Insulated, Double-walled, Glass Cups Are Best

What is the best cup for a flat white or any other espresso-based drink, like a latte or a cappuccino? 

 

For me, the answer is easy: an insulated, double-walled, glass cup. Beautiful to the eye with a good feel in the hand.

 

Serve your espresso-based milk drinks in a heavy ceramic mug and your drinks immediately begin to cool.

 

For this reason, I use an insulated, double-walled, glass cup that prevents rapid cooling. Another plus, these cups stay cool to the touch even when preheated. I like to fill my cup with water and heat it in the microwave while I grind and tamp the beans.

A latte I made for Judy.

 

The only downside to these cups is durability. Light glass cups are fragile. I know. I have already broken one. I tipped it over and the inside glass liner shattered. I have heard others complain about the cost but I find stores like Homesense, Marshalls and Winners offer a good selection at excellent prices.

 

Insulated glass cups are practical and nice looking. The coffee appears to almost float in a clear cup. The espresso and the thin layers of crema and foamed milk are clearly visible. Unlike some plastic mugs, glass cups do not impart off flavours.

 

For me, preheated, double-walled glass cups are the best. Love 'em.  

Making good latte on the cheap.

It just occurred to me: I have never met a latte I didn't like. Strong coffee smoothed out with lots of heated milk, what could go wrong. Café connoisseurs would say "lots". Me -- a simple espresso drinker -- I would say "very little".

My ignorance encourages a broad tolerance range. For instance, if the coffee is too bitter, I am quick to add a little sugar. I expect to make adjustments. Hey, that's why there is half and half on the table. I see flexibility as a strength.

The connoisseur has more refined expectations. Connoisseurs are more attuned to noticing subtle defects -- subtle to me but not to them. Vary the bean quality, extraction and milk texturing and risk offending the delicate palate of the connoisseur.

When I bought my wife an espresso machine for Christmas, I over bought. I knew nothing about espresso, latte, flat whites or cappuccinos. I turned to the experts. This was a big mistake. The Breville Barista Touch espresso machine was frequently suggested, accompanied by the claim that the approximate price of $1500 was a bargain.

I decided to consult ChatGPT. Wow! The AI program made complete sense and if I had followed its advice I could have saved more than a thousand dollars! Let me quote ChatGPT.

The simplest beginner setup for making excellent espresso drinks is:

• Bialetti Moka Pot ($50 at Canadian Tire)
• Baratza Encore Black Coffee Grinder ($200) or OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder ($150) - Both available at Crate and Barrel
• Handheld Milk Frother (approximately $25 - $35)
• Good Whole Beans ($20)

Total cost: roughly $250 - $300 with espresso quality rivaling many cafés.

 

For brewing simply great coffee, substitute the AeroPress, $53 at Canadian Tire, for the Bialetti Moka Pot.

 

As a senior couple with more time on our hands than money, going the moka pot route is truly appealing.

Breville Barista Touch: more machine than I need?

I gave my wife a Breville Barista Touch for Christmas. I had read The New York Times Wirecutter review which said "the Barista Touch lets beginners make a variety of café-quality espresso drinks at home with very little learning curve."  

I should have read an earlier NYT article. It warned readers, "Of all the ways to make coffee, the espresso machine is the most intimidating." My wife was intimidated. After three full months, she has yet to pull one shot of espresso. That said, the Touch still gets lots of use. I am now my wife's personal barista.

I made a very common mistake, I bought a machine that did not match my wife's lifestyle. Many who make this mistake will enjoy their purchase for a few weeks and, when the novelty wears off, the coffee-making ritual will begin to feel like work and the machine is abandoned. It is left to sit on the counter-top looking imposing and gathering dust.

The Touch is more machine than I need. Clearly, it is more machine than my wife needs. I bought a very beautiful, café-quality espresso machine at a price that was also a beaut. I should have looked for a  simpler, less expensive machine. I had lots of options. I turned to ChatGPT.

I learned of the Airmsen 7.9'' Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine With Grinder was on sale at Walmart for $249.99. The reviews were mixed and, although most buyers seemed happy, those who were not happy had some excellent reasons for giving the Airmsen only one star. I found all the low priced units had similarly mixed reviews. I asked ChatGPT to loosen the purse strings and move upscale a little.

One of its suggestions found a lot of support, the Breville Bambino Plus at $500. Online espresso experts spoke highly of it and, even more importantly, a very sophisticated friend bought one.

There is also a non-plus Bambino at $360 but my advice is spend the extra $140 for the Plus.

It has a better steam wand. It has four-holes in the tip rather than just a single-hole and it auto-purges and self-cleans. There are some other perks but I believe the improved milk heating/frothing wand is the decider.

Worth a mention is the three-way solenoid. It releases the pressure after drawing a shot, making for a drier puck and less dripping after extraction. 

Now, what about a coffee grinder? I stayed with the Breville brand. I believe a Breville Smart Grinder Pro at $240 paired with a Breville Bambino Plus would make a fine team. They work well together, and just as importantly, they look good together. Looking good on the kitchen counter is important to a lot of people. My wife being one of them.

When comparing the two Bambino models, the actual espresso brewing systems are the same. Therefore, the shot quality is essentially the same.

Still, depending upon your skill level, lattes and other milk drinks from the Plus might be a notch up in quality compared to its less expensive soulmate. The Plus offers multiple milk temperature options and different foam levels. The Plus may make your inner barista shine.

