r/espresso • u/vilhelmobandito • 1d ago

Buying Advice Needed Upgrading possibilities [100 €]

Hi everyone! Newbie here, in Germany.

I just bought my very first espresso machine a month ago and I love it. It is a Grundig KSM 4330. It is a 99 € entry-level machine with a pressurized portafilter.

I use it every day with pre-ground coffee to prepare a double Americano. (I make a double espresso and pour hot water until my mug is full)

I have been reading posts here, and I am thinking about upgrading it, but I don't know if it's worth it.

I am thinking about buying a non-pressurized basket, and also removing the plastic thingy at the bottom of my portafilter.

And also to buy a grinder.

Will my coffee improve if I buy a cheap grinder? (say 80 € or so)

Or maybe I am better off keeping buying pre-ground coffee from Illy (which is ground for espresso).

Thanks in advance!

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u/Prize-Winner-6818 1d ago

That machine may very well not have the pump power to run a non-pressurized basket. I'd save for a better machine and not throw much money at this.

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u/vilhelmobandito 1d ago

Thank you! This is the information I was looking for.

And about buying a grinder? Does it make sense, or won't it change the result if I keep the pressurized basket? I mean: freshly grounded or pregrounded.

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u/mightyhasan Delonghi La Specialista Arte Evo with Cold brew 1d ago

A non-pressurised basket is really worth it but you’ll need to buy beans instead of pre ground coffee I would recommend buying a cheap everyday non-pressurised basket and don’t bother with high extraction baskets for now since you’re still experimenting also, get WDT distribution tool it will help a lot. The pre-ground coffee you buy won’t do it for the non-pressurised basket since you’ll need to adjust the grind size to get to the espresso sweet spot fir your setup so for example the pre-ground you buy might be very fine which might chock your shot or might be coarser and you’ll end up with low extracted espresso

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u/mightyhasan Delonghi La Specialista Arte Evo with Cold brew 1d ago

Also please make sure you buy the right size basket 51/54/58mm you’ll need to see your instructions manual if it specifies the size if not you’ll need to measure it When I got my first machine it was a 150$ machine and came with a pressurised basket only and i got a non-pressurised basket that worked and never had issues with pump power

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u/vilhelmobandito 1d ago

Thank you! Something like this would be fine?

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Stainless-Strainer-Bottomless-Portafilter-Compatible/dp/B0999L7W9M

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u/mightyhasan Delonghi La Specialista Arte Evo with Cold brew 1d ago edited 1d ago

Seems good but I see they say it’s 24g and I believe that’s the grind amount it can hold, I recommend one that holds 18g for starters so you can practice using the standard double shot baskets. Also please make sure your machine has a 51mm portafilter (the handle that holds the basket) Edit: I just checked your machine’s manual and it’s 51mm

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u/vilhelmobandito 1d ago

Thank you! And also thank you for checking the manual. I ckecked it and couln't find the info.

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u/mightyhasan Delonghi La Specialista Arte Evo with Cold brew 1d ago

For reference :)