Coffee Mmmmmmmmm Espresso !

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

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I finally took the plunge on this little beauty few days ago



Now i can make my own espressos at home :woot:



Who else is a coffee nute like me ?:nuts:
 
Raymond Lin said:
I finally took the plunge on this little beauty few days ago

Now i can make my own espressos at home :woot:

Who else is a coffee nute like me ?:nuts:
Click to expand...

I am a coffee nut also, but it is latte's for me, they make a mean latte in our local Sainsbury store, one of the girls there calls me the "latte man" :lol::lol:
 
Congratulations!

You have got yourself a nice bit of kit there, certainly far better than the majority of machines in peoples houses which are thermoblock rather than boiler. With care and practice you will be able to knock out very decent espresso with that.

Beware, the world of espresso is potentially as dangerous an obsession as photography and I look forward to discussing the joys of temperature surfing with you!

What grinder are you using with it?

Without wishing to criticise, the shot on the left looks un po lungo to me although you have some nice crema.

I have a Fiorinzato Bricoletta and a La San Marco grinder by the way.

 
Raymond Lin said:
I am getting myself a Zassenhaus grinder from Germany :D
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Those are very nice grinders.

Should go fine enough to get a really good shot although a bit like hard work for the ridiculous amount of espresso which I drink!

I rather think that in a few months time you will be looking at something like a Rancilio Rocky! I suggest that you start the propaganda campaign now for the funds and worktop space!!!

That is the real problem with making espresso at home, quite apart from the cost of the kit the domestic authorities here have a real issue with the "coffee shrine" area slowly expanding and the inevitable slight spillage of coffee grounds around the knockout box and on the tamping mat.
 
I never knew the world of espresso was taken so seriously :D I just enjoy the odd cup of Starbucks every now and then :lol:
 
MikeeB said:
I never knew the world of espresso was taken so seriously :D I just enjoy the odd cup of Starbucks every now and then :lol:
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:D I have one of these for if I'm feeling extravagant

bodum-Jesper.jpg
 
Nicos Rex said:
Those are very nice grinders.

Should go fine enough to get a really good shot although a bit like hard work for the ridiculous amount of espresso which I drink!

I rather think that in a few months time you will be looking at something like a Rancilio Rocky! I suggest that you start the propaganda campaign now for the funds and worktop space!!!

That is the real problem with making espresso at home, quite apart from the cost of the kit the domestic authorities here have a real issue with the "coffee shrine" area slowly expanding and the inevitable slight spillage of coffee grounds around the knockout box and on the tamping mat.
Click to expand...

I am also tempted to get a Gaggia Burr Grinder today when i am feeling lazy :p The Zass is almost an collector's item as they don't make them anymore.
 
MikeeB said:
I never knew the world of espresso was taken so seriously :D I just enjoy the odd cup of Starbucks every now and then :lol:
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"Enjoy" and "Starbucks" are not words that I would normally associate with each other!

It really saddens me that this is the case. You walk into most espresso bars in this country and see thousands of pounds worth of kit, beans that are of at least halfway decent quality and are confronted by staff who have little or no idea what to do with them.

A proper single shot of espresso should be made from about 7 grammes of ground coffee tamped with about 30 lbs of pressure and take 20 to 30 seconds to pour.

When it gushes out in 10 seconds you get no flavour and a thin "crema" (the espresso equivalent of the head on a well poured pint of beer). When it brews more slowly you end up with an over-extracted cup which tastes harsh or burned.

The lined shot glasses in Raymonds picture are used to calibrate the grind to get this extraction time just right - keeping the dose and tamp always as consistent as possible a finer grind gives a slower pour and a coarser one is quicker. One should reach the 1 fl oz dose just as the stream of coffee begins to blond (get paler) and within the 20-30 second timeframe. On a machine such as Raymond's the aim would be more in the 20-25 second range, my machine which has a E61 grouphead which preinfuses for a few seconds should be in the 25-30 second range.

The crema should be dark and thick enough to support the sugar for a second or two before it sinks into the coffee, have a pale spot in it where the pour was starting to blonde and stick to the side of the cup when you drink the coffee just like the head on a beer sticks to the side of the glass.

Starbucks, Costa and the like almost without exception have staff who are incapable of producing anything even close to this and yet millions of people every year are prepared to pay well over the odds for their second rate product mainly because they don't know what a good espresso tastes like or if they do are too embarassed to complain. If they opened up in Italy none of them would last a week as we don't put up with bad coffee and complain when we get it. Just about anywhere in Italy (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) you don't have to pay more than 80 centesimi for an espresso which makes £1.50 or more for a cup of hippopotamus bile seem like an outrage.