Rather than spending $1280 for the all-in-one Breville Barista Touch, now I believe it would have been wiser to buy a grinder separate from the brewing machine. Not only would I have saved money but it would simplify doing repairs in the future.

I found a good review comparing the Breville Barista Touch, my machine, to the Breville Bambino Plus, my friend's choice. Here is the link: Breville Barista Touch vs Breville Bambino Plus reviewed by Eli for Coffee Drinker Net.

I found one error in the review. The Bambino Plus milk frothing wand has a four hole tip and not a single hole tip, as I pointed out earlier.

If you do not value matching looks, there are other coffee grinders you can consider. Here are two: MiiCoffee DF54 and Baratza Encore ESP. Use ChatGPT to compare grinders. Each has its own pluses and minuses. 

As for which espresso machine to buy, I have switched my vote to the Breville Bambino Plus. For home use it holds its own quite nicely and my oh-so-bright, never-makes-a-mistake friend bought a Plus. Now, that's a solid endorsement.

Breville Barista Touch Espresso machine: Should a novice use the dual-wall or the single-wall filter basket?

Let me get right to the point: I find it counter-intuitive that the dual-wall filter basket is the basket for beginners. I expected to see holes, lots of holes, in the filter basket bottom. It just seemed reasonable.

 

The dual-wall filter basket, the one with only one, small, exit hole in the bottom, looks strange. What advantage could there possibly be? Answer: the one hole raises the extraction pressure. Think of it as placing a thumb over the end of a hose. And why is this good?

 

The high pressure created by forcing the espresso through one, final, small hole smooths over flavour imperfections while producing a thick and stable crema. Critics see this as a cheat: ample crema created without perfect extraction.

 

Puck channelling happens less frequently when the dual-wall filter basket is used. Grind size, dose weight and tamping consistency all have less influence on the resulting brew. On the down side, pucks are often somewhat wet when the dual-wall filter basket is used. Many folk just ignore the wet puck if the espresso is good. 

 

On the other hand, the single-walled filter basket, with rows and rows of small perforations in the stainless steel bottom, depends on proper grind size, dose weight and consistent tamping to control extraction pressure. Controlling the variables calls for more skill on the part of the barista.

 

Dual-walled filter baskets are often called "training wheels" for budding baristas. Despite uneven tamping, incorrect grind size or dose weight errors one still pulls consistently acceptable espresso shots with no fuss, no muss. Note the word acceptable. Sadly, the dual-walled filter baskets also mutes the unique flavour notes found in different coffee beans. But, not to worry, most novice espresso makers do not notice. Acceptable is acceptable.

Breville Barista Touch Espresso machine: Extraction

Portafilter and filter basket

Making a flat white for my wife and me, the espresso started flowing in less than seven seconds. The extraction was too fast, the grind was too coarse.

To adjust the grinder, turn the dial on the side of the machine in the direction indicated. Change the size one unit at a time. Two is the limit. I understand the grinder should be operating while making adjustment.

Our goal here is to increase resistance slowing flow of espresso through filter basket. The result: a drier, more compact puck.

How to Adjust the Grinder for a Slower Flow

1. Adjust Using Side Dial: Turn the grind dial on the side of the machine to set a lower number. This results in a finer grind. Breville does not mention this but most experts agree that the grind size should only be adjusted with the grinder running.

2. Adjust in Increments: Change the grind size by small increments (about 1–2 units at most). 

3. Increase Dose: If the dose is underweight and the razor does not touch the surface of the grounds in the portafilter with filter cup inserted, increase the amount of coffee grounds by increasing the grinding time. Again, do this one second at at time.

4.  Adjust Internal Burrs: This is really a last ditch effort. I have never tried this but I did find this recommendation on the Internet in a couple of places. 

   If the side dial is already at its finest setting and the shot is still too fast, you may need to adjust the inner top burr. Remove the hopper, take out the top burr, and adjust the metal wire handle to a lower number (e.g., from 6 to 4 or 3).

Puck Condition

• Drier Puck: Because a finer grind requires higher pressure to pass through, the machine, the extraction will be more efficient, resulting in a drier, firmer, and more compact puck.

• Faster Flow Equals Damp/Muddy Puck: If the coffee is too coarse (flowing too fast), the puck will often be damp and muddy, as water passes through without being properly trapped.  

The goal is to aim for an extraction that begins in roughly 8–10 seconds and finishes around 25–30 seconds. If all goes as planned, you now have an espresso with nicely balanced flavour.

And, if the puck, while still in the portafilter, looks quite wet with a centre hole running right through the entire puck from top to bottom, you have forgotten the filter basket. Oops! The coffee streams will have started quite early and there will be coffee grounds in your drink. Toss the drink and start over.

Making a Flat White with a Breville Barista Touch

My Flat White has a round glob of thin foam.

I'm not a coffee freak. So, why am I posting instructions for brewing a flat white using a mid-range espresso machine? 

Answer: I bought my wife a Breville Barista Touch for Christmas. She wanted it but I use it. I have become the family barista. I can't let a coffee brewing machine of that calibre sit unused.

As a new-to-the-coffee-scene novice, I settled on the flat white as my coffee of choice. The Barista Touch has a number of automatic brew settings. Among them is flat white, one part espresso and two parts heated and foamed milk.

