Topic: Espresso Machines

[djphal]

Errr... What is a bombon?

condensed milk in the glass with espresso

mix it up

niiiicceeeeeeee

[SwedenRed]

condensed milk in the glass with espresso

mix it up

niiiicceeeeeeee

How long does it take for that machine of yours to warm up?...Mines about 4 seconds.

[djphal]

How long does it take for that machine of yours to warm up?...Mines about 4 seconds.

think its about 6 mins but its better to leave for a bit longer i think

although its quicker I decided against one of the pod ones as i want to get beans from all around the world

[SwedenRed]

think its about 6 mins but its better to leave for a bit longer i think

although its quicker I decided against one of the pod ones as i want to get beans from all around the world

Yes, fair enough... I'm a bit limited on taste now I suppose.
But Christ, 6 mins is a hefty wait.

[djphal]

Yes, fair enough... I'm a bit limited on taste now I suppose.
But Christ, 6 mins is a hefty wait.

yes that may be the case but its worth the wait

[SwedenRed]

yes that may be the case but its worth the wait

I can imagine.

[Bucke]

are those manual grinders any good?

they aren't very convenient because it takes ages to grind any more than a couple of shots worth, but unless you want to spend the same amount as your espresso machine again on an electric grinder, you won't get a decent grind with anything else

[lordcisse]

i have an espresso machine related question,  the smell of coffee especial fancy girlie coffee that i get is so nice, just before you have some coffee...but my living room is attached to my kitchen, its the same room really, and the 24 hour smell of coffee from the machine is doin me head in, is there a way round that?

[djphal]

they aren't very convenient because it takes ages to grind any more than a couple of shots worth, but unless you want to spend the same amount as your espresso machine again on an electric grinder, you won't get a decent grind with anything else

yeah i mailed some bird off youtube, she does all the vids from a coffee shop in america

she recommended this one

http://www.a1coffee.co.uk/gbu0-prodshow/BARATZA3.html

i have an espresso machine related question,  the smell of coffee especial fancy girlie coffee that i get is so nice, just before you have some coffee...but my living room is attached to my kitchen, its the same room really, and the 24 hour smell of coffee from the machine is doin me head in, is there a way round that?

drink tea?

[Mal]

I bought my gaggia Evolution over 10 years ago and it has never let me down despite daily battering

I did buy an electric mill grinder last year but the grind was awful so I have gone back to the classic manual grinder

For beans, I use Roast and Post (www.realcoffee.co.uk). You order beans by the half kilo and they roast them, pack them and ship them immediately. Fantastic.

Just placed my first order for some ESE pods for my espresso machine from www.coffeeroyale.co.uk - also ordered some of their hazlenut coffee; sounded nice.

Waiting for delivery at present but I like the cut of the owners jib so hopefully all will go well & the coffee will be delicious & they'll get loads of repeat business...

On grinders; I've got  mate who has a dualit grinder, this one www.amazon.co.uk/Dualit-Burr-Coffee-Grinder-75002/dp/B000094U5T & he swears by it. Bit cheaper than some of the other electric ones in the thread so far...

[danwms]

For those with nespresso machines - where on earth do you buy your capsules from? Bought one for a Xmas present for my mum and up to now we haven't been able to find them in the supermarkets. I've looked online and it looks like you have to join the nespresso club and pay about a fiver for p&p!

If you buy in bulk its ok getting them from the internet, I use the iphone app.

Normally though i get them from selfridges.

[danwms]

Those with Nespresso Machines...

What are you favourite capsules?

[djphal]

On grinders; I've got  mate who has a dualit grinder, this one www.amazon.co.uk/Dualit-Burr-Coffee-Grinder-75002/dp/B000094U5T & he swears by it. Bit cheaper than some of the other electric ones in the thread so far...

you can never do too much research, I looked at that one and it had some good reviews

then I looked on youtube, this is when I realised I would have to spend quite a bit on a grinder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoxBnq7K-HI

[pantbash]

I have that exact same dualit grinder and it works fine.
Not gone as anal in my testing as the youtube guy.

If its set to finest ground and tamped lightly the espresso machine has a hard time pushing the water through & you always get loads of cream/froth on top.

Mby his unit was just buggered?

