23
votes
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I run my espresso machine until my whole cup is full. What's my coffee called?
I'd say that it's a caffè crema which is generally made the way you make your coffee and is about 240 ml. It's about 3 times more water than a normale.
- 376
18
votes
How important is tamping coffee for an espresso machine
Tamping is one of three key controls you have over the espresso brewing process; The others are dose (the amount of coffee used) and grind coarseness. Together, they allow the coffee machine operator ...
- 1,589
16
votes
Accepted
What differentiates a $100 coffee machine from a $1000 coffee machine?
More expensive coffee machines typically have better "plumbing", including some and even all of the following:
2 boilers / HX to allow for frothing and brewing at the same time
Preinfusion
Copper ...
- 426
15
votes
Accepted
How important is tamping coffee for an espresso machine
Let's start off with what the function of the tamp is.
Function
The tamp is cylindrical in shape and is ideally just snug enough to fit into the portafilter smoothly. What the tamp does, is prime ...
- 1,409
14
votes
Accepted
Should I thoroughly clean the portafilter basket between shots?
There's a trade-off here. If you're working in a fast-paced coffee shop, you're likely to favour the faster option (knock out the coffee) over cleaning. Generally knocking out the coffee will get rid ...
- 6,995
14
votes
Accepted
Why do barista's keep activating the doser whilst grinding coffee
Short reason: Tradition conflicting with modern brewing practices.
Long reason: This is more a result of an industry-wide legacy when purchasing equipment, where coffee shop owners will pick up ...
14
votes
Accepted
Espresso drips out slowly
As suggested in comment above, descaling or decalcifying your machine may solve your problem. We just run straight distilled white vinegar through ours to do so. Running the machine with distilled ...
- 280
13
votes
I run my espresso machine until my whole cup is full. What's my coffee called?
I would also go for caffè crema (more water than a lungo). There is no strict agreement on at how much water does it stop being a lungo and starts being a crema. But I guess "lungo" is more well known ...
- 131
12
votes
Should I thoroughly clean the portafilter basket between shots?
To Expand on @Tom Medley's Answer; the pivotal questions are:
How much time is lapsing between pulls of espresso?
Are you pulling the same espresso?
The portafilter should be rinsed with the ...
- 1,681
12
votes
What are the 4M's of espresso?
4M is a term mainly used among Italians for espresso. It is a placeholder for four words that start with "M" in Italian that affects espresso preparation. Some information can be found here.
These M'...
- 7,593
11
votes
How can I improve this latte?
I own this machine and have since moved on from it for the exact reasons you stated.
It is possible to create microfoam that is good enough for making clearly defined latte art on the Delonghi Dedica ...
- 1,301
10
votes
Espresso drips out slowly
Adjust the grind. Make it less fine.
Sounds like the pump is not strong enough to push water through the puck. Rather than set-and-forget on the finest it can do, you should be adjusting the grind ...
- 251
10
votes
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Should I press the coffee into my espresso machine?
The process of compressing the coffee powder in a portafilter of an espresso machine before pulling the shot is called tamping. There is a lot of information available on the web explaining how it is ...
- 763
9
votes
Accepted
Steam-Powered Espresso Machine: Crema?
There are a few reasons why you might not get a good crema:
Stale coffee
Coffee not ground fine enough
Pressure too low
With a steam-powered espresso machine (especially if it's an entry level ...
- 746
9
votes
Accepted
How does one descale an espresso machine (and how often to do it)?
You can use a solution of citric acid and some espresso machine manufacturers will sell this specifically, you can use general purpose descaler, for which there should be instructions on how much to ...
- 2,217
9
votes
Accepted
How do I keep slime from collecting in my drip tray?
If what you're seeing is mold or algae you may want to add a few table spoons of salt to the drip pan.
I'm guessing that your slime is probably a fungus of some kind, rather than an algae. It has ...
- 1,695
8
votes
Accepted
What changes need to be made to espresso machine so it can function properly in space?
I was able to dig up this press release:
http://www.lavazza.com/en/.content/document/pdf/PR_Italian-espresso-in-orbit.pdf
The first capsule-based espresso system able to work in the extreme
...
- 1,695
8
votes
I run my espresso machine until my whole cup is full. What's my coffee called?
This is called Lungo, Italian for "Long coffee". Typically it is prepared around 150 ml.
More info is here:
Lungo (Wikipedia).
- 7,593
8
votes
Accepted
Can I have this type of coffee?
The beverage you make by diluting vending machine "espresso" with hot water is called "poor imitation of Americano". It is hard to say how much caffeine it contains because it's not clear what this ...
7
votes
Accepted
What machine is Caffe Vergnano using to make my coffee?
Elektra Belle Epoque P1C:
See this page: http://www.elektrasrl.com/belle_epoque_2grel_cr.php
You can still buy these, they are very expensive of course, I don't think there is anything particularly ...
- 2,217
6
votes
Is it necessary to keep a portafilter in the grouphead when not in use?
In addition to what Tim Post wrote, I've understood that keeping the porta filter in the machine keeps the gasket from drying out so that you don't need to replace it as often. I used to place my ...
- 161
6
votes
Accepted
Is it necessary to keep a portafilter in the grouphead when not in use?
Keeping the portafilter warm (and receiving / tamping a dose within a warm portafilter) is supposed to result in additional oils being released in the extraction, which in theory leads to a fuller ...
- 2,716
6
votes
Accepted
How can I prepare an espresso machine for long-term storage
If you live in a hard water area then clean using a citric acid solution and make sure that the pumps are then empty of water.
You could if it's easy remove the gasket seal (if there is one) which ...
- 2,217
6
votes
Getting large volume lattes
Assuming you are not planning to buy a lot more machinery, you can simply use the Nespresso to make espresso - depending on your preferred strength, two to three shots should be what you need for your ...
- 3,853
6
votes
How to properly use the Bialetti Brikka
I understand that the crema created by the Brikka is an approximated crema using the gasket's small opening. Sure, purists may not consider this tan, smooth film of microbubbles as authentic crema (...
- 523
6
votes
Accepted
Consequences of wrongly cleaning espresso machine with vinegar?
I'll answer as a chemist and not as a coffee expert, but occasional exposure to vinegar won't substantially damage a piece of aluminum. Also ingesting traces of aluminum isn't toxic.
- 218
6
votes
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Espresso machine fish tank smell
You've got colonies (of bacteria, and perhaps algae.)
I'd be looking for something a bit stronger than vinegar or citric acid in the sanitizing line, though either of those might be a good place to ...
- 841
5
votes
How to properly use the Bialetti Brikka
I think you gave a good overview of everything. Here's a few comments on your list that I find is most important from my own personal experience, and from this Bialetti guide.
"Moka" grind is ...
- 8,497
5
votes
Accepted
Do I need higher pressure to create a ristretto?
Typically, a ristretto is an espresso shot pulled with half as much water. If you assume a normal shot is 30ml, the only practical difference in pulling a ristretto is to stop the extraction at 15ml.
...
- 308
5
votes
Steam-Powered Espresso Machine: Crema?
You are doing everything perfectly to spec. The problem is neither with your machine, nor with your use of it. It is with the nature of your expectation. Steam espresso machines simply do not produce ...
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