Quaha Napol II upgrade SAVE ME FROM MYSELF!

[Corfee]

Hi everyone,

Ive got a Quaha Nap II and am just getting back into espresso after a break. Im already thinking about my next machine and would like some help.

What level of machine would i need to get better espresso? I dont care much about frothing and steaming, and only make 2-3 pours per day, i just want thsm to be as awesome as possible! Bling is alao not important, performance is...

Any suggestions for machines to look at?

Will upgrade grinder to match but just interested in deciding on the front end as a starting point.

Thx for any help and suggestions. Im a hopeless addict already!

Marcus

[Dimal]

G'day Marcus...

If you're already doing everything right with your Nap', then aside from a decent Lever machine, I don't know that you can improve on the quality of the coffee, everything else being equal.

Going to an HX or Dbl Boiler machine is more about convenience and ease of use compared to a single boiler dual purpose machine and there's no reason why the quality of the shots produced would be any better. Probably the best thing you could do, would be to visit a couple of reputable specialist retailers (such as our Site Sponsors) and get some hands on experience with more than one type of machine and the type of coffee they produce...

All the best,
Mal.

[Corfee]

Thanks Mal - i was thinking that a larger single boiler with e61 would produce better shots - stronger pump, bigger boiler etc. But hapy to hear if not so. What about piding. Would say an ecm classika be better to pid than the quaha?

Marcus

G'day Marcus...

If you're already doing everything right with your Nap', then aside from a decent Lever machine, I don't know that you can improve on the quality of the coffee, everything else being equal.

Going to an HX or Dbl Boiler machine is more about convenience and ease of use compared to a single boiler dual purpose machine and there's no reason why the quality of the shots produced would be any better...

All the best,
Mal.

[mmmcoffee]

Corfee,

Just so we can help, and before to suggest too much, do you just drink primarily short/long black? Is that why frothing/steaming is not so important??

[Corfee]

Yes, tnats it exactly. I drink macchiatos mainly and make the odd flat white/cap fo friends, but theyre easily pleased. Id like my 2 maccs per day to be as awesome as possible...

Thx marcus

Corfee,

Just so we can help, and before to suggest too much, do you just drink primarily short/long black? Is that why frothing/steaming is not so important??

[Dimal]

Thanks Mal - i was thinking that a larger single boiler with e61 would produce better shots - stronger pump, bigger boiler etc. But hapy to hear if not so. What about piding. Would say an ecm classika be better to pid than the quaha?

The main advantage of an E-61 Group machine, is that the inherent design is very forgiving in a couple of ways:-
Firstly, the enormous mass of brass that goes into making the Group, enhances temperature stability once everything is warmed up to operating temperature and secondly, the mechanical pre-infusion built in to the Group ensures that the coffee cake is wetted uniformly before full pump pressure is applied, thereby limiting uneven extraction throughout the coffee cake. Whether the end result is better than what you currently experience from your Nap', is probably more down to personal preference than anything else and is why I suggested it would be worth your while to visit a couple of Site Sponsors to 'test drive' a couple of machine designs to give you a sense of what each can do.

As to the pump, this will be pretty well be identical regardless of machine (with a couple of exceptions). The pump that was in my Imat Mokita, is identical to the one that resides in my Diadema. More important than the particular pump installed, is that the (O)ver (P)ressure (V)alve has been properly adjusted (and sealed) so that the preferred Brew Pressure of 9.0 Bar is delivered to the top of the coffee cake.

Regarding Boiler Size and given that your usage will be mainly restricted to black coffee drinks, there would be no need to go any larger than ~600-1,000ml as this will plenty, to ensure that your Brew Water Temperature remains stable. Boilers larger than this are mostly required to provide copious quantities of Steam for texturing milk on a more or less continuous basis.

With PID Controllers, given that you already own the Quaha Nap' I guess this would be the most obvious answer. You will notice immediate improvements to the operation of the machine namely; quicker to achieve stable operating temperature, better inter/intra-shot temperature stability and quicker rise to Steam temperature and then better milk texturing performance as the PID Controller will maintain steam volume so long as there is water in the Boiler. I'm not familiar with the ECM machine you refer to, but if it has a decent enough Pressurestat installed, then a PID Controller installation would NOT be necessary.

Hope this answers you questions mate but it would still be a lot better for you to visit one or more of our site sponsors who would be more than happy to answer all of your questions with hands-on demonstrations thrown in to boot.

Mal.