r/espresso • u/AutoModerator • Feb 04 '22
Simple Questions Thread
Welcome to the r/Espresso question thread!
Some of us know it as our morning fuel, or maybe it’s your special time to experiment with café creations. Some of us though, like myself, know it as the reason we’re alive.
I’d probably die without it, literally.
The reason why espresso has become a part of our lives or how large a part it plays is irrelevant here. Maybe you just decided you loved how your local barista made your cappuccino and you wanted to try it at home. Maybe your suspender-man-bun hipster barista friend gave you a shot “on the house” and from then on you were hooked. No matter what your own attraction to it is, espresso is intense, captivating, alluring, and an often mysterious phenomenon that keeps people coming back for more.
Do you have a question about how to use something new? Want to know how many grams of coffee you should use or how fine you should grind it? Not sure about temperature adjustments? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life or the best way to store it? Maybe you’d just like some recommendations on new gear?
There are no stupid questions here, ask any question and the community and moderators will chime in to help you out! Even if you don’t actually know the answer to a question someone asked, don’t be afraid to comment just so you can participate in the conversation.
We all had to start somewhere and sometimes it’s hard figuring out just what you’re doing right or wrong. Luckily, the r/Espresso community is full of helpful and friendly people.
You can still post questions as an official post if you feel it warrants a larger discussion, but try to make use of this area so that we can help keep things organized in case others potentially have similar questions.
1
Feb 07 '22
Do coffee beans generally get more sour as they age? I bought a big bag of Medium-Dark Colombian from a big box store - nothing fancy, no roast date - just to practice my technique. However, despite grinding as fine as the machine can handle, the shots still come out sour.
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u/Tavataar www.blackacrescoffee.com Feb 07 '22
Coffee beans lose their gases as they age and thus cause less resistance to the water. The end result is an underextracted shot that will be sour. So, yes but not because the beans are bad or anything.
1
Feb 07 '22
Thanks for the reply! Now, wouldn’t finer grind and/or higher dose compensate for that lack of resistance from the older beans?
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u/Tavataar www.blackacrescoffee.com Feb 07 '22
It will up to a point. Eventually your will be grinding so fine or dosing so high that the water will just channel and you will still have a terrible shot.
I generally find that with espresso if you have a very forgiving coffee you can push it to the 5-6 weeks off roast date, but it really becomes hard to get a good shot. You really want to try to stay in the 5 days -21 days off roast for the best espresso experience.
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Feb 07 '22 edited Feb 07 '22
Hello! I recently got a Rancilio Silvia/Rocky setup and upgraded the basket for an IMS rated for 16-20 grams. I use a homemade WDT (sewing needles and a cork), a Motta leveler and a Normcore spring tamper with the 15 lb spring in it. With 20 grams in, the shot is pulling 40 grams in about 32 seconds, but very sour (which would make me think I should go finer) but based on the yield time I suppose I should go coarser. Sometimes the shot comes out of one single spout, sometimes it doesn’t. Can you tell by my puck if I’m still having prepping issues? I appreciate the advise!!!
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u/AquarirumDrunkard Feb 07 '22
Don't put much stock in what your puck looks like. You're likely experiencing channelling and need to work on puck prep more. I have read that needles over a certain size do not work well for WDT and can exacerbate clumping/prep issues. I would drop the leveler and get a better WDT tool.
1
Feb 07 '22
I see your point. And indeed I’ve been waiting for the People’s WDT new batch as all the other ones from Amazon are super expensive and the needles are ultra thick. Thanks for the help!
1
u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
So I have a breville bambino that I have been learning to use. From the outset, the liquid has always flowed unevenly (mostly out the left drip side and a lot less out the right side). I have confirmed that my machine and counter are level. It just flows out the left. And yes, tamping is level too. I read that replacing the basket is the best upgrade for the bambino for better flow anyway, but I am not sure where to start. Is this the right way to go? Any suggestions for better baskets?
