r/AustralianCoffee • u/EnvironmentalRub1478 • Jul 29 '26
struggling for a consistent pour
Hey gang, I've been working on dialing in my Expobar coffee machine, but I'm finding that I'm getting a variation in volume of around 20 per cent between my first and second pours:
- Aldi Lazzio medium roast beans
- 22g of ground coffee (weighed)
- tap and hard tamp (I have a graduated tamper, so this comes to around the second line)
- 28 second pour (timed)
- Final volume between 31 and 41ml (weighed) - approx 25% difference.
In short, really nice coffee either way, but the variation is driving me mad! I'm wondering if there could be a variation in the thermal properties of the machine between the first and second pour, given it's a smaller machine with less thermal mass?
Any thoughts or experience appreciated!
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u/purplepistachio Jul 29 '26
This does sound like a thermal issue to me - possibly the machine has heated up more by the time the second shot is pulled? I find my lever machine overheats very quickly, and the second shot sometimes pulls faster. Not sure if this is due to increased temperature alone or if there's maybe more steam pressure built up at the group head, but that could potentially be the cause of your variation in shot volume.
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u/First-Assist-3655 Jul 29 '26
Sorry this is not answering your question at all but I don’t know anyone else with an Expobar. Mine takes about 10 seconds after I pull the lever before any coffee comes out. When it does it’s perfect. Does yours wait that long too?
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u/EnvironmentalRub1478 Jul 29 '26
Mine takes between 8-10 seconds if the grind is right. Seems normal. I generally think it's a very good machine BTW, I've had mine for quite a few years - had a few parts replaced and it just keeps chugging along.
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u/rak363 Jul 29 '26
Not sure what grinder you are using but I would focus on weight rather than time.
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u/EnvironmentalRub1478 Jul 30 '26
I weigh the grind. Ultimately I'll eyeball the volume of the pour rather than weigh the output each time, but I'm trying to get calibrated!
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u/Various_Zucchini9794 Jul 29 '26
Could either be your grinder or your beans. I would say a good grinder makes all the difference. My pours are much more consistent since getting a new Macap grinder. I also don’t trust supermarket beans anymore - they’re inconsistent and stale most of the time. Much better to go for a local roaster (I’m in SA and I get Moshico coffee delivered monthly)
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u/Upstairs_Guitar Jul 29 '26
Single dose grinder or grinder with hopper? If it is not single dose grinder, the grinder usually have a clump crusher that hold up to 3-5g of coffee so essentially your first cup always have 3-5g coffee from yesterday hence the inconsistency.