An Anticipated New Arrival

Have a look at the following photo. That is all there is to a basic (the Nemox) Espresso machine (plus pump and wiring of course). I have laid everything out so you can see which bits fit where (zoom works). The only oddity about the Nemox is that the overpressure valve (top leftish) goes from the hot side of the boiler. Steam valve is shown on the top right. The small copper coil is the feed to the boiler pressure gauge. The copper pipe in the lower half of the boiler is so that the hot water from the top is fed to the grouphead when brewing. The small spring and dome gasket near the bottom fits in this tube to prevent water returning to the boiler, and to prevent drips from the grouphead while steaming. Its not rocket science.

Anyway. Speaking (or blogging) of the retired Nemox, I have bought a cheap and broken X1 in magnificent yellow that I will have a go at fixing - without using any of the non existent FF! parts. I suspect some of the bits from the retired Nemox will fit - we'll see. It is the older model with the 52mm portafilter.

The description of the problem from the vendor was:

"This has at least two significant faults that we know of- the pump had stopped working, and then it suffered an internal electrical flashover. The cost of repairs I imagine would be well in excess of the value of the machine..."

Sounds like my kind of fun!

That horrible frothing arm, perhaps its not so bad afterall...

If you read the reviews of the FF!X3 you know that the way to make acceptable microfoam is to surf the side hole on the the frothing arm.

I finally cracked it today. I have (re)discovered the two other things needed to make microfoam on the FF! X3.

1. Don't use too much milk (duh, how many weeks has it taken me to work that out...)
2. rotate the side hole from the rear of the pipe to the front. What a difference being able to see what was happening made...

The arm...

Yes it does come off - I inserted a small tight fitting rod into the side hole to get enough leverage. Its on pretty tightly.

I am toying with the idea of using the 3D arm from the Nemox which is longer and to which I can fit an acorn nut (drilled 1/16th) to get a more traditional steaming arm. That said, things are going well at the moment with the factory setup - so I will delay this idea for a while.

Vanquishing the Pit Monster.

The following picture shows the 4 pits on the top of the puck, there is also some evidence of cracking, although it is possible this happened after the pour. In any case these are what I am trying to get rid of.

I have delayed writing about modifying the adaptor to fit the X3 until I used it for a while.

Here is the front of the adaptor. I made no real changes from the original adaptor, but I did cut a small lip into the outside edge to seat the dispersion screen. You might notice the nick out of the rear edge. The problem was that it was very difficult to hold in the lathe to machine, and it popped out of the chuck, right at the end and put a few dents in the rim. I even made up an adaptor to fit the center hole, but the hole at 4.2mm was really too small to hold the adaptor accurately enough for machining.

Here you see the back of the adaptor. This is where most work was done. I did not touch the pod void as this proved to fit the FF! X3 perfectly. It is important that the lip at the top locates into the filter screen groove. Here was the major difference, as this was about 1.5mm from seating (measured with Plasticine). The adaptor has a groove for seating the o-ring, I machined flush, and then removed an additional 1mm or so. You can just see the color difference in the picture below, at the base of the curve - thats how much came off. You can also see the outside edge where I had to machine a step to clear the upstanding lip on the X3. You'll see it's in 3 steps, because the X3 lip has a small radius.

Here is the modified adaptor fitted in place in the X3, we lose about 2mm of head room in the filter basket. The screw is a standard stainless 25mm length M4. I decided to go for a slot head as it's easier to keep clean.

OK, now for some post modification puck forensics. As you can see the pits are no more - also no sign of cracks in the puck. There is an impression of the screw head, due to expansion when brewing - but there is clearance when the grounds are dry. Anyway I believe that is a much better looking puck. I understand the idea is a dry clearance the thickness of a small coin - which I have - with a 15g dose (see below).

