Introducing Bezzera E61 Flow Control

[@justinbouchard]

I'm falling in love with Bezzera machines. Their choices seem to be very consumer forward without worrying too much about "tradition". It seems like they're very focused on modern machines with things customers want while maintaining their production and equipment standards.

[@jakevan1969]

Nice that one full turn is the stock flow rate! Keeps it simple. Now I like the Bezzera machines even more. That Aria is a sight to behold.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hey Jesse, Thanks for the comment. Gotta love the KISS principle! Marc

[@eldante1259]

And Bezzera said they shipped Aria’s to WLL in December. Can’t be too far way. I’m also waiting to those specs and review.

[@BobMacNeal]

Super stoked to have ordered a Bezzera Magica w/ flow control today. Thanks for the pro tips. This machine will be a major upgrade from my Gaggia Classic Pro that got me through the darkest days of the pandemic.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hey Bob, congrats on your new machine - that is a very nice upgrade! Be sure and check out our flow control videos. Marc

[@thetruthh.8836]

Yeah bezzera machines are top notch!

[@skyking9248]

Can’t wait to buy when when they’re available on your site!

[@damonm3]

I just realized I can do this with my GCP by opening the steam valve.. sweet! It’ll waste water and potentially cool the shot so it’s not optimal but in a pinch I might try it. Get the shot right and you don’t need to do this. Have a 9 bar spring in it. Also have a 6 that might be fun to pair with darker roasts..

[@MrAsimomytis]

Bezzera machines don't get the hype they deserve. My 2.5 year BZ-10 has proven to be a beast of a machine! She is considered to be one of our family members!

[@rcpmac]

hype: noun - extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion. You sure you meant that?

[@MrAsimomytis]

@@rcpmac They don't get the publicity and praise they deserve. I think they are much better machines than the perception they carry . For example if you compare a Rocket Appartamento and a Bezzera BZ-10 the later is the one that wins hands down in every aspect.....still Rocket has managed to make the Appartamento "the coolest espresso machine in the world in this price segment". I hope I am clear enough now.

[@edwardgianni7887]

Just a heads up. After receiving the Aria PID from you, I was perplexed that the flow control rotates only 270 degrees. Not 720 as shown here or any of your other videos involving the subject. As I thought there was a flaw, I contacted support who explained the Bezzera had changed it last year. I'm OK with that and it works fine. I know you cannot anticipate everything no matter how diligent you are. As a suggestion, you might want to include that information with future shipments of the machine. In any event, all is well so far. 😊

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi e, thanks for the tip. Yes, Bezzera did change the design. We do our best to update!

[@joelongo1143]

I own a Bezzera Mitica machine and I love it. It does not have a flow control but still makes a great espresso. I am not attracted to the design of this feature on their new machine because the flow control is so high that it interferes access to the cup warming area and it eliminates the placement of the unit under a 16 inch countertop. You will need a open area above to operate the control.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Joe, Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Marc

[@tomasmampuys]

I would like this flow control kit on my Profitec pro 700. Would it work? I like the ergonomics

[@braxtonjens7839]

Pretty cool… a little late to the game, since E61 has had this for a while now. But nice that they made this available for their machines.

[@Pianoman1488]

Are you guys going to stock and sell the Bezzera Aria PID? It looks perfect for me and I love the colors that they offer!

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hey P, yes we will! Have had one in-house for testing and expect arrival of stock in a couple of weeks.

[@nelsonnicklebee]

I love Bezzera machines. I just got one… right before WLL put out the flow control models. Does WLL sell these flow control kits separately?

[@jeff111982]

Also wondering about this!

[@kenroman777]

@Nelson Nicklebee was your machine covered with blue plastic rubber from hell, was your machine shipped damaged drain tray, was your machine inspected 1 year before it was shipped and yet told that it would be tested to make sure bar was correct for flow rate? Were you unable to contact support by phone since offices closed?