Before starting

• Fill the water tank almost to the maximum fill line.
• Fill the coffee hopper. Do not overfill. Do not use green beans.
• Gather everything you will need: 
• portafilter 
• dosing funnel 
• double shot filter basket (While learning, I used the dual wall filter basket. I quickly advanced to using the single wall basket.)
• dosing funnel
• Razor tool for levelling ground coffee in portafilter with basket inserted
• an 8.5 ounce, insulated coffee cup 
• stainless steel container for heating and frothing milk
• ample cold, whole milk (not a low fat skim milk type)
• sugar
• teaspoon 
• two small towels or dish clothes–one dry and one damp.

Step 1 – Press the on/off button and select Flat White on the screen

• From the main drinks menu, touch Flat White on the touchscreen.​

• The screen will show three steps: Grind, Brew and Milk. All are preset but feel free to modify. It took me a few cups of  flat white before I got the grind size and the grind time correct.

Step 2 – Grind and dose

• Snap the filter basket, either the single wall or the dual wall, into the portafilter. If you forget, coffee grounds will fly from the machine. To stop the grinding, push the grind icon on the screen.

• With the chosen filter basket snapped into the portafilter, attach the dosing funnel to the top of the portafilter and slide all into the grinder cradle.

• Touch “Grind” or push in the portafilter to start grinding. For this first flat white, accept the default settings.

• After grinding, remove all from the cradle, use tamping tool to compact ground coffee, after the initial tamping, remove dosing funnel and finish tamping down coffee. Carefully level ground coffee using the Razor tool if necessary. After using the Razor, tap and tamp one last time. (I find I rarely use the Razor. The grind and time I have set with trial and error are perfect.)

Step 3 – Attach portafilter and extract espresso

• Lock the portafilter, minus the dosing filter, onto the group head by rotating the handle to the right until it stops.

• Place a dual wall, insulated cup under the spouts. I like to preheat my cup.

• On the flat white screen ensure "Double" is selected and touch “Brew” to start extraction. (In my book, "Double" makes enough espresso for one flat white for one person.)

• Watch the flow: two thin streams should start at the seven second mark or a second or two later. The brewing will finish at the preset time. (At this point, I like to add the sugar, if any, to the hot espresso.)

Step 4 – Heat and froth  milk

• Fill the stainless steel milk jug with whole milk to just above the fill line on the steam wand. The stainless steel jug has minimum and maximum levels marked on the side but I have a difficult time seeing the marks. I prefer using the fill line on the steam wand when making flat whites. This results in enough milk and froth for two flat whites. (I use the maximum fill line when making two lattes.)

• The tip of the steam wand should be sitting in the milk just below the surface. The jug must be sitting on the temperature sensor.​ Do not let the sensor get wet. The sensor must be kept dry.

• On the Flat White screen, check the Milk settings: 

 Temperature: medium to medium‑high (around 150 °F is typical).

 Froth level: medium low (4). This results in less foam than called for by latte or cappuccino).

• Touch “Milk” to start auto heating and foaming.​

• Make sure the stainless steel jug is sitting on the sensor at all times. This is important.   

Step 5 – Flush and wipe the steam wand when finished

• As soon as the Breville Barista Touch is finished heating and texturing the milk, remove the jug. With the steam wand extended at 45 degrees, wipe the wand and tip with a damp cloth. Keep the wand extended at the 45 degree position. 

• Place the corner of a dry towel or small dish cloth over the milk heating/frothing sensor. It must not get wet. Now, lower the wand to the down position. It will automatically purge itself shooting two short bursts of hot water and a burst of steam into the drip tray. This clears milk from inside the wand.​

Step 6 – Pour milk and add foam

• Begin pouring from a few centimetres above the milk surface so the milk integrates with the espresso and pushes crema to the top.​

• The cup should contain about two ounces espresso and you are adding four ounces of milk. When the milk is poured, bring the jug closer to the drink surface and pour a white circle of silky, small-bubbled froth into the centre of the flat white. I like to stir the drink gently until I get a coffee-brown circular pattern in the milk froth.

A flat white should be about a six ounce drink with a strong espresso flavour tamed by the heated milk. The ratio is 1:2, espresso to heated milk. The foam layer is visible but thin.

After enjoying your flat white

Every time you finish enjoying a milk‑based drink, do these quick tasks to keep the machine performing well.

1. Knock out puck and rinse portafilter

• Remove the portafilter and knock out and discard the coffee puck.

• Remove the filter basket and rinse both the basket and portafilter under hot water to remove coffee oils and grounds.​ Cleaning both with a little soapy water is a good idea. Rinse well.

2. Quick group head flush

• With clean portafilter with filter basket snapped into place, attach the empty portafilter to the group head just as you would to brew coffee. Place an empty cup below as if you were brewing an espresso. Push “Brew” to run hot water briefly through the group head. I believe five or six seconds is enough. This rinses away any residue of coffee grounds. The rinse water is captured in the empty cup. You should see coffee grounds in the water. Some users do this step without the portafilter and filter basket in place. They use a very large cup to catch the rinse water. While doing this, I keep a dry cloth over the milk/foam sensor. Remember the warning, "Keep dry".

• Remove portafilter with filter basket inserted, if you used the portafilter in the purging operation. Separate, wash and leave to dry.

3. Drip tray and work area

• Check the drip tray. It will have collected some water contaminated with a little milk. Clean and rinse all the drip tray parts.

Wipe any spilled coffee or milk from the surrounding surfaces. Again, take care not to let the milk temp sensor get wet.

