PRESSO maker...HELP NEEDED....

[greeeeb]

hi.
i bought a ALL-CLAD presso espresso maker after i read some of reviews on this site.
i need to ask what the proper grind for this maker, where i used French press grind like mentioned in the manual with the maker, but water come out very quickly, and coffee is diluted. i used then drip maker grind, it is better than french grind and coffee more authentic, but still, coffee has bitter taste and some how diluted, and no crema at all, where coffee comes out filter basket very fast, like about less than ten seconds.( i dont have a tamper and i used fresh illy ground coffee).

also, i saw the modifications that some of reviewer did to their maker using teflon, is there a specific teflon i should use (extra virgin teflon for example). And if i am going to attach teflon to the ring piston, what glue should i use without affecting taste of espresso.
need ur advice baristas.
and thank uuuuuuuuuuu a lot home baristassssssss.

[whodat]

There's a nice recent thread on CoffeeGeek.com about this. Particularly helpful are comments by, I think, "Chicago Sandy".
My experience is similar to hers. I initially was able to make what could best be described as a "Robert Reich" (a short Americano). It tasted pretty good but was pretty thin & had minimal crema.

The tricks for getting decent espresso with an unmodified Presso were:
1) I followed Chicago Sandy's "multiple pump" technique.
2) Freshly ground coffee (my earlier attempts were with pre-ground).
3) Fine grind (I was using a Traveller 2 hand grinder which has no markings, but the grind is roughly the same as I could use for my La Peppina at home).
4) I think that the freshness of the beans probably helped too. I was using 1 week old Terroir Southern Italian beans. I believe that this is 100% arabica (there was some speculation on CG that you needed some robusta to get crema on an unmodified Presso).

Finally, thorough pre-heating is essential. I was using an electric kettle, so I could just dunk the portafilter into the kettle.

Good Luck!

[hbuchtel]

After using it daily for about two months I'm really happy with the results from the Presso, I now can count on a healthy 'head' of crema. The taste varies a lot, but I am using beans I've roasted myself and that is yet another variable . . .

I've been trying to put together a collection of Presso tips and have posted them here-

http://www.unmodifiedpresso.blogspot.com

It is quite 'raw' but might still be useful.

A few points -

Get it as hot as possible!

Dose directly into the basket (take out the retaining spring) to avoid losing heat

Overdose so the puck meets the (very) high dispersion screen

When pouring, start with the arms up and pour 'through' the piston head, continuing till all the air has left the chamber.

You can use the same (generally speaking) grind and tamp that you would use in other espresso machines.

Hope this is helpful!

Henry

[hbuchtel]

Sorry, I was so excited to write about the Presso I didn't see you had some specific questions-

i need to ask what the proper grind for this maker

You can use a normal espresso grind (much finer then what you tried before). It is necessary to tamp the grounds, so use whatever you have available!

what glue should i use without affecting taste of espresso.

You need to find a kind of epoxy that says 'food-safe' or 'food-grade' on it. However, I don't think it is necessary to make a plug if you are careful about how you fill the chamber with water.

Henry

[greeeeb]

hi all.
i will try ur tips and return to u with if it works better or not.
thank uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuall

[srobinson]

Do you have a stuck key on your keyboard? I would also ask that all you presso guys fill our your profiles so we know a bit more about you. That upgrade fever will hit soon and we want you in the LMWDP.

[hbuchtel]

hmm... ye olde upgrade fever will have to wait until I'm in a different financial situation!

So does the Presso not qualify for LMWDP status? It's a fine machine!

Henry

[whodat]

I would also ask that all you presso guys fill our your profiles so we know a bit more about you. That upgrade fever will hit soon and we want you in the LMWDP.

I was going to ask about the Presso & the LMWDP. Since I have both a La Peppina and a Presso, do I get number 49.5 or something like that?

[srobinson]

You guys know I love all lever lovers. Just make sure you add some interest to the community. Show some pics...fill out a post about yourself on the LMWDP thread and join the fun. I will take an active Presso user over a one post Pavoni owner any day.

This is a reminder to everyone. I may be doing some end of the year reviews on our LMWDP list. Low posters may find their low numbers up for grabs.