My dosing is pretty standard, I grind into the portafilter, use the back edge of a butter knife to level it (no pressure, my cooking teacher when I was 12 would have smacked me on the knuckles for that) and then tamp. I had a couple of baskets of my grounds weighed after leveling and in both cases it was pretty much bang on 15g, so that is only a 1g updose.

Positive comments on the modification:

1. It is now easier to clean, the pod void and o-ring were a pain.
2. It has a better looking puck, no pits or cracks and it is dry.
3. I only have to wait a couple of seconds - previously I might have had to wait 20 or more seconds to avoid the dreaded portafilter sneeze.
4. While I have no confidence in MY ability to taste the difference, I think it does.
5. There was no change to crema production.
6. It limits you to a 15g dose - which is close to design intentions anyway. One point, the Gaggia screen I used is fairly curved. I think you could get a little more headroom using a flat screen or a convex tamper.

Negative comments on the modification:

1. It is not bolt on as I had hoped.
2. The machining was fiddly and difficult. Without free access to a lathe I doubt it would be economical to do this.

Overall Comment:

A fun way to spend a morning out in the garage in the pursuit of better coffee.

Here are the photos of this kit I found on the web

So for comparison, here are the photos of the kit I found on the web. The following one was from Di Bartoli, screen is small and disk is essentially flat, but it does have an edge for the screen to locate into.

This one was from Seattle Coffee Gear, the kit has a replacement o-ring, and the outer edge is almost identical to the Gaggia, creating a volume behind the screen. The rest of the face is flat. Also note, how the center screw hole is not chamfered.

Now I have no idea what the backs of these look like. Going by the shadow in the center holes, I do not think they are as thick as mine, and may not fill the pod void. The funny thing is all three, the two above and my one are made by Ascaso. So I guess you will get what you get if you order one. If I can't get enough coffee in mine after the mod is fitted, at least there is plenty of meat in the brass to remove some of the face and give a bit more headroom.

A Proper Tamper

I have a decent tamper at last. I ended up with a 56mm tamper, and while I would have preferred a 57mm tamper, the vendor did not stock that size. It feels good in my hand, is heavy and looks nice so my aesthetic need is met.

I am trying some single origin Kenyan pea berry beans at the moment, rather than the Espresso blend. It is nice, but I think I prefer the blend.

The Dispersion Screen

The pits in the top of the puck are not ideal, even without any proof, I suspect it might lead to channeling through the puck. I considered ordering the Ascaso #Kit 1, from the website mentioned in a previous post. The freight costs were a bit high, and I started to think about making my own - but finding a suitable piece of marine brass was proving to be a hassle. I ended up finding an incomplete kit from the local Ascaso importer, they didn't have the screw or screen, but they did have the brass adaptor, which was the bit that I really needed.

However, the adaptor wasn't quite what I was expecting from photos on the web. I had imagined it was a fairly straight disk, however, the one I have is quite different. The photo of the adaptor below shows the dispersion screen side, with a very deep channel around the outside and no obvious edge in which to locate the screen. If you are wondering, the stains are from my using the adaptor 'as is' (yep, I couldn't wait).

This is what really surprised me - the back fits precisely into the pod recess,...

..., even to the extent of having the space where the original pod dispersion screen fitted, reflected in the machined brass. The next photo shows this. You can also see the groove where the pod o-ring fits. This is so far from the plain disk that I was expecting, it is essentially precision machined to completely fill the entire pod void, and seal it completely. Very nice. Of course this means it doesn't quite fit the FF! X3. The problem is, if you look at the following photo of the bare FF! X3 grouphead,...

..., you can see that there is a ridge around the outside of the group head that prevents the adaptor from seating. The screens etc. are identical, which is no doubt due to the ESE pod standard, as is the shape of the pod void. I will have to have the outside edge of the adaptor machined to fit inside this ridge on the FF! X3. I suspect there will be a few other sections that need touching up to fit properly. It is a shame this hasn't turned out to be the 'plug and play' mod that I had hoped. You can also see 3 of the 4 jets in the photo above that make the pits in the top of the puck.