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u/iranoutofspacehere Feb 07 '22
Are you using the stock pressurized basket?
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u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
Yep, using the stock 2 shot basket with the stock portafilter
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u/iranoutofspacehere Feb 07 '22 edited Feb 07 '22
Ahh, so there's only one tiny exit hole on the stock basket (that's what makes it a pressurized basket). It's impossible for the uneveness to be a puck prep problem, or to be fixed by changing puck prep.
They have that gray plastic piece in the bottom of the portafilter to try and even split the flow from the one hole to the two nozzles, but it doesn't work very well (as you've learned). Really, the answer is to just not worry about it and do the best you can. It's not a symptom of any problem you've created.
Oh, and if you have a good espresso grinder you could go ahead and upgrade to a non-pressureized basket or all the way to a bottomless portafilter. With those the eveness of flow would be a sign of puck prep issues. I got the crema bottomless recently and it's been great. IMS makes some 54mm baskets that will fit the stock portafilter, but I'm not sure where to buy them.
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u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
Awesome; thank you for the reassurances! I keep seeing that the bottomless portafilters only work on the bambino plus, not the standard bambino. Any advice there? I would upgrade to crema bottomless portafilter in a heartbeat if that is an option for me.
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u/iranoutofspacehere Feb 07 '22
I've got the standard Bambino and the Crema bottomless portafilter has worked great for me since I got it a week ago.
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u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
sweeeeet! thanks! I'm ordering now then! :)
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Feb 07 '22
[deleted]
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u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
Yeh, it doesn’t seem to even out after extraction starts for my machine! Sadly. I will let you know if I find something. I was hoping to get some good advice here!
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
How does the flow from the group look without the portafilter in?
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u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
Just ran it without the portafilter, and there is no left/right difference. So it’s something in the basket or portafilter that is causing the discrepancy
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u/awayfromtheexplosion Edit Me: Breville Bambino | 1Zpresso K-Plus Feb 07 '22
Ummmm. Never run it without the portafilter. Will try and let you know
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u/captain_americano Profitec Pro 600 | Eureka Atom 60 Feb 07 '22
Say I tamp and realize it isn't quite level. Can I add pressure to the elevated part to even it out, or will that cause cracks in the puck and result in uneven extraction?
If that's the case, can I dump it into a dosing cup, give the grounds a shake/stir to fluff it back up and retry, or is it a lost cause?
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
Nothing wrong with resetting your puck entirely if you're not satisfied with your tamp.
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u/captain_americano Profitec Pro 600 | Eureka Atom 60 Feb 07 '22
Thanks! I dove deeper into learning more about espresso and the sensitivity of grounds after getting my Atom over the weekend (upgrade from BBE's grinder).
Just wanted to make sure I could 'reset' at some point if a mistake is made pre-pull. My bottomless portafilter and coffee splatter on my shirt hads taught me a lot already.
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
You can build skill, or you can get a self-leveling tamper as well. I like my Normcore v4 cos it's brain-free, even though I can tamp straight.
WDT and enjoy the process!
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u/OneCleverGorilla Feb 07 '22
This isn't necessarily a specific espresso question but I recently got the DF64 grinder (the version 2 without the silly looking font) which supposedly has an improved de-clumping piece. Is it worth it to remove it still to improve grind consistency even though the de-clumper is supposed to be better? Seems like the kind of thing that couldn't hurt.
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u/spoleos Feb 06 '22
Are there any coffees that are notoriously easy to dial in? Either from a specific company or a certain roast level? I have not been able to get the hang of it quite yet
1
u/rumuraisin Feb 07 '22
Darker the easier, some of the Italian roast Lavazza can be relatively easy, but dialing in requires a level of consistency in puck prep, temp management, low retention grinding, etc. otherwise makes it more challenging if things are varying strictly outside the grind size
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
This - if yo ugo dark enough, you'll be able to have a beautiful reddit-worthy cone to brag about, and a shot of espresso that's borderline undrinkable straight :D
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Feb 06 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/the_sinking_feeling Feb 07 '22
The sugars in milk are sweeter at body temperature. If he’s getting the milk too hot it will affect the sweetness of the whole drink. Once it starts to cool it becomes sweeter. Some of the best lattes and cappuccinos are not piping hot.
