Hey Andy - welcome!

Had a bean to cup, was fine for a few years, but not going there again as it was only so so.

If won't offer you the level of flexibility required. There is a chain of things required for tasty espresso, but user and ability to change and minupulate is huge.

Then had a Sage Oracle Touch, which I was never happy with, and never got real mmmm coffee from despite a LOT of trying...

The machine has limitations, particularly the onboard grinder. Were you weighing your dose of dry coffee, weighing your output in thecup and timing your shots? Do you have an understanding of what all of those are about?

So I have about 2k to spend, to get a grinder and machine

Something like a PP 400 or 600 and a Niche Zero.

Open to suggestions! Really want to be able to make espresso fit to make tasty black Americans, and great double espressos

Don't overlook yourself. There is a lot of human input and skill required. It takes time like anything to learn. DOn't overlook good coffee. Plenty of users here to help with any and all aspects so just ask!

 

Hi! ill address your reply first

Hey Andy - welcome!


If won't offer you the level of flexibility required. There is a chain of things required for tasty espresso, but user and ability to change and minupulate is huge.


The machine has limitations, particularly the onboard grinder. Were you weighing your dose of dry coffee, weighing your output in thecup and timing your shots? Do you have an understanding of what all of those are about?


Something like a PP 400 or 600 and a Niche Zero.

Don't overlook yourself. There is a lot of human input and skill required. It takes time like anything to learn. DOn't overlook good coffee. Plenty of users here to help with any and all aspects so just ask!

I have a good understanding in the theory - although in the SAGE despite processing a lot of beans, weighing input beans and output coffee, tuning the dose to a lower grams, and timing it, shot to shot, it would vary a lot, and I was not getting palatable results, and never consistency. I found either the shot asnt able to be diluted own without being overly weak, or it would taste muddy?

I'm quite obsessive, and my work and personality is very much attention to detail, so I know I can do this.

 

Welcome Butty, plenty of information, chats, links and what nots here enjoy the forum
happy hunting L👀king forward to seeing what end up with.
👍🏻

 

No milk drinks, if thats the case I’ll throw a Cafelat Robot into the mix, love the simplicity of it and not having a warm up time is fantastic, the size is great too, then either go with a niche for the grinder , then that would leave you with over 1k for the other bits and pieces or go for a better grinder.

 

although in the SAGE despite processing a lot of beans, weighing input beans and output coffee, tuning the dose to a lower grams, and timing it, shot to shot, it would vary a lot, and I was not getting palatable results, and never consistency.

Some questions would be:
Did you weigh out your beans pre grinding?
Did you weigh your beans post grinding as you put them into the portafilter?
What basket did you have?
What sort of coffee did you use?

and timing it, shot to shot, it would vary a lot, and I was not getting palatable results, and never consistency.

would lead to perhaps inconsistency in prep perhaps. The inbuilt grinder on these units is not great however, and I'd say it may be giving an inconsistent grind size each time for the same setting.

 

Some questions would be:
Did you weigh out your beans pre grinding?
Did you weigh your beans post grinding as you put them into the portafilter?
What basket did you have?
What sort of coffee did you use?


would lead to perhaps inconsistency in prep perhaps. The inbuilt grinder on these units is not great however, and I'd say it may be giving an inconsistent grind size each time for the same setting.

Hi, well, since it was the oracle touch, i had hoped to use the hopper - and I had heard it really didn't suit single dosing as its not great for retention. So I was only weighing what came out tamped in the portafilter ( the Oracle self tamps). Everything was default Oracle touch, portafilter, double shot basket, etc...

I tried everything from local fresh roasted coffee roasters, as well as the fresh roasted range from Maxicoffee ( France). I also got some from a few other UK coffee roasters, similar outcomes on all. Id say, after revisiting James Hoffman's Espresso basics videos, I think the biggest contributor to the issues was I was getting channeling, so weak but also bitter at the same time - based on the flavours I was experiencing, as well as potentially on some shots generally over extraction (inconsistent tamp and grind size again possibly leading to greater flow for a set time?)

 

Anyone got any thoughts on the Profitec MOVE? And realistically, how soon could I get my hands on one?