This is the Gaggia screen placed over the top and,...

..., I may as well machine a small locating groove in the outside edge similar to that in the Gaggia group head (below) to locate the Gaggia dispersion screen properly. I am sticking with the Gaggia dispersion screen as it is standard, easy to get and a good size.

One last comment, this mod reduces the amount of coffee you can get in the basket. Although, by how much, I can't tell for sure until I have had the machining done. Even without the machining, and with the adaptor not seating, I was just able to get 14g in the basket - but it was a bit tight. Hopefully the couple of mm that will be gained by the ridge recess will be enough to get a filled, leveled and tamped basket in. I like it like that.

Dosing

It turns out I am an up-doser. I have been filling the basket, leveling and tamping. I was reading a thread (pages 3-4) on this on HB and decided to try the 2 x 7g doses measure with my scoop this morning. Well, it was horrible and went down the sink. This is not scientific, and I made no attempt to adjust my other variables, but as I am getting great espressos at the moment, I will stick to my current methodology until I am ready to try other things.

You might notice in the thread above, how well the Nemox Lux grinder stacked up against grinders many times its price - that is an incredible performance. The thread author also comments that the Nemox Lux suffered from clumping - mine does not seem to have a problem with clumping, perhaps the grinds funnel helps?

I noticed my shots ran a bit quicker today (but the crema was better), perhaps this is the beans aging a little - I have tightened up my grind for tomorrow. No wormholes today either. I really am quite far off from having an understanding of how all the variables fit together.

I still need a decent tamper - the 58mm tamper I had was to big for the Ascaso basket. I am currently using the plastic one that came with the Gaggia Carezza - and while this is reviled across the internet it is not stopping me getting good coffees (I will admit I have sanded the bottom of the tamper to remove molding ridge as it was damaging my puck). In all I suspect the tamper is not super critical to my coffee making. I guess agree with the 'light' tamp crowd. None-the-less, a nice tamper would make an aesthetic improvement to my morning. I measured my Ascaso basket with a micrometer at 57.5-57.7mm. I was thinking it would nice to find an undersized 58mm tamper, however I found an very interesting discussion that makes me think I am otherthinking matters, and that a tight tamper might indeed be a very bad idea.

I have resolved to grab a 55-57mm tamper that I like the look of and not worry so much.

Pits, Wormholes and Handedness.

Mmmm double espresso this morning before work - lovely. I am getting used to this :D

My comments on the 5th of November about the 4 pits I noticed in the top of the puck - seems it happens to other machines with this boiler/grouphead configuration. Also the solution is the same, the extra brass distribution disk. So, in summary, its a combination of fine grains and the design - easily fixed though.

Also, coming back to an earlier comment I made about the cup material slightly effecting the taste... Well it isn't that at all. The coffee coming out of my left spout is a shade sweeter, the coffee coming out of my right spout is a shade bitterer. This is consistent. It is magnificently tasty in both cases. So why the difference, my bet is that it could be due to the placement of the wormholes as noted above. It might also be due to my distribution technique, but I doubt that.

Interesting...

Epiphany

This morning I dialed in the grinder. I believe the aim is for 30ml in 30 seconds or so - of course I am using a double basket, so into 2 shot glasses of 30ml each. The first pour was too fast and not great so went down the sink. I tightened up the grind. I have to say this was a moment of epiphany, as I had thought that talk of smooth espresso without any bitterness was a whole lot of B.S. I was completely wrong, this was tasty - it wasn't sweet, but it wasn't bitter and had such complex flavors. I have never had a coffee like it in my life. The beans were roasted 3 days ago and I only used a very light tamp (I have been reading how tamp pressure doesn't matter). I was so enamored that I made a second pour, and it was just as good, I took a video this time (why do espresso machines sound so loud in videos? Its not that loud in reality)...

Considering how much I like my milk - this is quite a turn up for the books. I am a bit wired as I write this, 1 cappuccino and 4 espressos before breakfast is not something I am used to.