Of course, Breville has posted some instructions. Here is a link to: 


How to make a flat white at home

 

Make your Flat White for Two

I never, absolutely never, make just one Flat White. I always make two. One for me and one for my wife. The espresso machine was a Christmas gift from me to her. A gift should not be a lot of work to use. It should be fun and with me doing the brewing and clean-up, it is fun -- for her.

To modify the above instructions so that you pull two double-shots of espresso to make two flat whites, do the following:

• Pull your first espresso shot as above but after grinding and brewing stop. Do not heat and froth the milk. Set aside the cup with the espresso.
• Knock out the puck, wipe and dry the filter basket and repeat Step 2 - Grind and Dose followed by Step 3 - Attach portafilter and extract espresso. The second espresso shot will be collected in a second dual walled, insulated cup.
• Set the second espresso aside with the first. We are now ready to heat and froth the milk for both drinks. Go to Step 4 - Heat and froth milk.
• Steam and froth the milk as instructed. As I mentioned earlier, I always make enough frothed milk to make two flat whites.
• Pour the heated/frothed milk into the insulated, glass cups. Voila! Two flat whites. Clean the machine and work area as instructed.

A look at the Breville Barista Touch Espresso machine

Judy said she would like an espresso machine. I thought to myself, I'll get her one for Christmas. But I did not know a thing about espresso machines. I did some research. The Breville Barista Touch Espresso machine seemed to be the one to buy. Not too simple and not too complex. Goldilocks would understand.

Heck, even Wirecutter, the product review section of the New York Times, said this was the one to get for Judy for Christmas. Well, maybe I am overstating this, the NYT didn't go so far as to say this one was perfect for Judy -- but they came awfully close. 

I found one on sale at Canadian Tire. Yes, Canadian Tire. The store famous for oil changes, snow tires and automobile windshield cleaner also sells espresso machines. The nearest store had four. I got up early and got to the store minutes after it opened at 8 a.m. 

At the check-out I told the lady at the counter I felt quite the fool. Who spends this much to brew coffee? I love my wife but I had to wonder if I loved her this much. I was conflicted. I mentioned I was surprised that the store only had four of these left. "You're wrong," the counter lady said. Someone beat you, and counting the one you are now buying, the store only has two left. She said some stores were sold out and she expected her store to sell out soon, maybe in minutes. Amazing! 

Oh well, Judy loves it. It does make awfully good coffee -- although it calls regular coffee an Americano or some such foolishness. But what do I know? Sadly, this morning I found our usual coffee weak, lacking in character. Character? Who talks like that? Damn. I wish I had just bought Judy a box of chocolates. Then, my morning coffee would still taste wonderful.

Look right, a latte I brewed with a ratio of 1:3 espresso to frothed milk. Personally, I like a flat white a wee bit more. The tighter ratio, 1:2, keeps coffee flavour upfront. A latte is more milk dominant. The latte is in a Trudeau 11 oz insulated, double-walled, glass cup bought on sale from Homesense.

_____________________________________________________________

Espresso machines like the Breville Touch have a learning curve. The automation of the Touch shortens the learning curve but does not eliminate it. Breville understands and has posted videos and short articles addressing the most common problems encountered by newbie owners.

Let me give you some links.

Coffee Demonstration | How to Dial-in the Barista Touch™ espresso machine | Breville USA

4 Types of Coffee: This is a great page from Breville made even better by the links to be found at the very bottom of the page. 

Find more articles and videos with Google. Judy found the online info helpful. 

Why I bought the Breville Baristra Touch Espresso machine.

As I mentioned, Wirecutter in the New York Times, thought very highly of this café-quality espresso machine. Encouraged by the NYT positive review, further search found lots of independent reviews in agreement with Wirecutter. Let's list some of the features that the reviewers appreciated.

1. All-in-One, Built-In Grinder

No need for a separate grinder. The Breville Touch has a high-quality integrated conical burr grinder that grinds beans fresh immediately prior to brewing. The ground coffee drops straight into the portafilter. Thanks to a special collar or funnel used during grinding, there is no mess, no spilled coffee grounds. Burr grinders produce a consistent, even grind resulting in richer flavour and improved extraction.

2. Intuitive Touchscreen Controls

A full-colour touchscreen guides you through grinding, brewing, and milk foaming. Setting the grind size, degree of milk foaming and final temperature can still be daunting for a novice but, after viewing a couple of videos, the ease of the semi-automated machine soon become clear.

3. Automated But Customizable

I like to call the Barista Touch a semi-automatic machine. It is left to the barista to fine-tune settings such as the the size and style of basket, the grind amount and size, the degree of tamping and the milk texture. But, get all the variables right and you can save the "recipe". It is possible to save up to eight personalized coffee brewing profiles.

4. Fast Heat-Up Time

The Breville Barista Touch Espresso machine reaches the optimal brewing temperature in about three seconds thanks to the ThermoJet® heating system. In a hurry? No worry. Still, I like to turn on the machine the moment I start getting ready to brew a latte or flat white.

5. Automatic Milk Frothing

The Breville AutoMilQ hands-free microfoam system steams milk to the texture and temperature you choose for making lattes and cappuccinos. The claim is that it makes excellent foam for every style of drink. I am but a beginner but I agree. the AutoMilQ system works very well. That said, many online self-proclaimed experts prefer to manually foam the milk. Not me!

