Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Jonny69 said:
Is the group holder in the Gaggia Classic a different size to other machines? I don't seem to be able to find a tamper that fits it. They all seem to be a bit smaller than I need? I think I might resort to making one.
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You can custom make one from hasbean, the 58mm one. :)
 
I have been making reasonable progress with my Gaggia cubika now

I can only manage double shots though. Single shots just pour too quickly imho. I have no idea why.

Double shots give about 60-70ml in 30 second with a hint of crema. I'm not bothered about the crema as im using illy coffee which isn't freshly ground tbh.

Next on the list is a grinder and a proper milk frother.

How do you guys estimate the correct temp for the milk.

I only have lattes atm, what other kinds of coffee can I experiment with?

Sorry if this sounds n00by.

Regards,
sid
 
To work out the temp for the milk, either get one of the Gaggia 74541 Thermometer, cost £5 or just your hand by frothing it in a stainless steel jug, when it gets too hot to hold is when to stop. The temp should be around 70c, then stop.

I like Latte but i find lately americano quite nice, less milk and easier to make. I also get a bottle of syrup from Cafe Nero and add some flavours to my coffee too.
 
Raymond Lin said:
To work out the temp for the milk, either get one of the Gaggia 74541 Thermometer, cost £5 or just your hand by frothing it in a stainless steel jug, when it gets too hot to hold is when to stop. The temp should be around 70c, then stop.

I like Latte but i find lately americano quite nice, less milk and easier to make. I also get a bottle of syrup from Cafe Nero and add some flavours to my coffee too.
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Thanks Raymond

I shall invest in a stainless steel small jug I think,
I'm using a ceramic mug atm which isn't very helpful tbh when it comes to temps.

Also with regards to grinders, whats the cheapest one which is worth having?

Theres this £40 Burr GVX2 i've seen in shops which looks tasty.

Regards
sid
 
Remember to get a jug slightly larger than you need, milk expands when you froth it. But not so big that the frother can't reach the bottom of the jug.

As for a Burr grinder, i think the cheaper ones are much the same, decent ones starts around £150 with the Gaggia MDF.
 
sid said:
Single shots just pour too quickly imho. I have no idea why.

Double shots give about 60-70ml in 30 second with a hint of crema. I'm not bothered about the crema as im using illy coffee which isn't freshly ground tbh.
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The grounds affect both the pour speed and amount of crema. They're sort of linked.

Choking - when little or no liguid comes through, Gush - when the liquid comes through very quickly. Both will carry little crema and will taste bad.
I found that with pre-ground and tinned beans (such as Illy) the range you get to play with between choke and gush is very small.

If you try fresh roasted & ground (ie just order a 250g bag of ground coffee from hasbean) then you'll see a very different behaviour. The range between choke and gush is a lot wider; the pour speed will slow and as a result you'll get crema (you won't need to dwell on crema - it just comes as the oils are there to be extracted in fresh coffee).


Just a point about the grinder - to save you lots and I mean lots of hair pulling. This is important to get something that is capable of grinding to the right size rather than shredding.
There's always the option of the Zassenhaus (manual mill) which will be far better than a £50 electric at that price.

When you do get a grinder - get a bag of inexpensive beans (ie tinned illy) to dial in (ie set the grind fine enough). This will stop you wasting money on good beans. Then get some fresh ones and see what the difference is! :D

You can get a thermometer that will show you the temps as you're steaming the milk. Very useful if it's got a clip to hold it whilst you use both hands.
 
Just got my christmas order in from Hasbean.co.uk

Picked up a couple that I've had before and a couple of ones that I haven't. Most importantly, I've got the christmas espresso blend.

Thats it...the last thing that I needed to get for Christmas. HURRAH!
 
i got the one without the doser (the extra chamber bolted to the front) - from chatting to the guy at HD and some others it seems the doser is pretty inconsistent unless full + theres more nooks and crannies to clear out on it....

I've got it setup at the moment so its pretty much full on one grind but i do a settling tap on the counter and overfill a little with a second hit of the grind button (then turn it off with the power when ready)
 
so basically the doser means you can grind a whole load of coffee up and store it in the tub thing on the front - then you dose it out in controlled amounts by a little switch thing - good in cafes as they can grind a load while serving people and turn around the grinds pretty quickly. Downsides are you have to grind then dose, you have more wastage, the dosing into the portafilter isn't consistent unless the grind chamber is nearly full.

The automatic has a shoot and timer - you push the PF under the shoot and hit a little button which turns the grinder on for a period defined by a mechanical timer - it takes a bit longer to fill the PF, but you have more control over it and theres less to clear out of the grinder, it does make a bit of a mess though...
 
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