@tavisco we got a fairly nice espresso machine for extremely cheap on ebay, it already pulls pretty nice shots with a replaced portafilter and basket provided the grounds are properly fine enough (the consumer-grade portafilter it originally comes with is artificially pressurized to compensate for standard-fare grounds), but we suspect it's still coming out quite bitter because the water is too hot (models any cheaper than ~500 pounds have no temperature control, simply a cutoff thermostat)

@tavisco the dream goal is to make an embedded sidecar that taps into the dumb electrics and properly controls the heater to a specific temperature we can adjust, making a 44gbp machine behave like it's 500-600gbp. and if i can make a nice interface that looks like a really expensive, consumer-level kitchen appliance, i'll be really happy

@tavisco this microwave's interface inspires me so much. it's 2024 and i don't have anything that looks and functions this nice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiS27feX8o0

@mavica_again I’ve watched that video in the past, and obviously I agree that’s something else UI wise, so neat! And I mean, you’re upgrading the coffee machine functionality by a lot, makes so much sense to me!