6. Precision Brewing

Low Pressure, pre-infusion followed by 9-bar extraction pulls balanced, rich espresso shots. Do it right and you are rewarded with good crema, as well.

Like many high-end espresso machines, the Breville Touch has PID temperature control. PID? A Proportional Integral Derivative extraction temperature controller. I cannot say any more. Google it, if you are still curious.

7. Built for Daily Use

Many of the reviews I consulted were impressed with the ease of cleaning and supplied storage for accessories. For instance, when not in use the tamper hangs from a concealed magnet on the front left of the machine. Sadly, the ultimate build quality was questioned by some reviewers but I found a lot of positive comments from satisfied owners. I went with the good opinions. Come back in a few months and see if I made the right decision. If my Breville breaks down, I will blog about it.

8. Café-Quality Drinks at Home

Lastly, the Barista Touch lets you make coffee shop quality coffee drinks at home. This does not sound like a big deal but do the math. You will be amazed. If you get your lattes or flat whites from Starbucks, you may pay for your espresso machine in less than a year. Make a latte or flat white for yourself and your partner every day and the coffee-drink-ritual will pay for the machine in as little as three months.

Warning

I read some online descriptions of overflowing milk during frothing. Now, it has happened to my wife. What a mess! But worse, the heater/frother may be damaged.

 

There is a "Keep Dry" warning above the stainless steel button sensor. Take this warning seriously. I understand this button is the Achilles's heel of this espresso maker. 

Do not drag the stainless steel milk jug over the sensor, simply place the jug on the sensor with care. Do not let water or milk wet the button sensor/switch. If the milk you are frothing threatens to overflow, quickly turn off the machine.

I was lucky. I cleaned the machine. Passed clear water through all the hidden areas that had been flooded with milk. I let it dry for two full days. It still works. What a relief.

2. Another warning: do not change settings by more than two and one is even wiser. I had heard this recommendation on a number of YouTube videos on the Breville Barista Touch. I did not listen. This was a mistake. 

I did not get enough gound coffee in my portafilter after grinding. So, what did I do? I increased the grind time by four seconds. During grinding, the portafilter with an installed basket overflowed. I had coffee grounds all over. I had to use the razor to accurately lower the height of ground coffee.

3. When cleaning the milk-frothing wand after use you will probably have the wand extended at an angle away from the espresso machine. Make sure it stays extended. The moment the wand is pushed back into its upright position, the purge cycle will start. 

First, wipe the froth from the extended wand with a damp cloth. Next, fold the wand down and the purging cycle will start immediate. I always have a dry cloth covering the milk temperature sensor button. You do not want to get the sensor wet. Letting the wand purge directly into the drip tray allows the wand to purge freely with two short blasts of hot water and a final burst of steam. This will necessitate cleaning the tray. I have caught the purge water in a small glass, it is neater, but I am not sure if the purging is complete. I no longer use the glass. 

4. All this sounds like it should be hard to do -- but it isn't. When first learning the ins and outs of using the Breville Barista Touch, it is all too easy to forget to click the filter basket into the porta filter. Without the basket, coffee grinds flow straight through the porta filter and make one heck of a mess. When my wife showed off her new machine to a neighbourhood friend, my wife forgot the filter basket. Her friend laughed at the coffee grounds scattering about the kitchen. My wife didn't laugh.

As I learn more, I will add to this post. 

 

 

Sech SCB568P Smartwatch available at Canadian Tire

This is an updated review. With weeks of experience with this smartwatch, I can say that this watch, especially on sale, is good value. Oh, it has its idiosyncrasies, but at a sale price, I can live with the little glitches. This Sech smartwatch would make a great gift for a boy who also has a smartphone.

I wanted a watch with an alarm. That's all. I take a lot of pills for my heart condition four times daily. I often forget to take my meds and then I take them late. Occasionally, I miss taking my meds completely. This is not good. Clearly, I need a watch with an alarm.

I found a watch on sale at Canadian Tire. The fellow at the store assured me that this watch had an alarm. He was certain; it was a smartwatch, he said. I took it home, opened the box and discovered I needed a smartphone to use my smartwatch. Did I mention I'm old? I thought a smartwatch was simply capable. Oops!

There was a QR code in the instruction booklet; this should have made it easy to set up my watch. It didn't. Why? I did not own a smartphone. My daughters solved my problem. They bought me a used iPhone 9.

Before continuing, at this point it is time to charge the smartwatch using the USB magnetic charging cable. The first charge takes three hours to complete. A shorter charging time will suffice in the future. The watch indicates when it is fully charged.

After charging your smartwatch, you can download the "Da Fit" app to link your smartphone to your smartwatch. Note: the Sech smartwatch will not work with the Apple Watch app—only with the Da Fit app.

There are a number of ways to download the Da Fit app.

1. Point your smartphone steadily at the QR code printed in the Sech smartwatch booklet. A banner or link should appear at the top of the screen—tap it. This will take you to the App Store page for Da Fit. (If nothing happens, you may be able to search manually in the App Store for “Da Fit” and download it from there.)

2: Click on this link to the Mo Young Ltd. Da Fit page. Click on Download or click on the appropriate app store oval.

You must download the "Da Fit" app to link your smartphone to your smartwatch.

At this point, it is time to set-up your smartphone. Unfortunately this can be very difficult if you must use the little booklet that came with the watch. Why? Little print on little pages in a little booklet. For many, the little print is almost unreadable. But, there are solutions.

