Stronger coffee! haha!
I have a 7 gm VST, a 15 gm VST, and the 19/20 Pullman.
Pullman say there baskets are as accurate as the VST.
My palate is not good enough to know!
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Water.Originally posted by csutak40 View Postthe top of the puck comes out a bit wet. What would cause that?
I don't mean to sound facetious, but you've just pumped a good amount of water through the coffee bed, so seeing a wet puck is a definite possibility. There's an old wives tale that you need to have a dry puck when you remove your PF as it's an indicator of a good shot. What a load of BS. Does this mean that if you have the best espresso you've ever made then remove the PF and see a wet puck you're gonna a write it off as no good? In reality a slightly wet puck can be a good thing as it can be an indicator that you've had a good amount of space between the top of the coffee bed and the shower screen before starting the extraction. If you're seeing a small screw imprint you may still want to lower your dose a little. Are you seeing it after you've made your shot? It's pre-shot that matters so to double check you should insert your PF then pop it out again and the coffee bed should be undisturbed. Ideally do this with a small coin sitting in top of the coffee bed. The coin should not get pressed into the coffee at all.
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I have an EM6910, and an EM 0480 grinder (Sunbeam, built Dec 2007). All bought used, Total spend to date including a couple of minor repairs, under NZ$500.00.
Also now use a bottomles/naked portafilter and VST/Pulman baskets.
I assure you, with some practice, you will be making much better coffee than most cafes you will visit.
Just read up on here, for tips, check out You tube videos and create your own style. You will love it.
If it is latte or flat white you like and silky textured milk, a combo set like mine or similar will suit you for years to come.
Robin
And big thanks to all the patient people on here for getting me started on my "espresso" journey.Last edited by rawill; 19 August 2017, 05:04 PM.
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I just started using my new machine. I have a naked portafilter and a VST basket (thankfully fits from the 900). As an experiment, after filling and tamping (which is usually about 27-28gr) I decided to try the new gadget supplied "the Razor", which seems to shave about 3gr off it. I coffee I get is OK, so maybe I have been overdosing it
However (even though I still get a screw mark) the top of the puck comes out a bit wet. What would cause that?
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I was in the same position a week ago about to buy EM7000 and a grinder. We ended up with the Lelit combi PID. It feels well built and looks like a proper machine in polished stainless steel looks great on the worktop!.After one week have been getting some great shots and they are better than alot of cafes weve had coffee in, still got alot of learning and improving to do though .The Lelit combi PID was a few hundred extra but the non PID model was just under $1000 and seems to be great value for an Italian machine with decent built in grinder.
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Second that! The Lelit definitely is a capable little machine - I took it into office last week and made 17 lattes in a row, and the machine never skipped a beat. Shot quality was consistent throughoutOriginally posted by JetBlack_Espresso View PostOr not. We have plenty of customers who are very happy making milk coffee on their Lelit combi.
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As above. I had a nemox combi (similar to lelit) for many years and it was great for a couple of shot milk drinks. Sure the bigger machines are more convenient but the combi is a capable little beast. And the package is great for travelling so you can keep it as a back up / travel / work machine when upgradeitis hits!
Cheers
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Or not. We have plenty of customers who are very happy making milk coffee on their Lelit combi.Originally posted by sacsnob View PostYou will grow out of PL042TEMD very quickly if you're into milky drinks as well.
charlie
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You will grow out of PL042TEMD very quickly if you're into milky drinks as well. For this price bracket it'd be really hard not to look at the BES920/SG combo.Originally posted by Brevillista View PostThe BES870 is ok for the price and will give you a decent milky drink, but for espresso it's distinctly average and it's not a very precise grinder either. Plus you'll grow out of this machine very quickly indeed. You'll be much better off in the long run paying a little more than your budget and buying a Lelit PL042TEMD PID, a proper Italian espresso machine.
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I basically agree with Crema_Lad. You can brew much better than average espresso with a Breville dual boiler and a decent grinder. The Brevilles 900/920 have a couple of problems. 1: they look like something you buy at Harvey Norman. 2: the seem to break a bit too often. My BES900 became too problematic and I got it replaced for free by a 920 that is going well. Coffee is excellent but I think next time will go for a shiny top notch machine
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Whilst I do overall agree with advice to date, if you want a good tasting coffee but don’t have aspirations to get a Big Bang Machine or get into the 'science' of coffee in a big way then then the bes870 would be a great package.
My brother has had one for a few years now and he and his wife love the in built grinder and being able to use fresh beans and make an enjoyable latte on demand.
If you think you might get 'upgradeitis' then a separate grinder is a good way to go as either that or the espresso machine itself can be upgraded separately. But if like my brother that’s simply may not be something you are concerned about. I know if his machine died he would not hesitate to go out an by the exact same machine!
I actually have the Breville bes920 unit which along with a decent seperate grinder is making brilliant coffee that rivals many a cup I’ve enjoyed at some great local cafes, to the point we often don’t buy coffee out but wait until we’re home!
Now the coffee purists here may disagreee (it’s called Coffee Snobs after all
) but at least you didn’t come here asking for advice about a Nespresso pod machine 
if you haven’t already seen it there is a dedicated thread on the bes870. I believe there were a few gremlins and the newer version is better, but as you are aware it is also more expensive. If you are not in a rush keep an eye out on eBay, they have had some great sales up to 20% off.
P.S. Did a quick check - the packaged BEP920 is on eBay for $1349 which includes the BES920 machine along with seperate Breville Smart Grinder Pro. If your budget (and counter top!) can stretch that would be a superior machine and grinder to the older BES820 unit. Reviews and owners thread here on CS has favourable comments if you want to look into it.Last edited by Crema_Lad; 30 July 2017, 10:28 PM.
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The BES870 is ok for the price and will give you a decent milky drink, but for espresso it's distinctly average and it's not a very precise grinder either. Plus you'll grow out of this machine very quickly indeed. You'll be much better off in the long run paying a little more than your budget and buying a Lelit PL042TEMD PID, a proper Italian espresso machine.
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