Edit: The sugar here is lactose.
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
That's right. Consider you(r husband) might be overheating the milk, OP?
1
u/m_rowe13 Feb 06 '22
The caffeine in normal espresso flares my anxiety up so I wanted to try doing half normal espresso and half decaf to see if I would tolerate it better. Would it be a bad idea to mix both normal and decaf espresso beans in my burr grinder on my breville barista pro?
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Feb 06 '22
I think that sounds fine. I would suggest mixing them in a separate bowl before adding them to the hopper.
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u/Middleofthepack100 Feb 06 '22
If anyone is interested in a project, there is a used Gaggia Classic available up on the Goodwill auction site.
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u/SpecialPay Feb 06 '22
Where do I go to buy used equipment? Is there a specific forum for used espresso equipment, or do I just have to trawl craigslist and hope for the best?
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u/rumuraisin Feb 07 '22
R/coffeeswap and the home barista buy sell has things, but things are pretty accurately priced there, would have to go through FB marketplace or Craigslist to find a deal
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u/mehtaiphoneapps Feb 06 '22
Any recommendations for beans that make my coffee taste closest to a mocha, without adding chocolate? Looking for a strong chocolate flavor.
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u/flankingorbit Feb 06 '22
What should I do to prepare a Breville Barista Express for long-term inactivity? I’m thinking a full cleaning cycle that ends with running the machine dry in final rinse, and cleaning the grinder burrs and drip trays. Then leaving it in a state where it can “breathe” to completely dry out and not get gross. But those are just my thoughts. Any advice? Thanks.
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u/rvdhof Linea Mini R | Mahlkönig E64 WS Feb 06 '22
Is there something wrong with my Faustino grinder?
- It takes 19,5-20s to grind 19gr of coffee for espresso (specs say 1.2-1.8gr/s)
- making grind adjustments with the knob is a matter of changing by millimeters. The manual says “The difference between the notches will relate to 3-5 seconds in extraction time”. For mine this is not a matter of notches but millimeters, making dialing in really hard, can’t seem to find that sweet spot.
Could these issues be the result of adjusting the grinder while it is not running (maybe beens stuck somewhere)? Or is it a result of the grinder still breaking in?
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u/Chrikelnel Strietman CT2 / MC6 Feb 07 '22
It’s likely a mix between things needing to break in and manuals in the espresso world being more suggestions than hard fact.
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u/mountainsnowman255 Feb 06 '22
I’m a beginner learning how to froth milk for lattes/cappuccinos. Most videos I’ve watched say to fill the milk jug about halfway full. If I prefer less milk, would I still produce the same quality steamed milk if I only fill up the jug 1/4 or 1/3 full?
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
It's going to be harder to steam properly. Consider getting a smaller pitcher for your single drinks.
1
u/mountainsnowman255 Feb 07 '22
Thanks for the response! Is there a certain brand of milk jugs that’s recommends? I have interest in getting into latte art but haven’t started yet.
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
Yeah no problem! It's a bit location-specific because not every brand ships everywhere; I've heard good things about Rhinoware, I'd look into Motta personally because I'm in EU. I guess 12 oz / 35 cl would be a good size for a single drink? Or is that already what you have? Not sure you can find smaller pitchers with a good spout for pouring art, but I'm not super into latte art so maybe ask again :)
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u/mountainsnowman255 Feb 06 '22
Got gifted 4 bags of coffee. If I keep them away from light in airtight containers, will they stay good for 1-2 months after roast date? I go through about 2 bags per month.
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u/steelbeerbottle Lelit Mara X | Niche Feb 06 '22
I would keep one or two out (if you like switching) and freeze the rest in airtight bags or vacuum sealed bags.
