Coffee stuff

It has been a long time

2011-09-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I updated. The reason is perfectly simple - I have been enjoying wonderful coffee. Everything has been stable and I haven't changed a winning formula.

I also have a new interest in watchmaking, which along with house renovations and working full time has absorbed all my time.

Anyway, I am still not much good at Latte art, but I thought I'd publish two photos of my Lattes. The first is from August 2010 - and terrible (although I was pretty happy at the time).

This is one year later - Aug 2011. Still not great Latte art, and while perhaps not my best (just one I snapped to post), certainly closer to the mark. Making 1 coffee per day is a slow way to learn.

Manuals and a Brochure

2010-01-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

Because these can be hard to find...

Manuals:

It Lives! The X1 brews again.

2010-01-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

A quick visit to the local tecnosystem supplier yeilded a ground conversion kit - group head gasket, screen and replacement jet - to replace the pod adaptor (bottom right). The screen and jet assembly look very much like the Lelit/La Pavoni versions.

Boiler, group shroud and element bolted in.

Steam valve, water feed, original pump and auto bleeder fitted. Nylon pipe from pump is needed to isolate noise and vibration - copper here is not good idea.

Wiring was tricky. When I bought the X1, much of the wiring was disconnected - so I couldn't really work out what went where. I found the X1 manual on line to confirm the function of the indicator lights - top one is power, bottom one is OK (on when up to temperature). I opened the X3 - but that was not helpful, as I couldn't easily trace the wiring (it was buried under components and did not follow normal wiring conventions - i.e., both phase and neutral were blue from the plug!). The Carezza has gone to a new owner so I couldn't look in there, and the Tecnosystem does not have a steam function and is therefore too simple. I ended up working out my own wiring scheme from scratch. I won't put that here for obvious reasons. Awesome birds nest!

Ready to test, front held on by Sellotape - stylish!

Fix a leak from the steam valve - and then... first coffee - yeah!

Put back together and up to temperature. Temperature gauge is not working, but it is eye candy anyway.

Another view

Coffee shrine. My double boiler! I am using the X1 to pull the shots (it has the better dispersion screen setup in my opinion as the X3 does not have the adaptor fitted at the moment - and the X3 has been pitting terribly, I take back what I said earlier about the adaptor being useless) and the X3 to steam. On the other hand, the X3 has the better temperature control, none the less, the newly modified X1 is pulling great shots. Being able to steam while the shot is being pulled is great, and not having to wait for the boiler is giving me much much better milk based coffees in the morning. My micro-foam is getting good - nice and silky, my main problem previously has been over-stretching so all I had to do was stop a bit earlier. Can't say much about my pouring skills though.

Sounds odd, but I am enjoying the feel of the toggle switches - they are very satisfying. Also like the fact that you can put the portafilter in with one hand on the X1. The lighter/narrower X3 needs a hand to hold the machine steady. With the upgrades the X1 is making better coffee that it did when new, it is great not having the compromised pod/grounds dispersion screen/group head.

Things still to do.

~~I want to replace the vibe pump in the X1, the original one seems to be struggling. I have a brass higher wattage one from the Tecnosystem.~~ Done, I was getting very variable extraction times.
I would like to fit an adjustable OPV to the X1. There is plenty of space inside the X1 whereas there isn't in the X3, so is the better choice in that regard.
I want to reposition the boiler connections. It probably doesn't make much difference in truth, but at the moment the inlet and outlets are swapped (easier to fit everything). As this requires drilling and tapping, it probably won't happen in a hurry (if ever).
I am tempted to put a pressure gauge in the X1 to replace the broken temperature gauge. However there isn't a lot of room. We'll see. I am also trying to get a price on the original gauge as a spare part.
I need to find a way to hold the drip tray cover of the X1 securely - it is driving me bonkers the way is slides off when you wipe.
I have worked out how to fit a 3-way valve using Lelit/La Pavoni parts: copper pipe; MC027, connector: MC075, and 3-way: MC010. However, there seems no way to elegantly handle the discharge pipe. This would be easier on the X3.

