4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Nah ... instant coffee can't be considered coffee. That 2 different worlds. Birdy, Moconna are better than Nescafe and most silly priced priced, but still not coffee IMHO

I've been informed by reliable sources you are wrong.

5 hours ago, WDSmart said:

I don’t know the actual ingredients. Much of the text on the small package is written in Thai. I tried to translate it with Google Translate using the camera feature on my phone. I do see a lot of ingredients listed, but not palm oil. Sugar and coffee powder are listed, too.

General rule of thumb, everything sold in 7-11 in Thailand will contain palm oil.

For decades I have my coffee every morning, and I like it black

For 2 decades I used the Philips Senseo, which is a decent machine, but stopped with that around 2019, because couldn't get the pads brought over, as it was covid time.

I first tried 3 in 1, but the only one acceptable was Dao cofffee, but still too sweet.

Then switched to 2in1 for a short period, but very limited choice.

Next was instant, and Tchibo Gold was good enough for my taste buds. I avoided Nescafé because it was from Nestle. I avoid all Nestle products.

Then about 6 months ago, when prices of coffee went through the roof, I encountered a good promotion of Nescafe Gold Crema, and never looked back.

Whenever there is a promotion on Shopee, because it isn't the cheapest instant coffee, I stock up.

I tried pretty much all the recommended instant coffees, (plain & 3/1) and non tasted like fresh brewed coffee, not even close.

I will drink 3/1 occassionally, but realize, it's not coffee, just a hot coffee-like beverage.

3in1 isn't coffee, as very little actual coffee in the mix.

But instant coffee are ground coffee beans, with all the moisture removed. With Nescafe gold crema they are actually ground to a fine powder, which makes mixing easy.

Maybe a moka pot or coffee press taste better for real coffee connoisseurs, but not worth the time preparing and cleaning after for me.

Edited September 8Sep 8 by CallumWK

The reccomendation in AN led me to moka pot and I want to thank you posters

I was just discussing with Gemini whether it was worth switching to one of those budget machines mentioned above from my 4 cup moka pot I've got just right and the answer was NO

On 9/7/2026 at 10:52 AM, NorthernRyland said:

Never actually tried a moka pot but I used to the french press which is not bad and easy enough to use. One thing I did like about the capsule machine was just turn it on and get coffee in one step instead of boiling water.

https://shopee.co.th/electric-moka-pot-6-cup-%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%95%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%94mokapot-%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%9F%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%8A%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9F%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%86-i.18855723.2173449903?extraParams=%7B%22display_model_id%22%3A62158641099%2C%22model_selection_logic%22%3A3%7D

55 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I was just discussing with Gemini whether it was worth switching to one of those budget machines mentioned above from my 4 cup moka pot I've got just right and the answer was NO

Just for fun only: Discuss the opposite, tell Gemini that you have one of the excellent working budget machines and that you are very satisfied with the taste. Would it be worth switching to a 4 cup moka pot? As mentioned just for fun only.

7 minutes ago, msbkk said:

Just for fun only: Discuss the opposite, tell Gemini that you have one of the excellent working budget machines and that you are very satisfied with the taste. Would it be worth switching to a 4 cup moka pot? As mentioned just for fun only.

Logically it won't recommend shifting because "excellent working budget machines and that you are very satisfied with the taste".

The difference is i prefer exactly 11.5g coffee with the mokapot, with a machine you likely need circ 18g = different taste, different volume of water also changes taste

Edited September 8Sep 8 by scubascuba3

Only recommendation I have with Moka or French Press, is get Stainless Steel, vs aluminum or glass.

51 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Logically it won't recommend shifting because "excellent working budget machines and that you are very satisfied with the taste".

The difference is i prefer exactly 11.5g coffee with the mokapot, with a machine you likely need circ 18g = different taste, different volume of water also changes taste

The budget machines mostly have smaller portafilters, even the Delonghi one in the original post. The Delonghi portafilter has a diameter of just 51mm instead of 58 mm for more professional machines and will hold approximately 12-14 gr. And the original portafilter is pressurised as well which does decrease the size.