In many ways the skill of a Barista is very similar to that of a photographer as both activities combine art, craft and science in the pursuit of an ideal which gives inordinate satisfaction when it all comes good together.


Sorry, you seem to have unleashed something of a rant from me but you shouldn't have used the "S" word!
 
Raymond Lin said:
I am also tempted to get a Gaggia Burr Grinder today when i am feeling lazy :p The Zass is almost an collector's item as they don't make them anymore.
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I would advise against the Gaggia grinders. They run at rather a high speed which can mar the taste due to the production of heat as they grind. They also have issues with static electricity production which causes the ground coffee to clump. For just a bit more the Rancilio or Iberital are far superior.
 
Nicos Rex said:
"Enjoy" and "Starbucks" are not words that I would normally associate with each other!

It really saddens me that this is the case. You walk into most espresso bars in this country and see thousands of pounds worth of kit, beans that are of at least halfway decent quality and are confronted by staff who have little or no idea what to do with them.

A proper single shot of espresso should be made from about 7 grammes of ground coffee tamped with about 30 lbs of pressure and take 20 to 30 seconds to pour.

When it gushes out in 10 seconds you get no flavour and a thin "crema" (the espresso equivalent of the head on a well poured pint of beer). When it brews more slowly you end up with an over-extracted cup which tastes harsh or burned.

The lined shot glasses in Raymonds picture are used to calibrate the grind to get this extraction time just right - keeping the dose and tamp always as consistent as possible a finer grind gives a slower pour and a coarser one is quicker. One should reach the 1 fl oz dose just as the stream of coffee begins to blond (get paler) and within the 20-30 second timeframe. On a machine such as Raymond's the aim would be more in the 20-25 second range, my machine which has a E61 grouphead which preinfuses for a few seconds should be in the 25-30 second range.

The crema should be dark and thick enough to support the sugar for a second or two before it sinks into the coffee, have a pale spot in it where the pour was starting to blonde and stick to the side of the cup when you drink the coffee just like the head on a beer sticks to the side of the glass.

Starbucks, Costa and the like almost without exception have staff who are incapable of producing anything even close to this and yet millions of people every year are prepared to pay well over the odds for their second rate product mainly because they don't know what a good espresso tastes like or if they do are too embarassed to complain. If they opened up in Italy none of them would last a week as we don't put up with bad coffee and complain when we get it. Just about anywhere in Italy (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) you don't have to pay more than 80 centesimi for an espresso which makes £1.50 or more for a cup of hippopotamus bile seem like an outrage.

In many ways the skill of a Barista is very similar to that of a photographer as both activities combine art, craft and science in the pursuit of an ideal which gives inordinate satisfaction when it all comes good together.


Sorry, you seem to have unleashed something of a rant from me but you shouldn't have used the "S" word!
Click to expand...

:cuckoo:

:lol:
 
Well I make mine with a teaspoon and a kettle, and a £3 jar of this:

5011546406121_200.jpg


and I'll tell you what, they taste bl**dy good! :thumbs: (and yes, I know how Espresso should taste thanks).

None of this sugar malarky either! :gag:
 
Nicos Rex said:
"Enjoy" and "Starbucks" are not words that I would normally associate with each other!

It really saddens me that this is the case. You walk into most espresso bars in this country and see thousands of pounds worth of kit, beans that are of at least halfway decent quality and are confronted by staff who have little or no idea what to do with them.

A proper single shot of espresso should be made from about 7 grammes of ground coffee tamped with about 30 lbs of pressure and take 20 to 30 seconds to pour.

When it gushes out in 10 seconds you get no flavour and a thin "crema" (the espresso equivalent of the head on a well poured pint of beer). When it brews more slowly you end up with an over-extracted cup which tastes harsh or burned.

The lined shot glasses in Raymonds picture are used to calibrate the grind to get this extraction time just right - keeping the dose and tamp always as consistent as possible a finer grind gives a slower pour and a coarser one is quicker. One should reach the 1 fl oz dose just as the stream of coffee begins to blond (get paler) and within the 20-30 second timeframe. On a machine such as Raymond's the aim would be more in the 20-25 second range, my machine which has a E61 grouphead which preinfuses for a few seconds should be in the 25-30 second range.

The crema should be dark and thick enough to support the sugar for a second or two before it sinks into the coffee, have a pale spot in it where the pour was starting to blonde and stick to the side of the cup when you drink the coffee just like the head on a beer sticks to the side of the glass.

