“I've been using my Ratio Eight S2 now for about 3 months, and I've experienced a few quirks with the brewer. But first let me state upfront that, while not inexpensive, the brewer has performed eceptionally well and I am pleased with the quaoity and coffee made during this time.
Quirk #1. The Ratio Eight S2 coffee extraction rate is exceptional! Standard brew fromulas used in the past all need to be adjusted!
Quirk #2. The Ratio Eight S2, using Ratio flat basket paper filters, has a tendency to "hydrolock", stoping the coffee flow to a trickle, and if brewing a full pot, possible overflow of the filter. That has not happened to me, but I've come close.
There is a possible issue with the shower head in my unit. I would like feedback from someone with knowledge on the issue. I notice early on that the water coming out of the shower head into the basket seemed to have a right side bias (when looking at the unit on the counter) as to the volumn and flow rate of the water. I checked the counter to see if it was level, it was. I then checked the Ratio 8 to see if it was sitting level on the counter, it was! When I checked the level of the shower head I found it to be low on the right side, by about 1/16" to 3/32". I find it hard to believe it was meant to be installed that way? I have since place thin risers on the right side rubber "feet" that are under the unit. This impdoved the water disribution, which had tended to puddle up on the right, leaving the left side drier, and with less water flow through. If someone would like to address this issue or contact me, I would be happy to discuss.
I've solved the "hydrolock" filter issue by placing a thin stainless steel wire triangle on the bottom of the basket. This keeps a path open for the flow of the water through the coffee bed and out the drain hole.
To compound all of the above, the new TimeMore 064S coffee grinder I purchased at the same time required a major reset of the factory zero point. Since I do not do Espresso, I should probably have purchase the plain-jane TM 064. The mid-point grind settings from the TM factory were far to fine for the Ratio 8, espically with the high extraction efficiency. Fortunately it is very easy to change the zero point on the TM 064S, so all is well now. I will likely change the burr style on the TM 064 to one suited more for "pour over" and drip style brewing.”
