Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Raymond Lin said:
Shame that you need to let the machine warm up before making a shot, i could do with one in the morning but i don't have time to wait for it to warm up as I like my sleep so I give myself minimum amount of them to get shower and dress to go to work.
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If you don't mind filling the machine the night before you can use a mains timer plug - as long as you unplug it when not in use to reduce the possibility of boiling dry (although they have safety mechanisms to stop this it's not wise to use it).
 
The latest purchase to go with my Gaggia
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I had 2 shots of espresso last night at 10 (after a double shot latte when i got in at 7), went to bed at 12:30...I had trouble sleeping for like 2 hours lol

note to self, don't do that again.

p.s. Siliconslave, i got some beans on the way to me to from hasbean, will pick them up from the depo tomorrow.
 
Hello,

How do you rate the gaggia cubika which can be had for £150ish

I was thinking of getting that + a grinder for about £50 ish

Will that make a nice setup? I'm quite keen on coffee but made the mistake of buying a pod machine a couple of years ago which I now hate

sid

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Cuisinart Coffee Grinder, DBM8U Auto Burr - £60 any good?
 
Next set of beans ordered:
* Australian Skyberry (again)
* Brazil Camocim Organics Iapar59 (again)
* Kenya Kiriga Estate Auction Lot 729

I've had the first two before, but only via french press. This time it'll be via the Microcasa :D

I'll repackage in small sealed containers and freeze the beans to lengthen the life time otherwise I'd have two-three weeks for the entire set and not get to taste each of them in their prime.

The Skyberry is a bombastic, very good coffee. If you want a coffee to start - try this. Although it's touted as being almost as good as Jamaican Blue Mountain it's not from what I remember of the JBM which literally opened my eyes to good coffee (it's not better or worse than the other coffees, it's just best stereotypical 'coffee' taste).

Looking forward to the Iapar59.. an understated but simply awesome coffee. Initially the skyberry beats it but given the four days post roast and the Iapar whoops it's butt :D Seriously choccy smooth taste in the french press so I'm dying to see what it'll do as espresso.

The Kenyan is the next unknown coffee to try.. it'll be my first African coffee.
 
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Any body want to reccomend me something for £200ish?

There is a gaggia espresso coffee maker available on high street shop. I dont think its the classic model.

I think I may leave out the grinder for now and get ground coffee for the time being

sid
 
Raymond Lin said:
Check it out !!!!! :D
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Hehe, although I'll point at the difference in volumes that may indicate more water is coming though one side or point of the puck.

Channelling is when you get the water following a path through the puck rather than coming through evenly. Often it will also cause the coffee to be over-extracted leading to weaker coffee with little crema and "blonding".

This could be the reason why. So check that you distribute the grounds well, then tamp evenly. Every coffee bean tends to alter the preparation slightly (even over time with the same beans!).
 
sid said:
Any body want to reccomend me something for £200ish?

There is a gaggia espresso coffee maker available on high street shop. I dont think its the classic model.

I think I may leave out the grinder for now and get ground coffee for the time being

sid
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You're going to love me for saying this :D

I started with the same thought when I first started - buy the best machine and use preground coffee. I was advised that this was wrong (what do they know I thought..).

Now I can see that what they say is 100% right.

1. It's all about the coffee - freshest. That's where the taste comes from.
2. Next is the Grinder - that's what unlocks the taste from the bean
3. Then it's the machine which then washes the taste from the coffee grounds.

Although not "wrong", you may ask what all the fuss is about until you move from the tinned pre-ground to ordering some fresh roasted pre-ground.. then you'll be on the road to getting a grinder and ordering beans to grind as you brew - a slippery path :D
 
You can get second hand Gaggia classics from eBay, I picked mine up for under £50 and all it needed was the rubber seal changing in the head, a 5 minute job and costs a few pounds literally. Money is better spent on the grinder, I've just plonked a few quid down on an Iberital MC2, should be here Monday. I got fed up of manually grinding al the time, the coffee tastes great but the grinding really.. grinds.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
I don't think i am prepared to spent £150 on a grinder....yet, at least not something i can't fit into the cupboard, short of worktop space as it is ! Manual it is for the moment !
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Fair enough, it is a luxury over the manual grinder. I make loads of coffee all day and for two of us so it's a lot of manual labour when I'm trying to get some work done. Happy Donkey do the Iberital for £120 delivered or thereabouts.
 
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