My first solution is to click on my photo reproducing the booklet for a similar Sech smartphone sold by Canadian Tire. 

I downloaded this from the CTC page discussed next. Enlarge the image on your computer monitor until is is legible. Good luck.

 

 

My second solution, to go to the linked Canadian Tire CTC Sech smartphone page and, although it is not the exact same model, we are going to scroll to Resources and download the posted user manual. These instuctions should do the job.

This solution may not last. When the smartphone featured is discontinued, the resource may disappear as well. 

 

 

I found another solution as well: a complete online Da Fit User Manual.

 

Allow all the permission requests (Bluetooth, Notifications, Health data, etc.)—these are needed for proper syncing and complete functionality. If the Da Fit User Manual does not work for you, please comment and I will try and find a solution.

Now, with the smartwatch up and running, my first question was did it have an alarm? It sure does. Eight alarms to be exact. I need only four. My daughter quickly had all the alarms working for me.

She showed me how my smartwatch could take my blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen level, count my steps, record my sleep patterns and more. It’s too bad none of its tricks are medically acceptable. Clearly, some people do not think smartwatches are as smart as claimed.

That said, my watch can be very smart. As far as I can tell, it does a fine job determining my heart rate (bpm) and recording my oxygen saturation level. It also does a fine job keeping track of my steps and recording and evaluating my nightly sleep patterns.

The blood pressure readings are another matter. They suck! I have an excellent upper arm Omron blood pressure unit. It is accurate. The readings from the Sech smartwatch never agree with the Omron numbers. They are not even close.

When my youngest daughter watched a video on her iPhone, the audio could be heard throughout the room. Her phone, thanks to Bluetooth, was connected to my smartwatch. In a sharing mood, it was sharing with everyone within hearing range.

Later, with my smartphone connected via Bluetooth to my iPhone, I placed a call to my wife. It worked like a charm. I was impressed; my wife less do. Why? Because I was in the same room as she was. She found calling someone only ten feet away rather silly.

Oh well, it keeps good time. The alarm is the bee's knees. I am excited to investigate all my smartwatch's other features. Read on. I will add to this post as I become more and more familiar with my better-than-it-deserves-to-be-at-the-price smartwatch.

Keeping my smartwatch and smartphone connected may be the biggest and most annoying weakness of the Da Fit app. There are numerous comments about this idiosyncrasy online. 

To check the connection, open the Da Fit app and touch the smartwatch icon. It is the second icon from the right at the bottom of the screen. At the top of the new screen, it will read SECH SCB568P. Below the SECH name, you should see "Connected".

If you see "Disconnected", I suggest first rebooting your smartphone. Voila; the two devices should be reconnected. If after thirty seconds the devices fail to connect, tap Find Device. The watch should emit a tone confirming the phone and watch are linked. Wait a few seconds and Disconnected should change to Connected.

If this fails as well, go to Settings and the gear icon on your smartwatch. Settings is found by swiping down on the watch face. Tap the gear wheel, scroll down to System and tap Restart. Do not touch "Reset". Reset is the last ditch move. I try to avoid it.

If you must tap "Reset", be aware that this is the nuclear option. Reset returns the smartwatch to its factory settings. You will have to reload your alarm settings, any formats you  have personalized and all other features you have entered or modified. If you are using an optional watch face, you will have to reload it, as well.

I have been asked if the Sech smartwatch will work without a connection to a smartphone. The answer? No, it won't. Period. End of discussion

But, even with my new smartphone, all my problems did not immediately disappear. Learning how to get the most out of my little smart device was tough for an old geezer who finds it hard to even call it a watch. Telling time is just one of my smartwatch's many functions. I confess, I found it confusing

Watch Faces: I did not find any of the supplied six watch faces worked for me. I downloaded "Business Black" in the "New Watch Faces" group. This alternative watch face displays the percentage of battery power remaining. 

Business Black found in the New Watch Face group.

On your smartphone, tap "Da Fit" app > find Watch Faces (Tap the watch icon, third icon from the left at the bottom of the screen. It should be lit.) > tap Face Gallery below the third watch face shown. 

You will see numerous optional smartwatch faces. I picked "Business black" found in the "New Watch Faces" group.

To switch between loaded watch faces, turn the knob on side of the smartwatch. It turns both clockwise or counter clockwise.

 

Wrist Raise Turns on Watch Face: Still on the subject of the watch face, the face will light up when you move your arm quickly if "Wrist Raise" is activated. This is a battery drainer. To disable the Wrist Raise feature, go to Settings on the watch (sweep down) and tap the gear wheel. Scroll down to Wrist Raise, tap it and slide the onscreen switch to off.

To make the battery last longer, turn Wrist Raise off

.

"Settings" can also be found by turning on the watch, swiping right twice, and then scrolling to the bottom of the function icons. The settings gear wheel icon is the last function icon in the long list. Tap it.

Using the Da Fit app on your iPhone, you can access many of the smartwatch Functions. 

 

Tap the Da Fit icon and then tap the bottom far left icon. It is the first one in a row of four icons. All the functions can be found by scrolling up and down. Here is the function list (top to bottom): “Activity”, “Sleep”, “Heart Rate”, “BP (Blood Pressure)”, “Blood Oxygen”, “Stress”, “Weight” and “Intake Reminder”. Note, we are talking now about your iPhone. Coming up, we will examine the functions found on the smartwatch itself.

