer much more subtle flavours. Can't wait for the BNZ to be put into action. What's the hold-up? I want to bead-blast the casings and powerdcoat them in a far more decorative way than standard powdercoats. While I can buy prismatic metallic flake powdercoat from the US (yes, it looks wild even in photos), my usual powdercoating company won't use an unknown product in case it screws up their gun, which is fair enough. Add to that the festive season when they all close down ... Sadly, the K6 gets shipped to the owner next week, so I'm going to have to have to put up with the dodgy K3 for a while longer.

I'm sorry to hear of your plight mate. Had you thought to take the issue up with your retailer? I did and they completely refunded my money and no longer sell k3s. They gave me a complete refund because they had to agree that my grinder didn't work as intended. Lots of happy k3 owners out there so clearly it's only the occasional unit that slips through the cracks... As you'd expect with any huge product run.

MOQ · December 2013

on 1386385987:

I'm sorry to hear of your plight mate. Had you thought to take the issue up with your retailer? I did and they completely refunded my money and no longer sell k3s. They gave me a complete refund because they had to agree that my grinder didn't work as intended. Lots of happy k3 owners out there so clearly it's only the occasional unit that slips through the cracks... As you'd expect with any huge product run.

I did mention it to the retailer, all I got was "your beans must be old". Once I get the BNZ running I will take it up with the distributor. I emailed Compak for the details, they were apologetic about the problem. I might have found a local company to spray the metal flake finish, will contact them Monday. If so, I'll be one step closer to espresso bliss!

Barry barista · January 2014

I live in Sydney & pretty much retired which has allowed me to start thinking about getting to understand things like making good coffee rather than just tossing coffee beans into the hopper, grinding some brand & pressing the go button on the coffee machine. I just completed a barista course & found it very interesting & has certainly motivated me to become a good coffee maker. I have a Breville BES 900 which I think is a good machine but I am struggling with matching some of the concepts I learnt at my barista course with my machine, e.g. Single shot of coffee should equal 7grams of coffee - if I put that amount of coffee into my basket it is not enough to tamp down. How does the 25 to 30 seconds it should take to extract 30 Mls of coffee equate to the preinfusion etc. Does anyone have a similar machine to me that can give me some enlightenment please. I'm looking forward to participating in the coffee forum... A [/quote]

Brett H · January 2014

Welcome Barry. There is a very recent thread that will be interesting reading I'm sure! http://www.bestcafes.com.au/forum/how-to-improve-your-coffee/is-there-something-wrong-with-my-coffee-taste/ Particularly excellent are the posts by Fresh Coffee and MyCuppa. Again, welcome mate!

Brett H · January 2014

on 1386391926:

I did mention it to the retailer, all I got was "your beans must be old". Once I get the BNZ running I will take it up with the distributor. I emailed Compak for the details, they were apologetic about the problem. I might have found a local company to spray the metal flake finish, will contact them Monday. If so, I'll be one step closer to espresso bliss!

I'm just reading this now. How very frustrating... I'd love a PM in regards to who your retailer was. Just because I'm curious and very often asked to recommend good retailers of great gear.

Lacehim · January 2014

on 1388885423:

Single shot of coffee should equal 7grams of coffee - if I put that amount of coffee into my basket it is not enough to tamp down. How does the 25 to 30 seconds it should take to extract 30 Mls of coffee equate to the preinfusion etc.

Welcome Barry. It all comes down to what's in your cup. If you like it you should be happy.

What grinder are you using? I would personally pull doubles (the single basket is in the cupboard because it's much more difficult to get a consistant shot out of it), so I grind a bit finer and pull a ristretto which produces 40-50ml. I've run shots past 30 seconds and into the 40s and they were great, so as far as I'm concerned, aim for 25-30 secs but don't pour it down the sink if it's 30.3secs if you know what I mean. Taste it, see what YOU like. Count prefusion or don't don't, it's only a few secs anyway. When I used my lever machine I didn't count it. I rarely use a timer now that I'm used to the machine. Keep an eye on the pour more than the time, you can spot it about to blond before it happens and that's when I pull it usually. Start a new thread under Espresso machines if you want. I'm sure plenty of others will have advice for you.

Mik i mean Stella · January 2014

Thanks for your welcoming words! My name ist Mik. I research coffee makers, meet family members of its manufacturers and post my results on a Blog: www.giordanorobbiati.com That's all there is to me! Mik

Lacehim · January 2014

An interesting website Mik, I hope to see you posting on the forum. There are many threads that you could add information to on the forum I'm sure. A few members collect all different types of coffee equipment so there should be plenty to interest you.

Mik i mean Stella · January 2014

Thanks Lacehim! I have posted on the Thread i wanted to contribute to (About my Blog). It is a strange feeling: 3 years ago, Crema was the first website i visited as i was thirsty for knowledge!!! Things have changed... a lot!

Mean Bean · February 2014

Hi all, I am from Wynnum, east Brisbane and a coffee addict, so much so that I bought a mobile coffee business. Have had it now working since the middle of November 2013. slow and small beginnings but we are working hard to grow it. I hope to get a lot out of this forum including the making of some new like minded friends. I look forward to chatting with you along the way. cheers Kevin :coffee2:

Koffee_Kosmo · February 2014

Hi and welcome to Crema We welcome your participation and any future questions KK

Lacehim · February 2014

Welcome mean bean. I would be great to hear about your equipment and your experience with your mobile coffee business. I'm sure you'll find a thread on here or start your own.

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