This year Mazzer has launched some of the most exciting grinders of any company, such as their lust-worthy ZM Plus.

But the biggest surprise was the release of a hand grinder and not just a copy of existing designs, but a thoughtful, ground-up re-thinking of what a hand grinder should be. We announce the winner of this months kilo of beans - the super-amazing Peaberry Burundi Masenga.

Peaberry coffee has kindly given us a special coupon code where you can get 10% off all coffee. Use code BT-DEC or head over to https://bartalks.net and click on the Ad in the right sidebar to get the code automatically applied.

Bartalks earns a commission on any purchases. We're grateful to Peaberry and to you! If you want to read my written opinion of the Mazzer Omega grinder.

https://bartalks.net/new-mazzer-omega-is-a-premium-and-innovative-hand-grinder/

You asked me to explain why I didn't want the Mahlkonig X54, so this week, I go through the list of reasons why it's not the right fit for me.

This is NOT a review! For some people the positives will outweigh the negatives of this machine.

But there are some issues that have been mentioned in reviews, and there are also some things I don't like, which I've not seen mentioned anywhere.

Enter our free prize draw and win 1KG of FREE beans - UK residents only please. https://bartalks.net/giveaway

If you've been wondering about puck screens, so have we! I've tried one and give my thoughts. .Max and I probably aren't going to agree on this. For a chance to win the free Kilo of Beans (UK Residents only).

Head over to https://bartalks.net/giveaway It's free, no purchase necessary and we don't share your data.

I don’t know why this machine has not had the attention, I believe it deserves. Right now it’s so cheap that it might make a better starter machine than the Gaggia Classic Pro, or small office espresso machine. All that and this weeks news plus a new giveaway announced!

Go here to register to win a kilo of the amazing Burundi Mesanga coffee from Peaberry Roasters

https://bartalks.net/giveaway/ 

In today's show - what happened at the coffee shop innovation expo, and our favourite announcements from Host Milano 2021

If you’re still using the basket that came with your espresso machine, the last thing on your upgrade list might be the basket. How much difference can it realistically make? Or is it just a bunch of hogwash. We’ve done the research and tried a few. This is what we think.

To enter our competition to win a free 1kg bag of the fantastic La Perla Negra Coffee Beans, go to https://bartalks.net/giveaway. No purchase is necessary. UK RESIDENTS ONLY

How do you know when to change the temperature on your PID, and a short dive into the process with different group heads.

To enter our competition to win a free 1kg bag of the fantastic La Perla Negra Coffee Beans, go to

https://bartalks.net/giveaway. No purchase is necessary. UK RESIDENTS ONLY

The Nuova Simonelli Oscar II can now be bought at the same price as a Gaggia Classic Pro, but it’s a smart modern HX machine with unbeatable steam power. There must be something wrong with it? Max and I both had one (OK, I had Max’s for a bit), let’s talk about this machine.

To enter our competition to win a free 1kg bag of the fantastic La Perla Negra Coffee Beans, go to https://bartalks.net/giveaway. No purchase is necessary. UK RESIDENTS ONLY

A lot of people are getting into making coffee at home, but not sure where to start in buying quality beans. What does quality even mean, and are speciality beans really better than the ones you can buy in the supermarket? We chat about this and give some tips along the way to help you get started.