Edited September 9Sep 9 by msbkk

2 minutes ago, msbkk said:

The budget machines mostly have smaller portafilters, even the Delonghi one in the original post. The Delonghi portafilter has a diameter of just 51mm instead of 58 mm for more professional machines and will hold approximately 12 gr. And the original portafilter is pressurised as well which does decrease the size.

You can always order a naked (non pressurized) portafilter for machines. Just take note of the size when ordering, mm & capacity. I had to order one for our non Delonghi machine.

Pressurized does seem to be the standard 'included' portafilter, as many struggle using a naked one. Pressurized also provides more crema, usually. Wife prefers pressurized, myself, fan of naked 😄

Rarely use the machine myself.

Edited September 9Sep 9 by KhunLA

8 minutes ago, msbkk said:

The budget machines mostly have smaller portafilters, even the Delonghi one in the original post. The Delonghi portafilter has a diameter of just 51mm instead of 58 mm for more professional machines and will hold approximately 12 gr. And the original portafilter is pressurised as well which does decrease the size.

I asked Gemini

Fact-Checking the Forum Post

"Budget machines mostly have smaller portafilters (51mm vs 58mm)" — TRUE

Commercial standard machines use 58mm portafilters. Budget and entry-level home machines (like De'Longhi Dedica models, including the EC890 shown in your image) almost always use 51mm portafilters. A smaller diameter creates a deeper, narrower coffee bed.

"It will hold approximately 12g" — PARTIALLY TRUE / MISLEADING

Single Basket: Holds around 7g–9g.

Double Basket (Stock 51mm): Easily holds 13g to 15g, and up to 16g depending on roast density and grind size. 12g is actually an underdose for a stock De'Longhi double basket.

Context for your Moka Pot: While 13g–14g is closer to your 11.5g preference than a 58mm commercial basket (which often takes 18g–22g), it still requires proper tamping and full bed depth to work correctly.

"The original portafilter is pressurized which decreases the size" — MISLEADING

Pressurized baskets use a double-wall plastic/metal bottom with a single tiny pinhole at the exit to force crema. While the plastic insert takes up a tiny bit of vertical height inside the portafilter handle, it doesn't limit a double basket down to 12g. It simply restricts water flow so you can use coarser pre-ground coffee.

Does This Change Anything for Your Situation?

If you were hoping a 51mm De'Longhi machine would naturally solve your 11.5g preference, it still comes back to workflow and taste:

Machine Quality: The De'Longhi Dedica line (like the EC890 in the image) is significantly better built, more reliable, and has better thermal stability than the 1,400 THB Ksrain machine from earlier.

The Dose Problem Persists: Even with a 51mm basket, you cannot comfortably put 11.5g into the double basket without getting a wet, soupy puck and uneven extraction (unless you buy an aftermarket unpressurized basket and dial in a very specific fine grind).

The Price Tag: At 11,980 THB ($340 USD), this is an expensive upgrade just to recreate the yield and strength you already get effortlessly out of your Moka pot.

If your goal is a light, smooth 11.5g coffee without extra steps or high gear costs, sticking with your Moka pot remains the most practical choice.

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You can always order a naked (non pressurized) portafilter for machines. Just take note of the size when ordering, mm & capacity. I had to order one for our non Delonghi machine.

Pressurized does seem to be the standard 'included' portafilter, as many struggle using a naked one. Pressurized also provides more crema, usually. Wife prefers pressurized, myself, fan of naked 😄

Rarely use the machine myself.

Yes, correct, I mentioned the non pressurized in my first response in the beginning. The naked ones tend to spill the coffee in all directions 😁, there is another one available which is perfect but is quite high and can not be used with a mug.

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I asked Gemini

Fact-Checking the Forum Post

"Budget machines mostly have smaller portafilters (51mm vs 58mm)" — TRUE

Commercial standard machines use 58mm portafilters. Budget and entry-level home machines (like De'Longhi Dedica models, including the EC890 shown in your image) almost always use 51mm portafilters. A smaller diameter creates a deeper, narrower coffee bed.

"It will hold approximately 12g" — PARTIALLY TRUE / MISLEADING

Single Basket: Holds around 7g–9g.

Double Basket (Stock 51mm): Easily holds 13g to 15g, and up to 16g depending on roast density and grind size. 12g is actually an underdose for a stock De'Longhi double basket.

