9Barista workflow 

You are absolutely right. as an hobbyist, making coffee is really enjoyable and relaxing, from measuring the beans to grinding and brewing to finally enjoying a nice cup of coffee. The workflow might actually brightens me up in the depressing morning more then the cup of coffee itself.

Thanks! Yeah I do think there's something to that. It kind of becomes a ritual and almost a way of meditation. I also try to think of it from the standpoint of appreciation. A lot of these things provide great convenience, but I still try to be intentional and stay in the moment when brewing.

Haha, thanks for saying that. I appreciate the encouragement. This rabbit hole goes deep. Sometimes I feel like the more I learn about coffee, the more I understand how little I know.

lmao

😆

@I G Dont worry about it if you didnt get it, you could always search if you want to know. :-)

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I got it right with this first video. Probably can't say the same with my other ones though, haha. Will definitely keep this in mind as I move forward.

I've been doing that now as part of my workflow. Works pretty well for the most part, but occasionally I cut it way too close 😂. Especially if I'm using a hand grinder and trying to dial it in. I end up in OCD territory with my puck prep to eliminate that variable. Haven't had any accidents yet, thank goodness.

Thanks for the kind words 😊

Thanks! I checked out your video as well. That extraction time was spot on... very nice.

Thank you, really appreciate it! Yeah, I've since been using a funnel but still on the hunt for the right one. Mine has a deep lip that sits on the inside of the portafilter. I'd prefer one without that so that I can do WDT with the funnel on. I have one on my wish list, but debating whether I should get that or an IMS precision basket. Might have to do both 😁!

Yeah, I hear you. I agree that it probably more fills a niche. I would say though the general workflow naturally encourages you to keep the 9B clean and maintained. With electric machines it seems more daunting to do periodic maintenance (e.g. thorough cleaning) and so I imagine that most people don't do it that often. They do offer a lot of conveniences, features, and flexibility though so I definitely see the upside of that route.

"proper" electric machine? Dude, serious? Lol. Alright. Keep drinking your American sissy coffee.

Ordered mine in September, got it three months later. Man I was getting impatient and was so happy when it arrived. It's worth the wait though. Hopefully you get it dialed in quickly. It did take me a bit, but now I'm enjoying some really good shots.

@@davidmaurice1294 I ordered my in late October - it's arriving later this week. Unfortunately I have to wait a few more weeks/a month for the grinder to arrive. I'm hopeful it won't be too hard to dial in, once I've figured out the correct gas heat.

Still happy with it and have it in rotation 👍. I've simplified my workflow, mostly just following 9Barista's instructions. The only thing I've added is a funnel to help keep the grinds in the basket while I WDT. I also use room temp water and do my puck prep while the boiler is heating up.

Thanks for the feedback. Happy you liked it!

You can somewhat see that in my back to back shots video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s0JTOFptysQ.html

Got this from 9Barista's troubleshooting knowledgebase: Problem: Water is leaking from the side of the machine, at the point where the boiler and grouphead join... Solution: If water is leaking from this point, it’s coming past the upper chamber o-ring. If this is the case, it’s most likely that the boiler simply hasn’t been screwed on tight enough. Simply tighten the boiler more next time you use the machine. It’s also possible that the boiler o-ring has popped out of its groove, so it’s a good idea to check that too. It might be helpful to reach out to them directly. It seems strange that nothing would come out from the top. Without any coffee grounds, there shouldn't be any resistance once the valve is triggered.

@@davidmaurice1294 Tks a lot. I did see that, but thought “I did tighten it well though”…. so yeah, may have to talk to them directly if it doesn’t get worked out soon. Kind of a bummer having a new $500 toy that you can’t play with lol… Idw to put coffee in it though till I get water through the top ok. Adding: but did you leave your hotplate at or near 5/max the whole time with grounds in it? Or if not, what did you turn it down to and how many minutes into hearing the bubbling? (You’re the only person I’ve found w/ a video who uses the small hotplate like me…)

@@bendmymind486 I've more recently been leaving the hot plate at 4-4.5 throughout the brewing process. I keep it high because it's hard to determine if/when the boiler is reaching temp. As you may already know, it works like a pressure cooker except it heats water to 179ºC (vs. ~121ºC) in order to reach 9 bar. From how it's designed, I'm not sure how helpful it is to lower the hot plate temp significantly. The valve is designed to open at 9 bar and I would suspect that it would close off again if the pressure (driven by temp) is reduced too much.