Some things interesting that I observed over both pours. The material of the cup really seems to make a difference. I used two different shot glasses, one was a graduated plastic shot glass, the other was straight glass. Both pours, the glass shot-glass had mottling, whereas the plastic shot-glass didn't. However, both pours the espresso from the plastic shot glass tasted better. Not by much, but definitely noticeable. I can only think that it is to do with thermal conduction being greater in the glass shot-glass. I was guilty on that first good pour of not warming the glasses (I didn't think I would be drinking it). I don't think I did for the second good pour either (I was a bit excited) - so I guess I need to experiment here. I think I might also try very slightly coarser on the grind as the pour might have been a touch slow.

Wow. This has been a rather interesting development for me.

Its a Setup!

Done. Now to dial it in (You can click and zoom in on this image).

Note: grinder is on rubber feet and has the grinds funnel fitted.

The 'KRUX' Grinder

I have finished my Grinder. I now have a stepless conical burr grinder with nice LUX burrs, for not much cash. The grinder can grind incredibly finely and can be adjusted infinitely. Even a Rocky is stepped, and I can live with the slower grinding from the smaller LUX. My Grinder is essentially equivalent to the LeLit PL53.

Step 1. Find a suitably sized box. The closest I could find was a tissue craft box from Spotlight.

Step 2. Cut holes, put the base on and hammer effect paint for that industrial look. I put the portafilter switch lower than on the Nemox LUX, as I wanted to use the extension funnel. The reason is, people have commented that the clear spout sends the grinds out to the right, and is a bit messy. When I was bench testing mine, I found this to be absolutely true. So, I tried it with the black funnel and the grinds came out clean and straight. Shame it doesn't look as funky - function over form here!

Step 3. The final(ish) product (sans the top screws, rubber feet and grinds funnel, I put them in after I took the photos). The main switch is a 3 position, ON-OFF-AUTO so thats another improvement over the Nemox/Lelit ones. If you are doing something similar, the switch cannot go any higher or it will hit the motor gearbox.

I am pretty happy with how it has turned out. I was intending this would just be a prototype, but I will be using it like this - it looks and grinds great. It is also not noisy at all.

Comments so far:

1. More even grind than the em0480 (how? same LUX burr set). Magic perhaps.
2. Less clumping than the emo480.
3. Cleaner than the emo480, no statically charged grounds zooming around.
4. More adjustable than the em0480.

Overall conclusion... WIN!

I had a latte after putting this together, guessed at the grind using my fingertips and I wasn't far off. I managed my first apple. Sure its a bit misshapen, but thats character I say! Yum.

Frankenstein?

So I am in the middle of making a case for the grinder, which is working out well btw. I found some nice instructions for setting up the burrs on GC and it is just about a perfect place to start.

The reason for this post is that I have started dismantling the Nemox, and with the horrible plastic switch panel removed, it looks nicer (I know you don't believe me).

I see potential here. There is room to spare inside with the grinder gone. So I asked myself, what I don't like about this machine. The answer is the non commercial portafilter etc. What I got to thinking was, perhaps a frankenstein machine with the Gaggia group head and boiler from the Carezza, and use the Stainless steel boiler for steaming only - making a double boiler machine... I have found parts diagrams, and they only show one pump, I need to figure out how the boilers interact, as if you are steaming while brewing you don't want the pump feeding the steaming boiler (I think)...

Hmmm....

Perhaps.

Yes.

I have to do this.

Also, I noticed some small pits in the center of my puck on the X3. I suspect that the dispersion screen mod I made might be favoring the center, potentially leading to channelling. The obvious thing to do is make/get a disk that will spread the pressure over more of the dispersion screen. I found this, which I suspect will fit. I am not super keen on the dispersion screen in that kit. I am going to order it and see what it looks like in the flesh...