[djphal]

I have that exact same dualit grinder and it works fine.
Not gone as anal in my testing as the youtube guy.

If its set to finest ground and tamped lightly the espresso machine has a hard time pushing the water through & you always get loads of cream/froth on top.

Mby his unit was just buggered?

maybe, did put me off tho

this one on the left is 145

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okABevpQ0tw

[Mal]

ESE pods trapped 10 mins ago to go through the Dualit Espressivo.

Piece of piss to use; coffee tastes delicious. Poor Crema. Due to ease of use & simplicity to dispose of & clean up afterwards I'm expecting to buy some more when the current trial bag (30) expires. I'll probably only use ground beans, to get the crema, when we have visitors.

Will keep people informed on Hazlenut coffee. I'm sure it offends the purists but to me it sounds tasty as hell.

[Mal]

you can never do too much research, I looked at that one and it had some good reviews

then I looked on youtube, this is when I realised I would have to spend quite a bit on a grinder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoxBnq7K-HI

Ok, he's really quite anal about his coffee. Maybe he's right to be. I appreciate that as I'm very new to this I've still got a lot to learn...

Maybe there really is no substitute for an expensive grinder & a 20+ second brew time but I'm planning on using my new machine everyday & some convenience has to be factored in other wise it'll just sit around not doing anything much...

As I said above; maybe I'll stick with the ESE pods day-to-day & save the hand ground stuff for the weekends or when we've got guests...

[djphal]

It is a lot of effort especially if you need to make a couple of cappuccinos!

The problem with cheap grinders is they don't get the grind fine enough, therefor the water goes through too quick so you don't get the full flavour out of the beans

That guy might like anal but he is right, 6 seconds is no where near enough to brew an espresso

[Bucke]

I tried that dualit and it wasn't up to scratch. As you say DJ the grind needs to be fine enough, but equally as important is that the grinds are consistent. Cheap/budget burr grinders are no better than the blade ones in that respect

[djphal]

I tried that dualit and it wasn't up to scratch. As you say DJ the grind needs to be fine enough, but equally as important is that the grinds are consistent. Cheap/budget burr grinders are no better than the blade ones in that respect

correct!

pointless wasting money on a crap grinder

[lainey]

i know it's starbucks but anyway - free filter coffee today print voucher
http://wish.starbuckscard.co.uk/filtercoffee/voucher.html

[djphal]

Managed to get a 19 second espresso before, almost perfect!

Cool, thanks! Let me know how you get on with the machine!

have you bought one yet?

[۩ Imperator ۩]

No, waiting for pay day on the 24th. Why? Don't tell me you've changed your mind!

[djphal]

No, waiting for pay day on the 24th. Why? Don't tell me you've changed your mind!

no, its great! Id buy lots of coffee tho

[shippers]

condensed milk in the glass with espresso

mix it up

niiiicceeeeeeee

Something I made earlier :-)

[lfcgeez]

I have a delonghi icona espresso machine and was wondering if I should be descaling it regularly (due to living in a pretty hard water area) ? Tried finding info on the net but I can't find a definitive answer..

Do you guys with home espresso machines descale yours ? If so, what solution do you use ?

[kaffy]

Those with Nespresso Machines...

What are you favourite capsules?

We tend to stick with Arpeggio and Roma. I can't call myself a connoisseur of coffee as they all pretty much taste the same to me but the family seem to enjoy the 2 I've mentioned. 

[lookieman]

We tend to stick with Arpeggio and Roma. I can't call myself a connoisseur of coffee as they all pretty much taste the same to me but the family seem to enjoy the 2 I've mentioned. 

Ristretto is nice if you like it strong. Indriya from the "Pure Original" label is very intense as well.

[djphal]

Something I made earlier :-)

haha good work! how was it for you?

I have a delonghi icona espresso machine and was wondering if I should be descaling it regularly (due to living in a pretty hard water area) ? Tried finding info on the net but I can't find a definitive answer..

