gday all.
long time lurker, first time poster.
so i was meant to get myself a silvia, or even a lelit or isomac...but seeing as im a bit strapped for cash at the moment i decided to go a cheaper option...sunbeam. :-?
i thought being my first machine ill get something cheap and play around with and upgrade later on.
so ive done an actual coffee course because i wanted to learn more about coffee and get a hands on approach. even got my accredited barista certificates (although i wouldnt call myself a barista at all - at least not yet
)
anyway, to the gear. i ended up picking them up brand new for $380 (espresso machine and grinder). RRP is 499 for the machine, and 149 for the grinder - so i thought it was a good deal even though its a sunbeam. lol.
thought id give you guys an impression about the gear i just bought for those looking for more info on the sunbeams. please note i am not a coffee expert and these opinions are just from a regular joe.
so lets start with the grinder, the EM0450.

this is the alternative conical burr grinder to the EM0480 which is $50 more expensive. im not entirely sure what mechanical differences there are but physically the EM0450 has less stainless steel. and according to the sunbeam website the EM0480s extra features include a dual mode setting (which im not sure what that means).
the grinder comes with attachments to fit both domestic portafilters, and larger commerical ones too. operation of the grinder is by a small button where you grind on demand by pushing the button with the portafilter.
there are 25 grind settings on the grinder, with 1 being the finest, and 25 being the most coarse.
so what is it like to use? i cant give u specific differences since i havent really used any other grinders...but i will explain what a regular joe like me thinks of it.
adjusting the grind settings is a bit annoying - the adjustment isnt the smoothest and doesnt really click into place when u turn it and its not like one of those types u can make fine adjustments with. so when you turn the adjuster its not a smooth movement, but a stepped one and sometimes its a bit hard getting it onto that exact setting. hope that makes sense. lol
another annoying thing ive found (and im sure other SB owners agree) is the amount of coffee grind that the grinder holds back. after i finish grinding i have to tap and knock the grinder a bit as there is residual grind still inside the grinder. i usually get an extra teaspoon or two of grind after i tap it. the problem with this is of course the possibility of stale coffee grinds when you decide to grind new beans. so i always have to make sure i knock the grinder around and tap it furiously to make sure i get all the coffee out.
in terms of quality of the grind, it seems to look ok and seems to be pretty consistent every time i grind. particle size of the coffee grounds seem to be uniform and consistent.
out of interest... to other SB owners out there, what grind setting do you use and how much tamp pressure do you use to get a 30sec extraction? im currently using a setting of 18 with a heavy tamp, or a setting of 14 with a very light tamp. i find it kind of weird that the setting is at 18 (25 is the most coarse) as its up towards the coarse end of the scale.
or is my machine just crap with its pressure to take on a finer grind? (these settings are with a non pressurised filter btw)
ok, so onto the machine. the EM5900.

