# New equipment



## Daos (Jun 25, 2017)

Dear all,

I've been lurking on the forums for quite a while trying to find out what would be the best setup for trying to start making espresso at home. Initially I've set my eyes on a Gaggia classic vs Rancilio Silvia, but then as my time especially in the morning is very limited and always on the run, although I didn't like the prices I eventually started looking into hx options to allow me to get something done quickly before I run to work. I understand a good grinder is a must and initially I looked at a setup made of Sage Smart Grinder + Nuova Simonelli Oscar II (cheapest hx option I could find). I must admit that at one point I almost gave up on semi-automatic machines and was strongly considering Melitta Varianza CSP after reading some really good reviews and seeing it's actually cheaper than the Oscar II... and has the grinder incorporated as well. I hope I won't regret standing my ground and still going for a not complete automatic machine - with which btw my wife would have probably been happier as she is expecting something to just press a button or two and have her drink...

Long story short at the end of last week I pulled the trigger on a refurbished Sage Dual Boiler as I found it at a price similar to the Oscar II, but still with 12 months warranty... hope I didn't make a huge mistake especially that reliability is important to me and hope this setup will work for me for a good period of time. The grinder I've ordered is an Eureka Mignon MkII. Again hope this won't be a mistake and it'll grind good enough for the Sage Dual Boiler.

I have 2 questions please:

1. How should I test the Sage Dual Boiler to make sure it is in good working order (anything I should watch out for/do with it/look at when I get it in addition to actually attempting to make espressos)?

2. How fine should I try to ground the coffee initially with the Eureka Mignon - any specific setting on the dial to start with or should I ground as fine as possible?

3. What settings (temperature / preinfusion time / timings vs volumes for shots pulling) should I start with to try to get the best out initially (and try to make a half decent impression on the missus who will probably be not very pleased for not ordering the Melitta Varianza...). As I understand it's a steep learning curve I guess I'm in deep trouble.... so your advice will be much appreciated!


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Check your inbox I sent you some basic advice


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## Daos (Jun 25, 2017)

Can someone tell me please how wet or dry should the steam from the milk frother be? Like when you wave your hand in front of it, or what is the best way to test if your steamer is too wet or too dry?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

It is what it is. You just have to purge the wand briefly to blast out any condensed water from the wand, then begin steaming the milk. (I don't own a sage, there may be an adjustment to the service boiler temperature, but this would mainly affect pressure rather than dryness of steam I expect)


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## Daos (Jun 25, 2017)

It's a bit odd... when I first started a month ago I was able to get a larger quantity of froth, now I haven't changed the milk but for whatever reason which I'm trying to identify I'm definitely getting less froth... I'm still using the same type of (whole)&(cold) milk, getting the jug cold in the fridge before I start. And I cleaned and re-cleaned the tip of the wand including it's holes to ensure they're all open and clean of any residue. Any tips/ideas?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

It's all to do with how much air you get mixed in with the milk at the start, and how well you incorporate it. Hard to explain but you just need to blast a little bit of air in at the beginning (tip on surface for maybe half a second) then drop the tip in just enough to smash that air and create a whirl. It could be that you're submerging the tip too far too quickly and not getting the air in. It's very touchy feely as 1mm or a slight change of angle makes all the difference


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

hotmetal said:


> a slight change of angle makes all the difference


There speaks a man of experience


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Just call me Finbarr Saunders


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

@hotmetal too modest my friend too modest lol


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

hotmetal said:


> It's all to do with how much air you get mixed in with the milk at the start, and how well you incorporate it. Hard to explain but you just need to blast a little bit of air in at the beginning (tip on surface for maybe half a second) then drop the tip in just enough to smash that air and create a whirl. It could be that you're submerging the tip too far too quickly and not getting the air in. It's very touchy feely as 1mm or a slight change of angle makes all the difference


Carve these in the milk frothing stone


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