Ciao,

I've been lurking about this excellent website for the past few weeks. I discovered it shortly after ordering our lovely new Expobar Office Lever and Mazzer Mini. I tried to get her best side.



This machine is an upgrade from our delightful Gaggia Syncrony Compact that we have had for the past three years. Yes, the gaggia is a super-automatic, but she has served us well and we have been very pleased.

I'm pulling pretty decent shots ( definitely way better than the S.A. ) due in large part to all the great tips, videos and information I have found on this site
"GRAZIE TUTTI."
If I had read this site prior to the purchase of an HX machine I probably would have had second thoughts. However, the water dance was easy to learn and no big deal. It's so easy ( and tasty ) to foam milk that I now have a serious cappuccino habit. Which leads to our problem.

With the S.A. we could drink shots and cafe crema's all morning without issue. However, the doubles we are pulling from the expobar are much richer, much tastier and packed with caffeine. I have never been as overcaffeinated as 1st morning with expobar and four double cappa's. While I really enjoy the quality, we also enjoy leisurely mornings with multiple caffe's.

So my questions are
Is there a particular blend without quite so much punch?
Can I mix a decaf beans with regular beans so I'm not readjusting the grinder and still get a good shot?

I've been getting my beans from a local roaster here in Aptos and their espresso blend is a mix of Kenyan and Ethiopian beans. It takes me a few sink shots before I get the grind dialed.

As a parting shot.



I think the Expobar is molto bella.

Thanks

Rob-

Welcome to HB!

Your pictures look great... and thanks for saying that it's not all that hard to water dance, most people don't get that.

While not answering your questions, you could try pulling singles.... half the caffeine or twice the practice, you decide !

I suppose you could try a half-caf approach and make your own blend. No reason not to give it a go. My own experience with straight decaf beans (Swiss water process) wasn't too good, so I just gave up the decaf!

I just got an Expobar Office Lever as well, and I agree -- the water dance is a cake walk! Re caffeine, we've been drinking decaf bacause my wife is nursing our infant son. I can't bring myself to drink decaf drip, but the decaf espresso we've been drinking the last couple of days is pretty good. We bought the beans from Caffe Luxxe here in Santa Monica, but I hear they are Vivace beans. Maybe give them a try.

Best of luck.

I have tried pulling around a dozen singles so far and unfortunately my barista skills with the single basket are lacking. All of the singles have been really harsh or strong. I have tried down dosing the singles to try and mellow them, but the desired results have eluded me. At 6 grams in the single basket, WDT and best attempt at leveling I can't get a good tamp due to the shape of the basket. I have done a bit better at 8 or 9 grams, but still too strong.
So at least for the moment, the double basket is much more forgiving and is my go-to guy for a good shot.

We had some Trader Joes Decaf in the pantry which was acceptable, but I know I can do better. I just would like to keep consistent with my grind setting and not be switching coffees half way through the morning.

There's no such thing as a low caffeine coffee (at least for now, there may be some GMO decafs soon); so you'll need to go half caf.

Dry processed coffees are not well served by decaffeination, the traces of ferment they have is turned into a disconcerting smell like dried lima beans being boiled; every time I drink one of these, I think "not that sort of bean!". So oddly enough, I'd recommend you use a caffeinated dry process beans from Brasil, Ethiopia and Yemen. For the decafs, pick bright and clean origins, since the decaffeination takes a lot of the sparkle out of the beans anyway, and you want to avoid any processing flaws that can get amplified -- try African and Central American lots.

Beach_dog wrote:...

We had some Trader Joes Decaf in the pantry which was acceptable, but I know I can do better. I just would like to keep consistent with my grind setting and not be switching coffees half way through the morning.

IMO many people don't take the time and effort to get the best out of decafs and blame the beans rather than the barista. If you want to get enjoyable output you will have to face the grinder dance. (Just get yourself an extra collar pin so you can quickly steer the mini collar to any grind setting you need.)

Some differences I've observed. Decaf beans are best from 1 to 5 days after roasting. Yes, less resting time needed but less shelf life too. They need a finer grind to start, 2 to 4 bumps on the Mini, and need even finer grinding as they age. And if you're dosing by volume you'll need more than the regular dose. Weight is a better way to gauge the amount needed.

YMMV.

Thanks for suggestions Jim, Half-caf it is.
I'm gonna try and get some beans from the regions you suggest, although the dry process beans seem less widely available.
I had to do a bit of research to find out what dry process coffee is. ( my noobness shining thru ) Next time I stop by my local roaster I will find out what he has to offer and if thats too limited I'll check online.

And Michael, your right that I probably did not put as much effort into trying to get a better cup out of the decaf I have. I'll try some further adjusting of the grind with your recommendations. I know that if I want to consume the quantities of coffee I like, I'll probably be grinding quite a bit of decaf.

Thanks

Beach_dog wrote:I had to do a bit of research to find out what dry process coffee is. ( my noobness shining thru )

For your edification

The Miracle of the Bean