Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

diypresso.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 292 posts

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#171

Post by siliconescapee »

It is a better-than-1200E machine at the end of the day when you look at the components and overall build.

It has PID temperature control (typical) but _also_ pressure control. You could build a Gaggiuino for less money and the same effort, but you'd be left with a far lower quality piece of hardware as the Gaggia hardware has a shitty boiler, plumbing, group, and casing.

I'm not a huge fan of vibropumps either, but they're common for pressure profiling machines (up to $3-4K) because they're easier to control and compact. Moving to a rotary pump would cost ~$300 more at the component level, so while I'd a reasonable upgrade it would hurt the overall economics of the product to make that standard.

I still think it's expensive -- I personally would try to hit the market with a $999 kit cost if at all possible. The market for big spender espresso geeks without a machine is indeed small.

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#172

Post by pier25 »

arrty88 wrote: post #170
pier25 wrote: post #168

Is this a single boiler or hx design? Had a gaggia classic for a couple of years and I would never go back to single boiler.

i wonder if the community can figure a bolt on double boiler solution for this easily?

At some point I will upgrade to a double boiler but I've been happy with an hx machine.

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#173

Post by evnp »

nathancahill wrote: post #10

The closest I've gotten to DIY espresso is EspressoForge: https://espressoforge.com/

Seconded, love the ability to take it camping (car, the thing weighs a ton) along with a c40, and use standard-size baskets. Current favorite is a big bang[1] which leads to a very different resulting espresso than the stock basket - both great!

[1] https://imsfiltri.com/prodotto/b702tfh23-5bb/

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#174

Post by lpasselin »

drrotmos wrote: post #145

The more I think about the more I feel that this is the wrong solution to the problem. Disclaimer: I'm doing a small open source espresso controller project, check it out if you're interested, but it's not ready for prime time yet: https://github.com/variegated-coffee . My thinking is that this machine appeals mostly to people who already has an espresso machine. It's not particularly technologically advanced. It's a…

I have a 200$ mini machine and would like to upgrade. Can DIY anything. What would you suggest for a maximum budget of 1500$?

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#175

Post by shermantanktop »

stiray wrote: post #108

Would love to play with it but for this price they can keep it. Dont understand me wrong, love the idea, but selling it for this price is just crazy. Consumers should be more aware that if they can afford something, this doesnt mean it is worth buying it.

The price/performance curve is never linear. Everyone finds their spot, and then thinks “cheaper units are ugly garbage, more expensive units are frilly and pointless.” It’s personal consumer psychology, not science.

So “worth it” only really means “worth it to me.”

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#176

Post by horacemorace »

drrotmos wrote: post #145

The more I think about the more I feel that this is the wrong solution to the problem. Disclaimer: I'm doing a small open source espresso controller project, check it out if you're interested, but it's not ready for prime time yet: https://github.com/variegated-coffee . My thinking is that this machine appeals mostly to people who already has an espresso machine. It's not particularly technologically advanced. It's a…

An E61 is the wrong choice. They have fluidic mechanical pressure ramp system. A modern machine ought to have adjustable computerized pressure profiles.

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#177

Post by satvikpendem »

righthand wrote: post #167

I am the “self-upgrade my hardware” type. If there’s one piece of advice I didn’t listen to it’s “just buy the nicer machine” for espresso. While it’s fun that I got to upgrade the parts and make it better. It also cost me just as much money. The tinker aspect only involves a few simple upgrades on my Gaggia Classic Pro. But what I didn’t realize is that espresso machines, much like other consumer hobbies was already…

Pareto principle. I bought a Gaggia but didn't do all of the extra stuff you mentioned, because I simply don't care enough for marginal returns. That's why a moka pot, which I had before, would still not be a good enough successor, because getting just the Gaggia is enough for most people who want to make espresso, the optimizations you talk about, while I have heard of all of them, are pretty much unnecessary if you are not trying to reach 100% of the output. I am content with 80% good enough results.

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#178

Post by satvikpendem »

nathancahill wrote: post #10

The closest I've gotten to DIY espresso is EspressoForge: https://espressoforge.com/

Wow that site is incredibly annoying on mobile, just let me scroll ffs. Anyway, is this comparable to those portable pump action espresso machines? Thus seems quite a bit larger for minimal gain, at first glance, but I'd be happy to hear opinions on how it might be better (after all, it is bigger, presumably for some good reason).

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#179

Post by Arch-TK »

karolist wrote: post #109
Arch-TK wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People still buy supermarket instant. I think the problem is actually that people don't know what good coffee tastes like, nor do they care.

I'd argue most people don't even like coffee, they drink it for the caffeine.

I think I would agree that most people don't like their experience of black coffee.

Whether that's because there is no coffee or brewing method out there that, when served black, would satisfy them, or because they've just not had the chance to taste what they would consider good coffee, of that I am not sure.

Re: DiyPresso: DIY Espresso Machine

#180

Post by righthand »

satvikpendem wrote: post #177
righthand wrote: post #167

I am the “self-upgrade my hardware” type. If there’s one piece of advice I didn’t listen to it’s “just buy the nicer machine” for espresso. While it’s fun that I got to upgrade the parts and make it better. It also cost me just as much money. The tinker aspect only involves a few simple upgrades on my Gaggia Classic Pro. But what I didn’t realize is that espresso machines, much like other consumer hobbies was already…

Pareto principle. I bought a Gaggia but didn't do all of the extra stuff you mentioned, because I simply don't care enough for marginal returns. That's why a moka pot, which I had before, would still not be a good enough successor, because getting just the Gaggia is enough for most people who want to make espresso, the optimizations you talk about, while I have heard of all of them, are pretty much unnecessary if you…

The advice though on the market is that if you want a good cup of coffee you need to do more than buy the machine. I agree that the gains are marginal. With a PC, I can upgrade my ram and the gains might be marginal, but I still have a world of free stuff I can install and tinker on it. Once the espresso machine is built/upgraded then that’s it really. You can only buy more things for it. There is no exploratory afterward to enjoy really.

I don’t agree that a moka pot wouldn’t be enough. Percolation through a moka pot tastes 10 times better than my Gaggia. My Gaggia has no determination when enough is enough, I have to count to 20-25 seconds each time I want a cup. I once accidentally percolated a cup with it by not refilling the resovoir enough. The little water the boiler was able to pump out was pure steam and it was my best cup of coffee I had with the machine, even if it was maybe detrimental to the machine itself.

Post reply on HN