A New Grinder

Finally the third coffee machine I bought arrived. As there was no photo on the auction and little info, Lets just say I wasn't exactly sure which model I was getting or its condition. I did know it had a built in grinder and was a Napoletana. But that just meant it could have been any one of three machines. All 3 have the lux conical burr grinder, but the expensive IMAT/Quaha ones were stepless. I couldn't find anywhere if the cheaper Nemox Napoletana model was stepped or stepless. I took a punt on it for that grinder.

It ended up being a Nemox Napoletana, about 6 years old. This was the lesser of the three models, with a 53mm portafilter and stainless steel boiler.

First impressions were not good - I paid way too much...

Damn.

Thankfully I didn't buy this machine for its espresso, but rather the inbuilt lux grinder. Had it been in good condition, I am not 100% sure what I would have done. Being scruffy made the decision much easier - its the end of the line for this machine. It has extensive rust in the lower front panel, there were signs of leaking inside, the drip tray is bent, and the portafilter had taken a beating. Sheesh, why are some people so rough with their stuff - and are not exactly honest in their descriptions.

OK. I admit I could fix this machine. But why bother. It would be for someone else's benefit as I would have to sell it - and I doubt I would make any money from it or be worth my time.

The grinder is stepless, so my punt paid off. The standalone lux grinders from IMAT and Nemox are identical, but stepped. My plan, remove that grinder and fit it into a custom case = excellent stepless conical burr grinder for not much cash.

On the image above you can see the worm drive that gives stepless adjustment. Yum.

Above you can see the Lux conical burr set.

There seems to be little wear, and after a good brushing looked pretty good. I ran some beans through and the grinds were lovely, velvety and very fine.

Its pretty easy to take out. Remove the hopper. Remove the 4 screws securing the back and remove it. The metal separating panel can be popped out. The adjustment knob is just pressed on, then remove 2 screws attaching the worm drive mechanism. Then 3 screws holding the motor to its mount, and lift it out.

Above are the bits I need to keep. In addition to the hopper and grinder assembly, I have the portafilter rest, automatic switch and sub harness (which just unclips from the main loom in the machine). These are exactly the same parts that are used on the stand alone Nemox and Imat Lux grinders.

These are the bits are stuck back together, the only thing now needed is a case to put it in - I prefer a wood case to reduce noise. So, thats the next entry - putting it all together.

FYI: This is what the original Nemox/IMAT lux grinder looks like. I can't make a case like this - but mine will be totally cool in a different way. You can see the step mechanism on the side, and how the components are otherwise identical.

P.S. I just noticed the Nemox has a 3D steam wand with a removable froth-aider tip. This may solve my issues on the X3 - stay tuned.

Francis Francis! X3

The Francis Francis! range does not seem to appeal to the average Coffee Geek. Comments such as form over function etc. etc., resound through the forums. While some of this may have been true of the early aluminum boiler 52mm portafilter X1, the later 56-57mm X3 and brass boiler X1 and X5 have good quality brass internals, and from what I have seen are constructed to a very high standard. Essentially the same internals as the Lelit and top Nemox models - yet Coffee Geeks love those. Go figure... They also look good.

Anyway, having read the very positive in detailed review of the X3 I placed a bid or 2 on a Francis Francis! X3 in barely used condition. Then I won the Gaggia Carezza. Then I won the X3. At some point in the future I will also tell you I bought a 3rd machine (mystery machine - I am not 100% sure what I am getting) that week. Oops. Really. Auctions and red mist. Ah well, I said to my wife - I can use both and keep the one I like best, and on sell the other(s). Good plan. Shame it won't work.

Now, about the X3 I won. It was listed as barely used and in good condition. It was only set up for pods (as was the way in NZ) and I was worried it might be a Trio (pod only - really! You cannot ever use ground coffee.). The vendor didn't know what a Trio was, and the product plate on the machine didn't say Trio, so I took a gamble and bid.

As you can see, a very clean grouphead with minimal discoloration of the brass. Really has seen little use. Seeing the brass here is a 100% confirmation that the boiler is also brass.

