Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

haz_pro said:
Okay mate, thanks for letting me know. My non-pressurized basket hasn't arrived yet and I forgot to order a tamper!

Any ideas on a decent tamper for say 15 gbp?
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Motta tampers are very good for the price and this place will serve all of your Motta needs:

http://www.creamsupplies.co.uk/coffee-barista-motta-barista-tools/cat_389.html

You'll want a 58mm tamper. You may want to pick up a Motta milk jug too as they're excellent/

Have you got some scales that measure to 0.1g resolution? If not, I'd recommend getting some for dosing your beans and also to weigh your shots.
 
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I haven't got any scales yet no, I completely forgot. Is there any I should look at in particular, or will any ebay 5 pound job be fine?

Just realized the reason my basket hasn't come yet is because I didn't order it, I thought I had but I mustn't have clicked confirm; doh!

I have a bit of a predicament now. The motta tamper looks great, but the sites I have found that carry it don't sell the gaggia double and blind basket which I would want to order at same time.

I have seen a tamper on happydonkey but it says 57/58 so I guess it wouldn't be as good a fit. Hmm.
 
Ebay scales will be OK. Just make sure they measure to 0.1g.

You probably won't find Motta tampers any cheaper than creamsupplies. Have you looked on ebay for the baskets?

As for Happydonkey's tamper, I don't know anyone who has one but I would be inclined to leave it if the tolerance is 1mm+.
 
any 58mm basket should fit fine, if you ask on the coffeeforums wanted section im sure someone will have one they can part with!

my scales were about £8 on ebay arrived next day, they can be had from around £5 but i wanted black to match my machine.

to start with i would reccomend getting some decent but not too expensive beans as it will take a while to get used to your grinder and your machine then once your happy then start getting the more expensive beans... just personal oppinion as getting used to a machine on a small batch of beans will be more difficult.

personally when i got my cherub and mignon i also got a couple of bags of 'Lavazza super crema' (also as the mignon was new i was advised to wear in the machine with a few kilos of beans before expecting the best) and its actually really nice tasting and forgiving coffee and at £13/Kg off ebay it was very well priced
 
Well I ordered a motta tamper (wood, flat base), a brush for the group head, and a nice looking glass; all from cream supplies. I haven't ordered a "jug" yet, but will do soon.

GTanny said:
any 58mm basket should fit fine, if you ask on the coffeeforums wanted section im sure someone will have one they can part with!

my scales were about £8 on ebay arrived next day, they can be had from around £5 but i wanted black to match my machine.

to start with i would reccomend getting some decent but not too expensive beans as it will take a while to get used to your grinder and your machine then once your happy then start getting the more expensive beans... just personal oppinion as getting used to a machine on a small batch of beans will be more difficult.

personally when i got my cherub and mignon i also got a couple of bags of 'Lavazza super crema' (also as the mignon was new i was advised to wear in the machine with a few kilos of beans before expecting the best) and its actually really nice tasting and forgiving coffee and at £13/Kg off ebay it was very well priced
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Hey pal,

Thanks for this reply. I actually ended up getting the baskets off eBay early this morning; it was quite spur of the moment as my daughter wouldn't sleep! lol

I ordered some of that coffee, thanks for the heads up. Reviews seem good and it is quite cheap so will be fine for now. :)

Siliconslave said:
got the pressure valve through thanks Haz, will have a play tonight and pass it onto FrenchTart tomorrow all going well!
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Hey mate,

It was Hamster who sent it, not me. I am hoping to borrow it after FrenchTart if hamster doesn't mind. :)
 
Siliconslave said:
Man, glad my meetings this morning were canceled, i'm totally scatter brained today :rolleyes:
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I think if all are agreed it'll be easier to pass it straight to me rather than back to Hamster first? :)

I'll trust you my address (obviously no problem if Hamster wants it back or for it to go to haz first). I reckon I should be able to get time to sort it out by the end of the week (assuming receiving it on Thu) so I will probably send it to haz on Monday if that works?
 
I'm happy to have it after you french, providing of course Hamster doesn't need it returned.

Regarding the tamper; I devided after research to go for a flat motta tamper. From my research it seems there is little difference in results between the two, and so I went for the cheaper option.
 
haz_pro said:
I'm happy to have it after you french, providing of course Hamster doesn't need it returned.

Regarding the tamper; I devided after research to go for a flat motta tamper. From my research it seems there is little difference in results between the two, and so I went for the cheaper option.
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Ah, thanks for the info :) I will probably go for the flat one then. It will be interesting comparing the difference in coffee, though I'm out of decent beans atm.
 
haz_pro said:
It was Hamster who sent it, not me. I am hoping to borrow it after FrenchTart if hamster doesn't mind. :)
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I don't mind anyone here using it. Just pass it on to whoever needs it next when you're done :)

FrenchTart said:
I think if all are agreed it'll be easier to pass it straight to me rather than back to Hamster first? :)

I'll trust you my address (obviously no problem if Hamster wants it back or for it to go to haz first). I reckon I should be able to get time to sort it out by the end of the week (assuming receiving it on Thu) so I will probably send it to haz on Monday if that works?
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I only want it back when everyone who wants to use it has had a chance to use it so keep passing it around until then :)

So at the moment it's Siliconslave>Frenchttart>Haz.
 
had a play this morning with my first drink of the day (now on number 6... please dont judge its my first day off work and its not often i get a full day at home ;)) just decided to take some photos and found photobucket now has a 'story' mode so i though i would make it into a story

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/death26row/story/14401

edit:
it wont accept my picture so ill add the starting featuring my coffee mascotts 'goth stan' & Henry

 
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Hamster said:
Nice setup :) Love that mini Henry! Does it actually work?
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it actually gets much more use then i expected, it picks up spilt coffee grinds really well but having a toddler it also gets used on multiple small spills, it is esentially a novelty but it does work... not getting rid of the dyson just yet though :)
 
Hmm, interesting. I have been looking for some sort of mini vacuum for cleaning my grinder and rogue coffee grounds. Have to keep borrowing the mother in laws hoover, but may get one of these or a hand vacuum.
 
I have a hand-held vacuum that works well enough (also handy for removing some of the insane amounts of cat hair that my cats gleefully leave everywhere).
 
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GTanny said:
it actually gets much more use then i expected, it picks up spilt coffee grinds really well but having a toddler it also gets used on multiple small spills, it is esentially a novelty but it does work... not getting rid of the dyson just yet though :)
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I think I may have to get one. Even if it doesn't work well, it looks great! :D

I keep this thing in the kitchen. Very powerful and loads of attachments to get into nooks and crannies. Also has a blower function which is handy for the computers:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decke...1369153993&sr=8-1&keywords=black+decker+vh780
 
Pressure turned down a little (although the needle was shaky as hell on the gauge while the machine was running its now shaking around 10 rather than around 12).

Hamster's great traveling valve is now packed up and will be winging its way to machester tomorrow to a FrenchTart :D

In a way of thanks i give you the first animated GIF i've made for about 10 years:
coffee_zps9bcdb05d.gif
 
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