Since getting my Profitec several months ago I have been pulling shots into a 2oz shot-glass to measure my volume, and then pouring into a demitasse to drink. To fine tune my technique I finally purchased a small digital scale so I could pull directly into the demitasse and measure by weight instead of volume. Immediately I was blown away by the difference/improvement in both taste and texture. The espresso now had a lighter texture without the astringency I had battled before. I'm assuming my shot-glass/decanting approach was destroying the crema and texture of the shot? Would that also affect the taste? For the first time ever I feel like I'm starting to get cafe-level quality in the cup...

While I'm not one to argue with experience, I'm not so sure I can agree. Crema is naturally bitter in my opinion so I naturally stir it or shake the cup to mix it. IT's possible you just like the added bitterness? I'm sure it has more to do with measuring mass instead of volume.

SonVolt wrote:I'm assuming my shot-glass/decanting approach was destroying the crema and texture of the shot? Would that also affect the taste? For the first time ever I feel like I'm starting to get cafe-level quality in the cup...

Short answer is "no." You will lose some crema, but that's about it. Stumptown, Klatch and many other shops use measuring/transfer glasses without any ill effect.

Sorry to disagree with someone as prolific as Marshall, but I contend that removing some or all of the crema significantly alters the cup. Crema is a truly bitter substance. So eliminating all or some of it from a shot of espresso reduces bitterness, making the coffee taste sweeter. Because crema is principally an oil emulsion, which tends to adhere to the mouth, reducing it lightens the perceived body. It follows that a cup with less or no crema would have less complexity. IMHO, this moves the shot more towards a standard cup of coffee and away from 'espresso'...not necessarily a bad thing, it just depends on your taste. I've done it both ways and have written in these pages that I don't pull into a shot glass or shot jug for exactly this reason...I want the crema in the cup. But, hey, that's just me!

Hmmmm, that makes me wonder why my weighed shots feel lighter/fluffier... almost aerated by comparison.

Aerated is mouthfeel, sour is taste...while I agree that that the mouthfeel will be different if you lose the crema the taste should be the same unless you get rid of all the oils in the crema dueing your trnasfer....in the end it does not matter, do what tastes best...

I think Marcel might have hit the answer there. Aeration. When you pour your shot from one container to another if you do it too late or too aggressively you might remove the aeration or micro-bubbles from the espresso making it flat, strong, and not as interesting.

I would suggest that you go back and try pulling some shots by weight into the shot glasses, and then transfer to the demi to taste. This way you know that the only difference is the vessels and the act of decanting. Pulling by weight and by volume can be quite different.

The biggest impact of decanting as I see it would be greater heat loss, mixing of the cream, body, and heart, and some loss of some stuff left behind on the shot glass.

Most of the shots that I've enjoyed the most at my favorite shops in LA have been ground with an EK and transferred from one vessel to another...