The problem was... while I was waiting for the X3 to be delivered I had tried to find a grounds portafilter. Not in NZ. Nope. No way. Damn. I looked on the web, and found a couple of places in the UK and one in the US, but once shipping etc where factored in, the price would be more than I paid for the X3. That would be crazy.

So. What to do. This machine is made by Quaha. These guys made machines with the 57mm portafilter before they made the Francis Francis! machines, they also made various other machines at the same time that also have a Quaha produced boiler/grouphead such as Lelit, Imat and Nemox. Manufacturers are not silly - they like to avoid tooling costs and they love to save money. It is inconceivable to me that these machines would not share such major components.

A slightly left field possibility was the Spanish Ascaso Dream, Basic and Arc which seem similar and share the 57mm basket dimension. I came across a comment in the GC first look review of the Ascaso Arc that stated that the Arc had an identical pod portafilter to the X3, and a better heavier grounds portafilter. That was a real clue. I contacted Alan Frew at Coffee for Connoisseurs who confirmed the Ascaso portafilter would fit the X3 (and obviously the later X1 and X5). Yay! Score! These were available locally in NZ under the Ascaso part number I.302.

I picked an Ascaso portafilter up on the way home with my X3 and it fitted perfectly. Job done. So, yes, you can convert your X1-5 series (not Trio) to use ground coffee with the Ascaso ARC/Dream portafilter. Here is my X3 at home, with the Ascaso portafilter.

Yum.

No comments on the grinder please. I do miss the em0480. I have plans...

Have a look at the earlier photo of the grouphead. The red o-ring seals the edge of the pod against the pod portafilter. Note also the small dispersion screen - needed to use pods. I will never use pods, so the small dispersion screen is a compromise that may effect the machine's performance on ground coffee. I should point out that the official grounds coffee kit for the X1-X5 includes a detachable tamper head that fits in this space and MAY increase the effective screen area. I don't have one, and don't much like the idea. So, what is my solution?

A longer stainless steel M4 machine screw and the dispersion screen nicked from the Carezza (all Gaggia ones are the same). I also removed the red o-ring that seals the edge of the pod, which means that the Gaggia screen bottoms out on the outer brass edge. When I run water through the head the screen flows very evenly.

Very nice and easy mod to do.

I can't tell you for sure that it helps, but I expect it does (looks better anyway).

I would have loved to have found this sort of info on the web when I bought my machine - but apart from a couple of reviews there is nothing. Nothing at all about mods. So I have put this out in the hope it helps someone.

I did this for the Gaggia Carezza, so to be fair...

Things I do like about the X3:

1. Great quality bass group head, boiler and (now) portafilter.
2. It makes great coffee.
3. It is gorgeous!
4. Drip tray works well

Things I do not like about the X3:

1. Steaming wand. It sucks. Badly.

So, I need to find a better steaming wand. I have had a look, and while it is tight in there, I think I can probably work something out.

Keywords: francis ground coffee conversion, FF!, Dispersion screen conversion.

Sunbeam EM0480 Grinder

I bought this grinder on a Friday after reading a lot of positive reviews all over the web. I really did my homework on this one.

I have to say it is really well made, with many of the earlier complaints clearly attended to. Its upper burr carrier mounted the burr without slop. There was no movement in the locating ears in the burr carrier. It was quiet and it ground very evenly from what I could see.

I also made the best coffee that I have ever made using it with the Carezza.

I would probably have no hesitation about recommending it to other people.

So, why did I return it then.

It sounds strange perhaps, but it was just too messy. Even with the extension silicon nozzle fitted it got coffee everywhere. I assume this is due to a static charge imparted to the grounds from the internal plastic components. After cleaning up the mess for a couple of days, I realised I couldn't live with it, and returned it regretfully to the shop. I say regretfully, as it fitted my budget, ground well, and looked good on the bench.

Damn.

