Coffee Making, Latte Art, Barista Skills

ebendl said:
I agree. If I were to replace it at this point I would definitely look at an option that fixes those issues.

Although as seen in the most recent Hoffman video on scales - seems like non-touch buttons are rare.
Click to expand...
I was interested to see that as well.

I hate these touch screens, its especially bad on a scale that might get wet.
They also want to overload the buttons with features so if you tap too fast you switch from g to ml by accident.

I have a stove with touch buttons and its horrid trying to clean it... or even just trying to use the controls.
 
Nerfherder said:
I was interested to see that as well.

I hate these touch screens, its especially bad on a scale that might get wet.
They also want to overload the buttons with features so if you tap too fast you switch from g to ml by accident.

I have a stove with touch buttons and its horrid trying to clean it... or even just trying to use the controls.
Click to expand...
This one seems fairly resilient to some spray coming from a badly distributed puck in a bottomless portafilter. But it does irritate me that, by pressing the button, it affects the display (e.g. I'm tapping down on the scale, which registers temporarily as a weight).

I also have one of these:
1776087535336.png
Not really a coffee scale - rather a jewelry scale. It works but:

Pro's:
- Nice and tiny, fits better on the drip-tray for espressos
- Buttons are not on the scale

Cons
- Only measures up to I think about 600g, so I cna't even use it for a 500ml pour-over
- Slow to respond
- Turns off too quickly
- Normal AAA batteries (some people may regard that as an advantage)
- The buttons are SUPER annoying. They are also touch buttons, and they're mostly fine. What irritates me are I only use the "Power" button and the "Tare" button, but because they're touch and close together I often end up pressing the PCS button by accident. And then the scale is in a stupid mode that completely messes up what I'm doing - I have to turn it off / on to get it out. That or I accidentally set the units to Ounces or something stupid.


Honestly what I'd really like is:
- a quick responding scale that is relatively thin so that I can use it on my drip-tray
- an on/off button and a tare button. I don't need a timer, but if it has a timer, it must be separate buttons
- a completely different way to switch the units. I don't want to double-tap or tap-and-hold ANY button because I may do that accidentally while pulling a shot.
- ideally physical buttons but I may settle for capacitive buttons separate from the load plate.
- ideally support up to say 1.5kg. I don't need resolution finer than 0.1g
- ideally a rechargeable battery, but it should start giving warnings in advance when it is flat so that I can actually recharge it after pulling a shot.
 
ebendl said:
Any recommendations for a place / person in Pretoria that can do Gaggia Classic mod upgrades? I have a kit (PID controller, group pressure gauge, dimmer and a new power switch) which I bought from Shades of Coffee in the UK, but I haven't had the time to install it and looking over the instructions, I'm not sure I'm going to have the time any time soon.
Click to expand...
Necro but how much did you pay for this mod and is it specific to your machine or is it more a universal mod ?
 
Nerfherder said:
Necro but how much did you pay for this mod and is it specific to your machine or is it more a universal mod ?
Click to expand...
Nah, it's only a couple of months ago.

I bought it from Shades Of Coffee in the UK in 2024 - https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/


ProductPrice
ADKq_NZRlzc5K2w-PEnl85kW17B18Xukr7RxiApZAeeq901KWWCLYNLIe8pDm5LnDLjlOZKrmy-bSPIKsDyHc7IsF7fd0ja8Iet_2RG6Wn3RxrDbHBoQOs98qVr6d3KDN1UnqMA=s0-d-e1-ft
[td]SKU: GCP-POWERMOD-MONOBLOC
Gaggia Classic 2019+ / Evo 2023 - RI9480 / 9481 - Power switch mod`
Version: Classic 2023 MonoBloc		£14.40
ADKq_NaidkuUdv6z9vkE0-qGasj2vlZNIo7BOG7OCfWVP9KMOiIHD6pr_CTb8iqV74wptfmA4mpsROSC73j55fm24HleWuLfxNlOCCYiOKeCHlRKEoSkknE7q7tf2ZGKSRc=s0-d-e1-ft
[td]SKU: RED-FLOAT
Water level float for Slim drip tray		£4.80
ADKq_NbDLLj4DkVP0SkVZeV1lZDIeh2tuvjT7MpibJnzHjEunGq-oNoqAWUtrsw6mE3xvL-6STYsYGWAuMXL0ktA4RO5MDgs6c_0leyl0fm-cxm3OR05WJnS8iYUuxSM=s0-d-e1-ft
[td]SKU: TIMER-BLACK
Magnetic slimline digital shot timer and coffee timer
Colour: Black		£5.40
ADKq_NbyihL7p8KBX2__m_aivsYnVkJdxvjNr6xqJrIVK5OfTuVXvuNnUVkK_mY2hZtoRzA_kd6d9zVlpnuLOkxok3tVqA1oL8Y8tP0u_Jxq57m3wGGjDJphGyIPuEBxqhA=s0-d-e1-ft
[td]SKU: TOPBOX-BUNDLE-PRO/EVO
TopBox bundle with PID, pressure gauge and flow control - Classic Pro / Classic 2019 / Classic 2023 / Classic Evo		£189.60
ADKq_NZg9yElXYUXVP9sN6oPPI6RY49UU5ujH3I5gmWt7zCX36zR5HnU6n-c4OtwIali_sc1rAWfCl-4w-c8VianxS5U3sQ_djK7PK6bPPLYNcD_cDsMcjNj0OTUDVoVKUE=s0-d-e1-ft
[td]SKU: SLIMDRIP-PRO
Slim drip tray complete with long vent tube for Gaggia Classic
Model Year: 2019 or later		£25.20



The TopBox being the most important and thus expensive part (with the PID, pressure gauge and flow control, coming in at more than R4000) , but honestly, the drip tray and the power switch is just as nice. I haven't been disappointed with any of it.

The timer is probably completely overpriced - like R100+

EDIT: fixed the table, and also realized how much I paid for a piece of plastic (the red float for the drip-tray)
 
Username: said:
heavenlycoffees.co.za

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The Rancilio Silvia combo is for the Home Barista that wants to do things the right way from the start. Get this combo set on an amazing special.
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Anything else I should consider, mainly Cafe Late for the wife ?

Any advice would be welcomed
Click to expand...
My professional input is that the black looks really nice. But my wife will prefer the stainless steel.
 

Flip, already made my coffee before sitting down and watching Hoffmann. And now I really want to try his technique for heating water for an Americano!
 
ebendl said:

Flip, already made my coffee before sitting down and watching Hoffmann. And now I really want to try his technique for heating water for an Americano!
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing. Just made a cup. Steaming the water made no noticeable difference compared to using the brevilles water dispenser also heated to a drinkable range. (Perfect for pour overs). I did notice a slightly less initial bitter taste by removing the crema.
 
RedViking said:
Thanks for sharing. Just made a cup. Steaming the water made no noticeable difference compared to using the brevilles water dispenser also heated to a drinkable range. (Perfect for pour overs). I did notice a slightly less initial bitter taste by removing the crema.
Click to expand...
I like the fact that it heats my water to basically immediately drinkable range, while making the espresso at proper brewing temperature. But sheesh, the screaming of the water when I steam it is enough to wake up the sleeping family (happened this morning).

Then again, my kettle can heat up to any temperature too, so perhaps I should just make an espresso, scoop off the crema and add 60 degrees kettle water to it to see if I can even taste the difference (I'm guessing not).
 
Ok, I haven't done a side-by-side test yet, but I honestly think the steamed-water americano tastes better than the same-temperature-kettle-water method. will attempt a blind taste test somewhere to see if I'm fooling myself :P
 
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