9Barista - Mk.2 Pro

I purchased the 9Bar before buying a Robot a few months later 🙋‍♂️ I don’t regret the 9Bar. It’s what got me interested in making espresso and is a really cool piece of engineering but it’s not as capable as the Robot. Choosing your output ratio on the 9Bar is an estimate since you have to go by the height of liquid in portafilter cup. There’s only one temperature and one pressure profile. Plus it doesn’t handle light roasts as well. If you have any interest in playing around with variables, I say go for the Robot.

I don’t understand when someone says it’s hard or annoying to clean the 9barista. It’s literally a quick rinse, takes less than a minute. And I use mine every day with great enjoyment. Personally I don’t need control over all the variables, I just want consistently great espresso, which it gives me

Indeed, there are many things that make the 9Barista not a good fit for most people, but the espresso quality isn't one of them. 

It is definitely espresso not a Moka pot but it’s 9 bar only, fixed water amount, known to be very grind sensitive, stovetop heat is hard to regulate to exact temps, and when you’re making multiple shots I’ve heard you have to cool it down in between or the shots are bitter or come out faster. With something like a Robot or Flair you can control a lot of those variables, and save shots that aren’t going the way you’d hoped.

Bei mir waren es beim letzten zählen 8 mokka Kannen, Flair 58+2, 9barista mk2 pro und demnächst kommt noch eine ecm mechanika max dazu für morgends wenn ich arbeiten muss. Eine elektrische und 2 handmühlen, gefolgt von zahlreichen Zubehör wie 4 Waagen , 5 tamper, nivellierer, wdt toll etc.

I mostly just do one drink at a time, but both are pretty straightforward. Just have to cool the base down enough to take it apart and refill in between. I have the Mk.2 Pro. Don't have a Standard to compare it to, but I love the naked portafilter. Seems like if you're going to do it, may as well do it right ;-)

I swear by my 9Barista, but it costs a pretty penny. The only real variable to worry about is the beans: quality and grind. Take care of those and the espresso is fantastic. I don’t have a steaming option to recommend. I don’t take milk but I use the Instant brand one for my partner, would not recommend if you care about microfoam.

Long shot, but you should check out the 9Barista. It’s a beauty, and makes great espresso.

I thought a lot about getting a 9Barista but I feel like it limits your bean options. You can’t run at different pressures and you can’t use a scale. If you love medium/dark only it’s probably OK. 

I love my 9barista.

We got a Barista Touch Impress last year and love it. Before that, I used a 9Barista with a hand grinder, so while I have some experience I’m not an expert. But the Breville is super convenient, fast, and easy for my wife (who has no interest in really learning to pull a shot) to use. The only real downside is that the grinder, which I believe is Baratza, chokes on light roasted beans, limiting us to medium and dark roasts. As I really enjoy light roasted beans this is a substantial downside, but I still love the machine.

I actually picked up a 9Barista after seeing Lance’s video too! I’ve never owned a pump machine, but I’ve been using a Flair Pro 2 for a while, mostly pulling shots with medium-dark to dark roasts. Honestly, I’m loving the results. The most noticeable difference is the texture—the mouthfeel and crema are a huge step up. I’m also getting way more of that rich, dark chocolate sweetness you want from darker beans. On a personal note, the workflow feels so much better because I don’t have to deal with the annoying preheating process like on the Flair. Like Lance mentioned, you can start heating the 9Barista while you prep your puck. Since those tasks happen at the same time, the "active" time spent is basically just the heating time. Honestly, when you factor in the warm-up time for most pump machines, the bean-to-cup time probably isn't that different anyway!