How much time does your morning espresso routine require? - Page 3

[RapidCoffee]

Timed myself this morning: 6 minutes from start to finish for a double capp (assuming an already warmed up machine).

* ~2 minutes to get everything together, add beans to grinder, fill pitcher with milk, etc. (I'm a little slow in the AM)
* ~1 minute to prepare the puck (grind, dose, distribute, tamp)
* ~1 minute to pull the shot, froth milk, and pour
* ~30-60 seconds to slurp it down
* ~1-2 minute for final cleanup (PF wiggle, rinse baskets, cups, pitcher, etc.)

Each additional pour adds a couple more minutes to the routine.

[Jacob]

But go have a

[micki]

:oops: But go have a

Please please please tell me, that this is not you ....

[Coffeecritter]

I timed myself this morning:

1 quad capp + 1 Americano = 5:30 including cleanup AND toasting bagels!

Sue

[malachi]

Wow.

I'm a pretty fast barista (as many here know) but it still takes me at least 20 minutes.

1 - seasoning shot (also used to dial in the grind).
1.a - if needed, second shot to further dial in the grind.
2 - steam milk for first drink.
3 - pull first shot.
4 - build first drink.
5 - rinse milk pitcher.
6 - steam milk for second drink.
7 - pull second shot.
8 - build second drink.
9 - drink second drink.
10 - backflush machine with detergent.
11 - scrub and rinse group gasket.
12 - cleanwater backflush.
13 - soak wand in water/cleanser mix.
14 - scrub inside of portafilter with green scrubby square.
15 - clean and wipe basket and portafilter.
16 - wipe and flush wand.
17 - Clean drip-tray.
18 - re-assemble machine and shut down.
19 - clean milk pitcher and cups.
20 - wiped down counter.

[roastaroma]

Ciao,

Though I'm not racing to achieve my "best" time, the process pretty much determines that I have to move efficiently. Doing cappas, I pull the two doubles back to back, then steam one pitcher of microfoam while the doubles sit in a pre-heated oven. That's a compromise, but I can't have microfoam sitting around for even a minute. Cappa #2 is always the better one, so that's for my girlfriend (I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid).

Where things get more leisurely is in the cleaning-up. That's most of the job, really!

Happy Brewing,
Wayne

[malachi]

Why can't your milk sit?

[roastaroma]

Why can't your milk sit?

Ciao Chris,

I'm still a beginner when it comes to latte art, but I tend to think that microfoam degrades the longer it sits in the pitcher. If I have to choose between preserving the crema or the microfoam, I opt for the latter. However, I am willing to try a different sequence, for ex., pull shot 1, steam milk, then pull shot 2. Perhaps it's all a matter of making really good quality microfoam -- only a recent achievement for me.

[CremaKatz]

[Crema the dog demands to go out before I get to the machine- I am
defenseless and the dog wins, so this is not counted in the process]

Grind.

Fill portafilter.

Tamp.

Mount portafilter on group.

Grab cup from top of machine (extra points if it matches saucer).

Pull down lever.

Lower lever again before it can rise all the way.

Remove cup when ready.

Drink.

Knock puck.

Rinse portafilter.



That's why they call it espresso. It's quick.

[malachi]

Espresso degrades FAR more quickly than milk as a general rule.
Unless you're looking to shoot latte art photos (in which case I'd suggest not only steaming milk second but using an espresso with at least 33% robusta and maybe even add a little calcium to your water) you should really steam first.
It's pretty straightforward.

1 - Preheat cup.
2 - Steam milk.
3 - Grind, dose, distribute, tamp.
4 - Start shot extracting into pre-heated cup.
5 - While shot is pulling, swirl milk in pitcher.
6 - When shot is done, pour milk.

Steps 3-5 should take you less than one minute. Milk will be fine (for latte art, and for taste).

And (of course) you should really only build one drink at a time...

[cannonfodder]

[gvideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4635930600919762627&hl=en[/gvideo]

[HB]

I'm still a beginner when it comes to latte art, but I tend to think that microfoam degrades the longer it sits in the pitcher. If I have to choose between preserving the crema or the microfoam, I opt for the latter.

