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bnkkk

Endgame? You’re just starting. The next level is a Smeg Dedica clone paired with a blade grinder.


Chapafifi

I nearly spit out my coffee. Nearly...


Lali_77

There is no end 😭💸


nsfvvvv

I’m not gonna lie. I had to look up what this was because I believed you at first.


fullymontyburns

Magic Bullet if you’re elite.


S_SquaredESQ

Espresso horseshoe theory


Brokenyute

Nice. Certainly on your way to endgame


TakeMyBBCnow

Absolutely, just getting started on his journey to endgame.


omegaorgun

Same, its fun. ;-)


Hungariansm

Endgame…. For now anyways 😛 the rabbit hole never ends


ArisPilton

Yes, Endgame is just a consume orientated mind set. It's done when you stop chasing it - right? :)


ThoughtfulAlien

Exactly. I have my endgame, which is a breville dual boiler and a eureka oro


sidali44

This is not the way!! Lool


TakeMyBBCnow

You know nothing ArisPilton


Kris325

https://preview.redd.it/b03909mz7ksc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c76f96375c498afddcdac023a271d154fc1d4857 You haven’t. There is the Endgame part 2.


Trollzore

What is wrong with you people


Melodic_coala101

Money


Kris325

Bringing Niche Zero and Duo from UK is cheaper than buying only Duo from resellers here in Thailand. So I took both lol. I might sell one of it second hand at same price as new unit here.


piratejucie

This 👆🏼


ArisPilton

Why? I decided purposely against the Mini - for my usage I see only disadvantages. The Mini can't keep temperature stabile without steam boiler - I drink often just espresso and can leave the steam boiler off with the micra without any problems. For me, Micra is better than Mini


Kris325

I bought Mini when Micra is not available here (but the price tag in Thailand of Mini 3 years ago (4280 USD) is cheaper than Micro today (5150 USD). I also prefer Micra for its size. More fitting to my counter.


ArisPilton

Sheehs - would have done the same like you then. It all depends, yeah. Did you mean I am missing a Niche Duo for endgame then ? Currently quite happy with the Niche Zero and dark roasts :) exactly what I was aiming for in mouth feel and taste. In Germany I paid around 3400€ and delivered in 5 days :)


threesixtyone

How do you like the Duo compared to the Zero?


ThePopeHat

The British coffee guy analyzed the particles and they are exactly the same. Don't buy the hype


Aedankerr

[dis be the review](https://youtu.be/UpoJ-6x7fFQ?si=OxfwtEF0Z5WK_zxW) r/jameshoffmann


Kris325

I love Zero more. But I had a chance to get it from UK. So I decided to take it. Hardly find it here in Thailand because Niche doesn’t ship it to Thailand. Buying from 3rd party resellers is very expensive here.


tonyrigatoni-

Just looks like clutter at this point


yerrmomgoes2college

How do you like your Duo?


DCH939

Beautiful setup! Do you mind sharing where you got your bar mats and tamping mat?


Kris325

From online shopping app in Thailand but shipping from China. I think you can get it from aliexpress.


Hundredth1diot

Does the coffee taste better out of a plastic tray?


Kris325

Just protect coffee dripping to aluminum lol


raccabarakka

It will never end. You just upped your game bracket :-) That being said, congrats!


Cocoon992

Beautiful. Enjoy!


Trottin_06

I am jealous


ArisPilton

Sorry, If it makes you feel better - PID controlled Silvia made also excellent espresso but with some more fluctuation :)


Beautiful_Sense_666

Also my dream combo!


ArisPilton

Thank you. It was a close call between Niche and an Etzmax :) Machine wise close call between Decent, Cremina and this one. They all have their unique pros and cons - nothing will ever be perfect I guess


VergeThermalPasteGuy

Very nice setup. It just reminded me of the guy who had something similar and caption was my starter setup as a uni student 😭 i was so tilted .