Starbucks, Costa and the like almost without exception have staff who are incapable of producing anything even close to this and yet millions of people every year are prepared to pay well over the odds for their second rate product mainly because they don't know what a good espresso tastes like or if they do are too embarassed to complain. If they opened up in Italy none of them would last a week as we don't put up with bad coffee and complain when we get it. Just about anywhere in Italy (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) you don't have to pay more than 80 centesimi for an espresso which makes £1.50 or more for a cup of hippopotamus bile seem like an outrage.

In many ways the skill of a Barista is very similar to that of a photographer as both activities combine art, craft and science in the pursuit of an ideal which gives inordinate satisfaction when it all comes good together.


Sorry, you seem to have unleashed something of a rant from me but you shouldn't have used the "S" word!
Click to expand...

Wow, lots of useful info there. I have had the pleasure of having coffee in Spain and Paris, and the quality is 10 times superior. If instant coffee is 0 on the scale, and starbucks is 3, the stuff on these tiny cafe are awesome.

Though, i am yet made my perfect cup, i need a good burr grinder and a tamper. The coffee i have made so far have been excellent though and i can't complain.

As for the pursuit of an ideal, I just bought some tiny spoons to go with my ickle cups in my espressos :lol:
 
coffee :gag:

Does looks like a funky bit of kit though Mondo ;)
 
I'd agree with the Starbucks is crap group. Although tbh I just use one of the old stove top espresso makers. Easy, cheap and still a million times better than any chain in this country.

I worked in Rome for a while and the company had a coffee bar and barista in the basement instead of having crap drinks machines.
 
I prefer Greek coffee, although I'll admit that I cook mine over gas rather than on hot sand poured over the embers of a bonfire. Can't find the powder at a reasonable price over here (or that we like the taste of) so we bring it back from Crete whenever we go there and freeze sealed bags until they're needed. Yes, the quality does drop a little in the months between visits but even the last bag tastes better than Bravo.

The shop we buy it from grinds it to order and bags it up for us in 500g foil lined bags, double sealed then sealed in an outer plastic bag. We tend to bring back 5 - 8 kg depending on when our next visit is planned.

On the Starbucks debate - I won't pay their prices and the one time I had one of their coffees, I thought it was the coffee equivalent of a McDonalds (IMO, MuckDonulds burgers are best flushed before eating to stop the poor sap who's been given one from having to eat it - cut out the middle man...)
 
Nod said:
I prefer Greek coffee, although I'll admit that I cook mine over gas rather than on hot sand poured over the embers of a bonfire. Can't find the powder at a reasonable price over here (or that we like the taste of) so we bring it back from Crete whenever we go there and freeze sealed bags until they're needed. Yes, the quality does drop a little in the months between visits but even the last bag tastes better than Bravo.

The shop we buy it from grinds it to order and bags it up for us in 500g foil lined bags, double sealed then sealed in an outer plastic bag. We tend to bring back 5 - 8 kg depending on when our next visit is planned.

On the Starbucks debate - I won't pay their prices and the one time I had one of their coffees, I thought it was the coffee equivalent of a McDonalds (IMO, MuckDonulds burgers are best flushed before eating to stop the poor sap who's been given one from having to eat it - cut out the middle man...)
Click to expand...

You should grind some fresh beans, smell it, then leave it for 30 mins and then go smell it again. You will notice a big drop of flavour in the smell and if you make a coffee from it, you can taste it too.

5 to 8 months is way too long !
 
Lol @ Borats Baby, I too have one of those except it rarely gets used! :D

Nicos Rex said:
"Enjoy" and "Starbucks" are not words that I would normally associate with each other!

It really saddens me that this is the case. You walk into most espresso bars in this country and see thousands of pounds worth of kit, beans that are of at least halfway decent quality and are confronted by staff who have little or no idea what to do with them.

A proper single shot of espresso should be made from about 7 grammes of ground coffee tamped with about 30 lbs of pressure and take 20 to 30 seconds to pour.

When it gushes out in 10 seconds you get no flavour and a thin "crema" (the espresso equivalent of the head on a well poured pint of beer). When it brews more slowly you end up with an over-extracted cup which tastes harsh or burned.

The lined shot glasses in Raymonds picture are used to calibrate the grind to get this extraction time just right - keeping the dose and tamp always as consistent as possible a finer grind gives a slower pour and a coarser one is quicker. One should reach the 1 fl oz dose just as the stream of coffee begins to blond (get paler) and within the 20-30 second timeframe. On a machine such as Raymond's the aim would be more in the 20-25 second range, my machine which has a E61 grouphead which preinfuses for a few seconds should be in the 25-30 second range.

