Surprised At The Variation In Espresso Pulls

[woodchuck]

This is my first post on HB. I have been surfing here for a few weeks now getting a better "taste" for the espresso world. Wow there is a lot to learn. I had a chance to hook up with the guys at their weekly rendez-vous at the CCC espresso lab last Friday. Boy how cool was that. Anyways I had a chance to pull some shots from a new batch of coffee that Dan had talked about in an earlier post. I learned alot from the discussions that went on but one of my real takeaways from the morning was the variations in everyones espresso techniques and resultant pours. I had a chance to try a few from other people and also to watch the timings and character of the pours. What a big difference across the board. I'm guessing that everyone develops a technique that works best for them on their own setup. Changing machines and grinders makes a big difference to what they get. I guess that is why a great espresso is such an illusive thing.

[paisley]

Hi:

You are fortunate to have such an opportunity! I would give anything to spend a day with a few baristas learning first hand how to pull shots and form froth no matter the machine. (grin)

Like you, I have spent weeks lurking about but I have had many answers to various questions from this board/forum. The group here are a great bunch of people. It's refreshing to be so new to the world of espresso making and find people so enthusiastic about assisting others, particularly those new to the world.

Enjoy your espresso nirvana.

Warmest regards,
Paisley

[woodchuck]

Paisley, thanks for the warm welcome. I feel a bit like a kid in a candy store these days. There is just a tremendous wealth of knowledge on the web about espresso. The more I find out the more I get hooked. I have to say though that HB has been about the best resource I've found so far.

Cheers

Ian