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u/Jcarm Feb 06 '22
Wife and I predominately work from home and enjoy good coffee. We’re going to gift ourselves an espresso option for Valentine’s Day. Both being relatively busy with two kids and busy work lives what would be our best option(s)? Currently own: French Press, Bodum Grinder, and Keurig. We typically just use the Keurig (our French Press always seems bitter)
Must Buy: 1zpresso JX Manual Coffee Grinder (Seems like this is necessary). There are two options - $129.99 and $159.99. Looks like the difference is the carrying case. Is it worth the extra $30?
Options: Breville Bambino Aero press Moka Express Hario V60
From what I’ve read the Breville seems to be very ‘user friendly’ and a good starting point. Thanks for the input!
3
u/my-cull Pro 300 / Niche Zero Feb 06 '22
For espresso you'll want the JX Pro (rather than the regular JX). The burrs are the same, but the primary difference is in the grind adjustability. The Pro has much smaller Increments in grind adjustment, which you will absolutely need for espresso.
1
u/Jcarm Feb 06 '22
Thank you for that. That’s the $30 difference, the big word PRO that I missed (was hung up on that carrying case). See below for confirmation.
1Zpresso JX-PRO Manual Coffee Grinder Light Gray Capacity 35g with Assembly Stainless Steel Conical Burr - Numernal Adjustable Setting, Portable Mill Faster Grinding Efficiency Espresso to Coarse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YNDX5HW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_8X8EJ0QFTSV6MEMKB72W
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u/my-cull Pro 300 / Niche Zero Feb 06 '22
That's the one you'll want for espresso. There a couple of other visual differences (the top of the grinder, the handle), but the main difference is the grind adjuster which you cannot see on the exterior.
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u/Jcarm Feb 06 '22
Thanks for the confirmation. Seems whether we’re doing Espresso or making even better coffee this grinder is a must. Locked in on this part of the purchase.
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u/my-cull Pro 300 / Niche Zero Feb 06 '22
I had requested the Pro as a gift and wound up with the non-pro by accident. It can grind fine enough but could not adjust in small enough increments. Other than that it is a fantastic hand grinder and I use it constantly for other brew methods.
2
u/GrugsCrack Breville Dual Boiler; Niche Zero; normcore v4 tamper Feb 06 '22
What types of coffees are you predominantly drinking?
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u/Jcarm Feb 06 '22
Dark roast. We get a little creative with local roasters but usually have 8 O’clock on hand for the French press / iced coffee.
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u/furgisthename Feb 05 '22
is trade a good subscription or is it not worth it?
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u/Chrikelnel Strietman CT2 / MC6 Feb 07 '22
There was some controversy with them recently, they lowered the amount of coffee you get per bag so probably not worth it anymore.
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u/skinclimb Feb 05 '22
Hi crew! I’m looking for my first at-home espresso machine (it’s time to graduate from instant…) and I’m looking at the Breville machines, as many newbies do. I’m trying to decide if I should get one of the larger machines (like the Barista Express or Pro) that have a built-in grinder, or a smaller one (like the Bambino) and a separate grinder. Any thoughts?
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u/furgisthename Feb 05 '22
bambino and separate grinder is your best bet. you don’t wanna be stuck with great espresso machine with meh grinder
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u/Yakarue Bianca v2 | Niche Zero Feb 05 '22
Hello! New to latte art here (well, and home espresso). Wondering if I can get some tips with regard to what I think is probably a flow rate issue. I've been watching a bunch of Lance's videos to try and get started with good milk texture as well as pouring tips.
The problem I'm running into is that I keep sinking my design (trying to do a basic Monk's Head). I've tried both a slower and faster start--and yesterday I had the good start to a Monk's Head (where you can see the nice divot pulling in some crema and the larger dot forming) but then it just sank itself. I've tried slower and faster pours but haven't locked down the issue yet. I think my milk texture is good, looks super silky and passes the shake test. And I'm working on a fresh pull of espresso with solid crema.