@@davidmaurice1294 Bet you’re right… makes sense. Well I did take one small step in the right direction today- I decided to just go for it with fresh ground beans instead of worrying about water only. It was about a 32-seconds extraction that didn’t look creamy/well-bodied whatsoever, lol, and pretty much zero crema…. but I’m working with a very basic burr grinder with clicks from 0 to 11- till I find a nice one to buy. M first try was on 3 of 11. Going to try 2 next, & keep the heat high like you mentioned. Sry for all the long deets! I just really want this experience bad, haha. Tks again for sharing tips. I have a good feeling about the next try- but especially the one after that when I have an espresso-worthy grinder! (And this time I did use all my body-strength to tighten the machine parts together, which obviously made a difference. You were right. 👏🏼👌)

Thank you! Hadn't had any feedback on the music, so I appreciate your input.

Thanks for the feedback! Creating videos is a work in progress for me so I appreciate how everyone's steering me in the right direction. I believe the water issue you're referring to was mostly related to earlier batches and has now been corrected. I haven't experienced any of that and my thought is that it only happens now if you overfill the boiler. I do think that water can come out of the chimney after brewing, but again it might be related to the water level you start off with. Could also happen I think if you end the shot too quick (i.e. start pouring when it's technically still brewing). In general with the temp/pressure still high after brewing I think water in the cooling boiler/chimney area is definitely possible. Having said all that, I haven't had any issues with water leaking out of anywhere whatsoever. I think it's because I keep the initial water in the boiler at about 110g (the minimum specified) and I don't pour so quickly after it brews. Not sure if I get the best espresso that way (i.e. barely get 1:2 ratio with 18g of coffee) but at least for my taste buds the shots have been great. In terms of messiness in general, I'd say the 9Barista is actually one of the least messy of all the methods I use. Less messier than my Flair and my moka pot in terms of cleaning out the puck (and also if I get channeling/spraying on the Flair), definitely less messy that a French press, slightly more cleanup than a pour over. It think the ease of the 9Barista is it's strong point. The results you get are very repeatable, so once you dial it in you can pretty much expect the same well extracted shot every time. Also there are few parts to clean or fuss with. It's pretty awesome. If someone's not into tinkering/profiling and just wants a good espresso, I think the 9Barista could be a great option.

​​@@davidmaurice1294 I watched one of James Hoffman's videos on the 9 barista and evidently you can rough up the inside of the water chamber with fine sandpaper to help with creating more nucleation points for water/ steam bubbles to develop. This way the bubbles do not form larger and uptowards the chimney where water might start to spit out.

Thank you for your feedback and glad you enjoyed the video!

Since you're asking specifically about the beans, I'm assuming you have everything else dialed in (grind size, dose, 25-30 sec extraction time, proper ratio). I generally get my best results using coffee from a roaster that's local to me: www.bluestilly.com/ Essentially, for me it comes down to the roast level and how fresh the beans are. Blue Stilly delivers to me beans 1-2 days off roast date and does a med-dark level roast. I find that anything darker risks introducing unpleasant bitterness, and light to medium roasts generally will not create the same level of crema. All that being said, there's debate on whether or not crema is a necessary indicator of a good extraction and if it benefits the overall taste of the cup. For me, I find that when I do get good crema, the espresso has the mouthfeel I'm looking for. But if I have a light roast on hand, I don't count on having the same mouthfeel and have different expectations.

@@davidmaurice1294 Thank you very much for your answer. To be honest, I'm not having much attention to the grind size, dose, extracition time... I did not know that all those points had importance in the amount of cream.