the machine is a single thermoblock system so you cant steam milk at the same time whilst brewing espresso. comes with a 2 spout portafilter (the spout is welded on) and has that plastic thingy guide inside. i thought about removing this plastic thing but it means i will have the problem of an empty hole in the middle where it screwed in. i think i may leave it as is and just clean it properly to make sure no crud builds up underneath.
it also comes with two PRESSURISED filter baskets...i only just picked up a non-pressurised basket today which i will talk more about later. the machine features a nice long and thick steam wand with a one hole steam tip. and is also used for the hot water function.
operation is straightforward and manual by using the buttons at the top. hit the coffee button for it to start brewing, and hit it again for it for turn off. simple. steam operation involves pressing the steam button and allowing the machine to warm up further, and then using the knob on the side.
the machine features pre-infusion so it wets the puck a second before it starts extraction. not sure what the advantages are to this...any gurus care to explain?
anyway, ive been using the 2 cup pressurised filter lately and have been getting some ok coffee. only just got the non pressurised filter today so there is alot of testing and fine tuning to do again. will report on results when i get there. the pressurised filters seem to leave me with some very wet pucks and theres a layer of water on the top when i take out the PF. im assuming all that residual water cant get through the single hole on the filter basket... the non pressurised filter seems to also leave a layer of water on top of the puck but it drains quickly and the puck dries when the PF is taken off and the pressure is relieved. is it possible to get dry pucks straight away on these domestic machines that dont have 3 way valves?
also, what should a straight espreso shot taste like?? in terms of bitterness, sweetness, sourness? what tastes/smells should i be looking for? i usually have milk based coffee drinks and the coffee ive made so far as been ok and close to those ive bought from cafes so im assuming im on the right track...but im a complete newbie when it comes to tasting straight espresso shots.
anyway, onto the milk steaming part and this is where i fail.
ive followed KKs tips and techniques and tried so many things but still cant get perfectly textured milk. steam pressure from the machine seems to be strong enough and the steam is nice and hot and dry....
i start with a cold milk jug that ive put in the freezer beforehand, and follow KKs tips exactly (although i have to tilt the jug a little bit to get a good whirlpool going). i even switched between a 400ml and 600ml jug with not much difference. the smaller jug seems to be a bit better though with folding/whirlpooling the milk.
what i end up with is beautiful microfoam at the top, with hot/steamed milk on the bottom. the foam layer on the top looks very nice and silky smooth (albeit a bit thick). i can stretch the milk fine although it doesnt expand as quick as when i did it on the la san marco machines at the barista courses. i think the problem im having is folding the milk together with the foam....even though i give it plenty of time in that whirlpool stage. i always end up pouring hot milk into my cup and then end up with thick foam at the end which i pour out. appearance wise it looks good but the milk isnt smooth and uniform throughout.
i steamed milked perfectly on the la san marco machines when i did my coffee course and it was uniform and lovely. yet im struggling with this damn sunbeam. any further advice or tips for me?
anyway, im still learning alot and experimenting alot with the machine so ill post more info as i go.
i think ive covered most of what i wanted to say...hope it wasnt too much to read for you lot. lol. just wanted to post some things about the sunbeam machines for people who are looking for more info on them as i couldnt find much info either on the EM5900.
so thanks for reading. looking forward to your comments and feedback. ive learnt a bunch from you lot just from browsing the forum.
if anyones interested i can maybe get some photos or videos up as well.
but for now, happy brewing.
long time lurker, first time poster.

so i was meant to get myself a silvia, or even a lelit or isomac...but seeing as im a bit strapped for cash at the moment i decided to go a cheaper option...sunbeam. :-?
i thought being my first machine ill get something cheap and play around with and upgrade later on.
so ive done an actual coffee course because i wanted to learn more about coffee and get a hands on approach. even got my accredited barista certificates (although i wouldnt call myself a barista at all - at least not yet
)anyway, to the gear. i ended up picking them up brand new for $380 (espresso machine and grinder). RRP is 499 for the machine, and 149 for the grinder - so i thought it was a good deal even though its a sunbeam. lol.
thought id give you guys an impression about the gear i just bought for those looking for more info on the sunbeams. please note i am not a coffee expert and these opinions are just from a regular joe.
so lets start with the grinder, the EM0450.

this is the alternative conical burr grinder to the EM0480 which is $50 more expensive. im not entirely sure what mechanical differences there are but physically the EM0450 has less stainless steel. and according to the sunbeam website the EM0480s extra features include a dual mode setting (which im not sure what that means).
the grinder comes with attachments to fit both domestic portafilters, and larger commerical ones too. operation of the grinder is by a small button where you grind on demand by pushing the button with the portafilter.
there are 25 grind settings on the grinder, with 1 being the finest, and 25 being the most coarse.
so what is it like to use? i cant give u specific differences since i havent really used any other grinders...but i will explain what a regular joe like me thinks of it.
adjusting the grind settings is a bit annoying - the adjustment isnt the smoothest and doesnt really click into place when u turn it and its not like one of those types u can make fine adjustments with. so when you turn the adjuster its not a smooth movement, but a stepped one and sometimes its a bit hard getting it onto that exact setting. hope that makes sense. lol
another annoying thing ive found (and im sure other SB owners agree) is the amount of coffee grind that the grinder holds back. after i finish grinding i have to tap and knock the grinder a bit as there is residual grind still inside the grinder. i usually get an extra teaspoon or two of grind after i tap it. the problem with this is of course the possibility of stale coffee grinds when you decide to grind new beans. so i always have to make sure i knock the grinder around and tap it furiously to make sure i get all the coffee out.
in terms of quality of the grind, it seems to look ok and seems to be pretty consistent every time i grind. particle size of the coffee grounds seem to be uniform and consistent.
out of interest... to other SB owners out there, what grind setting do you use and how much tamp pressure do you use to get a 30sec extraction? im currently using a setting of 18 with a heavy tamp, or a setting of 14 with a very light tamp. i find it kind of weird that the setting is at 18 (25 is the most coarse) as its up towards the coarse end of the scale.
or is my machine just crap with its pressure to take on a finer grind? (these settings are with a non pressurised filter btw)ok, so onto the machine. the EM5900.

