# My new setup and a short review



## Freddy13 (Aug 10, 2013)

At lunchtime today I had a rather large and very exciting delivery. My new setup arrived!!!! Quick note here that the service from Bella Barista was amazing and the packaging as everyone says is superb, no way this was getting damaged in transit.

Here are the main bits unpacked and ready to go.










An ECM Barista HX machine and Eureka Mignon grinder.

I will give a brief review after my first few hours of playing and maybe follow with a more detailed review later.

My initial impressions of the Eureka Mignon are very good indeed. Have used a Mazzer where I used to work so it had a lot to live up to. But the Mignon has more than lived up to my initial expectations for a home grinder. It was very easy to get into the right ballpark area for the grind but it took quite a lot longer to get it just right simply because the adjustments are so sensitive. This is no bad thing however, I can see that the ability to use these minute adjustments will be fantastic when changing from one bean to another etc. Another thing I like about this grinder is the timer mode. I had heard that this was a bit of a pain to set up as the adjusments were under the grinder which would be awkward. This has obviously been addressed as the adjustment dial is now on the side of the machine by the on off switch. This allowed me to dial in the timer to give me 8g per dose very quickly indeed. The dial can then be pushed inwards to prevent accidental changes. A very neat design. There was some clumping of the grinds but this is easily rectified with a paperclip or something similar.

Now for the ECM Barista. Obviously I could have spent a whole lot more and purchased a dual boiler, which would have been more similar to the commercial machines I have used in the past, but for a home machine its excellent. Looks wise I think it is fantastic (well I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't look good). It needs the cooling flushes as the brew water temperature seems to get up very quickly if left sitting in the pipes. But I don't see this as a negative and is something I was expecting to have to do. Now I just have to remember to do it every time, a few test shots were ruined when I left the machine for too long between shots and forgot the flush. But hey I didn't expect to get everything right from the start. Once the grind is right and the flush performed, the extraction is superb (as I would have expected with a machine like this). Steaming is good so far. I haven't quite got used to the 2 hole tip yet so some work to be done there but it has certainly got the power. Might have to invest in the 5 hole tip at some point. Further reviews on this when I have had some practice.










Accessories.

The accessories supplied with the machine are extensive which is nice. The portafilters are great (better than the ones I used to use at work). I especially like the open spout style they have. I spent most of the day using the double PF and basket which was great. I did try the single a couple of times but the basket is pretty deep for a single. A single dose (8g) does not even come close to filling the basket so tamping is next to impossible. Am I doing something wrong here?










Open spount on the double PF.

Also in the picture is the Bella Barista tamper and stand which is excellent and I would highly recommend for someone as a first tamper. I can't see myself wanting or needing to upgrade this any time soon. The beans that were sent with the machine with Bella Barista's compliments (thank you very much for these) came in very handy for getting to grips with the machine and grinder (I used a lot of them). And surprisingly, although they are certainly not your freshly roasted and posted beans, they make a pretty decent coffee (once you have got the extraction right). Certainly better than any pod or capsule machine and better than many coffees I have had in coffee shops. Also worth mentioning is that the guide that Bella Barista provide with each machine is exceptional. It covers absolutely everything. Having worked in a commercial setting before, I knew the basics, but to have a guide that takes you through the details of this particular machine is great. I can see it would make sense and be invaluable to everyone right from a total beginner all the way up to a pro.

The worry I had leading up to today was that I would get some major flak for spending this much money on a coffee machine. My fiancé has never liked coffee so I knew this would be a sore point. However so far she has drunk 2 Lattes today and said she really enjoyed them. She now wants me to show her how to use the machine. How please am I!!!!!!

The one down side to all this is that I have now consumed way to much caffeine today and am bouncing off the walls. Sitting down to type this has been very hard work. Hopefully when I have more experience I will be able to provide a more detailed review but I hope my initial thoughts are of some interest to someone out there.

Looking forward to continuing my home coffee journey and getting involved on the forum.

Cheers

Freddy


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Is that double spout on back to front?


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Very nice set up there, and in prime spot by the window.......enjoy


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

garydyke1 said:


> Is that double spout on back to front?


Bezzera do this as well, probably so its away from the edge of the drip tray


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

I have nearly same spec machine with the Mitica. I tried a 4 hole tip and performance was not as good as the 2 hole. With the 2 hole bar pressure stays constant at 1 bar.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Very nice set up enjoy your coffee journey:good:


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## Freddy13 (Aug 10, 2013)

I did wonder about the spout being back to front, it works though and that's the main thing. It is in prime spot by the window at the moment but that corner of the kitchen is way too cramped. It is soon to be moved once I have a suitable bench top for it on the other side of the kitchen then it will be in pride of place on its own little counter. Thanks for the advice on the 2 hole tip glevum I think I just need to get used to it.


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## CoffeeDiva (May 9, 2013)

Looks lovely and a very similar look of machine in size, etc to my newly arrived izzo. There are lovely shiny machines across a few of the manufacturers that adorn workshops well.

Have fun playing with it.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

That's a nice setup Freddy

I enjoyed using the ECM Barista when I visited Bella Barista.

The milk I steamed was some of the best I had produced.


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

These boilers are made by Bezzera. That 2 hole tip makes some great micro foam quickly


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Thats a great setup - fits nicely into the corner.

The spout on my La Spaz is also that way round & it works very well. Enjoy your coffee.


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## Freddy13 (Aug 10, 2013)

CoffeeDiva said:


> Looks lovely and a very similar look of machine in size, etc to my newly arrived izzo. There are lovely shiny machines across a few of the manufacturers that adorn workshops well.
> 
> Have fun playing with it.


A lot of the higher end domestic machines look fairly similar it seems. Nice and shiny. Definitely not a bad thing though, it means you can make a choice on spec and price rather than looks.



Glenn said:


> I enjoyed using the ECM Barista when I visited Bella Barista.
> 
> The milk I steamed was some of the best I had produced.


In that case I had better get practising. Don't think it helps that we only have skimmed milk in my house which seems to separate into milk and foam so much faster than semi or full fat.

Freddy


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Freddy13 said:


> *I did wonder about the spout being back to front*, it works though and that's the main thing. It is in prime spot by the window at the moment but that corner of the kitchen is way too cramped. It is soon to be moved once I have a suitable bench top for it on the other side of the kitchen then it will be in pride of place on its own little counter. Thanks for the advice on the 2 hole tip glevum I think I just need to get used to it.


Seems odd to me , pointless being 'open' spouts? I have seen this before though.

Anyway, nice shiny new machine ; )


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

Great set up, enjoy your coffee.


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## Freddy13 (Aug 10, 2013)

iroko said:


> Great set up, enjoy your coffee.


Thanks, believe me I am!


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