Do you guys with home espresso machines descale yours ? If so, what solution do you use ?

think i need to do ours actually, the water seems to struggle getting through after a week or 2 of abuse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxpOBZyK9MA&feature=channel

[shippers]

haha good work! how was it for you?

think i need to do ours actually, the water seems to struggle getting through after a week or 2 of abuse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxpOBZyK9MA&feature=channel

Excellent. I'm sort of hooked on them as my after tea drink, definitely a dessert in a glass. Double shot too. I use the condensed milk you get from a squeezy bottle as opposed to a tin. I think it may be a bit thicker, so you can put the milk in the glass first and pull a double shot onto the top (that's crema and not milk froth on the top).

As for descaling, I buy this stuff and do my Silvia every so often.

http://www.shopdrury.com/product.asp?P_ID=639&strPageHistory=related

I've also got a group cleaning brush, and give it a clean when I descale. Seems to work so far. Whenever I make a coffee I also make sure I run water through the group without the portafilter in, for 10-20 seconds. Gets rid of any of the old coffee that was left on the grouphead, and you can heat your cup up that way. On the Silvia it also primes the boiler to the right temperature.

As for time of shot, for a double I aim for 25-30 seconds, and the coffee should come out like a thin rat tail.

[djphal]

Excellent. I'm sort of hooked on them as my after tea drink, definitely a dessert in a glass. Double shot too. I use the condensed milk you get from a squeezy bottle as opposed to a tin. I think it may be a bit thicker, so you can put the milk in the glass first and pull a double shot onto the top (that's crema and not milk froth on the top).

same

I also run the water through after making one, with and without the portafilter

[djphal]

what coffee are you using?

when i use illy the flow is far too slow, lavazza comes out around the right speed??

[shippers]

Drury's Gran Riserva Espresso Ground Coffee. I order 3 500g bags at a time, which normally lasts me a couple of months. 27 quid, but as a Rancillio dealer I suspect they grind for that machine as a standard. Works for me anyway :-) I occasionally buy one of their milder roasts for using in Latte and Capps

If I run out I'll swap to Illy Black. I'll drink Illy Red in a stove top or my camping espresso pot as I find stove tops tend to taste burnt (over bitter), so I compensate with a milder roast. I only drink Lavazza at a push now. Used to drink Lavazza Red all the time before I got a machine (once had a 10 pot all to myself. Couldn't sleep, watched Koyannasqatsi and Powasqaatsi whilst watching the dawn come up :-)

Have you checked you're tamping properly?


http://muffinresearch.co.uk/archives/2007/09/03/soho-coffee/

Drury have been roasting since 1936 this experience really shows. We’ve been using their coffee pretty much exclusively. Our favorites are the Gran Riserva, this is the Daddy of all coffees with a really amazing flavour and extreme levels of caffeine. Caffe Cuidado takes the overall prize for the best all-round coffee in my opinion. This coffee is smooth but full of flavour and exhibits a beautiful hint of cocoa overtones which just make it perfect for every day drinking. 9 out of 10

[djphal]

Yeah always done the same tamp, like i say it comes out ok with lavazza but illy takes ages!

[shippers]

Yeah always done the same tamp, like i say it comes out ok with lavazza but illy takes ages!

Sounds like you're tamping too hard for Illy :-) It does seem to have a finer grind than Lavazza.

[djphal]

Sounds like you're tamping too hard for Illy :-) It does seem to have a finer grind than Lavazza.

the thing is tho, when we first got the machine i was tamping the same and it worked fine, 2 weeks later it starts coming out slow

maybe it just needs a clean

[shippers]

the thing is tho, when we first got the machine i was tamping the same and it worked fine, 2 weeks later it starts coming out slow

maybe it just needs a clean

Could do, but I find that my technique can vary sometimes, especially switching between different grinds. 2 weeks though is a pretty short time for it to need an internal clean though. I'd recommend you fill it with water from a brita filtered jug though or Volvic bottled water and not directly from a tap.

[djphal]

Could do, but I find that my technique can vary sometimes, especially switching between different grinds. 2 weeks though is a pretty short time for it to need an internal clean though. I'd recommend you fill it with water from a brita filtered jug though or Volvic bottled water and not directly from a tap.

yeah ive heard that normal tap water isnt really good for it

ill give it a clean then start using the filtered water i think

[SwedenRed]

Ours is still being used all the time... Going through those Pods quick time!

[djphal]

Ours is still being used all the time... Going through those Pods quick time!

pods are for girls