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Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

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  • Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

    Hi All,

    After weighing up my options and exhaustive research (am a uni student with limited funds) I plan in the next week to get my 1st coffee setup - the Sunbeam EM6910 paired with associated grinder.
    I am aware of the the shortcomings and advantages of this particular model (so please try to limit the upgraditis comments? lol).
    What I was after however - is over the course of perusing this site in particular, as well as others, I have noticed many members sharing their opinions, helpful hints and DIY tips to better this combination over a plethora of forum topics from members personal experience.
    If members wouldnt mind, Id like you to add to this topic with that wealth of information in order to help me and others in my position to have a more informative and all around more successful start with using this combination.
    By that I mean what do members consider (from their experience) to be the absolute must dos and donts, must haves, and essential upgrades needed/recommended in order to make this combo the best it can be?
    My intention is to have a quick reference to ideas and information that owners (as many there obviously are - and from what I can tell - will continue to be) for these models - things that have worked and those possible niggly problems/habits that may arise (and known fixes?) - so that there are less surprises - lol - and in one ready area.

    Thankyou all and I apologise for the the extended message!


  • #2
    Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

    To have and manage a main sticky takes some effort, and commitment by users.

    Most of what your after has been posted any number of time... However like any forum, it can become lost on the subject and off topic comments :-)

    1: Use standard double shot basket... Not the double floor ones.
    2: Tweek your Temp and Steam settings - Personal taste comes into play.
    3: Good tamp - See CS sponsor
    4: Know your grinder and understand that different beans means different settings - See grinder section
    5: The new snout add-on and other tricks will reduce the mess
    6: Frothing / stretching milk - See the Milk section

    Remember making coffee is like poking jelly. You poke at one point, but it causes ripples and effects all processes across the system.

    Note: http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1138058473;start=all and http://www.coffeeco.com.au/articles/sunbeam.html along with any number of other reviews will give you some interesting points to debate.


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    • #3
      Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

      A few things that have improved my pours/coffees:

      - only tamp once - otherwise leads to channeling
      - consistent dosing by using flat implement to scrape excess coffee across top of basket, back into hopper, then tamp
      - increased thermoblock temp to max
      - always grind with the same volume of beans in hopper (consistent weight of beans over blades)
      - stop pour at first signs of blonding

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

        how does one adjust the temperature? I saw no mention of such a thing in the manual....

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

          Page 34 - Advanced programming Options covers it. If you dont find it let me know and I will give you the instructions. As AngerManagement stated the temp settings are depending on taste. I set mine for a higher brew temp and the coffee got a burnt flavour - so much so I thought I had stuffed up a roast. But I had a thought (strange I know) and reset the brew temp and the flavour was back where it should be. It will depend on several factors whether you will benefit. However when I adjusted the steam temp. the improvement in the foam was a step forward.

          Let me know if you find the settings

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

            I suggest a read through this topic which RayC started. I have done this mod using a Nylon bush, ray has used wood its quite effective. I have also used card paper as a spacer between the bean hopper and the grinder and tape around the top burr carrier. I think the wood or brass is a better option to stop static rather than Nylon, as I sometimes still get static.

            Best of luck with your new equipment Kero2flame.
            Marty

            http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1183436456

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

              Originally posted by AngerManagement link=1217695442/0#1 date=1217740035
              Most of what your after has been posted any number of time... However like any forum, it can become lost on the subject and off topic comments :-)
              Which is just what a sticky is for

              A sticky for tweaking the 6910 is not a bad idea, since it does repeatedly come up. (The 0480 has to slope off to grinders tho ;D )

              Then maybe we could have one for temp-surfing/PIDing/generally coming to terms with the Rancilio Silvia :

              Sadly information-stickies work best (or at all) when fairly strictly moderated (like the reviews), which I imagine is where the work comes in...

              Remember making coffee is like poking jelly. You poke at one point, but it causes ripples and effects all processes across the system.
              Coffee as jelly :-? This explains a lot about my various attempts today :-/

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                Ive seen coffee jelly.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                  Originally posted by Thundergod link=1217695442/0#7 date=1218364644
                  Ive seen coffee jelly.
                  But I notice youre not claiming to have actually tasted said jelly ;D

                  Though now I think about it -- why not coffee jelly? Some good plunger coffee, some gelatin, sugar ... :

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                    It was in a film about coffee.

                    There was stuff like coffee foam and the jelly.

                    The jelly was made up and placed in syringes then all pressed at the same time to form drops which fell into water and cooled, forming little jelly balls.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                      Originally posted by Stan link=1217695442/0#4 date=1218262803
                      Page 34 - Advanced programming Options covers it.  If you dont find it let me know and I will give you the instructions.  As AngerManagement stated the temp settings are depending on taste.  I set mine for a higher brew temp and the coffee got a burnt flavour - so much so I thought I had stuffed up a roast.  But I had a thought (strange I know) and reset the brew temp and the flavour was back where it should be.  It will depend on several factors whether you will benefit.  However when I adjusted the steam temp. the improvement in the foam was a step forward.

                      Let me know if you find the settings  
                      I found it in the online pdf instructions i just downloaded. I could have sworn it wasnt in my paper instruction book though. Maybe i just didnt have enough caffeine in me at the time to notice....ill play with it tomorrow morning and see what it comes out to. sadly, i only get one coffee a day out of the machine during the week...and i am away this weekend so will hardly get any more then, either.

                      anyway, the book says its calibrated to 92 at the group head. but the aeropress instructions says 70-80 is the best temp for coffee....is this just a differing of opinions, or does the water come down to that temp range after leaving the group head when it starts to infuse?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                        By the time it is in the cup it is around 70 deg C depending on the accuracy of the probe.  this is just about right (I think). I checked mine with my Thermocouple

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                        • #13
                          Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                          Thanks for your suggestions - particularly AngerManagement and dischucker - I appreciate it!
                          I picked up the machine today and sent away for the grinder (now we play the waiting game...).
                          Quick question though, what about the black plastic liner inside the PF?
                          I noticed in the below review of the EM6900 that it was removed...:

                          http://www.coffeeco.com.au/articles/sunbeam.html

                          ...but not mentioning how?
                          Has anyone else with this unit removed aforementioned liner and if so, is it recommended and what is the easiest way of doing it?

                          Thanks!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                            It is definitely recommended that you remove it. A lot of gunk builds up under there.
                            If I remember correctly, I used a screwdriver.

                            B

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                            • #15
                              Re: Sunbeam EM6910 & EMO480 - hints and tips?

                              Wow! Fast response - thanks Ben_S - Ill give it a crack...

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