Baby steps

I am a complete novice in the world of Espresso. I have had a Chinese 'no-brand' Espresso maker for a few years, but have decided to take a step up and embark on a new hobby (also I couldn't stand the rubbish I was making at home any more).

This blog documents my progress, and might even contain the odd nugget for others.

I live in NZ, and Ebay hasn't made any impact on the local scene, instead we have a local equivalent called Trademe. This was where I began my search for quality second-hand machine. I much prefer buying used gear, its cheaper and I really get a kick out of repairing and modifying machinery. I enjoy 'Ghetto' engineering, so I am definitely looking at the cheap end of the market. I have a history of car restoration through to the repair of iPods.

Anyway...

First off, the ubiquitous google search revealed two websites full of goodness, coffeegeek.com (CG) and www.home-barista.com (HB). I looked at all the reviews and decided I was after something in the midrange, Gaggia, Imat (all versions) etc. Something Italian with a quality brass group-head and portafilter.

Having looked on Trademe for a couple of weeks, the only thing I had seen was a rather expensive Gaggia Coffee. Then a Gaggia Carezza 'Silver' was listed. I checked on CG and yes it had the same internals as any decent non 3-way valve Gaggia. Nasty plastic case, but the quality was where it needed to be, it also had very good reviews Gaggia Carezza.

It was going pretty cheaply with 2 mins left on the auction, and a short bidding war later it was mine for the grand total of NZ$72 - or about US$50. It was a local seller and I collected it the next day. I brought it home, filled it with some old pre-ground coffee I had in the freezer (yes I know, I know, but I couldn't wait) and made myself a Cappuccino. It was so much better than my old machine even on that first pull.

I drank it.

Then I looked at the white gunk at the bottom of my cup.

Then I looked at the dispersion screen and the portafilter.

I probably should have given it a good scrubbing - before drinking anything. Oops.

I also noticed a leak around the grouphead, and guessed it needed a new grouphead gasket/seal. I decided since it needed a good clean, I might as well take it apart and give it a good service.

This machine is the easiest thing ever to dismantle. 1 screw in the water funnel, 1 from the steam knob and the top comes off. Looking down inside I saw that there was corrosion on the 4 bolts holding the aluminum boiler to the grouphead. It was pretty obvious that the leak was here rather than the grouphead, so I ran the machine, and sure enough out the water came.

I loosened the 4 allan headed boiler bolts, removed the 4 self tapping screws, and the entire guts of the machine lifted out. The boiler was in pretty good condition, but there was a little scale which I removed manually. The most buildup was on the boiler o-ring and mating surface. I sanded this until smooth and popped down to the local bearing/seals shop and bought a high temp o-ring for NZ$2. I removed the dispersion screen and dispersion disc from the group head, and gave everything a good soaking in Tartaric acid (the Gaggia descale is Tartaric acid based). I avoided citric acid because of the aluminum, but it probably would have been OK. You can find the parts diagram here.

I then watched the video that came with the Carezza. I can now say 'Gaggia' and 'Carezza' properly.

Next day I bought a Sunbeam EM0480 grinder which also had great reviews on CG etc. Put my Carezza back together, ran through the 'new machine' start up sequence, turned the grinder to '11', ground my 3 day old beans into the portafilter (got coffee everywhere in the kitchen even with the silicone extension nozzle on the EM0480), tamped and brewed the best coffee I have ever made in my life! I had what looked like tiger stripping, and a beautiful thick mottled crema.

I think I like this hobby.

Shame about the milk frother. I did better next time with just the bare wand after removing the plastic pannarello and reading the milk frothing guide.

Things I do like about the Carezza:

1. Great quality bass group head and portafilter.
2. Wonderful coffee.
3. Very easy to service.
4. Amazing bargain.

Things I do not like about the Carezza:

1. World's worst drip tray.

I should probably at this point, admit I had also bid on an almost unused Francis Francis! X3 on Trademe. Which I also won. 1 day later. Hmmm.