Context for your Moka Pot: While 13g–14g is closer to your 11.5g preference than a 58mm commercial basket (which often takes 18g–22g), it still requires proper tamping and full bed depth to work correctly.

"The original portafilter is pressurized which decreases the size" — MISLEADING

Pressurized baskets use a double-wall plastic/metal bottom with a single tiny pinhole at the exit to force crema. While the plastic insert takes up a tiny bit of vertical height inside the portafilter handle, it doesn't limit a double basket down to 12g. It simply restricts water flow so you can use coarser pre-ground coffee.

Does This Change Anything for Your Situation?

If you were hoping a 51mm De'Longhi machine would naturally solve your 11.5g preference, it still comes back to workflow and taste:

Machine Quality: The De'Longhi Dedica line (like the EC890 in the image) is significantly better built, more reliable, and has better thermal stability than the 1,400 THB Ksrain machine from earlier.

The Dose Problem Persists: Even with a 51mm basket, you cannot comfortably put 11.5g into the double basket without getting a wet, soupy puck and uneven extraction (unless you buy an aftermarket unpressurized basket and dial in a very specific fine grind).

The Price Tag: At 11,980 THB ($340 USD), this is an expensive upgrade just to recreate the yield and strength you already get effortlessly out of your Moka pot.

If your goal is a light, smooth 11.5g coffee without extra steps or high gear costs, sticking with your Moka pot remains the most practical choice.

I had corrected my original 12 gr to 12-14 gr. Yes it depends a bit on roast and grind size but for an espresso machine nobody will fill in course coffee. I actually have one of those Delonghi machines, it is quite good except the original portafilter which I have replaced.

Anyway, I also agree that Moka Pot is also a good device for great coffee, I own one as well and use it from time to time. The espresso machines produce a more intense tasting coffee. Moka pot coffee taste is a bit between filter coffee and espresso machine.

I have the Breville Barista Pro. Purchased 6 years ago at 33,000 THB.

Love the machine, and it still works great.

On 9/9/2026 at 7:51 AM, msbkk said:

The budget machines mostly have smaller portafilters, even the Delonghi one in the original post. The Delonghi portafilter has a diameter of just 51mm instead of 58 mm for more professional machines and will hold approximately 12-14 gr. And the original portafilter is pressurised as well which does decrease the size.

I have a Delonghi La Specialista .. 4 years old and going strong ..... today's price is about 22k ..easy to get thru HomePro

yes it's a 51mm portafilter. but I replaced the original with a Neouza open bottom and an IMS competition basket

I load it with 18grams of fresh ground Brazil Santos to make my morning Cappucccino using heavy whipping cream to foam

52 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

I have a Delonghi La Specialista .. 4 years old and going strong ..... today's price is about 22k ..easy to get thru HomePro

yes it's a 51mm portafilter. but I replaced the original with a Neouza open bottom and an IMS competition basket

I load it with 18grams of fresh ground Brazil Santos to make my morning Cappucccino using heavy whipping cream to foam

Sounds great. Neouza has great portafilters, I am using an open one as well as one with 2 dispensing heads.

I have two machines at home. A Bon cafe capsule thing for lazy coffee and a cheap espresso machine off Laz.

The latter is the same as a SKG for ฿1500, plus a bur-grinder. It makes significantly better coffee, once you've dialled in your preferences.

You could also find a cafe that actually knows how to set up and run their machine, very few do! Too busy being arty-farty instead of getting the coffee right.

Get an electric moka pot

I have had three DeLonghi Dedica machines over the past 10 years. They make brilliant coffee as good as any cafe, so no complaints there.

As far as reliability I've had mixed experiences. My first one was when I was living in the Philippines. I had it for about five years and it was still working well when I left, but gave it away because of its age. The second I bought from HomePro in Thalang about four years ago and the mechanism by which the machine cuts itself off (to avoid overheating if you forget to physically turn it off) failed within a year so I returned it to DeLonghi via HomePro for warranty repair. That process took four months (and I still had to pay over 1000 baht for labour) so I bought another of the same model from Central in Phuket as a backup. The repaired machine failed again within months of getting it back from DeLonghi so I took it back to HomePro but they said they no longer stocked those machines so I would have to send it to DeLonghi in Bangkok myself.

