“I have to say this device is an impressive work of engineering, in that, it transforms superheated water at a pressure of 9 bar into a liquid optimally suited for extracting a delicious beverage from mere coffee grounds. Simply coming up with the idea to complete this task as one thing, I am amazed that a team of experts were able to not only manufacture it, but also mass produce it! The quality is impressive--it feels very solid in construction, like it is safe to use for the purpose that it serves. It truly is reflective of its name. There, in short is my critique of it as a work of "art." As an espresso making device, I call it BRILLIANT! Through the simple act of varying the grind size of coffee beans, I can control how good or great the end product will taste. The unit is capable of delivering 40ml of water at 9 bar at 200 deg F consistently, so those are variables I don't have to worry about controlling. Interestingly, an espresso made with 18g of coffee, to me, tastes the same as 20g of coffee, so I go with the smaller dosage simply to save coffee. My only complaint is YIELD. I get only 40ml to enjoy, but this I have to expect, so I find myself frequently making caffe americanos. If a unit were created that enabled me to make 400ml of coffee, like a super advanced jet-engine style moka pot, I would be all over it! For now, I will enjoy my 40ml servings of God in a shot. Thank you for inventing and producing the 9Barista!”
“In summary, the taste is impressive. When the correct beans and the right grinder are used. I wanted to let you know that the purchase experience was enjoyable. The machine arrived a few days after the order was placed (to the US from the UK). Follow the instructions to go with water without coffee once. That was a fun experience, but be careful when water spills out (just be careful, it is hot). I tried a few times to reach the 3 ~ 6 min target time to extract the expresso. Each stove is different, and I am still learning; just be careful not to overheat the machine handlebars. (11/6/2024 Update) I can keep the time between 4'45'' to 5'50''. I was too careful to avoid damaging the handlebar. My conclusion is that if it is over 6 minutes, I need to turn the stove stronger.”
“Shipping time was fast considering that it was sent from England to the US. I got a refurbished unit but I couldn’t find any signs of previous usage or any kinds of defects. It looks like new and works perfectly.”
“The espresso maker surpassed my experiences. It feels super massive and delivers awesome espresso from any stovetop. The ordering process was smooth, international delivery surprisingly quick, and when I ran into an issue related to the induction heating plate, the team was super responsive and helpful.”
“The 9Barista has been great right out of the box. The support from the company with questions and in my case, my fears of doing something to unintentionally damaging it, by giving me useful tips to make better coffee have made this purchase totally worth it.”
“Hard to fault. I bought on the strength of the James Hoffmann video review. He wrongly said that the heat transfer plate included works for induction hobs. This is actually an additional purchase. He talked about water spitting out of the chimney - I've not had this at all. He talked about damaging an o-ring - I'm wondering if he forgot to release the pressure in the boiler chamber by pressing on the safety valve before unscrewing. The machine is heavier that I imagined, but it feels well made and suggests durability. Ordering and delivery (to France) were faultless. I'm still playing with induction heat settings/ timings and have yet to move to grinding my own beans. The ready ground coffee I'm using may well explain the smaller than expected crema that I have so far. In short, hard to fault.”