[@Peterdeskater100]

Not sure about WLL, but you can order them online and install yourself easily

[@valfanculo4614]

hi - nice video - do you have a video showing how to install the bezzera flow control kit on an Unica machine - can you post the link to the video if so - thanks

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi there. As a matter of fact, we do! Here is the link : kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqHWiqtna7OZhMksi=M66w2OPwkPYiEDM8

[@valfanculo4614]

@@Wholelattelovepage thanks alot - love the videos - very helpful

[@emmanuelvanderschelden9474]

Looks great! Any chance this would fit my Expobar Brewtus 4? The construction looks a little different than most other flow control kits, which has me wondering if this is proprietary.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi EV, Thanks for the comment and question. We have not tested with Expobar but E61 groups are fairly standardized. So long as the flow control comes complete with the mushroom and jet it will likely work. I have noticed a difference in jet bore sizes from different manufacturers. Marc

[@glennbenson1561]

I just got an Aria PID and the flow control only goes 3/4 turn full on...I was told that this is how the new Aria PID w/flow control is sold by your CS folks. When it is open all the way I get 12 bars and trying to get it to 9 bars or to the correct flow rate is not easy with just a 3/4 turn valve...why did they do this and I am going to have to make 3/8th turns to equal your one turn? Seems like they went to more difficult if this is correct? Micro turns versus macro? Thanks.

[@markbeaulieu5292]

I’m having the same problems with my Matrix Duo. One quarter turn equals full flow of about 8 g/s. And one full turn equals 13.3 grams. Waiting to hear from WLL about a resolution.

[@jonathang2052]

Same issue here. I get slightly less than a full turn from open to closed...

[@makaw2006]

Thanks for sharing. I installed flow control on my mitica, it is old mushroom type. So i had to change mushroom too. Flow control Lever on mine, doesn't even rotate full turn. And i am mostly getting 9 bar pressure, and there is maybe 30-40 degrees from 0 to less than 9 bar. Need to experiment more, but I am wondering is it me or the machine is not really compatible for this upgrade? Thanks

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi m, You are welcome. Not sure exactly which flow control setup you are using. Most have a needle valve which enters the jet (orifice) on top of the mushroom. Typically the jet for flow control is a different size to match up with the needle. Also if it is sized and working properly understand that even at low flow rates pressure in the portafilter will eventually reach max like 9 bar unless you reduce the flow rate.

[@skyking9248]

Love my Bezzera Magica PID from Whole latte love. WLL is such an awesome company. Can’t recommend them enough! Would love to add this if they start selling these soon.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi SK, Thanks for the kind words and your patronage! Marc

[@skyking9248]

@@Wholelattelovepage Thank you! Always enjoy all the videos you guys put out. Best.

[@Maybaby1959]

Marc what should the pressure be on the menu gauge when plumber in. And to adjust the pressure you have to turn machine on its side or I guess maybe one leg off counter and adjust but what pressure mark should it say on machine. Thank you.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

For what machine? I thought you had a Mechanika Max? A little confused because you're asking on a Bezzera video. For the Max, ECM specifies input line pressure of 1-2 bar. You'd get there by adjusting a pressure regulator that's typically part of an external water filtration system and not part of the machine. The adjustment underneath the machine is for the rotary pump. It controls the maximum brew pressure of the machine during an extraction. You can adjust that by very carefully hanging one leg off the counter. Might want to have a friend around to help hold if you hang the leg. When making that adjustment you'd have the blind/backflush disc in the portafilter and the pump running. Turn the adjustment so you get a reading of 9 bar on the gauge if running from reservoir or 8 bar if plumbed in. Here's a video that shows how to make the adjustment. It's demonstrated on a Profitec Pro 700 but works the same on the Max and most other machines with rotary pumps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHLViHSqqrqHha8si=66LHOf7m1PYOaIHR Marc

[@Maybaby1959]

@@Wholelattelovepage I have both Marc return customer. Bezzera matrix

[@Maybaby1959]

Marc my matrix flow control only does one full turn not two. Is that normal.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

@@Maybaby1959 Did you get the machine recently? If so Bezzera recently made a design change on their flow control device so it's 1 turn now. Marc

[@Maybaby1959]

@@Wholelattelovepage Thank you Marc I did about a month ago. So I figure stock flow is half a turn instead of one full turn because it’s 360 instead of 720? Also one of your specialists got back to me and I forgot to ask. Thank you

[@EricAxt]

We have a Bezzera Strega machine which we LOVE, would holding the lever back/or slow it down be the equivalent of the flow control?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi EA, Very cool machine - I love lever shots a whole latte! Yes, although not as precise as using flow control one can change flow rate/pressure by manipulating the lever. Marc

[@someofthem]

my machine is not plugged in to the water. Can I use flow control as a substitute for preinfusion?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hey Sot, for sure! Marc

[@davidgilkarov9193]

Is the flow control kid compatible with my galatea domus???

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi David, Yes it is since the machine uses an E61 brew group. Marc

[@jettav88]

When can we buy the Aria with PID? Thanks!

