Objective: Determine and discuss quality beans that offer a good value. Any recommendations or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Machine: Gaggia Classic
Grinder: Gaggia MDF
Grinder setting:7
Dose: 17G
Extraction time: 27 sec
Ratio: 1:2

Beans: Lavazza Crema e Gusto

Results: Disappointed with these beans. Tasted rather burnt even though the extraction was performed correctly. Would not try again.

For the Italian blends it seems sticking to the bar blends are the best bet. I have tried both Lavazza Super Crema and Kimbo Superior, both were very good once dialed in.

Bodka coffee is another roaster to check out for great coffee at a good price, especially if you buy 5#.

Thank you for the suggestion! I had not heard of Bodka so it is now on my radar. Are the beans oily from Bodka??

No, they are not oily.

I have an amateur type question. Is it generally accepted that if you have suboptimal beans extraction can be improved by lowering the ratio? So I got not so great lavazza crema e gusto beans and was not pleased with the extraction at my preferred ratio of 1:2. However I'm to cheap to throw away beans that are not horrible. I changed my ratio to 1:1 and considerable improvement was observed. Is this typical?

What you are essentially doing is extracting less of the coffee. Most of the "bitters" in an espresso come out at the end of the shot, so if you cut the shot short it will be less bitter. Subpar Italian roasts ( I would consider crema e gusto subpar) taste very bitter/ burnt tire-like if you pull them too long. Some southern blend (and a few American blends, such as Vivace Dolce) are actually roasted with the intention of being pulled as a ristretto. Another thing you can try is pull at a cooler temperature

Thank you for your insightful response. It was informative.

AN

I was watching a video on Italian espresso.
The Great Italian Cafe: Bologna
The owner of Caffee Terzi a respected Caffe, believes a small amount of sugar should be added prior to extraction. This is something I typically would never ever do. I always use the good whiskey analogy, however maybe the small amount of sugar is similar to the few droplets of water that is to be added to good whiskey which helps bring out full flavor. I'm still trying different ways to improve the taste of my poor quality crema e gusto beans. Has anyone experimented with this method or do you have any thoughts regarding this practice?? The link to the video can be found below.

If I am adding any type of sweetener at all I always add it to the cup and pull the shot on top of it. It makes sense to do it that way, the hot coffee will dissolve the sweetener.

I am still don't understand why we should add sugar to our espresso. What's the point of this ? to get better taste?