timo888 wrote:Much depends on the basket, especially with the single. I had two different single basket shapes, one with a narrower taller \_/ and the other with a broader shallower \__/. The narrow one had a smaller egress (i.e. fewer holes) than the broader one, in addition to allowing for a taller column of coffee. Identical dose and grind would result in very different shot profiles, with the narrower one tending to stall with a dose|grind that would result in a shot only slightly tighter than normale on the broader one.

Interesting. I just acquired an Elektra single from Doug, and am pulling wonderful .75oz shots. Great clarity.
Just a 4 second hold at the top. Smooth, easy pull. Same with my Elektra double. It's my Cremina double that is problematic, though when I get it right, I prefer the shots from the Cremina double to the Elektra's. Hole pattern, and less deep.
I'm going to try slightly finer, but a very light (maybe 5#'s) tamp.
I appreciate all the comments, even Doug's.
BTW, for the sake of harmony and fellowship, I'll also agree with Timo.

In my experience with the Cremina, anything more than finger pressure when tamping constitutes "a tamp". Huge difference between finger pressure only (e.g. ~1 pound) and 5 pounds, but only minor difference between 5 pound and 20 pounds, ceteris paribus.

Depending on pstat setting, a partial lever press may be required to preinfuse. The lower the boiler pressure, the more likely a Fellini will be necessary. N.B. If you don't preinfuse, or only partially preinfuse, so the coffee still has much swelling yet to do, you can find the extraction stalling mid pull, as the coffee will continue to swell markedly during the extraction. So, what is called for with mid-pull stalling is not necessarily a much coarser grind but a more thorough preinfusion and only a slight coarsening of the grind. Partial preinfusion introduces complexity. Full preinfusion keeps things simple.

timo888 wrote:
Depending on pstat setting, a partial lever press may be required to preinfuse. The lower the boiler pressure, the more likely a Fellini will be necessary. N.B. If you don't preinfuse, or only partially preinfuse, so the coffee still has much swelling yet to do, you can find the extraction stalling mid pull, as the coffee will continue to swell markedly during the extraction. So, what is called for with mid-pull stalling is not necessarily a much coarser grind but a more thorough preinfusion and only a slight coarsening of the grind. Partial preinfusion introduces complexity. Full preinfusion keeps things simple.

The puck swelling thing makes sense to me. As my borrowed Vario is very easy to adjust, I will drop it only a couple clicks, keep the tamp very light, and do the 1/4 pull till I see a couple of drops, re-raise the lever and see what transpires.
Of course, taste is always what I/we aim for, and hopefully I'll get as good as I'm already getting, just perhaps with a bit less effort.
My blend is very fruity this week, so I've have a good barometer to compare techniques.

Great post Timo. It should be included in every lever machine sold, begged or borrowed and is in my opinion BRILLIANT advice for Caravel owners, too....

michaelbenis wrote:Great post Timo. It should be included in every lever machine sold, begged or borrowed and is in my opinion BRILLIANT advice for Caravel owners, too....

What are you, his agent?
Brilliant is Hawking, The Beatles, and the WDT.

What are you, his agent?
Brilliant is Hawking, The Beatles, and the WDT.

Your hat's on backwards.

Bluecold wrote:They are specifically designed for the semi-intelligent people.

May i apply??
-Richard