I tried to contact DeLonghi customer service directly but got no response, so gave up and just continued to use the third machine. That one I've noted is also prone to overheating if I forget to turn it off, so I'm now very careful to make sure it's disconnected from the power supply after every time I use it.

I don't have any issues with the general maintenance. I use the Calfiza powder for keeping it and the portafilter clean, and always flush one shot of hot water through the system after each use to prevent oil build-up in the portafilter. Still makes excellent coffee with a nice crema, but I doubt I would buy another one.

My son has one of the larger Breville machines and it has been trouble-free for more than 10 years, but they are more than three times the price of the DeLonghi Delicas.

I was brought up drinking coffee from a percolator which I thought was fine. I'm guessing that's a bit too much like camping for the sophisticated coffee drinkers now.

2 hours ago, banyanman said:

I have had three DeLonghi Dedica machines over the past 10 years. They make brilliant coffee as good as any cafe, so no complaints there.

As far as reliability I've had mixed experiences. My first one was when I was living in the Philippines. I had it for about five years and it was still working well when I left, but gave it away because of its age. The second I bought from HomePro in Thalang about four years ago and the mechanism by which the machine cuts itself off (to avoid overheating if you forget to physically turn it off) failed within a year so I returned it to DeLonghi via HomePro for warranty repair. That process took four months (and I still had to pay over 1000 baht for labour) so I bought another of the same model from Central in Phuket as a backup. The repaired machine failed again within months of getting it back from DeLonghi so I took it back to HomePro but they said they no longer stocked those machines so I would have to send it to DeLonghi in Bangkok myself.

I tried to contact DeLonghi customer service directly but got no response, so gave up and just continued to use the third machine. That one I've noted is also prone to overheating if I forget to turn it off, so I'm now very careful to make sure it's disconnected from the power supply after every time I use it.

I don't have any issues with the general maintenance. I use the Calfiza powder for keeping it and the portafilter clean, and always flush one shot of hot water through the system after each use to prevent oil build-up in the portafilter. Still makes excellent coffee with a nice crema, but I doubt I would buy another one.

My son has one of the larger Breville machines and it has been trouble-free for more than 10 years, but they are more than three times the price of the DeLonghi Delicas.

It’s a real shame that you’re having so many problems with your machine.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve given up because I no longer know which coffee is good quality.

May I ask which coffee you use?

2 hours ago, banyanman said:

I have had three DeLonghi Dedica machines over the past 10 years. They make brilliant coffee as good as any cafe, so no complaints there.

As far as reliability I've had mixed experiences. My first one was when I was living in the Philippines. I had it for about five years and it was still working well when I left, but gave it away because of its age. The second I bought from HomePro in Thalang about four years ago and the mechanism by which the machine cuts itself off (to avoid overheating if you forget to physically turn it off) failed within a year so I returned it to DeLonghi via HomePro for warranty repair. That process took four months (and I still had to pay over 1000 baht for labour) so I bought another of the same model from Central in Phuket as a backup. The repaired machine failed again within months of getting it back from DeLonghi so I took it back to HomePro but they said they no longer stocked those machines so I would have to send it to DeLonghi in Bangkok myself.

I tried to contact DeLonghi customer service directly but got no response, so gave up and just continued to use the third machine. That one I've noted is also prone to overheating if I forget to turn it off, so I'm now very careful to make sure it's disconnected from the power supply after every time I use it.

I don't have any issues with the general maintenance. I use the Calfiza powder for keeping it and the portafilter clean, and always flush one shot of hot water through the system after each use to prevent oil build-up in the portafilter. Still makes excellent coffee with a nice crema, but I doubt I would buy another one.

My son has one of the larger Breville machines and it has been trouble-free for more than 10 years, but they are more than three times the price of the DeLonghi Delicas.

That sounds like typical thai customer service, sounds good when you buy, rubbish when you try to return an item

On 9/7/2026 at 8:21 AM, NorthernRyland said:

Thinking about buying a real coffee machine

Do you need a coffee maker?

https://atlascoffeeclub.com/pages/how-to-make-coffee-without-a-coffee-maker