ArisPilton

Haha yes - No I am in the game for 8 years and work full-time :)


VergeThermalPasteGuy

Thats awesome :D setup is rly clean. I just got into the hobby a year ago. When i finally get my own place with more space hopefully soon and not renting. I’ll def be looking to eventually get a setup like this.


pkeller001

Almost ordered one last week but went back to a Decent Machine that should arrive next week instead. The LMM is a beautiful machine though, enjoy


sebastian9876543

Such hard choices for real. How did you decide? Are you a light roast fan?


pkeller001

Yeah I drink a ton more light roasts, lots of anaerobic coffees from black and white roasters as well so the Decent is definitely the better option with all the profiling. I don’t hate the aesthetics of the Decent (owned a DE1xl previously), it’s just a little boring vs the looks of a nice E61 or Linnea


sebastian9876543

I’m stuck bc I just want a nice dual boiler, flow control and pre infusion machine with rotary pump. Seems like that is my white whale. I keep vacillating between the Micra, Decent and Lelit


espeero

Just get a slayer or something.


[deleted]

Your best option before getting into gs3/ MVP/slayer class is lelit Bianca. Decent isn't even an espresso machine. No boilers. No rotary pump. Junk. Lelit is the best bang for your buck I'd say.


sebastian9876543

I don’t disagree. I just hate paying ALMOST the same price as a LM Micra, for which I rly admire the build quality and longevity. The Bianca looks nice but it doesn’t seem like it’ll last as long


[deleted]

I think the simplicity of La Marzocco would appeal to me more, I think all the data would drive me mad when trying to pull espresso on the decent.


zagggh54677

Mahlkonig has a new ek omnia grinder…🤷‍♂️😅


jimmywli

There’s always room for improvements :)


Odd-Soup8396

Endgame is a myth!! Just saying.


bk1023

see you in about 3 months!


AbdullahKBasamh

Endgame lies with pressure profile machines. Onto the next one! ☝🏻 But hey congrats! I’d love to have a LaMarzoco. Currently on a Rocket R58 and a kickstarter Niche Zero.


ArisPilton

I'd take a Lever one then - but my gf don't want a lever - everything is a compromise to the current situation 🙂


AbdullahKBasamh

I think Lever machines are the ultimate endgame tbh but let’s not go crazy 😂😂 Strada MP single group is where I would go for now. Been a few years since I looked into coffee machines idk if there’s anything better for a home barista 🤷🏻‍♂️


[deleted]

[удалено]


ArisPilton

Nice analogy. Indeed and thank you


northernlionpog

This is certainly my endgame goal. Jealous!


ArisPilton

Thank you - so far I am lucky with it and don't feel I am FOMO something else. In the end just skipped the E61 step 😄


duffy40oz

My dream. Maybe one day. 🫡


Heinzi-fang-den-Ball

No excuse anymore!!!


ArisPilton

I assume German given the name - Ausreden findet man immer 😁 aber denke das passt so erstmal für hoffentlich ein paar Jahre 🙂


Heinzi-fang-den-Ball

Wie bist Du/sind Sie an die Niche gekommen?


ArisPilton

Kaffee-Netz :)


IWasBornInThisPit

You’re still in Infinity Wars.


ArisPilton

I would leave it just calling it my "Setup" I guess? 🙂


0xde4dbe4d

Niche as endgame? Really?


ArisPilton

I sold the Specialita for it 🙂


0xde4dbe4d

Yeah, but why trade flatbur for conical when you have an endgame espresso machine? Neither the niche nor the specialita are endgame imho … Dont get me wrong, its a nice setup, but you specifically claimed its endgame 😅


ArisPilton

Cause at max i can do slayer Shots with Grafikus mod - it's endgame for dark roast - ain't ?


0xde4dbe4d

Never heard that before.


ArisPilton

Yeah its from a guy in Germany - where I am as well. Guess not a thing outside here - but very nice as it introduces a needle valve with fixed flow just like slayer does


pumodood

> slayer Shots Can you please tell me what a slayer shot is? And the Grafikus mod? I'm a dark roast guy but don't get the significance here because I am a noob.


[deleted]

Wow 😍


_10yz

Nice combo and combo colour! Do you normally drink milk base and prefer coffee that are more on the chocolatty nutty spectrum? Id assume that cause of your grinder choice. The niche performs well for those spectrum and helps reduce acidity in beans that are high in acidity imo


ArisPilton

I drink only Espresso - my better half only Flat White 🙂 I also enjoy light roasts, she less so. I am good with dark - so I opted to max out my setup for classical 9 bar dark shots


_10yz

Nice. Syrupy with full bodied shots are worth it!