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi j, we have some Aria's on the way. ETA 3-4 weeks.

[@jettav88]

@@Wholelattelovepage great. Thank you

[@Rick9482]

Was ECM the first company to add flow control on an E61 grouphead? Why wasn't flow control added to E61 groups years and years ago? I have an ECM several years old but three years ago I purchased a Decent Espresso machine and never looked back. Here it is years later and I'm discovering flow control on E61 groupheads.....quite surprised!

[@mmarashdeh]

Thanks alot for another awesome video I have recently came to know about the bezzera brand and been educating myself about them since then , I am think of getting a Machine as an upgrade for a Breville Barista Pro . Let us see which model of Bezzera I will be getting . Still in the dilemma of Hx vs dual boiler

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi MM, You are welcome! Want to learn more? Here's my Bezzera factory tour video lead by Luca Bezzera: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYqUZYF6bMR4rtU Marc

[@mmarashdeh]

@@Wholelattelovepage thanks alot Marc I did watch this video earlier as well , now just trying to see what machine suits my need . Any thoughts on the Aria Top ?

[@swapneeltheneo]

Hi WLL, does bezzera duo machine have No Burn steam wand? If not, can you customize the machine to add the No burn steam wand? At this price point shouldn’t this be a standard feature?? :)

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hey swap, yes, wands are no burn. They have internal insulation in the pipe. Marc

[@ajillian1]

Hi Mark, is flow control available for the bz10?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi a, It is not. Flow control is a device limited to machines with E61 brew groups. The BZ10 uses Bezzera's BZ style brew group. Marc

[@ajillian1]

Thanks

[@eszlsk]

Any chance of a video installing a Bezzera flow kit or selling the kit for that matter?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Eric, Thanks for the suggestion. Will likely have a video at some point. In the meantime, installation is easy. Remove top cap on mushroom, remove screen filter, remove and replace the jet with one that has a larger orifice to accommodate the needle of the flow control, replace screen filter with shorter one, screw in flow control. Mount group pressure gauge in access port. Due to demand and limited supply cannot currently offer individual kits. That may change in the future. Marc

[@eszlsk]

@Wholelattelovepage thanks for the reply. I've been using a Bianca kit on my Bezzera Matrix, which came with a different spring for the release valve, any danger using that same spring? Looks like I could just swap out the lever that controls the water flow with the Bezzera version.

[@MySierraNevadaLife]

Can flow control come with the BZ-10?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi MSNL, no, the BZ10 uses Bezzera's BZ group which cannot be fittied with a flow control. FC only available on E61 group machines. Marc

[@Beejaroni9708]

What happened with your Crema Wave? Are the costs and demand getting too high to maintain the original flavour note’s ? Just curious thanks.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Bj, There was a slight adjustment to the blend made about 6 months ago based on green coffee availability. Still 100% specialty grade beans.

[@Peterdeskater100]

Just installed this on my Unica, I notice that my range is only 1 full turn, not 2. It does go fully open and fully close though. My Unica flow rate is around 9 g/sec, so significantly higher than what you measure. Did you install the additional brass/cupper valve included in the package? Perhaps that is causing the differences

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi P100, yes, you must install all the parts including the brass jet within the mushroom. the orifice is a different size in the jet used with flow control. Look close at the original vs. flow control jet and you'll be able to see the size difference. The original jet is smaller and will prevent full range of motion and full control of flow rate as well as resulting in a lower flow rate as you measured. Marc

[@Peterdeskater100]

@@Wholelattelovepage All parts are installed as described. My rotation is slightly over 1 full turn (I see the part not coming all the way down) however despite this it can fully close and open. My flow rate is much higher though when fully open, >>10 g/s Tried to disassemble and reassemble but can't find a fault. Not complaining though, everything works and I can flow control, just need to stay at 1/2 turn or lower to keep under 7g/s. Guess my machine is just a bit weird.

[@gavinchrisaputra352]

Hello, I am in dilemma on getting either Profitec 600 or Bezzera Aria. Which would you recommend and why? Looking from the specs itself, the aria seems to have the upper hand with the rotary pump, but I believe that it is not the only decision maker. Any other thoughts? Thanks

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi GC, The rotary pump is nice and it also makes the machine plumbable. Thee Aria we carry comes stock with flow control. Flow control is available for the Pro 600. The 600 is a dual boiler machine so you have independent control of boiler temps. Changing brew temp does not change steam pressure. The Aria is an HX boiler machine so changing temperature changes bothe brew temp and steam pressure. 600 can run at much higher steam pressure - near 2 bar if desired. Aria, while a decent steamer has nowhere near that pressure available. Hope that helps! Marc

[@gavinchrisaputra352]

@@Wholelattelovepage Hello Marc, thanks for the clear and deep explanation on both machine. Much appreciated!

