can you use packaged coffee such as Bustelo?

Typically you're going to get the best taste from a medium roast whole bean, as straight espresso already has a tendency to taste a bit acidic or bitter. Doing it with a dark roast will just compound the issue. The origin and type of bean are also important, but so long as you're using Arabica you'll be pretty safe. Play with the grind settings as well. The coffee roastss I've been using have been from Iron Bean Coffee Co., medium roast ethiopian and peruvian single origin and have been anywhere from a 18-24 setting on the attached grinder. What you're going to key on after the adjustment is the crema while you're pulling the shot, and then the flavor you get. Something to key on is the brew time - a double shot should take about 30 seconds to brew start to finish, and that's what you should really be looking for in adjusting your grind. Your grind setting is not going to be universal - to get the best extraction and flavor, you're going to have to adjust between new bags of coffee or different roasts or brands. Once you get it dialed in, though, it should be minor adjustments between.

Does the portafilter have any plastic components that will come in contact with hot water?

Thank you for our interest in our products. Our Calphalon Temp IQ Espresso Machine With Steam Wand, Stainless' portafilter material is purely made of stainless steel. There's no plastic material in there that can be in contact with hot water.

Can someone please share what coffee you're using? I'm having a hard time finding the right grind (it's either too acid/watery or it's too bitter)

Typically you're going to get the best taste from a medium roast, as straight espresso already has a tendency to taste a bit acidic or bitter. Doing it with a dark roast will just compound the issue. Play with the grind settings as well. The coffee roastss I've been using have been medium roast ethiopian and peruvian single origin and have been anywhere from a 18-24 setting on the attached grinder. What you're going to key on after the adjustment is the crema while you're pulling the shot, and then the flavor you get.

I am looking for really good tasting coffee beans for this machine. Which can you recommend?

I’ve had this machine for a while and have tried several beans and thus far my favorite has been kicking horse. I get nice crema with this bean which I haven’t gotten with others. As well I tend to have less grind flying all over the place, probably because these beans are oily. I’ve heard death wish is good too. In my opinion, if you’re r combining more than 3oz of milk characteristics between beans starts to gets lost. As such, I wouldn’t spend a huge amount of money on beans if your going to make lattes or cappuccinos. But I’m no coffee expert

Exterior Finish	Plastic, Stainless
Material	Stainless Steel, Plastic
Item Weight	9.9 Kilograms
Number of Items	1
Item Dimensions D x W x H	14.5"D x 15.6"W x 17.3"H
Style	Temp iQ w/Burmill Grinder
Color	black,silver
Recommended Uses For Product	Office, Home
Operation Mode	Manual
Voltage	110 Volts
Human Interface Input	Dial
Wattage	1450 watts
Filter Type	Paper
Specific Uses For Product	Espresso
Special Features	Auto shot volumetric controlÂ , removable tank , milk jug ,1 and 2 cup Dual Wall Filters
Coffee Maker Type	Espresso Machine

Calphalon Espresso Machine with Coffee Grinder, Tamper, Milk Frothing Pitcher, and Steam Wand, Temp iQ 15 Bar Pump, Stainless Steel

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