# New upgrades



## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

Recent upgrades!

Crem One dual boiler, Eureka Mignon Facile, and hiding around the corner is a Peak Water


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## ronan08 (Dec 21, 2019)

Nice what are you upgrading from?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Any plans to upgrade the grinder? Seems a very humble choice for the machine you have.

Nice setup.


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

Upgraded from a sage duo temp and smart grinder... perhaps will upgrade this grinder in a couple of years but is doing great. Still getting used to everything but an incredible improvement on before!


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## Tunn300 (Apr 10, 2013)

Nice setup. How are you getting in with the Peak? Seen some things about a fishy smell from the cartridge after a few days that's so far been putting me off buying one.


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## SamuelG (Oct 24, 2015)

@AliMeghji nice set up! I have been looking at the facile as an upgrade to my Iberital MC2. Do you find it's a good improvement from your last grinder? Did you get it from Bella Barista? Sorry for all the questions 😂


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

SamuelG said:


> @AliMeghji nice set up! I have been looking at the facile as an upgrade to my Iberital MC2. Do you find it's a good improvement from your last grinder? Did you get it from Bella Barista? Sorry for all the questions


Ease of adjustability and lower retention, together with small shape form and significantly quieter are improvements over the MC2.


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

Tunn300 said:


> Nice setup. How are you getting in with the Peak? Seen some things about a fishy smell from the cartridge after a few days that's so far been putting me off buying one.


 Working great so far! Had it for a couple of weeks, and yet to have any fishy smell. I ordered mine from Hasbean


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

SamuelG said:


> @AliMeghji nice set up! I have been looking at the facile as an upgrade to my Iberital MC2. Do you find it's a good improvement from your last grinder? Did you get it from Bella Barista? Sorry for all the questions 😂


 Yes I got it from Bella Barista! They were incredibly efficient and really great.

It's a massive upgrade from the Sage grinder, and. Resting noticeable differences. It's manual, but that doesn't bother me at all. It's also incredibly silent compared to the sage, and takes me around 20-22 seconds to get 18-20g espresso. Would highly recommend, especially If you're working to a budget, as it is substantially cheaper than some other models


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

Very nice setup! This is the Crem One Dual Boiler, right? How is the machine? I'm curious, because not many people have one.

I hope to get mine tomorrow or Friday!


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> Very nice setup! This is the Crem One Dual Boiler, right? How is the machine? I'm curious, because not many people have one.
> 
> I hope to get mine tomorrow or Friday!


 It's great and I'm really enjoying it! Let me know how you get on  there aren't many guides out there, so currently learning as I go!


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## ronan08 (Dec 21, 2019)

I am wondering where are your cups surely a machine that nice has some nice cups to go with it?


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

ronan08 said:


> I am wondering where are your cups surely a machine that nice has some nice cups to go with it?


 Next on the list!


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

I got mine yesterday (dual boiler only). I think it's a beauty!

I'm a beginner, so I'm experimenting now with beans etc etc. The taste of the espresso is great, although these are words from a rookie 

Furthermore I have the San Marco 97 instant grinder. Which isn't a beauty, but grinds very, very well.


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> I got mine yesterday (dual boiler only). I think it's a beauty!
> 
> I'm a beginner, so I'm experimenting now with beans etc etc. The taste of the espresso is great, although these are words from a rookie
> 
> ...


 Sorry I didn't see this reply! How are you getting on with it?


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

@AliMeghji No problem! Well, I'm a real beginner, so I can't compare it with other machines. Especially the tamping is difficult for me somehow. But slowly I'm improving  . But I think it's a great and beautiful machine. I didn't find any downsides, you?

Question: do you also use the standard 92 degrees for the group boiler?


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> @AliMeghji No problem! Well, I'm a real beginner, so I can't compare it with other machines. Especially the tamping is difficult for me somehow. But slowly I'm improving  . But I think it's a great and beautiful machine. I didn't find any downsides, you?
> 
> Question: do you also use the standard 92 degrees for the group boiler?


 Yeah I found the tamping hard at the start too. I found that the Motta 58.4 works a bit more evenly than the one that came with the machine. And I upgraded to a bottomless portafilter and the basket to an 18g VST (Hasbean sell them at a quite good price), which also worked wonders (although the vst took another week to get used to). Installed an IMS shower screen last weekend which is also great.

I've been sticking to the 92 while getting used to it? How about you? I went down to 90 once as the beans I had suggested that, though I have more experimenting to do to work out the taste effects!


