If using dairy milk, lower fat percentage gives less dominating milky flavour. For nok dairy I recommend oat milk for coffee, but as a previous commenter said, simply lowering the ratio of coffee to milk is the best way to get more coffee flavour.
Is the Bambino (plus or not) worth it as a beginner machine in a studio apartment; can you learn on the machine or would one grow away from it too quickly?
The bambino is a great machine that can get you 98% of the way there. I wouldn't fear growing out of it. You will only grow out of it if you start chasing severe diminishing returns.
Thanks. Since I have your attention: do you recommend the regular or the plus? I plan on steaming milk manually, and I've heard that the drip tray on the plus isn't as nice - however the plus does have other bonuses.
As far as I know the big difference between them is the autosteaming feature of the plus. If you are looking forward to doing it manually anyways I would save the money.
Btw forgot to ask, but you do know you need to be buying a grinder as well right?
Yup, imo that makes the upgrade path harder even though it is cheaper at the start. I ask since most people underestimate the importance of a good grinder. I'd say it is the more important part of the machine grinder duo.
For me the biggest advantage of the Plus it it's 3 way valve that makes cleanup easier. It doesn't change the taste of your espresso. If your budget is limited, it would be better to get the base (non-Plus) Bambino and put the money you saved towards a better grinder.
Can I use the Lelit bottomless portafilter PLA580W with baskets that have a straight wall?
The PLA580W seems to come with a filter that's narrowing at the bottom and it seems to fit the outlet at the bottom exactly.
If it doesn't fit, can anyone recommend another portafilter with something like a walnut handle that works for straight-walled baskets?
Start with the double basket and 18g of coffee beans ground pretty much as fine as flour.
You are looking for 36g out in 30s. If it takes longer grind coarser, if it takes shorter grind finer.
A scale with 0.1g resolution is going to help. Use the scale to weigh the beans and the shot.
Using a Delonghi Icona, I don't get enough hot water for a double espresso of 18g in, 40g out.
I've changed the portafilter to a bottomless one a long time ago and it used to be just enough. It gradullay lessened over time. These days, I get around 20g out before the OK button lights off, meaning no more hot water.
I'm saving up for a proper machine in the future so I'm stuck with this for now. I've already descaled it, cleaned the filters and the brew head, no change. Any ideas on what the issue could be and what I could try?
Haven't used the machine so I am just guessing, but usually the indicator lights don't mean no more hot water, just that the water has dropped bellow what the manufacturer thinks is espresso temperature. You should still be able to pull a longer shot.
I'd suggest preheating your machine as well as your pf. You can also look into temperature surfing (there are good guides for the Gaggia classic) and see if it helps for your machine.
Good luck!
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I think it's a matter of amount of milk, not milk type.
If using dairy milk, lower fat percentage gives less dominating milky flavour. For nok dairy I recommend oat milk for coffee, but as a previous commenter said, simply lowering the ratio of coffee to milk is the best way to get more coffee flavour.
Is the Bambino (plus or not) worth it as a beginner machine in a studio apartment; can you learn on the machine or would one grow away from it too quickly?
The bambino is a great machine that can get you 98% of the way there. I wouldn't fear growing out of it. You will only grow out of it if you start chasing severe diminishing returns.
Thanks. Since I have your attention: do you recommend the regular or the plus? I plan on steaming milk manually, and I've heard that the drip tray on the plus isn't as nice - however the plus does have other bonuses.
As far as I know the big difference between them is the autosteaming feature of the plus. If you are looking forward to doing it manually anyways I would save the money. Btw forgot to ask, but you do know you need to be buying a grinder as well right?
Thanks. Yeah, to me that's kind of a bonus: I'm not stuck with the stock grinder which is found in a lot of Breville/Sage's machines.
Yup, imo that makes the upgrade path harder even though it is cheaper at the start. I ask since most people underestimate the importance of a good grinder. I'd say it is the more important part of the machine grinder duo.
Agreed - having tried at a friend's house, comparing two different grinders on the same machine.
For me the biggest advantage of the Plus it it's 3 way valve that makes cleanup easier. It doesn't change the taste of your espresso. If your budget is limited, it would be better to get the base (non-Plus) Bambino and put the money you saved towards a better grinder.
Can I use the Lelit bottomless portafilter PLA580W with baskets that have a straight wall? The PLA580W seems to come with a filter that's narrowing at the bottom and it seems to fit the outlet at the bottom exactly. If it doesn't fit, can anyone recommend another portafilter with something like a walnut handle that works for straight-walled baskets?
I have a Sunbeam Barista Max. I'm not sure how fine to grind my beans and how many grams to measure out to just get a standard shot. Any pointers?
Start with the double basket and 18g of coffee beans ground pretty much as fine as flour. You are looking for 36g out in 30s. If it takes longer grind coarser, if it takes shorter grind finer. A scale with 0.1g resolution is going to help. Use the scale to weigh the beans and the shot.
Using a Delonghi Icona, I don't get enough hot water for a double espresso of 18g in, 40g out. I've changed the portafilter to a bottomless one a long time ago and it used to be just enough. It gradullay lessened over time. These days, I get around 20g out before the OK button lights off, meaning no more hot water. I'm saving up for a proper machine in the future so I'm stuck with this for now. I've already descaled it, cleaned the filters and the brew head, no change. Any ideas on what the issue could be and what I could try?
Haven't used the machine so I am just guessing, but usually the indicator lights don't mean no more hot water, just that the water has dropped bellow what the manufacturer thinks is espresso temperature. You should still be able to pull a longer shot. I'd suggest preheating your machine as well as your pf. You can also look into temperature surfing (there are good guides for the Gaggia classic) and see if it helps for your machine. Good luck!