Thanks for watching the video and for your feedback! In my next 9Barista video I'll try to answer this for future viewers. It's hard to get a sense of the materials used when watching the video. Maybe I should have mentioned this but that white basket cap, which holds the grounds in place and acts as a shower screen, is not plastic. It's made of silicone. In addition, all materials used are safe for food contact. If there's more you'd like to understand about the machine, I highly recommend checking out the 9Barista knowledge base on their website as they've recently revamped it and it's very detailed. Hope that helps!

If you're still having that issue, I would forego preheating or use hot water in the boiler to start. As for me, I no longer preheat and use room temp water. I'm comfortable enough to have the 9B on the stove while preparing the puck. Since I don't preheat, I have ~5 minutes or so for puck prep which is plenty based on my workflow.

Thanks! I do plan to have a follow up. It's been a while since I've posted another 9Barista video. There's a few I'm thinking of, like a complete teardown, addressing some of the questions that's come up, and comparing it to the Flair as well as the moka pot (since some might mistake the 9B as a glorified version). Hopefully I can get to one of those soon 😄.

@@davidmaurice1294 since your reply I have pulled the trigger. Tim

Yup. The wait time was long (3 months at the time I purchased it), but it was worth it. I also have a Flair Pro2 which I bought because I got tired of waiting lol, and got a killer deal on it at the time. I like both but will admit that the 9Barista is now so much easier for me to get good shots with. It's really cool. If you've had (or used) a moka pot, you might think it's similar. But what comes out of it is very different... true espresso. I highly recommend you check out the two links I placed in the description if you haven't already come across them. Of course nothing is perfect , especially since this is a first generation product. There were improvements in production that came along the way to resolve issues (check out 9Barista's blog), and I imagine this will continue. I noticed on mine the boiler does seem to suffer from a bit of corrosion (I think). If I don't thoroughly rinse the inside beforehand, I see some tiny bits of something floating around when I fill it with water. Not sure if others have experienced the same or if it's just mine. It seems they are responsive if you need support, but I've kind of resigned myself to dealing with things myself since I don't know how long it would take if I ever needed something replaced. Hope this helps.

I answered in the other video where you asked, but posting it here too in case others are wondering. I mostly use an electric grinder for espresso (64mm flat) but do break out the JX-Pro on occasion. It's very capable and actually quite fast. It generally takes me around 30-40 seconds to grind an 18g dose. As for settings, The Coffee Chronicler has a nice collection of starting points for different grinders: coffeechronicler.com/grind-size-chart/ For espresso, it's logged as 1.7-2 rotations with the JX-Pro. This is for the version with the grey dot (red dot is different).

Cool, thanks for the tip. I'm currently going through a bag of dark roast so that's helpful to know. It's turning out to be my preference. I'm getting creamier shots (at least it feels that way to me) and also I've never really been into strong acidity in my espresso. I've mostly been doing pour overs for lighter roasts now.

I think for this video, my coffee was a few days after roast date. It's also a darker roast (i.e. easy to extract). If the beans are fresh, easy to extract, and ground fine enough, shot should be pretty creamy.

Thank you. For me it's a good option for no-fuss espresso. I like the quality of shots it makes and the workflow is pretty simple. Do you have one as well (or thinking of one)? Would love to hear about your thoughts/experiences.

The company is based in the UK. When I bought mine, production was pretty slow with COVID and all and it took a couple months to receive it. I believe it's gotten much better now. It's a little pricy at close to $400 US. But what you have to consider is that you'd be hard pressed to find something else in that range that can give you the quality of shots with the speed/ease of workflow. There's no preheating involved, it's fully automatic, and maintenance/clean up is minimal. It's a pretty solid machine.

Here's what I'm using: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0817TX638 It has 5 settings, but I'm not sure how they break down into temperatures. The max is 570 degrees (I assume Fahrenheit). These days, I just have it set to max temp.

