So it has been quite a while since my last post about my new Ponte Vecchio and I wanted to open a thread where I could document my experience so far and ask a few questions. I'll start with a link to the photo I posted in the espresso setup images thread.

The coffee has been quite good so far. I've been aiming for about 15g in the double basket for two pulls. Shots have been ranging from "well, this could be better" to "mmm, that's good." I've had Counter Culture Toscano and now some Paradise Espresso Classico through the machine and I've learned at least one thing: whoever said spring lever shots lack crema or body was doing something differently than I am.

My process:

0. Heat machine, bleed false pressure, fill thermosyphon with a flush into my demitasse.
1. Weigh beans, dump into grinder
2. Grind into a black plastic cup.
3. Stir grinds from plastic cup into basket, tapping the basket on the table each time I get near the top.
4. Tamp... some amount? Firmly but not with too much weight, enough to bring the grinds down several millimeters for the headspace suggested by members of this forum.
5. Place basket in PF
6. Pull down, a quick lift, and hold for a 5 second preinfusion.
7. Release the lever and lower it when it reaches the top.
8. Drink the espresso!
9. Clean up

I'll try to post more pictures (of a shot, etc.) a bit later, but my first question is: if my first pull is thicker and darker, and my second pull is much faster and looks as though I skipped 10-15 seconds of what would have been the equivalent pump extraction, am I doing something wrong or is this what happens when the puck gets disturbed by re-cocking the lever?

(Note: I haven't been keeping track of shot timings because with this machine, things just seem to work! No longer am I held captive by the single boiler Gaggia flush or the fuss of keeping track of all of my variables! Needless to say, the espresso is VERY different from the Gaggia's.)

Thanks in advance for all of the help and I'm looking forward to more and more coffee!

Evening cappuccino attempt:



Sorry about the poor picture quality (and not quite perfect foam). After practicing a number of times with water and a drop of soap*, I got closer to microfoam than I ever had with either the Gaggia Espresso or Achille.

*EDIT: A huge thank you to Scott Rao for this training technique (and the video) and to Abe C. for posting it. I think I tried about 5 or 6 pitchers of water, which translates to quite a bit of wasted milk.

if my first pull is thicker and darker, and my second pull is much faster and looks as though I skipped 10-15 seconds of what would have been the equivalent pump extraction, am I doing something wrong or is this what happens when the puck gets disturbed by re-cocking the lever?

This sounds like the puck is disturbed. The second pull, or preparing for the second pull, need not disturb the puck, at least not to the extent that the timing is thrown off. At any rate, I question the quick lift before the preinfusion.

I am suspicious of "tapping the basket on the table each time I get near the top," as I think this introduces a variable from one preparation to another, and could make for layers of packing, which could be fracture lines, rather than one evenly distributed puck.

As for me, I overfill the basket, cover it with a single basket and toss up (Mr. Brown's distribution technique), level, and lightly tamp. For my normal double, I hold down the lever for 10 seconds, let it rise; set the lever again, and let it rise. Of course, there are many valid methods to getting a great espresso!

Thanks for the reports!

aindfan:

What's the volume of your cappuccino as I'm really thinking hard about getting, as my first 'spresso maker, the PVL just for caps.

tjkoko wrote:What's the volume of your cappuccino as I'm really thinking hard about getting, as my first 'spresso maker, the PVL just for caps.

The one in the picture was in a 6oz Nuova Point cup. I definitely haven't hit the maximum machine's microfoam potential, so expect delicious rosettas in the near future. I'd highly recommend this machine for cappuccinos - its a steaming powerhouse. But don't forget to put good stuff into the basket (garbage in, garbage out).

EDIT: Johnny, thanks for your comments. I'll try your technique tomorrow morning (including the distribution technique and the preinfusion). I'll report back when I can.

aindfan:

Which size frothing pitcher are you using: 12, 20 or 33 ounce?

I'm using a 12oz pitcher. The boiler looks and feels like it could just keep steaming as long as it had water (and to protect the more reckless among us, such as myself, it has a low level sensor to prevent a burned out element).

A quick, middle of the night question: am I damaging my element by getting the machine heated to a tiny bit of pressure, turning it off, and letting the pressure push all of the water out?

Thanks again!

Dunno about the pressure/temperature thing.

On another point, after reading reviews on the pitchers at 1st Line Equipment, those using the smallish 13 oz pitcher switched to the 20 ouncer and achieved total satisfaction as far as frothing is concerned.

I'll try your technique tomorrow morning (including the distribution technique and the preinfusion).

Great—I hope it works for you. You'll probably need to tighten up the grind.

I used to use a Fellini pull to get a little more volume, but I found I like the cup better with just two straight pulls following the preinfusion.

I have used a Fellini preinfusion for a while, and lately not. I suppose if one is not careful it could disturb the puck.

I also tap the basket a couple of times when I dose. I like to do this on a cork trivet. BTW, I always dose into the basket without the PF, on a flat level surface. But of course, this is most convenient with a hand grinder and MR PC's cutcorner method.

I always use a second pull with the double basket, and seldom see much evidence of a big change in the pour between pulls. The first pull naturally pours more slowly, just as does the beginning of the pour with a pump machine. Yesterday for example, my two-pull shot went the entire length with only a drop of blond at the very last, over 1 oz.

In my opinion a lesser dose and lighter tamp would be more prone to being disturbed during a second pull. I tend to dose full and tamp firmly. It can be fun to dose right up to the screen and take a third pull. No chance of the puck being disturbed, and with good coffee one can get a shot with little or no blonding. Obviously the grind needs to be slightly coarser. This is a good time to use a Fellini.

Alternatively, a lower dose with one pull can be good - one can get a decent volume this way, because there is more space for water to fill the piston/basket.

Then there is the single basket, which is difficult to master but worth the effort. Smaller volumes require the best coffee and technique, but when they're on they can be great.

Steaming milk while the shot is pouring is amazingly convenient, and with a little practice its very easy. You won't realize how great this is until you try going back to a single boiler after a while on the PV.

I measured the NP cappa cup the other day, and I think it was only 5 oz. to the rim. Anyway, a two-pull PV shot in that cup defines milk-based espresso for me.

I can hardly imagine an espresso maker that is easier to use, or that makes better espresso, than the PV.

Keep us updated!

PC