Nasty it was.

2010-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Ugh, the tecnosystem arm (because it does not have a steam tip) is completely horrible to steam milk with, the angle is all wrong for a single hole. Need to change it back, my morning cappuccino was dire.

I have found some parts for the tecnosystem machine from the distributer - more later.

Edit! Without the adaptor the X3 is pitting the top of the puck badly - much worse than I remember. I have decided to get the X1 in service as quickly as possible as it will take a while to get a new dispersion screen in for the X3.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Gaggia Carezza has been sold, it is nice that it will get used again. Of course this means that as I have been using the dispersion screen from the Carezza - I have to revert the FF! X3 for a little while until I get a replacement screen for the ground coffee adaptor. So, I decided to remove the adaptor now, and compare results. The only difference over the original FF! X3 is that I used the dispersion screen from the tecnosystem machine as this has finer holes like a proper screen (same as the Gaggia screen - just much smaller) - the FF! X3 screen has large holes.

In any case it has been a while since I have published a movie - so this is the latest pour, without the grinds adaptor. Now one point is that the adaptor was intended to improve the crema...

Yep. Just as good as ever, if not a slightly better colour. Slight bias in the pour and a second or two quick, but perfectly reasonable. I am not sure that the adaptor achieves anything other than a dry puck - and to be honest it does that at the expense of being able to vary the dose. I think I will leave it off for a while and see how I go. Crema on a cappuccino before adding milk.

I also swapped the steam arm on the FF! X3 with the one off the Tecnosystem, just because I happened to have the X3 open. I was getting pretty good microfoam with the standard arm - looks like I will have to learn all over again - I am useless with the new arm. Below is the FF! X3 arm...

The FF! X3 fitted with the Tecnosystem arm. The angle is a bit odd.

So, what else have I been up to? I made a mark 2 pressure tester using the steam valve from the Napolitana to 'correct' the pressure readings. I still need to solve the notched portafilter problem. I tried wrapping the basket in lots of teflon tape, but it would only withstand about 7 bar. I'll see if I can find a slim o-ring today. Mk2 below.

So, as for the FF! X1 boiler replacement. Photo below, as you can see the Tecnosystem boiler is pretty much the same, identical casting, with some differences in component layout to the FF! X3. One thing I hadn't noticed earlier, the FF! X3 has a resetable thermal breaker - great news, much better than a thermal fuse!

Also, the FF! X3 has NO over pressure valve! It has the primer/air release on the Ulka pump, but that is it. The Napolitana had one (sort of adjustable), on the hot side of the boiler, the Gaggia Carezza has one (not adjustable), on the cold side of the boiler, and the Tecnosystem also has one on the hot side of the boiler - in fact integral to the steam valve!

It is a properly adjustable one with a o-ring to seal when adjusting. Similar, but better design to the Napolitana. Now I have to work out how to adapt it for use it on the X1, and how to fit it on the cold side.

Last bit of news. The FF! X1 temperature gauge does not work. Sad. I thought it worked when I dismantled it, but when I tested it yesterday it was no go. Seems they are a common fault. Dang. I am thinking about putting an alternative gauge in there, but as this isn't a HX machine, it really is all just eye candy.

The Tecnosystem Magic Coffee

2009-12-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

As I write this post, I am feeling somewhat of a vandal. I bought an almost unused and unknown Italian machine via Trademe. As it was described as a pod machine and being sold a few days before Christmas, it went very cheaply - NZ$100. I happen to know this is actually a very expensive machine to buy new, I had seen it in the flesh previously so to speak. This is the model intended for small office use so it does not steam, only makes hot water (yep a bit odd imo).