How does it perform on a regular stove (and using the heat exchanger)? If you don't seem to have any issues there, I suspect the issue with the burner might with your particular unit. I haven't had any issues with it not getting hot enough so I think in general they work fine. If it does happen to be your unit and it's returnable, I'd try to get a replacement and see if that helps. You can also try using hot water in the boiler to start with. Ideally you shouldn't have to do that, but maybe it's worth a shot? Lastly, you could also try setting it to 4 or 4.5 and not at 5. There's an auto-shutoff and at full power it seems to trigger quicker than at lower settings. Just thought of something else. Highly doubt this, but the last thing to rule out would be power issues (e.g. low voltage). Maybe test it on a different circuit altogether?

@@davidmaurice1294 Hi David, thanks for your detailed reply, the unit does work fine on a normal stove (no heat exchanger required). I'll give it a shot replacing the burner unit. But yes before I do that I'll try it on 4 or 4.5 power. Maybe I'll try a different outlet to see if there is any change there. Cheers mate

I haven't experienced that issue. I assume you've already checked out the 9Barista knowledgebase? 9barista.com/knowledge-base/instructions/replacing-the-safety-ring/ According to them, it can activate when there's no water in the boiler while still on the heat source.

That would be cool, but as far as I know there isn't anything else like this on the market. If you haven't already, you could try the moka pot. You get something close to espresso, and with the right technique it can make a really excellent cup.

I haven't experimented much with that and pretty much put it on max (i.e. 5). It usually doesn't trigger the auto shutoff unless I'm doing back to back shots. Have you tried using lower settings? I'd be curious if it would prevent it from having to cycle the power. Maybe I'm just being lazy... I guess I could test this out myself, right 😁?

Still have it.

Guessing you've found it by now, but just in case: 9barista.com/product/9barista-espresso-machine/

Sorry, I don't have a Flair 58. My guess is that the grind would be courser with the 9Barista. You'd still want to use an espresso-capable grinder though.

@@davidmaurice1294 cool. Thanks. I’m thinking of getting one myself for traveling. Need to know the grinding size :)

I do recommend it and like the fact that I don't have to be limited to the kitchen stove or need to use the exchanger plate. One thing to note though is that I did have an issue once where the boiler didn't get hot enough. There's an auto shutoff and if you fully preheat the stove, it will turn off and on during the brew. Only when I preheat it less than a few minutes does it heat the boiler enough to achieve the full 9 bars. Hmm, maybe it doesn't need a preheat at all, something I'll try next (hopefully tomorrow morning). Will let you know how that goes.

Well, without preheating it took about 7 or so minutes to brew a shot. So I guess the stove does need a couple of minutes to preheat.

@@davidmaurice1294 I like the idea of the hotplate for my camper. It would be much more convenient for my Moka Pot use. And I just may have to consider getting one of the 9Barista units. (much bigger pill to swallow though-:)

I also have a butane burner. I like that for the moka pot because I don't need to preheat or wait for it to cool down. It doesn't get hot enough for the 9Barista but works well for the moka pot: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085H7285D FYI, I should be posting a video on that this Friday.

You probably figured this out already, but you can order from here: 9barista.com/

Cleaning is pretty easy and straight forward. I usually do it very soon after pulling the shot, so I don't know if it's different for those who clean up later. You can kind of get a sense of it with my other video about multiple shots. Half way, I clean out the machine to prepare for the next shot. Overall, I'd say clean up is less involved/messy than with my Flair and my moka pot. One thing to note though is that for me the boiler needs a good rinse and wiped own before use. Not sure what it is, but there's some kind of build up (I'm guessing from the metals) that forms on the inside. Come to think of it I should ask 9Barista about that. Will let you know if I learn anything new.

Sorry, no. I haven't had any friends over unfortunately and I'm the only one in the house who drinks coffee, haha. I do wash it out soon after so I have some thoughts. The 9B will still be under a lot of pressure (you probably already know that) and it's almost impossible to take it apart. I use the pressure relief valve before taking it apart. Helps a lot. I also have a silicone pad that I wrap around the boiler so that I don't burn myself. I would think you could get another coffee going pretty quickly. Just need to remember to release the pressure and be careful with the boiler so you don't burn yourself. Hmm, that might make for a good 9Barista video... thanks!

