Marshall wrote:(emphasis on "dosing") does not refer to preparing a single shot or double shot of espresso. It means weighing out exactly enough coffee for whatever dose you want and then running it all through the grinder. This requires leaving the hopper (if you haven't already put it away somewhere) empty between shots, and only filling it with the exact dose for each shot. Is this a PITA? Yes, it is, if you have a timed machine that is reasonably consistent.

Aha - much obliged sir, now that makes sense what you say about the dosing part! However, what is the school of thought in letting these uber Titan grinders do what they're designed to do, grind & then disperse the calculated amount (as per your settings +/- 8g for single espresso and +/- 16g for double?

Marshall wrote: That being said, a well-known barista trainer I know and respect told me the K30 is an excellent machine for single dosing, and that he highly recommended it for that. Just reset the timer to "barista mode," and it will continue to grind until it is empty. He assured me it was the way to get the most consistent shots. I believe him, but I am too impatient to do it myself!

This is very interesting to me. This is how I currently use my Vario, pre-weighing each dose and manually running each dose through until finished. I have typically been very satisfied with this method (even if it is more inefficient) as I have typically become comfortable with the amount of retention when using this method. Did the person that shared this with you provide any context as to when they are using this method or any further information?

Well, there is no real reason to keep his name a secret. It was Lorenzo Perkins of Cuvee Coffee. I assumed he was talking mainly about home baristas, since saving time is critical in a busy shop.

No_cureEspresso wrote:What is the school of thought in letting these uber Titan grinders do what they're designed to do, grind & then disperse the calculated amount (as per your settings +/- 8g for single espresso and +/- 16g for double?

Two rationale. Eliminating (or reducing) retention; accuracy in dosing.

Controlling retention in "uber Titan" big conics is important. But it's a lot less important with many of the big flats, expressly including the K30, which has very little retention.

Coffee is cooking. Dosing accuracy is like precise measurement in cooking; that is, its importance is often exaggerated. It depends on basket and machine, but you can usually get away with dosing +/- 1g.

Not that I'm a model, but by way of example only, I use an E92, which is a big, on demand conic; using it as it's intended to be used -- hopper on, and dosing with the timer. I deal with retention by "flushing" the stale grinds in the morning by running it and purging ~14g before grinding my first shot. I used very finicky Strada "17g" baskets which were great in every way, except they didn't work well if the dose wasn't between 17.5 and 19g. When the Stradas started to wear, I switched to IMS baskets which have a far more forgiving, 4g range of 17 - 21g.

Rich

Marshall, where did you meet Lorenzo? I drink coffee in his shop. Said high to him last week.

Lorenzo Perkins is very active in the Barista Guild and other SCAA activities, so I see him fairly often.

He is legit! Love Cuvee!

boar_d_laze wrote:Two rationale. Eliminating (or reducing) retention; accuracy in dosing.

Controlling retention in "uber Titan" big conics is important. But it's a lot less important with many of the big flats, expressly including the K30, which has very little retention.

Coffee is cooking. Dosing accuracy is like precise measurement in cooking; that is, its importance is often exaggerated. It depends on basket and machine, but you can usually get away with dosing +/- 1g.

Not that I'm a model, but by way of example only, I use an E92, which is a big, on demand conic; using it as it's intended to be used -- hopper on, and dosing with the timer. I deal with retention by "flushing" the stale grinds in the morning by running it and purging ~14g before grinding my first shot. I used very finicky Strada "17g" baskets which were great in every way, except they didn't work well if the dose wasn't between 17.5 and 19g. When the Stradas started to wear, I switched to IMS baskets which have a far more forgiving, 4g range of 17 - 21g.

Rich

Thanks Rich

rnshaw wrote:He is legit! Love Cuvee!

I have been looking into the classes they have there. I am in a funk and having a hard time dialing in my shots.

I am still have difficulty with dose fluctuations. There is a direct correlation between hopper mass and dose. I may have to revert to single dosing in barista mode.