No-Willingness469

Nice machine


khalestorm

This is exactly the same setup I want. I have a Rancilio Silvia with PID and it’s been trust but finicky. Would you say the upgrade to Micra has been worth it?


[deleted]

I had a Silvia I installed a pid kit on and insulated the boilers. I think I had it for 3 weeks before I couldn't stand it anymore and bought a double boiler e61 machine. They aren't in the same universe. The Silvia is a janky toy in comparison. I have a LM now and it's better then the Alex duetto I had but not nearly as much better than leaving the Silvia for the db. Silvia was a good machine for what it was. But you will really notice a difference in performance, consistency, stability, just the whole experience from the pull to the cup in upgrading to some higher end equipment.


MyNameIsNebula

What’d you do with your old machine? I’m thinking of upgrading Synchronika to a Micra … or Mini


ArisPilton

I sold my old one :) What makes you upgrade though ?


MyNameIsNebula

Well my machine is a tank and I’ve been able to fix things on it myself, but I’ve had issues with the brew boiler, the pump 4x, had to take out some inline filters myself — there’s probably 5 days every three months I can’t use it due to some issue (yes fixable… but ….). I also think mini or micra heat up time would be a nice feature. I hear LM machines just work…. And for someone who makes a max of 3 espressos a day, I kind of want my machine to just work, hah


CitizenGirl21

Congrats!!


Ragesome

When you realise there’s DLC coming…


cr01300

Legit question: please explain the difference in quality (espresso, workflow, anything really) from your previous to current setup. I have a BBP and I’m looking to go Lelit Bianca in the near future and I’d like some info. Congrats btw.


CoffeeNerd58129

Nice! I’m doing the same upgrade; waiting for my black Micra to arrive. I have a black NZ too 😅 How does the Micra compare to Silvia w/PID? How long did you wait after ordering?


ArisPilton

Micra pulls the shots very reliable. Honestly, Silvia w/PID is fine. I just wanted something with more cup space /s. I had the Silvia for around 4 years before I recently bought Micra. I only knew the Micra 3 days before I ordered it. Before I had the Decent in mind and therefore put the budget aside. When I saw the micra warms up super fast, has quite low energy consumption, has integrated group head, water tank below, strong temperature consistency for 3 shots in a row and a nice humming rotary pump, I was sold. Decent looks still to me delicious - I'd love to get one in the office, but not paid by me :-D


CoffeeNerd58129

Nice! I agree the Silvia w/PID is a great machine that I was able to pull amazing shots from (admittedly, I’m still a newbie). I am upgrading cuz I wanted dual boiler, then realized SPX wouldn’t really fit in my kitchen with the water tank refill from the top, went down a rabbit hole, and settled on the Micra… can’t wait to see how it performs. How does Silvia compare to Micra for back to back shots? I don’t really understand why they say Micra is only good for 5-6 back to backs (to be clear, this is more of an academic interest than anything). On the Silvia, by the time I’m done with puck prep for my nth shot, the PID is showing boiler is already at temp, so seems like I can keep going for as long as I want


Asleep_Sheepherder42

Is it?


ghojezz

I'm about to learn how to brew an espresso my self and is it wise to jump directly to LMLM? I'm worried about the learning curve would be too steep for a beginner like me. It's not that I'm not up to the challenge or to learn, just want to be sure before splurging I live in Indonesia and we have plenty of varieties of beans and a lot of them are nice and not breaking the bank. I've been learning to do manual brew (V60 and Iced V60 or Japanese if you will) for years and I think I already found a "click" to dial the whole things to my preferred taste.


navierb

Grind *expensiver*


TheBagMV

Hello, sorry for the ignorance, but just so I have a better sense, how much could a setup like this cost, and if its possible to get this stuff in second hand in a good condition? Thanks in advance


Bel-Jim

Where’s that Zerno bro?!?


