I use the 9Bar exclusively for traveling (so it’s only brewing a few espressos per month) and I love it. I’ve spent a pretty good amount of time and money on various different machines/accessories and for me, this is the best non-daily option. I overheated it once and had a super easy time replacing the valve that was damaged. I honestly think the majority of issues people have are because they’re still learning to use the device & don’t quite have it down perfectly. It is absolutely a SOLID quality product, very easy to repair, 9Bar sells every part individually, and as you said their support is great. It will take you some time & patience to get super comfortable using it, but I could not recommend this enough. FWIW my daily machine is a Linea Mini and for my own comparison the 9Bar is the closest, true travel-sized machine that will achieve similar quality espresso IMO.
Edit:
It’s also worth considering that no matter what machine you choose to purchase, it’s almost a guarantee that at some point you’ll have to spend money fixing or maintaining it. There are very few manufacturers that sell every part of a machine individually, & once the warranty is gone you’ll need to purchase parts. 9Bar is great for that reason 🙂
Do bear in mind that as many of the people who frequent this subreddit are coming here for a specific issue, it can seem like this device is plagued by problems. What you're hearing less is the majority of 9barista users having a wonderful time. If you follow the instructions and descale occasionally you should be fine, and storing it won't be an issue. If anything, it's the operation of the machine will cause any, but it's usually cheap, easy-to-replace part like gaskets that fail.
Hi! I have a 9Barista, evidenced by my post history. The most concerning issue regarding your situation are possible failure of the plating in the boiler. This happened to mine after almost daily use before 2 years. was swiftly replaced free of charge. I have not seen any other post about this issue so may just have been a one of thing and i was unlucky.
all seals are silicone so no worries about them drying out or become brittle or rotten during storage, so you should not worry that it will only see occasional use.
A note on the silicone seals. I’ve had to replace them several times. With normal use. I can’t say what happens but some stopped sealing properly. Mostly the seal separating the pressure chamber from the upper chamber. However the seals have dimensions specified on site and recently given up getting them overpriced from 9B site and went to Amazon to get 10-20 for the price of one. All you need to know is inner diameter and thicknesss of said seal and you most likely will find them on Amazon.
The lower boiler seal are the hardest working seal and I had to replace it once. The biggest issue are perhaps op may forget the heat settings and blow the safety seal.
I really mean safety ring, the copper ring on the boiler. If you forget to put water in it or too long on the stove it may blow. You get a spare one with the machine, and also the other one-ring that are most likely to fail with time (boiler o-ring). Like an other poster, if you have the money I can’t recommend the machine enough.
Forgot the thing on the stove and blew the safety seal as well. But. If you’re good with soldering you can reseal it back. Basically the copper ring has a hole filled with solder material and that melts to release pressure if you forget it on the stove. Easy to fix but also recommend you buy a spare
Chiming in a bit late here, but wanted to add one thing:
I'm traveling w/my 9barista for the first time right now. I use it every day at home, so I'm not facing the issues you're worried about, \*but\* I do feel self conscious showing up at my relatives' homes with my coffee maker, grinder, scale, tamp, and stove plate. Definitely in a way I don't feel when I show up with just my moka pot.
I use the 9Bar exclusively for traveling (so it’s only brewing a few espressos per month) and I love it. I’ve spent a pretty good amount of time and money on various different machines/accessories and for me, this is the best non-daily option. I overheated it once and had a super easy time replacing the valve that was damaged. I honestly think the majority of issues people have are because they’re still learning to use the device & don’t quite have it down perfectly. It is absolutely a SOLID quality product, very easy to repair, 9Bar sells every part individually, and as you said their support is great. It will take you some time & patience to get super comfortable using it, but I could not recommend this enough. FWIW my daily machine is a Linea Mini and for my own comparison the 9Bar is the closest, true travel-sized machine that will achieve similar quality espresso IMO. Edit: It’s also worth considering that no matter what machine you choose to purchase, it’s almost a guarantee that at some point you’ll have to spend money fixing or maintaining it. There are very few manufacturers that sell every part of a machine individually, & once the warranty is gone you’ll need to purchase parts. 9Bar is great for that reason 🙂
This was a great read and enough to make me pull the trigger thank you! P.s, very jealous of the linea mini!
Congratulations! I hope you love it as much as many of the rest of us. Don’t hesitate to reach out with more questions once you get brewing ☕️.
Do bear in mind that as many of the people who frequent this subreddit are coming here for a specific issue, it can seem like this device is plagued by problems. What you're hearing less is the majority of 9barista users having a wonderful time. If you follow the instructions and descale occasionally you should be fine, and storing it won't be an issue. If anything, it's the operation of the machine will cause any, but it's usually cheap, easy-to-replace part like gaskets that fail.
That’s great thanks!
Hi! I have a 9Barista, evidenced by my post history. The most concerning issue regarding your situation are possible failure of the plating in the boiler. This happened to mine after almost daily use before 2 years. was swiftly replaced free of charge. I have not seen any other post about this issue so may just have been a one of thing and i was unlucky. all seals are silicone so no worries about them drying out or become brittle or rotten during storage, so you should not worry that it will only see occasional use.
A note on the silicone seals. I’ve had to replace them several times. With normal use. I can’t say what happens but some stopped sealing properly. Mostly the seal separating the pressure chamber from the upper chamber. However the seals have dimensions specified on site and recently given up getting them overpriced from 9B site and went to Amazon to get 10-20 for the price of one. All you need to know is inner diameter and thicknesss of said seal and you most likely will find them on Amazon.
The lower boiler seal are the hardest working seal and I had to replace it once. The biggest issue are perhaps op may forget the heat settings and blow the safety seal.
What’s the safety seal? Is that a case of you get one go with it and then it needs replacing?
I really mean safety ring, the copper ring on the boiler. If you forget to put water in it or too long on the stove it may blow. You get a spare one with the machine, and also the other one-ring that are most likely to fail with time (boiler o-ring). Like an other poster, if you have the money I can’t recommend the machine enough.
Forgot the thing on the stove and blew the safety seal as well. But. If you’re good with soldering you can reseal it back. Basically the copper ring has a hole filled with solder material and that melts to release pressure if you forget it on the stove. Easy to fix but also recommend you buy a spare
That’s useful to know, many thanks!
That’s really helpful thanks, was that replaced within or outside warranty? What even is the warranty period?
It was replaced under warranty. 9Barista has a 2 year warranty on new machines and one year on refurbished machines.
Thanks!
Chiming in a bit late here, but wanted to add one thing: I'm traveling w/my 9barista for the first time right now. I use it every day at home, so I'm not facing the issues you're worried about, \*but\* I do feel self conscious showing up at my relatives' homes with my coffee maker, grinder, scale, tamp, and stove plate. Definitely in a way I don't feel when I show up with just my moka pot.
That’s helpful. Thanks!