More CREMA from my Elektra Microcasa a Leva!

[Elektraman]

Ciao Everyone,

I need some help as I've just upgraded to a Mazzer Mini E but - despite the improvements - I'm still not getting much crema from my Micro Casa a Leva. I'm using very fresh beans and think I've got the grind quite right, but the results aren't that great!

Anyone can help...?

Many thanks in advance!

[KarlSchneider]

Ciao Everyone,

I need some help as I've just upgraded to a Mazzer Mini E but - despite the improvements - I'm still not getting much crema from my Micro Casa a Leva. I'm using very fresh beans and think I've got the grind quite right, but the results aren't that great!

Anyone can help...?

Many thanks in advance!

You do not say anything about how your results taste. Do you like the taste? Are your "results not that great" defined by amount of crema? Generally you can get more crema by "grinding finer / tamping softer" and by using beans that make more crema.

KS

[Elektraman]

Thanks for the hints Karl. Yes I do like the results as far as the taste is concerned, though they differ from bean to bean type. I mainly go for Lavazza's Qualita' Rossa, which I get on a monthly basis. I've tried Illy and got good taste too, but still not much crema. I'll try to experiment with the "fine grinding/less tamping" combination.

I thought about getting a roaster, but before I commit to another purchase, I'd like to get the most of my current "investments" and then see if I'm happy with that or if I want more.

What do you actually mean with "beans that make more crema"?

Grazie mille!

[Mark08859]

I think part of your problem may lie in your choice of coffee. One sign of older beans is a lack or reduction of crema. You use pre-bagged beans (Lavazza, Illy, et al) whose age is basically unknown. Those beans could be two weeks old or four months old. Try switching to fresh roasted beans. The taste, and crema, should be 'night and day'.

It is possible to purposely blend beans to make greater amounts of crema. Here is a link to the SpecialtyJava website. They make a blend called Espresso Authentico which the write-up states specifically will produce large amounts of crema.

[peacecup]

Bean freshness is of paramount importance, particularly with a lever machine, and doubly so if you brew solos like I often do. With my old Estro I could compensate for beans aging by varying grind/dose/tamp, but it is much more difficult to do this with the lever. I have not begun home roasting, but I'm fortunate to have three local roasters from whom I can buy beans. By the time they are two weeks old I'd rather give them to a friend than brew with them with my lever machine.

Ciao,

[Elektraman]

Thanks Mark and Peaceup, frankly I suspected that the problem was in the beans age. Unfortunately, I live in the north east of England, where coffee culture stretches as far as: "What? You mean there are other drinks apart from TEA?!?!?!?!"

I'll try to look for some roasters down south in the London area, but I doubt they are actually equipped for mail deliveries. I might have to resort to home roasting then! Any suggestion for an efficient and affordable way? I've heard of cheap hot-air roasters, does anyone know if they are any good?

Any suggestions welcomed!!!

[peacecup]

Well, at least you have cask-conditioned ale! Although American beer has come a very long way in the past 20 years, I seldom come across a "microbrew" that comes close the the beer I had in England.

I have NO experience with home roasting, but have been doing some reading. SweetMarias is one of many good websites. I understand that for espresso the beans should be roasted more slowly to bring out the flavor profile. The hot air types, and those such as the FreshRoast can be good, but they roast fast. Drum roasters such as the HotTop roast more slowly, but are expensive. One good comprosmise appears to be a stovetop roaster, if you don't mind manually turning the beans for 10-15 mins, and you have a good kitchen fan (roasting produces a lot of smoke). Another compomise may be to lower the voltage to a FreshRoast or similar roaster, hence slowing the roast - I have not researched this yet.

Ultimately, home roasting promises to eliminate an important variable from the brew process, so despite some excellent local roasters I'm slowly gravitating in this direction,

Ciao,
PC

[HB]

I've heard of cheap hot-air roasters, does anyone know if they are any good?

Two SwagFest entries were on this topic:

An Aficionado's Guide to Espresso Blending (1st place)
The Best Way to Improve your Shot is a Popcorn Popper! (9th place)

In addition to Sweet Maria's mailing list, CoffeeGeek's Home Roasting Talk is very active. Despite Mike's encouragement, I've never taken the plunge - too many good roasters in the area, too little time. I am interested though.

[Mark08859]

You could mail-order your beans fresh roasted. There are lots of excellent online roasters out there. Usually they ship the same day as roast. The time spent shipping is when the beans are degassing. Many also offer faster shipping options if you're concerned about timely receipt. So, by time you receive your beans, they're good to go. Here are some links to a few roasters that you can try.

Caffe Fresco

Barefoot Coffee Roasters

Espresso Vivace Roasteria

No doubt, folks will have a lot of other suggestiions. Good luck.

[srobinson]

Like the guys are telling you, it may be worthwhile to get a bag sent over from the states just to help establish a benchmark for you if you need to. I was in London about 6 weeks ago and got to swing by Boroughs Market and got to talk to the guys from Monmouth Coffee Company. Very good product and they do do mail order in the UK. http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/. Get a good product to work with and then we can help you on the crema side.

[hipponax]

You might try Monmouth Coffee in London. I was living in London last summer, and I have to say they had the best commercially roasted coffee I've had in any country. A real oasis in England, too, as you know! I don't know for sure if they do mail order, but they looked like they might be equipped for it. At home I roast my own, but the coffee I had at Monmouth, I hate to say, was certainly as good, and once or twice even better (horrors!) than my homeroasts! RR

[hipponax]

Oops... I just saw the post previous to mine about Monmouth coffee as well... sorry about that. working too quickly! Anyway, I second Steve's recommendation!

[srobinson]

No problem...you comment verified my two short coffees with them....small world. If any of you leverheads do get some time in London on the weekend, do swing by Boroughs Market...it is slow food Nirvana...the cheese, the beers, the meats, the produce...the way it should be.

[Walter]

I might have to resort to home roasting then! Any suggestion for an efficient and affordable way? I've heard of cheap hot-air roasters, does anyone know if they are any good?

Any suggestions welcomed!!!

Hello,

you might want to check out hasbean.co.uk for a selection of homeroasters and green beans. I purchased the new Gene roaster there some 6 weeks ago and I couldn't be any happier. Homeroasting - and exploring SO coffees - added a new dimension to my espresso experience. The Gene roaster is sort of a hybrid between a drum roaster and a fluid-bed roaster, roasting is relatively slow and my experiences so far (some 40 batches) are quite positive. Capacity is ~ 300g per batch which is a little higher than that of the Hottop...

The only drawback I noticed with the roaster is the slow cooling cycle, but that is easy to overcome by cooling the beans outside the roaster...