[@Wholelattelovepage]

@@gavinchrisaputra352 My pleasure!

[@yvescrepeau5955]

Hi Marc, can you buy a flow kit for my Izzo HX? Hows the digging out going btw?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi YC, Most E61 flow controls will work in other E61 groups. I don't have a specific flow kit for Izzo machines and due to limited supply cannot offer others. We got lucky! Very little snow here. A different story about 60 miles to our west. Marc

[@yvescrepeau5955]

@@Wholelattelovepage Hi Marc, I did a casual search and found many. It will be a DIY for cold dark Ottawa January days. My cousin lives close to Buffalo and they are slowly digging themselves out . They got 58 inches of the white stuff, yikes .

[@Wholelattelovepage]

@@yvescrepeau5955 That's great! A friend's daughter is a nurse in Buff. Was on her way home last Friday and could drive no further. Ended up in a friendly strangers home for 2 days. Think they'll be melting out! Hit 16C/60F here today and more coming through mid next week!

[@hwk59utr47]

Does this flow control Worms om the Bezerra bz10?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi H, No the flow control is only available or able to work on Bezzera machines with E61 brew groups. Marc

[@SkwrHdz]

Is there a similar flow control add-on for the Rocket R-58? Or could this one be used with the R-58?

[@hisbluness]

Very well explained. Thanks. Are you using a custom tray grill? I have a Matrix and this looks much nicer than the original.

[@andersbjrnskov8130]

Yeah I dont really understand, why theese are only available in yhe US, and not here in Europe, where Bezzera is made???

[@Elfin4]

Whats your delivery times for an Aria PID after ordering

[@webb2kmo]

Do these work in BZ heads, such as the BZ13?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Karl, Sorry, only available for Bezzera machines with E61 group. Will not work with BZ group. Marc

[@webb2kmo]

@@Wholelattelovepage Thanks for the info, Marc.

[@alanh8101]

Where do I get my Bezzera t-shirt lol Gret review 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hey Alan, right here: www.wholelattelove.com/collections/apparel/products/bezzera-cup-and-dragon-t-shirt

[@slam854]

I bought a Rocket from SCG a few years ago (bad decision). My local roaster has a business in the back that services coffee equipment both commercial and walk-in. Fluid Goods is dialing in my machine and installing flow control onto group head. I am anxious to try espresso done right. I bought my Ciada E-64 from you.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi S, Sorry you had a bad experience with a vendor! Flow control can do amazing things! Do check these links for ways to use: Better Espresso Using Easy Flow Profiling Methods: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l160coKlbbuaa6M General flow control article with graphs of 5 profiles: www.wholelattelove.com/blogs/articles/intro-to-calculating-flow-rate-on-e61-group-machines Marc

[@TomJones-tx7pb]

How can you have an typical extraction time of 20-30 seconds if the normal flow rate is 7+g/s?

[@docforven]

Flow control doesn't use typical times or ratios. For example, to get a fruit-filled, dense cup of light roast you want to flow pretty fast and extract 1:5 or 1:8 (Allonge).

[@lukerestlessstudios]

Levers > Knobs ‘Nuff said….

[@docforven]

Meh...seems like more of an afterthought than a genuinely engineered design for flow control. Bianca is a better deal.

[@greybeard27]

It kind of is, I have the flow control upgrade on my ECM Classika and it is definitely what I consider a mod, but with practice I can cover a few different profiles with manual adjustment. Some automation would definitely improve my consistency, but I'm getting pretty good.

[@MongooseReflexes]

Na, Lelit machines are inferior to Bezzera machines, in terms of both the quality of the parts & the craftsmanship/build quality. That's why they're a "better deal".

[@docforven]

@@MongooseReflexes lol ok /s

[@Maybaby1959]

Bianca has horrible build.

[@Maybaby1959]

@@MongooseReflexesvery inferior to Bezzera. No big azz seems in any of their models Bianca although flashy it’s flask in the pan body looks like it will fall apart. For 3 k no

[@windshigh]

bezzera matrix vs ecm Synchronika or Synchronika 2, which one is better?!