All functions work in a similar manner. Click on the function field and a new screen opens with related, in depth information appears. All are petty well self exclamatory. If an old geezer can muddle through, you can too. To close the in depth screen, tap the “X” at the top left of the window.

Always keep in mind: to paraphrase Dirty Harry, a smartwatch has to know its limitations. Smartwatches are not medical devices and much of their data is suspect.

Activity: This records the number of steps taken each day, the distance covered, and the calories burned. The distance covered can be displayed in either Imperial or metric measure. Tap the third icon from the left at the bottom, the smartwatch icon, tap Others. To change formats, tap on the arrow to the right.

• Steps are recorded automatically. I found this function to be amazingly accurate at walking speed. I checked the Net and found many posts agreeing that the recorded steps feature is accurate.
•  
• Distance covered can be fairly accurate as well. But, you must enter your Step Length first. Tap the fourth icon in the bottom row, it shows a person, tap Profile and enter your Step Length.
•  
• The calorie counter is another matter. Most sources give the kCal function a thumbs down. It's best used as a trend indicator rather than a precise measure of calories burned.

Sleep date, Da Fit app.

Sleep: The more I use this function, the more I realize this is mostly for fun and general guidance. It cannot be completely trusted. It promises a lot but delivers very little. Touch the Sleep icon and guesstimates of your Sleep Ratio and Sleep Quality Score are displayed. 

If you want another, more generous opinion of the Sleep function, please click the link to: Do Sleep Trackers Really Work posted on the Johns Hopkins Medical Health site.

On the left is the Sleep data field displayed on the iPhone. Click on the screen info and a second screen opens with even more info plus a rating of your recent night's sleep. I will leave it to you to form your own opinion about the value of this feature. I see it as another trend indicator, at best.

Heart Rate: Tap the heart rate field and a full screen heart rate page appears. Tap “Measure” at the bottom of the iPhone screen. The smartwatch will measure your heart rate and display it on both your watch and your phone. 

I have found this to be amazingly accurate, especially at rest or possibly when the wearer is engaged in light to moderate activity. I understand the more active one is the less accurate the HR readings. 

As a senior, my activity level never exceeds light to moderate. I use this HR function when I exercise on my elliptical to ensure I do not push my heart too hard,

BP (Blood Pressure): This feature is not to be trusted. If you must know your blood pressure, get a proper unit with an upper arm cuff. Omron makes excellent blood pressure monitors. The smartwatch BP feature is close to useless and be warned that the BP measurements taken with a wrist cuff also have a reputation for being untrustworthy.

 

SpO2 or Blood Oxygen: I believe this works. It usually agrees with my single purpose pulse oximetre. Touch the Blood Oxygen field, touch Measure at the bottom of the screen and the smartwatch will start taking the measurement. 

 

If your watch and phone are connected, the percent of oxygen number will be displayed on both the smartphone and on the smartwatch. If the connection fails, I have found tapping Find Device may restore the connection. If this fails, reboot the iPhone.

 

Stress: Almost every one agrees this feature is useless. Enough said. For more info, read Smartwatches Offer Little Insight Into Stress Levels.

 

Weight: There's not much to see here. You enter your weight manually. When you expand the weight window, if you have entered both your height and weight in the Da Fit app, your BMI is displayed and what your number means. It tells you whether you are thin, ideal weight, fat or obese. As I said, there's not much to see here

 

Intake Reminder: This will track your liquid consumption for the day but you must enter each drink manually. I am surprised to find I use this function every day. It encourages me to drink enough. My kidneys love this function. Good hydration is important, more important than I ever thought. I am now properly hydrated.

Those were all the functions found on the iPhone using the Da Fit app. 

 

Using Da Fit app on SECH smartwatch:

 

Let us examine the SECH SCB568P smartphone and discover what functions it offers. Many of these function work best when the smartphone is connected to a nearby iPhone.

 

Activity:

 

The Da Fit app on your iPhone gives your sleep a rating.

Sleep: The more I use this function, the more I realize this is mostly for fun and general guidance. It cannot be completely trusted. It promises a lot but fails to deliver. 

 

Swipe up and Sleep Data are displayed as colour coded bars denoting time awake, REM sleep, light sleep and just resting. I doubt any of the  measurements are truly accurate. For another opinion, please click link: Do Sleep Trackers Really Work posted on Johns Hopkins Medical Health site.

 

Heart Rate: Tap the heart rate icon and tap “Measure” at the bottom of the iPhone screen. The smartwatch will measure your heart rate and display it on both your watch and your phone. I have found this to be amazingly accurate, especially at rest or possibly when the wearer is engaged in light to moderate activity. I have found the more active I am, the less accurate the HR reading. 

 

Phone Call: Tap and a Phone Call screen appears. You have three choices: Recent Calls, Dial Pad, and Contacts. Placing a call was simple. The audio was amazingly good. Recent calls was pretty straight forward. I fave failed, so far, to link my watch to my iPhone contact list. It goes without saying, your smartphone must be nearby and connected.

 

Exercise: Click on this and be surprised. I worked through the list of exercises until I got to elliptical. Walking, running and cycling were all expected but badminton? And there a lot more surprised. There are supposedly more than 120 exercise modes. 

 

Click on Elliptical and immediately see a Set Goals screen: Time, Calories and Open Goal are the choices. Click on time and choose how long you you plan on working out. After clicking, another screen appears. This one shows the elapsed time, it displays the total calories burned, the present heart rate and a graph indicatind the strength of the workout. The graph starts at Light. Keep floating about the exercise tracker and surprise yourself by finding new, hidden functions and screens.