So, why did I buy yet another machine? Well, on close inspection of the auction photo (included below) it clearly had the same portafilter as a Le'lit and La Pavoni Espresso machine. Therefore by deduction it also had a Quaha boiler and as the portafilter is a standard basket type, it would be useable on the X1/X3. I would have paid NZ$100 for a brand new portafilter - so this was a good deal for parts. Now I wasn't 100% certain and did not have the chance to check it out before bidding, so it was a bit of a punt. It was doubly a punt, as the X1 was originally a 52mm group, and I had no idea if the 57mm group would fit. If the punt didn't pay off, in the worst case I could modify the Tecnosystem machine to steam and sell it on...

Now, the reason I feel like a vandal should be obvious. It is almost brand new and really is top quality. My punt on the boiler, portafilter etc. paid off, as its a 57mm Quaha unit - and the portafilter (PF) has a 3/8 thread, just like the proper grown up ones. That means I can fit standard spouts and a pressure guage to the PF which I couldn't with the Asasco PF - I still haven't been able to work out the thread on that one...

The Tecnosystem machine is better made with better components than the FF! X1 or X3. Problem is,... the strange pods it takes and the lack of steaming ability. I would have to modify it to produce steam for home use - and it still would be an unknown and under-appreciated brand were I to resell it. Next photo is of the insides, and as you can see, it really is top notch - including a brass ULKA pump in place of the usual plastic ones. So as far as parts are concerned: NZ$100 for the portafilter, spout and basket; NZ$ 150-200+ for a complete brass Boiler; NZ$ 75+ for a steam wand, $NZ 75+ for a normal ULKA pump, who knows how much more for a brass one. So as you can see, it is worth much more as parts than the NZ$100 I paid for it. Sad. Really - but its not worth being silly about these things. So the insides. It was a real and rather pleasant surprise to open it and see this level of build and component quality.

The very strange pod system. It uses a standard single basket and then this peculiar Gasket/Seal. I spent a little time wondering what the holes in the outer brass rim were, poked them a bit and found they were blind. How odd. I had already removed the dispersion screen before taking this photo.

The boiler assembly - mmm lovely. Only 1 thermostat fitted, as it did not steam in its original home, additional holes are present that will take a std threaded thermostat however, so that's not a problem. Now as to fit....

Sometimes one gets more lucky than one deserves... this time it was me. That funny pod assembly, well, it turned out it unscrews. That is of course what the 2 blind holes were for, underneath is a standard boiler ready to take a jet assembly. Not that it is the same as the ones I already have, but I am definitely winning here. I assumed I would have to machine the distribution disk into the boiler base, but its already done - yay!

And I keep getting lucky. The original perforated X1 aluminum boiler assembly, including 52mm retaining ring (underneath to hold the PF), and....

... the 57mm Quaha assembly fits right in with the same holes. Exactly. 100% perfectly. Everything lines up - and I don't have to bodge the X1 case at all. Seriously I did not expect that, or the removable pod screen/jet thing - so its been a very fortuitous day. So, this is what I am going to do - I will have an updated and almost new X1 with a quality brass boiler and PF, for ground coffee only. Mmm shinny!

And.... I don't even need to buy a new group head seal - the teflon one from the smaller 52mm X1 fits perfectly! I will have a look at a La Pavoni soon and see if the gasket fills the entire space. I imagine it does, but this one seals the PF easily. I have put the Gaggia screen on to check for fit.

So this is the Tecnosystem/La Pavoni/Le'lit portafilter. It is very nice, heavier than the Ascaso one, and as mentioned before fits a standard 3/8 spout. Which means I can do...

...this! Put together from odds and ends in my garage, this cost the grand total of NZ$0. Would be cheap even if I needed to buy this stuff. Now I can't actually use it yet, I have to solve the problem with the notch in the rim of the PF ~~(a very common issue with non 3-way valve PFs)~~. I accept the argument about needing to bleed 60ml/30s to correct the pressure - I will worry about such accuracy later - a .5 bar constant correction will be OK for now.

If I can't solve the problem with the notch, I will find a way to connect a gauge to the steam wand, and then it will show pressure during brewing. That would be perfect, but this is more convenient - and the threads on the steam wand are weird and the PF solution will work for all my machines.

