Dom -

Really useful information. The Iwatani burner(s) are 2.75 inches across, rated at 12,000 and 15,000 BTU for the two different units. They generate plenty of heat but require fairly small adjustments around "simmer" to create the correct flame. I had hoped when buying the second Iwatani to get a 10,000 BTU stove which is pretty close to your suggestion. However, they had "upgraded" the 10,000 to 12,000.

I have noticed the variation in heat times when the system is running too cold (more than 7 minutes). With the Proctor/Silex I have had times ranging from 7.25 to 8 +. When the heat is in the right (around 6 minutes) range that variation seems to go away.

I have only done the 2 singles (about 1.5 oz) from 2 spouts. I'm going to be interested to try some of the other methods you have suggested. Haven't tried a single yet either - so there is lots of playing left to do.

I've come acros a weakness in the detail of the Bacchi. There's a little plastic disc (number 14 in spare parts diagram) that screws into the base of the brew water chamber (pressure multiplier unit), designed to lower the temperature slightly (the boiler is below it). This has simply detached. There's no visible damage, but after screwing it back in it simply comes back off again in use. Apparently I'm not the first person this has happened to. The lack of it doesn't seem to have had any adverse effect on shot quality, but I'd had so little use of the machine before this plastic disc came off, that I really couldn't be sure although others have also found no difference in practice. I may get a little metal washer to hold it in place.

if this does happen to you I would advise simply leaving the machine alone. If you do want to remove the screw (it's a small Allen head), you should really disassamble the little pressure unit with spring since the although the "piston" is threaded to take this screw, it is also held in place with a lock nut below (NOT illustrated in the diagram) and you could strip the threads if you try and unscrew the screw without first removing the locknut. I was lucky.

I will be playing with double ristrettos blocking one of the little pipes off later today.

Cheers

Mike

PS: I can't contribute to the BTU discussion at the moment since the cooker I am using is almost as old as I am myself. I should have more to offer when I have chosen a new camping stove (I don't think the Bacchi will work with my Trangia). I may opt for petrol or multifuel rather than gas....

coffeedom wrote:Must say this forum is great - being able to discuss this unique machine with other early adopters is both helpful and a real pleasure.

-Dom

Oh yes!
we will say " I was an early adopter " and we'll be proud of it.

My Bacchi works very well , maybe 2 or 3 times for week.
I am testing 10 different coffees from an Italian "coffee house" and my suggestion is to use a 70-30 % Arabica-Robusta. Single origin Arabica will perform better with levers (my lovely Mcal.. )
I had to reduce frequency since I'm testing so many new levers:

Kim : I love that machine, ugly but a semi-pro from '60.
La Pavoni professional 1980 : not so bad , better than Europiccola.
Zerowatt angled lever : ok, it works.. but it's a "female" machine
Zerowatt CA 708 : better than the above , 2 steps under the Caravel
Gaggia Gilda 1955 (the bunny ears...): That's my favorite! I'll replace piston gaskets, anyhow with the old ones I obtain a great espresso!!!

Regards from Italy

Lucio (Lvx)

Found an electric hot plate that has the right range of heat to get the Bacchi to 6 minutes with ease. A little higher than the "e" in Med on the heat control works in our environment here - but it might be different at different altitudes. The Broil King PR-S1 is described here http://www.broilking.com/single_ranges.html and is available from several online vendors for around $50+. Works good and has just enough more "heft" than the Proctor/Silex to get the job done.

I continue to be fascinated with the role the heat source plays with the Bacchi. The Broil King hot plate referenced previously has plenty of range to get the Bacchi to its 6 minute brew point. However, it is not as consistent as I would like for a given setting. Turning the dial to the "E" on the MED setting, for example, gives a six minute cycle one time and a five minute cycle (too short) the next.

All in all I like the gas heat source the best - particularly the Iwatani. You have to use a little care to get the flame adjusted correctly. However, if the Bacchi starts to "hiss" a little too early (say at three or three and a half minutes) it is easy to adjust the flame back immediately to slow things down.

It is interesting to me that for a given brew time (say 6 minutes) the gas shots are slightly hotter than the electric. The flavor profile is the same, just the temperature is different.