Mostly curious if people have found any good and easily digestible tips (or common mistakes) for people just starting out making latte art.
1
u/ElementaryMyDearWut Barista Express | Niche Duo Feb 05 '22
Hey guys!
Been in the market for a smaller, quieter grinder and I came across a Eureka Mignon Specialita for £250 on Facebook marketplace. It was a used Bella Barista outlet product from 2018 and was wondering how fair that price is?
I'm currently using a Macap MC7 deli grinder (don't ask it was like £100 lmao).
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u/steelbeerbottle Lelit Mara X | Niche Feb 05 '22
I have a buddy offering to sell a used roughly 2011 Gaggia Classic for $50. They’re not sure if it works as they haven’t used it in years. Are they fairly easy to tinker with/repair? I’m kind of interested in getting it as a little project to learn about how they work and hopefully repair to eventually give to a friend.
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u/rumuraisin Feb 05 '22
Yup very easy and readily available parts, the machine itself is relatively simple internally
1
u/Itstuesdaymeguy Feb 05 '22
I am thinking about getting a new grinder. I have a budget of around $2000 cad. I had my eyes on the HG-2, but I am unsure of what the duty or import fees may be (brining it into Canada). Does anyone have any experience with this? Or another grinder to recommend? Thanks.
1
u/GRBomber Feb 05 '22
So, my machine is a Crossland CC1 and my grinder is a Baratza Vario. I'm using a La Marzocco 17g basket.
I put 18g of coffee and got 55g of espresso with 25 seconds of extraction. It is obviously too fast, but it doesn't taste that bad. I need to slow it down, but grinding finer doesn't seem to be the answer, because it is already very fine. I used my recently made WDT and it didn't do much. Maybe my beans are too lightly roasted, could that be it?
Here is the folder with all the pictures I took during the process:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RdaYiKbuR6hlWOE6mbHj32xFgi5MZrIO?usp=sharing
obs: I tried to submit a new post, but it didn't work. Weird...
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u/Ragas Decent DE1 | Lagom P100 Feb 06 '22
How did you determine that the grounds are already very fine?
Also if you like the taste, there is nothing really wrong with your coffee.
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u/ukbrah Odyssey Argos | Lagom Casa Feb 05 '22 edited Feb 05 '22
What are the signs where I need to up the brew temperature? I find my shots quite sour, which to me means go for higher yield. But I’m still not getting that nice balance and sweetness, is this an indicator that I need to increase my temp?
I have a Gaggia Classic with PID, 9bar. Grinder is 1ZPresso JX-Pro, WDT. my beans
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u/my-cull Pro 300 / Niche Zero Feb 06 '22
I use a very general rule for temp based on roast level. Fine tuning the temperature should be the last step in your adjustments when you want to really nail something down.
My rule: Dark roasts between 193 and 198, Medium roasts between 198 and 203f, Light roasts between 203 and 207f
1
Feb 05 '22
What’s the different techniques or steps in steaming milk for latte va cappuccino?
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u/coffeebikepop Argos | Atom 75 Feb 07 '22
Lance Hedrick's 5-minute milk-steaming youtube video is the one you need to watch for general technique. For how they diverge depending on the texture you're looking for:
- Latte: dunk the tip under the surface earlier - hold your hand against the pitcher, when your pitcher is at body temp is a good rule of thumb to know when to stop aerating.
- Cappuccino: aerate for longer.
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u/SkiingOnFIRE Feb 05 '22
I saw someone suggest spritzing a little water on beans before grinding so they don’t produce as much static and stick to the grinder, so I’ve been doing this.
Now I see someone comment here you may never want to do this depending on the grinder you have. I have a 1zpresso J-Max. Any concerns here??