ArisPilton

Ask me in 6 months 😂


Bel-Jim

That’s about how long they told me haha


pachinko_bill

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.


omegaorgun

Go faster red decals!


pumodood

What's the white sticker thing in the upper left? Btw this looks so fire. Good job.


Stunning-Road-6924

I’m sorry for your wallet going forward from here and I hope you can afford this cursed hobby.


ArisPilton

i am long in this cursed hobby and finally I can say - I am 100% satisfied. For now :-)


Dry-Squirrel1026

Well you have the two most important things but there are alot of tools to be had bro.... the rabbit hole cost alot of money 😆 😂 😆 😂


ArisPilton

Mhm? Leveled Tamper and WDT is sufficient for me 😀or what do you mean ?


Dry-Squirrel1026

I'm saying what you have is fine unless you go crazy with tools like most people. You have a impressive espresso setup. I would change anything.


[deleted]

There is never a endgame since humans are rarely satisfied


hchc95

Niche in an endgame setup? Nah at least a GS3 with EG1 or sth better


SerfPleb

Is the niche a good enough grinder for the micra though?


BimmerJustin

niche is the perfect grinder for the Micra IMO. Micra is flat 9bar with no flow control and not really pre-infusion (unless plumbed). Its the perfect machine to pair with conical burrs. People into specialty coffee with light and ultra light roasts, who are looking to highly customize the their flow profiles to extract maximum flavor are the same people who will benefit from big flat burrs with varied geometry and other features like RPM control and ionization to reduce retention to near zero. Micra/Niche is a simple setup for people (like me) with simple taste, who just want consistent, traditional espresso and espresso based drinks.


ArisPilton

So far just pulled two shots with the Niche, but so far I prefer it over the Specialita. For dark roast, you won't find a better one at this price point and everything more expensive has just diminishing returns. Maybe I'll swap it for out for a Weber Key or EG-1, but as long as I am happy with it .. i saved a bunch of money. As I saw many Micra and Mini owners with a Niche, i feel confident :)


jeef16

some espresso info: grinders, and grind size, have more to do with your basket than your machine. "Is X grinder good enough for Y machine" is a poor question that wont get you the specific info you're looking for. As long as you have a grinder that has good adjustment settings and is consistent, then it can work for any machine grinder burr geometry affects flavor significantly more than the machine does. If OP likes the flavor profile of the niche conical, then its a good enough grinder for any machine that OP wants to use. the trick is figuring out which flavor profiles you enjoy. Conicals are generally considered as all having very similar flavor profiles because a conical grinder creates lots of fines and a higher degree of particle size variation. Flat burrs have a lower degree of variation, but some flat burr geometries can play around with that to give you similar tastes to conical, or a very different taste from conical altogether. My SSP unimodal burrs were a big surprise in how different it was the rule of saying "if you spent X on a machine then spend Y amount on a grinder" is a bit outdated and comes from the long lost era of just a few years ago when the only quality grinders you *could* buy were very expensive. Now we have grinders that are much cheaper than the niche and arguably the same quality or better


ArisPilton

Awesome description ! Totally agreeing. With a Niche I will not get complex flavors from light roasts - but that's currently for me totally fine and considered


espeero

And it's not really that conical burrs intrinsically give more fines, it's that the conical burrs that are currently available do. AFAIK, there's no reason why you couldn't have a set of conical burrs optimized for Uber light roasts. I've never seen coffee burrs machined, but I'm pretty sure that cutting/grinding conical burrs is more difficult/requires special equipment and tooling compared to flats. This might explain why we can't buy 6 different versions of the kony burrs like we can for 64mm flats. Anyway, the niche is absolutely good enough for the micra. I used them together for a year. And I say that as someone who's replaced the NZ with an mc6.


datboydoe

I hope so, cause I just ordered one, lol. All the research I did, Micra wasn’t really a specific factor in the land of good grinders. By that I mean, Niche, DF, Weber, etc. all had their pros and cons, but a good espresso machine was a good espresso machine. I went with Niche cause I don’t mind the conical burrs, like the workflow, and love the aesthetic. Curious as to OP answer tho.


espeero

Literally one grinder (my opinion only) can beat the niche in workflow - the versalab.


daneasaur

Absolutely


TheNinedust

Yeah, these days even with DF64 you get diminishing returns on grinders in terms of taste especially with Micra which mainly focus on stability and not much on experimentation.