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

AliMeghji said:


> Yeah I found the tamping hard at the start too. I found that the Motta 58.4 works a bit more evenly than the one that came with the machine. And I upgraded to a bottomless portafilter and the basket to an 18g VST (Hasbean sell them at a quite good price), which also worked wonders (although the vst took another week to get used to). Installed an IMS shower screen last weekend which is also great.
> 
> I've been sticking to the 92 while getting used to it? How about you? I went down to 90 once as the beans I had suggested that, though I have more experimenting to do to work out the taste effects!


 I think I need a 58.4 tamper too, I got a Motta 58 now, but it's abit too small I think.

What are the benefits of the vst basket and the IMS showerscreen?

For now I stick to the 92 degrees, I will start experimenting with that later.

Do you maybe have other tips or tricks? For example: I find it difficult to get a 'thick' espresso.


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> I think I need a 58.4 tamper too, I got a Motta 58 now, but it's abit too small I think.
> 
> What are the benefits of the vst basket and the IMS showerscreen?
> 
> ...


 Have you tried going a bit finer with the grind, or potentially dosing more? I've found 18g in, 40g out has worked quite well for me. which beans are you using?

The VST and IMS help distribute the water more evenly, helps prevent channeling. I got mine here:

https://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/vst/products/vst-filter-basket?variant=248856020

https://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/Mobile/en/GB/IMS-E61-Nanotec-Reinforced-Precision-Shower-Screen-ø-60mm---E61200RNT/m-m-2731.aspx


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

AliMeghji said:


> Have you tried going a bit finer with the grind, or potentially dosing more? I've found 18g in, 40g out has worked quite well for me. which beans are you using?
> 
> The VST and IMS help distribute the water more evenly, helps prevent channeling. I got mine here:
> 
> ...


 I used different kind of beans, but all fresh (so absolutely no supermarkt beans), so that makes it difficult to compare. But sometimes the espresso taste a bit watery (not always; does tamping matter?).

I use 18 grams and tried different kind of grind fineness and dosing more. But your brew ratio is more than 1:2? And how many seconds does this take?

I live in the Netherlands, but it's difficult to get the vst here. Are the ims baskets the same? And do you have ridge of ridgeless?


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> I used different kind of beans, but all fresh (so absolutely no supermarkt beans), so that makes it difficult to compare. But sometimes the espresso taste a bit watery (not always; does tamping matter?).
> 
> I use 18 grams and tried different kind of grind fineness and dosing more. But your brew ratio is more than 1:2? And how many seconds does this take?
> 
> I live in the Netherlands, but it's difficult to get the vst here. Are the ims baskets the same? And do you have ridge of ridgeless?


 I have quite fruity coffees so the over extraction works quite nicely. Sometimes I pull 18:36, always aiming for around 25-30 seconds.

ive heard the IMS baristapro baskets are good too, I prefer ridgeless though it's up to you!


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

AliMeghji said:


> I have quite fruity coffees so the over extraction works quite nicely. Sometimes I pull 18:36, always aiming for around 25-30 seconds.
> 
> ive heard the IMS baristapro baskets are good too, I prefer ridgeless though it's up to you!


 Thanks for the information! Online I read you also need a stronger spring with a ridgeless basket, is this true?

The ims shower: can I replace the standard Crem shower by myself?


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> Thanks for the information! Online I read you also need a stronger spring with a ridgeless basket, is this true?
> 
> The ims shower: can I replace the standard Crem shower by myself?


 I'm not sure about the spring to be honest! I use a bottomless portafilter so can push the basket out from the bottom 

Yes the shower screen is really easy to replace, this video is helpful


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

> 10 minutes ago, AliMeghji said:
> 
> I'm not sure about the spring to be honest! I use a bottomless portafilter so can push the basket out from the bottom
> 
> Yes the shower screen is really easy to replace, this video is helpful


 Thanks, this looks easy! I'm going to have a look online for the basket and shower.


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

I ordered the ism ridgeless basket and shower. And the Motta 58.4 tamper.

But this morning my espresso was great. So we're getting there


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## KevinCoffee (May 24, 2020)

@AliMeghji I just put in the new IMS showerscreen. I think it is installed correctly. But is it possible the portafilter gets in more difficult? I can't get it in the 'six o'clock' position anymore.

Later I will experiment with the new IMS basket.


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## AliMeghji (Jun 4, 2020)

KevinCoffee said:


> @AliMeghji I just put in the new IMS showerscreen. I think it is installed correctly. But is it possible the portafilter gets in more difficult? I can't get it in the 'six o'clock' position anymore.
> 
> Later I will experiment with the new IMS basket.


 Yes that's fine, it goes 7 o clock'ish for a week or so


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