 

If you sweat, do not leave the smartwatch wet or even damp. Wipe the surface with a soft, clean cloth when necessary. 

 

Did I find the elliptical setting useful? Yes. My elliptical machine displays the time elapsed and some other useful information but it does not tell me my heart rate. My doctors tell me not to let my heart rate climb above 120 bpm. Thanks to my smartwatch I can keep my heart rate in the correct range. This one feature is worth the price of admission for folk like me. 

 

Exercise Records: The watch keeps a record of your exercise but you must exercise for at least one minute before data is stored. All records will be found on the app if you keep both the smartphone and the smartwatch synchronized.

 

Blood Pressure: This feature is not to be trusted. If you must know your blood pressure, get a proper unit with an upper arm cuff. Omron makes excellent blood pressure monitors. The smartwatch BP feature is close to useless and be warned that the BP measurements taken with a wrist cuff also have a reputation for being untrustworthy.

 

SpO2: I believe this function works. If your watch and phone are connected, the percent of Oxygen number will be displayed on both the smartphone and on the smartwatch when the measuring is done. If the phone fail to display the correct result, I have found tapping Find Device restores the connection. If this fails, read the 

Problem entry below.

 

Stress: Almost every one agrees this feature is useless. Enough said. For more info, read Smartwatches Offer Little Insight Into Stress Levels.

 

Weather: Shows the current weather info, for instance Cloudy and the present temperature. It also show the time for sunrise and for sunset. Swipe up to see weather. This must be connected to the APP. If the link is broken, disconnected for too long, the watch will not update. 

 

Messages:

 

Shutter: After connecting to your phone, the watch can remotely control your phone’s camera to take photos. After opening the camera on your phone, tap on the watch camera control page to trigger the camera shutter to take a picture.

 

Player:

Relaxation:

AI Voice:

 

Timer: Tap one of the preset times or tap the custom setting, when set, tap the start button. To stop, tap the X.

Alarm: Alarms can be set using the Da Fit app or on the watch, up to 8 alarms can be set. The alarm rings or can both ring and vibrate. Setting the alarm times is both quicker and easier using the Da Fit app on the iPhone. Setting the ring or the ring-vibrate function must be done on the watch itself.

 

There is an automatic snooze function. I could find no way to turn the snooze function off or on. If you do not turn of the alarm when it sounds, it will sound again in a few minutes. Momentarily depress the button on the side of the watch to turn off the alarm.

 

Stopwatch: Tap the start button on the stopwatch page to start timing, and tap the stop button to stop timing.

 

World Clock: When I tap World Clock, I get the correct time in Toronto, Ontario. As I live in London, Ontario, the time shown is also the correct for London. My iPhone has its world clock set to Ottawa, so my watch is not taking it Toronto setting from my phone. Odd. I will continue playing with this.

 

Cycle Tracking:

 

Find Phone: Scroll down to find phone, tap and your linked smartphone will either ring or vibrate, possibly both, making it easy to find your misplaced cell phone.

 

Calculator: A simple calculator that is probably accurate but I cannot use it. My fingers are too thick. Find the calculator app on your smartphone. It is more powerful while offering more options.

 

Games:

Settings:  

 

If all of the above seems a bit hard to follow, I have one last piece of advise: try ChatGPT. Tell it you are looking for a summary of the instructions for downloading and installing the Da Fit app by Mo Young. Ask it, "Can you find such a summary?" Now, play with your new watch and learn by trial and error. I did and I had great luck.

 

I found this info using ChatGPT about the manufacturing of the Sech watch. You might find this interesting.

 

When IWO works with Mo Young on building smartwatches,

Mo Young Ltd. is responsible for producing the smartwatch motherboards (the core electronics and software solutions), while IWO Smartwatch is responsible for producing the complete smartwatch units. 

This collaboration is part of an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) business model, where both companies contribute specific components and services to create a final product, such as the popular Da Fit smartwatch. 

Their roles can be broken down as follows:

Mo Young's Role

• Solution Provider: Mo Young is a leading provider of intelligent wearable solutions, focusing on the design and development of smart wearable products.
• Motherboard Production: The company specifically manufactures the core smartwatch motherboards.
• Software & App Development: Mo Young develops the software and mobile companion applications, such as the "Da Fit" app, which are essential for the smartwatch's functionality and user experience.
• R&D Expertise: They have a large R&D team dedicated to hardware design, UI design, app software, health algorithms, and system optimization. 

IWO Smartwatch's Role

• Final Product Assembly: IWO takes the motherboards and other components to produce the complete, finished smartwatch units.
• Design & Marketing (for micro-brands): IWO positions itself as a one-stop solution for micro-brands, handling aspects like design, brand marketing, and production of the final product.
• Quality Control & Certification: IWO ensures the final products undergo thorough quality control and obtain necessary certifications (CE, FCC, RoHS, etc.) for different export markets.
• OEM/ODM Services: IWO works with various partners and offers wholesale and B2B opportunities, leveraging Mo Young's core technology to provide customizable watches to other businesses. 

In essence, Mo Young provides the technical "brains" of the operation, while IWO handles the manufacturing, assembly, and distribution of the physical product.

 

Still want more? Click on the following: Top Questions Answered: Da Fit Smart Watch Price, Manufacturer, Instructions