Chris is right, you can "revive" microfoam that's sat awhile, but there's no hope for faded crema. I demonstrated the thunk and swirl recovery technique in the video Latte Art Challenge(d). The milk start out with a bad case of "cottonball" and finished smooth. No comment on the pour itself...

[roblumba]

I would say that making 2 double latte's is probably well under 10 minutes although sometimes I need to make a fresh batch of whipped cream. My wife insists on whip cream on every coffee drink. But I often weave making coffee with breakfast, although lately, because the GS3 is so fast at steaming, I've actually put coffee making at the end of my breakfast routine and steam each latte seperately to get better microfoam. The microfoam is so good that I don't think whip cream is really needed.

Even though I have a double boiler, I still find myself wanting to watch the espresso come out and stop it at exactly the time I think it needs to stop. And I like to focus on steaming milk to get good microfoam. If I try to do both at the same time, I think one of them is going to suffer not because of the machine, but because of my mistakes.

[roastaroma]

Ciao Chris & Dan,

Grazie mille for the tips -- as a beginner I always appreciate the help. I can see already how the urge to upgrade takes hold -- though I myself am not into milk drinks anymore, when one is entertaining guests, it must be gratifying to be able to pull shots & steam milk simultaneously. (And temperature surfing... oy, don't get me started.)

Happy Brewing,
Wayne

[ntwkgestapo]

IF You include warm-up time, then my morning routine takes about 30 minutes, BUT, as I dump and refill the Factory, power it up, THEN head for the shower. When I finish the shower, I stop back and bleed off the false pressure and get my tumbler warming. THEN I head back and get dressed. Once that's done I build the first shot, dump the finished shot into the nice warm tumbler and build the second shot. That finished, dump into tumbler, fill a pitcher with filtered water and steam that to 160-165 degrees and dump into the tumbler to finish my americano. THEN I turn off the machine, clean up any mess and head out to the office. ACTUAL brewing time is probably less than 10 minutes including cleanup, but I said 15 to be safe...

[jmcphail]

30 minutes plus.

In the morning I work under a number of deficits which result in my fumbling and bumbling - I'm very sleepy without coffee, I require at least 3 doubles to come up to speed, and I'm *very* new to espresso and my routines are ... suspect.

Sometimes I chicken out completely and brew a pot of drip on the Technivorm! I can do that in my sleep, literally!

[narc]

Based on the current results I'm real slow. When using the Ponte Vecchio Lusso, 3 to 5 double ristrettos that get consumed. Couple SO and couple blends are a normal morning. When using the Elektra Micro Casa a Leva, couple single origin (SO)double ristretto and a SO Americano. Some mornings a chunk of time is spent tweaking & cleaning the grinders.

[Jasonian]

About five minutes, give or take.

And that's taking my time.

[jameseric]

I gave really longer time than most here. Original query assumed production of two drinks? I like to fuss w the machines a little. Wipe here, check tightness of that valve. Did I empty drip tray (yecch)? Is the grinder really what it wants to be? No real urgency here: I don't need the kick anymore, the initial brewed cup o' the morning having taken the edge from that need. The first drink gets savored --I'm not hyper enough to be a proper Italian commuter-- and the second cup gets contemplated while I review and plan for the sins of the day. All of this goes on before that second cup ever gets pulled...

[DigMe]

Wow.

I'm a pretty fast barista (as many here know) but it still takes me at least 20 minutes.

1 - seasoning shot (also used to dial in the grind).
1.a - if needed, second shot to further dial in the grind.
2 - steam milk for first drink.
3 - pull first shot.
4 - build first drink.
5 - rinse milk pitcher.
6 - steam milk for second drink.
7 - pull second shot.
8 - build second drink.
9 - drink second drink.
10 - backflush machine with detergent.
11 - scrub and rinse group gasket.
12 - cleanwater backflush.
13 - soak wand in water/cleanser mix.
14 - scrub inside of portafilter with green scrubby square.
15 - clean and wipe basket and portafilter.
16 - wipe and flush wand.
17 - Clean drip-tray.
18 - re-assemble machine and shut down.
19 - clean milk pitcher and cups.
20 - wiped down counter.

Wow, you do all that every morning?!

brad