the machine is a single thermoblock system so you cant steam milk at the same time whilst brewing espresso. comes with a 2 spout portafilter (the spout is welded on) and has that plastic thingy guide inside. i thought about removing this plastic thing but it means i will have the problem of an empty hole in the middle where it screwed in. i think i may leave it as is and just clean it properly to make sure no crud builds up underneath.
it also comes with two PRESSURISED filter baskets...i only just picked up a non-pressurised basket today which i will talk more about later. the machine features a nice long and thick steam wand with a one hole steam tip. and is also used for the hot water function.
operation is straightforward and manual by using the buttons at the top. hit the coffee button for it to start brewing, and hit it again for it for turn off. simple. steam operation involves pressing the steam button and allowing the machine to warm up further, and then using the knob on the side.
the machine features pre-infusion so it wets the puck a second before it starts extraction. not sure what the advantages are to this...any gurus care to explain?

anyway, ive been using the 2 cup pressurised filter lately and have been getting some ok coffee. only just got the non pressurised filter today so there is alot of testing and fine tuning to do again. will report on results when i get there. the pressurised filters seem to leave me with some very wet pucks and theres a layer of water on the top when i take out the PF. im assuming all that residual water cant get through the single hole on the filter basket... the non pressurised filter seems to also leave a layer of water on top of the puck but it drains quickly and the puck dries when the PF is taken off and the pressure is relieved. is it possible to get dry pucks straight away on these domestic machines that dont have 3 way valves?
also, what should a straight espreso shot taste like?? in terms of bitterness, sweetness, sourness? what tastes/smells should i be looking for? i usually have milk based coffee drinks and the coffee ive made so far as been ok and close to those ive bought from cafes so im assuming im on the right track...but im a complete newbie when it comes to tasting straight espresso shots.
anyway, onto the milk steaming part and this is where i fail.
ive followed KKs tips and techniques and tried so many things but still cant get perfectly textured milk. steam pressure from the machine seems to be strong enough and the steam is nice and hot and dry....
i start with a cold milk jug that ive put in the freezer beforehand, and follow KKs tips exactly (although i have to tilt the jug a little bit to get a good whirlpool going). i even switched between a 400ml and 600ml jug with not much difference. the smaller jug seems to be a bit better though with folding/whirlpooling the milk.
what i end up with is beautiful microfoam at the top, with hot/steamed milk on the bottom. the foam layer on the top looks very nice and silky smooth (albeit a bit thick). i can stretch the milk fine although it doesnt expand as quick as when i did it on the la san marco machines at the barista courses. i think the problem im having is folding the milk together with the foam....even though i give it plenty of time in that whirlpool stage. i always end up pouring hot milk into my cup and then end up with thick foam at the end which i pour out. appearance wise it looks good but the milk isnt smooth and uniform throughout.
i steamed milked perfectly on the la san marco machines when i did my coffee course and it was uniform and lovely. yet im struggling with this damn sunbeam. any further advice or tips for me?

anyway, im still learning alot and experimenting alot with the machine so ill post more info as i go.
i think ive covered most of what i wanted to say...hope it wasnt too much to read for you lot. lol. just wanted to post some things about the sunbeam machines for people who are looking for more info on them as i couldnt find much info either on the EM5900.
so thanks for reading. looking forward to your comments and feedback. ive learnt a bunch from you lot just from browsing the forum.
if anyones interested i can maybe get some photos or videos up as well.
but for now, happy brewing.


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