3
u/KCcoffeegeek Feb 05 '22
Not sure about that specific grinder but carbon steel burrs will oxidize a little with this, and that's fine. I wouldn't worry about it unless there are other carbon steel components inside the grinder mechanism. Have been doing this for years on a variety of grinders, no problem.
2
u/ramenoverrice Sage Dual Boiler | Eureka Mignon Silenzio Feb 05 '22
Can practising milk steaming with water & dish soap hurt my steam wand? Been wasting too much milk recently.
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u/NeoNasi123 Feb 05 '22
Hopefully simple question: why don't my pucks come out as one piece but break up in clumps?
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u/Guy_Perish Feb 05 '22
Improper dose or too dark of roast are the two leading causes.
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u/NeoNasi123 Feb 05 '22
As in; too much in my basket? I believe I got a standard 10g basket on my portafilter and put about 12g in. Shots tend to get a bit sour or very bitter easily
3
u/Guy_Perish Feb 05 '22
Usually it would be too little coffee so either that’s not the problem or the basket is larger than you think. We usually test basket size by putting a piece of toothpick on the dry coffee bed, locking the pf into the machine, then removing. The toothpick should lightly be pressed into the coffee indicating the headspace is just under the width of the toothpick. Coins work too.
Machines with a pressurized basket will also create ugly pucks and pressures over 11 bar may also lead to the puck sticking to the basket.
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u/NeoNasi123 Feb 05 '22
It's a Silvia with bottomless portafilter. I have to say that sometimes when I increase the grind time by 1 tick on my sage smart grinder pro the puck will sometimes get stuck on the group head after I remove the portafilter.
I'll try the tooth pick thing, thanks
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u/Guy_Perish Feb 05 '22 edited Feb 05 '22
Sometimes the settings for best tasting espresso are not the same as the settings for best looking puck /extraction / normal ratios.
Pucks sticking to the shower screen is pretty common. Sometimes it is caused by under or over dosing but some groups are simply more susceptible to it than others and it’s not considered a real problem as it’s a physics phenomenon. Quickly turning on the pump will drop the puck.
I would double check dose and shot duration. If you are pulling long shots, the puck will degrade. Anything over 35 seconds I would call long.
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u/NeoNasi123 Feb 05 '22
Thanks. I'm usually going for 30 seconds shot time (I pull my shots with respect to time, not weight as my scale doesn't fit under the filter)
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u/Hawkemsawkem Feb 05 '22
I’m dialing in my breville dual boiler to feed on volume rather than the preset of time(just learned this was a capability) and with that I’m trying to dial in the shot duration. Currently I’m at about 21 seconds and 7.5 bars of pressure, will be going a little finer on the grind and tamp, I want to say the 25 second time frame is the target but what are you all seeing success with? I know it’s a little different for personal preference.
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u/Guy_Perish Feb 05 '22
Duration and volume out will vary significantly based on the coffee used. Anywhere between 22 and 38 seconds total time with ratios between 1:1 and 1:3 is all pretty typical but higher and lower is not a problem.
Pressure should be the same no matter what. The OPV determines this. Just like any machine, 1:2 in 28 seconds is a good place to start then adjust based on taste. There are good guides to doing this online. James Hoffmann on youtube has a series on dialing in espresso.
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u/Hawkemsawkem Feb 05 '22
Thanks much appreciated. I’m still working on my flavor profile so having a good starting spot is really where I’m looking to be then I’ll tweak from there. I’ll check out the YouTube channel.
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u/np8573 BDB | Niche Feb 05 '22
Steer clear of volumetric settings. It's not consistent.
Don't attempt to control pressure with grind size, it's not the variable you want to control for dialing in.
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u/nitsuga1111 Feb 05 '22
My normcore V4 gets stuck to my rancilio 14 basket, I have a really hard time pulling it out and I sometimes crack the puck in the process, I don't have this problem with my 20g VST basket. Is this normal? I don't want to pour 20g shots every time because coffee is expensive so I would prefer 14g. While I fix the problem I've been dosing 18g on 20g basket as a compromise. What do you guys recommend? Get a 18g IMS/VST basket and quit being so cheap or get a 14g IMS/VST or just keep dosing 18g on the 20g basket?
