Proper Size of a Double Espresso - Page 2

[jamiedolan]

("The Complexity of Coffee", Scientific American, 2002)

Are we really in disagreement here? Playing devil's advocate is all fine and good, but remember that the OP is pulling 2.5oz liquid plus 0.5oz crema from 15g of freshly roasted coffee grinds. Experimenting with smaller volumes (at least for "standard" double espressos) seems like sound advice.

Oh yes, and since this post started, I having been pulling shots with a total volume of 2 ounces, maybe just a smidge more, vs the previous shots that were getting close to 3 at times with crema.

I am much happier with the lower volume shots. A bit of a harder tamp and I am getting the same extraction times for much less finished volume.
Jamie

[Marshall]

If it tastes good it is good.
End of story.

It's only the beginning of the story. This argument is older than the Rocky Mountains, and little useful purpose is served by taking absolutist positions on either side.

Chris, your beloved John Ruskin spent a lifetime telling other people what was "good art" and "bad art." He would have a coronary (if he were still alive), if he thought people were citing him in praise of uneducated taste. We experience, we learn, we come to enjoy things we did not previously appreciate.

"I like it. It must be good." is a dead end as far as personal development goes. Personally, I appreciate everyone who showed me better alternatives. I hope to continue learning and developing until I sip my last shot.

[Psyd]

While I have invoked some of Ruskin's precepts on this forum, this wasn't really one of those times. My point was that a thing has a name, and to call another thing by that thing's name because the first thing is good, and that you want to apply the quality of 'good' to the second thing because it appeals to your tastes is pretty flawed logic and only served to confuse.
If we are to ascribe 'taste' as the only measure, then to have any kind of system that isn't chaotic, we must establish what 'good' means in the context of taste. Which leads to the inevitable conclusion, that some people will like things that don't officially taste good, and some other people won't like things, regardless of how good they taste.
I think the present method of distinguishing a thing from another thing by using different names for different things really has worked for nigh-on ten thousand years, and deciding that 'good'* is a personal thing, and non-transferable, since (some religious intervention notwithstanding) that has always been the case.


*Ruskin never suggested that there was bad art, based on personal tastes, but that it was bad in that it didn't achieve the goals that art was supposed to. As Clark, writing about Ruskin, put it, "...art is not a matter of taste."

[Marshall]

While I have invoked some of Ruskin's precepts on this forum, this wasn't really one of those times.

Hmmm. You're not the only "Chris" posting in this thread. The other Chris ("malachi") quotes Ruskin in his tagline.

[Psyd]

GMTA. My bad, sorry! With the plethora of Chrisses (izzat how you pluralize Chris?) it may do well to number them. I dibs 'Chris One'!

Having the same issue on a film set has led to the credit 'Chris "Chris" Babbie' on more'n a few feature films! ; >

[kahvedelisi]

If it tastes good it is good.
End of story.

"to end or not to end" that's another story

In any case, I would love to see a professional barista, serving 3-4oz "good tasting" double espresso in cafe enviroment (or in a barista competition with no tech judges ?????).... Lucky for me, compared to fellow americans I have higher chances in finding one since almost all turkish baristas serve 3-4oz amount "in cappa cups" when you order double espresso. I'm yet to find a good tasting one though

PS1. I suggest merging "consistent god shots" thread and this one into 1 thread and changing the title to "Lesspresso and Masspresso"
PS2. "consistent good tasting proper double espresso shots" title will also do