ladalet wrote:Cremini with a 14 gram basket

espressoperson wrote:Right now I'm using 15 g of coffee in the basket

Has either of you had the opportunity to compare the Cremina's double basket to that of an Elektra or an older (49 mm) Pavoni? I.e. how does it compare in terms of its depth / volume? Is it capable of holding more coffee than the old Pavoni? Is it as deep as the Elektra's double basket?

Br,
Teme

Just thought I would write an update on "Using the Olympia Cremina" as it is a work in progress. I am still learning.

I have left the machine on for over 5 hours and still pulled an excellent shot with no sign of overheating. I will go for 8 hours next.

The "quick lift" shot pulling technique that Michael recommended continues to yield fantastic results. Ocassionally I get channeling or a cracked puck, but I think that is due to improper distribution of grounds. My portafilter holds 14 grams and I usually overdose to 15 or 16 grams. 15 grams seem to be the sweet spot however. When a pull hits the sweet spot, between massive persistent crema with mild flavor and thin dark reddish marbled caramely creama with rich bitter-sweet flavor, my shots are a rich, strong, sweet syrupy nectar that lingers on the palate for 30-40 min making my long for yet another double ristretto.

An interesting phenomenon I have encountered a number if times using the "quick lift" technique for the second pull is increased resistance on the second pull. These shots usually yield a full 2oz double with no blonding at all througout the full 2 pulls.

ladalet wrote:Just thought I would write an update on "Using the Olympia Cremina" as it is a work in progress. I am still learning.

I have left the machine on for over 5 hours and still pulled an excellent shot with no sign of overheating. I will go for 8 hours next.

I don't get the point of this. It takes from 8-10 minutes to heat fully, followed by a flush to get ready for a shot. Why leave it on all the time with the potential for shorter life of machine gaskets, piston, and lubrication? I used to keep my Cremina on for long periods of time but don't do it any more. I even turn it off between my morning shots (7 AM) and coffeebreak (10 AM). I top it up each time so the boiler is always at the same level, which can't hurt consistency.

The "quick lift" shot pulling technique that Michael recommended continues to yield fantastic results. Ocassionally I get channeling or a cracked puck, but I think that is due to improper distribution of grounds. My portafilter holds 14 grams and I usually overdose to 15 or 16 grams. 15 grams seem to be the sweet spot however. When a pull hits the sweet spot, between massive persistent crema with mild flavor and thin dark reddish marbled caramely creama with rich bitter-sweet flavor, my shots are a rich, strong, sweet syrupy nectar that lingers on the palate for 30-40 min making my long for yet another double ristretto.

Yes!

An interesting phenomenon I have encountered a number if times using the "quick lift" technique for the second pull is increased resistance on the second pull. These shots usually yield a full 2oz double with no blonding at all througout the full 2 pulls.

Yes! There is an initial resistance that can be pushed through to a second smooth pull. I don't know what causes it. Pressure? Amount of water in the grouphead? Amount of water above the portafilter?

No matter what, I watch the second pull flow carefully and often pull the cup away before the pull is completed and continue to pull into the drip tray. That is the only liquid I allow in the drip tray. I catch the water from the flushes in a measuring cup that I keep within reach of the machine. Its also good for using to catch the bleeding from the steam wand from shooting all around. After cleaning and drying the drip tray I fold a paper towel in the bottom. I change it every few days. If I put it in when the drip tray is totally dry in the beginning, so it is not stuck to the tray bottom, the drips don't stick to the metal and there is no scrubbing needed to clean the drip tray. Just a quick rinse iunder the faucet.


MichaelB
LMWDP # 24

Olympia Cremina 67
Mazzer Mini
3 month old Puli puppy dangerously stationed underfoot

Michael,

Your question about a statement in my previous post

espressoperson wrote:

ladalet wrote:I have left the machine on for over 5 hours and still pulled an excellent shot with no sign of overheating. I will go for 8 hours next.

I don't get the point of this. It takes from 8-10 minutes to heat fully, followed by a flush to get ready for a shot. Why leave it on all the time with the potential for shorter life of machine gaskets, piston, and lubrication? I used to keep my Cremina on for long periods of time but don't do it any more. I even turn it off between my morning shots (7 AM) and coffeebreak (10 AM). I top it up each time so the boiler is always at the same level, which can't hurt consistency.

was a response to a question by Luca.

luca wrote:I tend to turn my Silvia on in the morning and leave it on all day if I'm at home, so that I can pull shots whenever I want. Is it possible to do this with the cremina?

I do not usually leave my machine on after I am done using it. It is just an experiment to see how long I can leave the machine on during the day without it getting hot enough to overheat and ruin a shot. Eight hours will be the end of the experiment. As you said, it does create unnecessary wear and tear on the machine.

Lance, have you run a probe on yours to check the temp? I think Dan and I will try this when I get my machine finally built to see if you can really control the temp over an extended period like you say. I just don't see anything in the box of parts that I have that would inherently prevent this. Teme, the portafilter is larger than the Pavoni and I believe the same size as the Elektra. I should have my basket coming back this week from Les, who is using it to do a custom tamper for me. I can give you a direct comparison then.

srobinson wrote:Lance, have you run a probe on yours to check the temp? I think Dan and I will try this when I get my machine finally built to see if you can really control the temp over an extended period like you say. I just don't see anything in the box of parts that I have that would inherently prevent this.

Probably the most useful temp data would be before, during, and after pulling successive shots, perhaps with and without steaming in between. I'd love to see some graphs of that. Hope you can do it.



MichaelB
LMWDP #24

Olympia Cremina
Mazzer Mini
100% Thor Fittings (No plastic!)
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I think the key will be if you can stabilize the temp of the grouphead. On all these levers, it acts like a heat sink thus pulling temp from that boiler. The boiler can be stabilized, but there is nothing to cool the group head. We'll run a few tests in a couple weeks.

I have updated the (above) technique descriptions for using the Cremina. I have fine tuned it, added a little, and eliminated my original shot pulling technique in favor of the one suggested by Michael. I have added to the dosing section. By improving my dosing skill I have found near 100% success with this technique as well as near perfect consistency between shots. I have also added to the grind section as to how to compensate for bean freshness on this machine. I hope this helps those new to this machine. The real learning curve with this machine is not in pulling a good shot, but rather consistently pulling a good shot. That is what my updates to this section has sought to do. Since, I am still on my learning curve I would appreciate any advice or suggestions by more experienced users of the cremina. I would really like to make this thread as useful as possible for anyone using the Cremina. Thank for viewing my thread.

Best wishes,
Lance

ladalet wrote:I have updated the (above) technique descriptions for using the Cremina. I have fine tuned it, added a little, and eliminated my original shot pulling technique in favor of the one suggested by Michael. I have added to the dosing section. By improving my dosing skill I have found near 100% success with this technique as well as near perfect consistency between shots. I have also added to the grind section as to how to compensate for bean freshness on this machine. I hope this helps those new to this machine. The real learning curve with this machine is not in pulling a good shot, but rather consistently pulling a good shot. That is what my updates to this section has sought to do. Since, I am still on my learning curve I would appreciate any advice or suggestions by more experienced users of the cremina. I would really like to make this thread as useful as possible for anyone using the Cremina. Thank for viewing my thread.

Best wishes,
Lance

Hey Lance,

Just a suggestion here. IMO it is better to leave your past posts as is and move forward with your new found wisdom in new posts. That way people can learn from your journey as well as from your current POV. Which could change again as you learn more! Anyway, however you choose to write about it, keep writing.