Carimali HX Single Group

2009-12-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

I mentioned earlier that I bought something I shouldn't have. Here it is. An early 1980s Carimali single group autofill HX machine. It was sold as a complete machine, but needing servicing - sadly once I got it home, I discovered it had no pump. This was pretty much a deal breaker, as the rotary pump and motor are very expensive to replace - it makes what was a good price a very poor one indeed. I paid $NZ250 which is basically too much considering. I have contacted the vendor and as they have not been able to locate the pump have agreed to take it back. I am still in two minds about this as it really is very cool. But, I am 95% certain I will take them up on the offer to return it. Small montage follows showing the initial assessment of the machine - the element is blown, but apparently easy to source. The machine trips the RCD when plugged in and would need extensive fettling to make operational again. I could hook it up using a vibe pump, and I would do so if it had been $100 cheaper. The funny handle on the front is some kind of electrical volumetric doser. I have no idea how it works, other than that it controls the hight of the foot where you place the cup.

Sigh, I still want to keep it, but that is silly.

Trial and Error

2009-12-20T18:55:00.001-08:00

At some point I ought to post about how I just bought a coffee machine I shouldn't have. What's worse is that is incomplete - the pump is missing, something that was not mentioned in the auction. I am still trying to work out what do do with/about it. More later.

Have not had any time to make progress on the X1, but its not going to be hard to fix.

The Carezza is up for sale on Trademe. I love that machine for the coffee it makes and I hate it for its lack of ergonomics. Despite that, it must be the best starter machine ever.

Francis Francis! X1 Dissection

2009-12-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

FF! X1 unpacked, looks great. Shame it doesn't go... (yet)

The front unscrews with 2 screws, the steam knob comes off by unscrewing a (slotted) screw underneath the steam valve (there is an access hole next to the steam arm nut) and then simply unwinding the valve assembly until it comes out. 4 more screws from underneath and the whole top comes off. Talk about easy access!

In the next photo you can see the burn marks where the electronic temperature controller gave up. The board had been removed, and a number of wires removed, so obviously a repair/investigation has been attempted. The red thing is the ULKA vibe pump.

Thermal fuse. Bang. Anyway, this is what a blown thermal fuse looks like. They are usually mounted on top of the boiler, so that if the thermostat fails, they act as a last line of defense and blow before the element is burnt out/house catches fire. When the temperature controller board expired, it must have done so in a way that kept the element on - and the thermal fuse did its job. The thermal fuse is placed first in the phase line, so nothing will work when it blows. If you have a completely dead machine, it is possible that this simple and replaceable fuse is the cause. Of course work out why it blew before you replace it, or buy 2 incase you don't know why - they do blow sometimes with no clear long-term fault.

The 'sensor' for the front panel capillary temperature gauge. It is recessed into a well at the edge of the boiler - it probably does quite a good job of measuring the actual boiler temperature.

This is the output of the ULKA vibe pump. The metal union directs water into the boiler. The plastic pipe exiting at the top returns water to the tank. I have seen it described as a air bleed/release valve to help the vibe pump prime. A lot of CoffeeGeeks adjust the OPV to get a brew pressure of about 8bar. Some machines like the V3 Rancilio Silva have adjustable ones from the factory. The Nemox one was also adjustable, I don't believe this one (or the one in the X3 - which is the same) acts as an OPV or is adjustable. I'll be using the one from the Nemox.

A very simple and easily removed steam valve assembly. Nothing much to say here.

The boiler is held in by 4 screws that go through the chassis and into the group head assembly. If you look closely you will see something very wrong in this photo....

Another bad thing in this photo... Essentially, you can see the brown spot and particularly in the previous photo you can see white oxide from where water has seeped out. Yep - the boiler is perforated... Damn. I haven't included the photo yet, but the pitting from the inside is too extensive to be repaired.