The Bacchi has also made me think about the attention we give to temperature and whether the importance of temperature in espresso varies with brewing methodology. I assume that the Bacchi for a given brew time brings the water to approximately the same brew temperature. Yet it treats a wide variety of coffees with a lot of respect, delivering their unique flavor profile. I am curious as to why temperature seems to make so much more difference on most of my machines then it does on the Bacchi. In this sense it is more like the levers I have used which often brew very good espresso even when the temperature is not optimum by pump standards.

It is interesting to me that with the Bacchi it is possible to buy a very serious espresso machine for a reasonable amount of money. Because of it being a stove top device it is tempting to classify it with the moka pot type of machine. That would be a real mistake. It is every bit the equal of the Caravel in shot quality and "lever-like" in the cup it produces. I find myself using shots from it as the reference for what I can obtain from a given coffee using my other machines.

It is similar to every espresso machine that I have used in requiring a learning curve, but there are fewer variables with which to contend. For me, the learning curve has been shorter than I have experienced with other machines. Packing and distributing the coffee is easier to learn than with most other systems. As with most good machines, the better the grinder, the better the shot. The setup of the machine is simple, with no "gotchas." The main secret to getting a repeatable, quality, shot is having the machine brew ready (as indicated by its "whistle") within a six or six and one half minute window.

The Bacchi has become enough of a staple around the house that most days I use it to brew one or two of the day's shots.

I'm learning how to use the Bacchi too. I'm having good results on the smaller heater of my stove:



It's a great little machine...

Good video Marcio - thanks.

I notice that you are using one spout instead of two. I've developed my technique using both. Do you prefer the single spout.

I think I see that you are using a gas burner. Are you able to keep it at a constant flame to get to the six minute mark or do you adjust as you go?

I've tried both, single and double spout, but I've not compared them yet... But I agree that with double spout the flow seems to be more consistent.

My stove is a Smeg, but recently they've changed from LPG to LNG in my building and I don't have a great heat source as before. Besides that, the small burner full open gives me a nice flame that cover the circle of the base and I got the whistle around 6:30-7:00.

On the video you can see a K-type TC placed near the extraction chamber, I think it could give some clue about the water temperature, I'll try more measures before I post any data.

Márcio.

"How I originally screwed up on the Bacchi and then learned to make real espresso!!" or.. the advantages of late adoption!

I find the Bacchi is really no more hassle than a moka pot and it does a really great espresso. It is a really good machine for camping or traveling; and pair it with a battery frother and you are "away from home, free."

My first try found me to have left the operating valve open a bit and of course, that saturated the puck and left no pressure for actual brewing. I did get a cold wimpy trickle of light brown liquid.

My second try was the opposite, I ground too much coffee ~ 17grams and it really choked the machine so all I had was a ristretto of about ½oz of liquid in the cup. And... I found that a choked machine, is a choked machine, is a choked machine! Instead of painting the kitchen with grounds, it only allowed the water container to fully empty onto the counter when I reduced pressure on the group by releasing the top handle screw.

The third try was the winnah! I ground by weight to 14gr and let the machine go until the whistle sounded. I received a great double that was drinkable and enjoyable. It was the same grind setting that I had used for the Cremina earlier in the day.

So I have been playing with the grind and dose but anything within a gram or two and a center line of particle size becomes a good drink. When you hit the spot for your roast and grind grind, you will have great, consistent shots. Attention!: Good, quality, fresh coffee roasts are essential!!!

The forum comments of the early adopters have started to make sense to me and their trial and errors at the beginning have made my life a lot easier.

As far as cleanup, disassemble the machine and use a butterknife or some unsharp edged item to "gently" pry the basket from the screen; more to break it loose than to get it off. After it is loose, it is possible to twist it off with a dish rag or by hand if it has cooled enough . If it is still hot the same plastic picnic knife is great for getting the grounds from the basket. Then, it is quite simple to rinse all the parts in water. And let them dry. No more difficult to use or clean than a moka pot but the results are wonderful.

The machine would not take up much room in a camper or camping kitchen and if paired with a battery milk frother like the inexpensive Ikea Prudukt you have a winning combination.

As a special purpose machine it has quality of build and effective operation.
~Richard