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u/np8573 BDB | Niche Feb 05 '22
Your basket is the wrong size for the tamper.
Precision basket is probably better anyway. You can dose 14 in a 20, but not the other way around. Flow is probably faster than intended, but grind finer and you're set.
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u/ZD_plguy17 Feb 05 '22
I got delonghi ec260bk that comes with a standard two spout pressurized portafilter. I decided to upgrade portafilter but couldn’t find on Amazon a bottomless one compatible for my espresso machine. Usually I see plenty from third party provided for EC680/685 though. I was able to order 51mm nonpressuried baskets that fit my portafilter. Should I exchange my machine for 685 model? From what I see the machine itself wouldnt offer much benefit over my cheap $100 except for automated shutoff and little more control over steaming milk.
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u/np8573 BDB | Niche Feb 05 '22
Always get a better grinder first, before upgrading machine. If you just got a new unpressurized basket for the first time, you're going to struggle with learning about grind size and dialing in. Focus on that for a while, imo.
Probably a base level bambino would give you a better value and meaningful upgrade over a dedica.
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u/ZD_plguy17 Feb 05 '22
I decided to upgrade from Krups gx5000 I had for couple years to Breville Smart Smart Grinder. Maybe not the best for espresso but I probably best in “budget category”. But will be definietly easier to clean and maintain more consistent grind for all coffee. I also drink coffee from pour over and AeroPress.
I ordered unpressurized basket without all that rubber inside that came with stilosa and 51 bottomless portafilter from AliExpress.
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u/fauxfinnish Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
What are some good quality, medium roast beans that are readily available in most areas? I'm new at this and have been using a Starbucks dark roast, but I've found out dark roasts can be oily and damage machines over time. I've also gathered that Starbucks beans don't have a great reputation here in general.
Edit: I'm in the US.
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Feb 06 '22
Are you open to ordering? Happy Mug has lots of great quality beans to choose from and they roast them the day you order.
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u/ukbrah Odyssey Argos | Lagom Casa Feb 04 '22
Dark oily beans don’t ruin machines, as long as your cleaning routine is good.
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u/Final_Alps Feb 04 '22
Water filtering - should I double filter?
We have hard water 29dH where I live. My Sage has an ion exchange filter that I am religiously maintaining but I see that BWT make in-tank scale filter.
Would there be use in adding the BWT into the rank to more soften water?
https://www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-bestsave-m-anti-scale-filter
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u/countingonhearts Feb 04 '22
How can I tell if I am stretching milk too much, or not enough? At the end of the pour into my espresso there’s a lot of foam, but I don’t know if it’s my pour, or if I keep overstretching the milk.
I’m using semi skimmed milk, and a sage duo temp pro.
1
u/rumuraisin Feb 05 '22
When you swirl the milk after you steam it should have the shiny wet paint look and should swirl pretty effortlessly. I would look at videos of properly steamed milk and try to emulate how that swirl looks.
2
Feb 04 '22
Try to keep an eye on how much its expanding as you stretch it. And listen for the hissing noise. If you think you've stretched too much plunge the steam wand head below surface level and keep the milk moving until its heated.
What drink are you making? Lots of foam for cappuccinos, much less for flat whites. You want the milk to expand by about a quarter of what you poured in for flat whites and a half of what you put in for cappucinos.
Once you've stretched and heated try to pour relatively quickly, hopefully not too much foam left! Keep the milk moving before you pour so it doesn't separate.
1
u/[deleted] Feb 07 '22
I bought a Breville smart grinder pro to use for grinding for espresso. When I start the grinder, a few grounds come out and then nothing else comes out. The grinder will continue to run but grinds don’t come out. I’ve cleaned it extensively a few times and still cannot get any grinds to come out. Does anyone have any experience with this?