And inside. Pretty nasty in there. Descale, descale... This machine will be rebuilt, but not with FF! parts. Not sure what I will do for a boiler, I am still thinking through options. The Nemox one will fit - but we'll see - I don't like the dispersion screen setup and would prefer brass over stainless steel. As for the temperature controller - I might either just go for a twin thermal button setup as in the Nemox (no electronics) or a cheap PID from Hong Kong Ebay.

A bare chassis. This machine is actually very nice to work on. The access is great, the parts well put together with quality connectors. Shame they used aluminium instead of brass - thankfully they recognised their mistake by the time they made my X3.

I guess the question is what I will end up doing to redeem this lovely machine.

One last comment. Contrary to all the other designs I have seen, the cold water enters at the top of the FF! X1 boiler. I wonder if this was a major reason the original X1 didn't make great coffee. In every machine I have seen, water for brewing exits the boiler via a long copper pipe that draws water from the top of the boiler where it is hottest. When water enters at the side near the bottom, as in the Gaggias, the Nemox and X3 amongst many others, the mixing of cold and hot is delayed, and the new cold water has to pass via the element to the exit pipe. For the older X1 this is not the case, and cold water seems to be able to freely mix with the hot water at the top of the boiler before it is pushed through the copper exit pipe. This would explain the many comments/complaints I have seen about the thermal brew stability of the older X1 machines. Something I will avoid, after all, the whole point of a saturated group head is to achieve thermal stability - why mess it up like that?

Just moseying on...

2009-12-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

Not too many updates these last 2 weeks.

I have been making wonderful coffee with the Coffee Supreme Free Trade Organic Espresso blend. The grinder has been working great, the X3 is functioning perfectly at turning ground coffee into honey. The shots have definite plum overtones and completely lack the bitterness I used to associate with black coffee.

As I am only drinking 1-2 (2-4) shots of coffee a day, and only in the morning I have to be quite careful to get a coffee that I enjoy:

I heat the X3 up for 20mins+, with the portafilter loosely fitted (I don't leave it in overnight to preserve the group seal).
Flush a cup worth of hot water through the group and empty portafilter (heats the portafilter and cup).
I fill the hopper on the grinder
I do my normal, grind into the basket, WDS, level and light tamp - with no pressure when I polish.
I then time the shot into 2x 30ml shot glasses.
It is usually a little faster than the day before, and I have found that I have to tighten (make finer) the grind about 1/4 or 1/2 a turn each day to accommodate the beans aging.
I then pour the shots straight down the sink. Why? It is horrible. The first shot cleans out the old grinds from the grinder, and dissolves the stale coffee residue from inside the espresso machine.
I then do as in step 4, time my pour to 27-30 seconds into a hot cup(s) and enjoy wonderful wonderful coffee.
I can taste the difference between the first sink shot of the day and the rest of them - it is night and day.

Yum.

I will be trying the Espresso blend from 'The People's Coffee' next week - be interesting for me, as I have only been working with one roast up until now (limiting variables is a sensible thing to do when you don't know what you are doing).

Back to the ground coffee adaptor - I have decided that unlike I originally thought, I don't have enough headroom. Alternatives are less coffee, or more machining and a different (non convex) dispersion screen. I prefer the second option...

Also, the X1 arrived. It is now in little pieces, more to follow - this'll be great!

An Anticipated New Arrival

2009-11-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-11-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

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.

Don't use too much milk (duh, how many weeks has it taken me to work that out...)
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.

2009-11-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

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:

It is now easier to clean, the pod void and o-ring were a pain.
It has a better looking puck, no pits or cracks and it is dry.
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.
While I have no confidence in MY ability to taste the difference, I think it does.
There was no change to crema production.
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:

It is not bolt on as I had hoped.
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

2009-11-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-13T16:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-11-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-06T23:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-06T01:15:00.000-08:00

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:

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

2009-11-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

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:

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

Things I do not like about the X3:

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

2009-11-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

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:

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

Things I do not like about the Carezza:

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.