Watery looking pours, espresso machine personality?

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Oddaball
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#1: Post by Oddaball »

Hey, ive seen alot of videos of the machine im thinking to buy(rocket r58 v2) and noticed in all the videos ive seen the pouring looks so watery. Does different machines have different pourings, like some have watery and some have more caramel/honey/syrup like pour. Is it a indicator of quality of the machines? or just different machines have different personalities, or is it just random that every video ive seen of the r58 are from bad baristas.

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Alan762
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#2: Post by Alan762 »

My guess is poor Barista skills. Not the machine.
It never gets easier, you just go faster. "Greg LeMond"

Nunas
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#3: Post by Nunas »

I can't say that I've ever noticed watery pours in videos. In any case, as they say, It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools :twisted: . That said, the type of bean, how it was roasted and the grind/dose all affect the pour more than the machine, IMHO.

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HB
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#4: Post by HB »

The Rocket R58 is one of dozens of espresso machines based on the E61 group. While I've not evaluated any Rockets, I've reviewed at least 10 different models of the E61 from different manufacturers and without fail, they all deliver solid results. If you're seeing watery pours from an E61, it's not the espresso machine, it's because the barista doesn't know how to use it properly. More than likely, they're using stale coffee or not dialing in the grinder correctly.
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Charlene
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#5: Post by Charlene »

HB wrote: If you're seeing watery pours from an E61, it's not the espresso machine, it's because the barista doesn't know how to use it properly. More than likely, they're using stale coffee or not dialing in the grinder correctly.
For Sure.

One of the interesting things (to me) I've discovered is watching the non-linear rate of extraction (by weight) vs linear time (in seconds) using the Lunar scale. I almost want analog dials side by side to observe it.

greydarrah
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#6: Post by greydarrah »

Thin or watery pours are most likely the result of poor grinding or stale/cheap coffee. A decent, fresh bean, ground well is going to produce a thick carmelly espresso. This assumes the temp in the machine is set in the 200 to 205 degree range. If the beans are reasonably fresh, dull grinder blades or too coarse of a grind are the most likely cause.