The crema should be dark and thick enough to support the sugar for a second or two before it sinks into the coffee, have a pale spot in it where the pour was starting to blonde and stick to the side of the cup when you drink the coffee just like the head on a beer sticks to the side of the glass.

Starbucks, Costa and the like almost without exception have staff who are incapable of producing anything even close to this and yet millions of people every year are prepared to pay well over the odds for their second rate product mainly because they don't know what a good espresso tastes like or if they do are too embarassed to complain. If they opened up in Italy none of them would last a week as we don't put up with bad coffee and complain when we get it. Just about anywhere in Italy (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) you don't have to pay more than 80 centesimi for an espresso which makes £1.50 or more for a cup of hippopotamus bile seem like an outrage.

In many ways the skill of a Barista is very similar to that of a photographer as both activities combine art, craft and science in the pursuit of an ideal which gives inordinate satisfaction when it all comes good together.


Sorry, you seem to have unleashed something of a rant from me but you shouldn't have used the "S" word!
Click to expand...

In that case, it would appear I have not lived as far as coffee is concerned! :eek: I'll pop over to yours one day for a proper cup of joe ;)
 
Raymond Lin said:
You should grind some fresh beans, smell it, then leave it for 30 mins and then go smell it again. You will notice a big drop of flavour in the smell and if you make a coffee from it, you can taste it too.

5 to 8 months is way too long !
Click to expand...



In an ideal world, we would get a smaller pack every day but the plane fares (not to mention the carbon footprint!) make that a little difficult. We've tried grinding the beans ourselves but simply can't get the result fine enough.
As I said, the beans are ground, bagged and sealed within a minute so there's very little time for the relevant oils to escape.

As I also said in my post, there IS a drop in the quality between the first and last bags but even the last bag tastes better than the only stuff we can get locally (by some margin).

Any donations towards a nice little place just outside Chania (2-3 km to the West) would be gratefully received - purely so we can get our coffee freshly ground on a daily basis.
 
Simmotino said:
Well I make mine with a teaspoon and a kettle, and a £3 jar of this:

5011546406121_200.jpg


and I'll tell you what, they taste bl**dy good! :thumbs: (and yes, I know how Espresso should taste thanks).

None of this sugar malarky either! :gag:
Click to expand...

Nicely said! And you don't have to wait for half an hour either!

:thumbs:
 
So when's the TP Expresso Meet at your place?!
 
@ Nod: I have Greek as well as Italian in my ancestry and enjoy an Caffe Hellenica from time to time. My electric grinder will go fine enough but as I am too lazy to clean out the doser before and after I have reset it I use my great grandfather's cylindrical brass hand grinder. The 15 mins grinding for a couple of cups is a bit like hard work! Any burr grinder of a reasonable quality will do the job for Greek coffee when correctly adjusted, the cheap whirly blade ones will fail completely though.

I would ask your Cretan coffee man if he can supply it in 250g bags instead of the half kilo and consider getting a vacuum sealing machine to prolong its life once you get it home.

@ who?: Nothing wrong with the stove-top mocha pots, they make a nice cup of strong coffee which I enjoy from time to time, it's just not espresso.

@ Simmotino: If you enjoy your "espresso from a jar" good luck to you, I ill-advisedly tried it once and whilst it was marginally more drinkable than many other instant coffees I have been subjected to it was still pretty rank. Menefrego.
 
I've never seen the big deal with coffee, but that's probably because I'm allegic to it! Hubby can't even kiss me if he's been drinking it either because I grow Mick Jagger style lips in seconds :gag:
 
You could have saved yourself loads, and just bought a pepper mill...

bigprod261.jpeg
 
i used to go to a little caffe at the side of the mansfield market with my dad. when i was about ten or so.
i used to have a "milky coffee" before anyone thought of charging four times as much, and calling it a LATTE.
i'm manic enough without esspresso.
 
Tesco Gold instant will do me :)
 
We have a Senso, I could cheerfully wang it in the wheely, but as a kitchen gadget, it actually gets used, unlike the bread maker, the smoothie squisher, the yoghurt bubbler, the orange juicer and the 48 burger George formby grill.
Its better than instant, and makes beaut noises...:)
 
joxby said:
We have a Senso, I could cheerfully wang it in the wheely, but as a kitchen gadget, it actually gets used, unlike the bread maker, the smoothie squisher, the yoghurt bubbler, the orange juicer and the 48 burger George formby grill.
Its better than instant, and makes beaut noises...:)
Click to expand...

Just spat my Nespresso espresso all over the puter. Quality post.
 
Went out for a coffee the other day. Said to my friend 'Nah, it's no a patch on Iceland economy, is it?' :gag: :puke:



Only joking!
 
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