Hey, I had the chance to brew 2 shots one after the other. The process of taking it apart can happen instantly. First cool it down with cold cold tap water, then take the portafilter out and put it a side for a second. Keep cooling it and once you feel you can touch the water chamber, release the pressure using the release valve, instructions will be on the 9 barista manual you got with your unit. When you push down on the release valve you'll hear the pressure coming out, wait a few seconds untill the sound stops which indicate that there is no more pressure inside. Then just unscrew the water chamber and you are almost done. The portafilter should be cold be now but make sure it is with a bit of cold water. Take the shower screen out, knock the puck out and you are ready for another shot. That sounds like a lot but that will take no more than 1-2 minutes. Please be careful in the process. I do it all the time with my unit but I don't take responsibility for the actions of anyone😄. Hope I helped.

Thanks for the detailed walkthrough. I agree it gets to be pretty straight forward, especially once you've done it a few times. I've done shots back to back more often now (mostly when dialing in a new roast), so I've settled into a decent workflow with it. Pretty much doing what you've outline, and can confirm that it's less involved than it sounds, although 1 minute would be fast for me (more like 2 minimum in my case). I'm pretty slow with all of this in general, haha.

I have it set to 5 which is the max. Not sure what temperature it's actually at, but it's suppose to be around 570 degrees. It has a limiter built in, so when you keep it at that setting it turns on and off periodically. I find that it doesn't do the best job at regulating the temperature when that happens. Not sure if that improves with a lower setting, but I may try that.

It's sold (branded) under many names, here's one link: www.amazon.com/Electric-Maxmartt-Portable-Multifunction-Heater/dp/B07ZZZLVRT The model number looks to be YQ-105 and price range is generally $25-30. I do see one on ebay for less than $20 though.

Thanks for the info. I guess I won't worry about it too much. I am curious though if it indicates something about the pressure that was generated and if the whistle could mean that it's starting the shot at an even higher pressure than 9 bars.

@@davidmaurice1294 support told me that the noise is the sound of the valve pin oscillating during the pre-infusion, I've tried using a little cooking oil but it didn't help.

There's very little information on this, but the basket cap you're referring to is made of silicon, not plastic and is there to keep the coffee grounds in place. The water passing through will only be at 93 degrees Celsius, so I don't think you have to worry about degradation or anything like that.

I reached out to the 9Barista team, and they informed me that the basket cap is made of silicone.

@@timothymarks1041 Hey, thanks for the confirmation. Yeah, the team seems pretty responsive which is great. Nice to know it's that easy to get your questions answered.

Mine cost me $385 USD plus shipping. Total was around $420.

Thank you.

Yeah, it definitely feels like a big investment when you want to brew espresso at home. Not only the machine, but you may have to upgrade your grinder as well. I'd say the quality of the shots you get makes this machine a bargain. But an alternative could be a used lower end "traditional" espresso machine. Also, if you haven't explored this already, you could start with either a moka pot or portable espresso device. They won't get you to true cafe-level espresso, but both can be good in their own right. I personally still use my moka pot and love it. Have you come across the Cafflano Komoresso? I hear good things about it, and it seems like a very good option. Here's a review I thought was really helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zqO5ZCOxxxc.html

Thanks man, I appreciate it! Yeah it's pretty pricy, although for the quality of shot I think it punches way above it's weight class. People who are already used to a moka pot might find this a nice step up. Pretty much the same effort except for having to tamp the puck.

The 9B is mostly made of nickel-plated brass, and they mention on their site that all materials in the machine are food contact safe. I don't know any more than that, but they're pretty responsive if anyone has further concerns that they'd like to address.

That could very well be the case for some people. But keep in mind that I'd only had it for a month when I released this, so it might be my technique that's giving you this perception 🤣. We'll see if my next 9Barista video changes your mind 😁.

Sorry man, I've barely used the JX-Pro for espresso and actually still have never tried it with the 9B 😅. That may change though since I want to test out my stepless mod.