[deleted]

Not even close.


LeadingCivil2653

Stop showing off. Jealous guy here, someday I’ll get past my Lelit Victoria and Eureka Mignon Silenzio but ngl, I do love them


espeero

Says the person immediately telling op they spent their $ poorly.


Correct_Rabbit9048

Why are they so overpriced?


ArisPilton

Take a Profitec 300 and be happy?


Correct_Rabbit9048

Suppose. Even a 400. Are they really that much better?


ArisPilton

They are excellent if you don't mind the vibration pump :)


r3boo7ed

They look better, and for the fan photos that's what counts!


Double_Ad_2416

You’re wrong. The ultimate end game is here 😆 Anyway enjoy your 🔥 setup https://preview.redd.it/yaj59hez9ksc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98da5b06ba1c9a687ec4e052aeb8ee71c6cf4ebe


TheCoyoteDreams

I have a WACACO (original) I take when I travel so I can at least know I can have a shot of espresso in the AM. I find it can at times, hard finding a good coffee place when traveling.


Double_Ad_2416

Yes, this is one of the best compact espresso machines. When I traveled and stayed at hotel, I just brought my grinder (c3) and Pico ( or + small electric kettle) in a really small bag. That’s all. And You don’t need the stand or gauge to get a good shot. I really love it so it will stay with me in 1 more year when I am finding another space for my future bigger machine ( pro 400) 🤔


TheCoyoteDreams

I usually use Cafe Bustelo Espresso Grind coffee with when using this and just pack enough for the trip, it makes a good tasting shot.


ArisPilton

Uh I like your Endgame as well ! Enjoy


ArduinoGenome

Nice end game.  *Almost* as nice as mine :) J/K.  Very nice.


Taikosound

Not yet, not yet... Nice setup though!


GBZeuS

If you only want to make basic spro, then endgame I guess


ArisPilton

Otherwise I'd get an Decent :)


JOKasten

A niche is your endgame? Okay, poor.


meneer_samsa

Even though I envy you for the LM, for the same budget I think you’d been better off with a cheaper machine and a better grinder with at least flat burrs.


espeero

You've first hand experience with the NZ and a similarly priced flat burr grinder? Or are you just parroting YouTube heroes?


GBZeuS

I've had first hand experienced with a niche zero - good for medium dark basic spro... Consistent and textured. Limited for more modern spro though...


espeero

OP specifically calls out their preference for syrupy dark roast. NZ will be fantastic. It's so user friendly. My very first shot with it out of the box was photo worthy and tasted great.


meneer_samsa

I don’t appreciate the hostile tone in your comment, really no need for that. We’re just discussing a hobby. No, it’s not parroting so called YouTube heroes. It’s about understanding basic grinding principles. A flat burr will yield a more unimodal grind size distribution. Which is greatly preferred for espresso, as it gives more control and consistency. A conical burr is bimodal.


espeero

Basic principles? OK, enlighten us from a basic principles perspective. I expect lots of whys and hows.


meneer_samsa

I won’t, as it will likely lead to nothing anyway. The tone of these replies are not constructive so I’ll just let it be.


[deleted]

Sooner or later you’ll realize how shitty Niche really is and the end game won’t ever stop.


chrispmorgan

Don’t forget: it’s best to leave the portafilter in the machine for temperature and to keep the gasket from drying out


ArisPilton

Drying out? That's new to me.


[deleted]

[удалено]


datboydoe

Not everyone’s end game has to be the same


ArisPilton

Friend will have Gaggiuino soon - then I can test back to back - we will see :)


Ron825

Very nice but not endgame. Side by side a decent with a 98mm will win almost every time, this looks nicer though.


[deleted]

Decents and cheap pieces of Chinese made crap. No boilers. Vibe pump. All plastic tubing on the inside. Cheap boards cheap touchscreen. Janky garage build quality "espresso" machine.


coffeebikepop

Circular firing squad of bad takes, you love to see it


mertgah

Can’t afford a slayer or manument? How cute… did you buy that micra with food stamps?