Hello Home Baristas,

Firstly a big thank you to the founders, admins, and users for keeping this excellent resource alive and well. I live in Jordan where home espresso brewing is just about completely unheard of and have benefited tremendously from the information on this website. After a few years of using an Ascaso Basic machine I've come to the conclusion that the recipes roasters provide are perhaps most useful to those who own commercial grade machines as opposed to those who use consumer-grade models like mine. At this point I don't ever exceed 14 to 15 grams of coffee and only change the grind (output being 24 to 35 grams after 25 to 30 seconds). I cannot recall a shot that was in the 17 to 22 gram range that was superior to the same thing pulled in the 14 to 15 range - but I do recall the opposite (the latest being Social Coffee's People's Liberation which was quite unsatisfying when brewed according to the roaster's 18 gram recipe). I'm curious to know if others who have used consumer-grade machines for a while have similar or dissimilar experiences, and what people's thoughts are in general about recipes vis-a-vis the gap in consumer and commercial machines.

Thanks,
Qays

Thanks Craig for the detailed reply. I have a 2011 Basic with brass boiler fitted with the ground coffee kit and un-pressurized basket (without those "upgrades" its just an overpriced Saeco Poemia). My experience is exactly as you have stated about dose and more traditional roasts doing better.

It does seem then that a good deal of coffee talk makes assumptions that pretty much doom the novice to a commercial-level upgrade. That is, someone with a consumer grade machine will try to get results based on recommendations intended for more powerful equipment and thus will feel compelled to upgrade when, if he made the right adjustments and persisted the upgrade may not be necessary at all. In places like Jordan where one is faced with up to 120% duty and consumption taxes when importing appliances knowing this can save money as well as time and frustration.

Many friends and acquaintances ask about the possibilities and methods of good espresso in emerging/third-world countries. I've seen that people asking online are often told to just throw in the towel and get a pour-over/Aeropress setup. Yet it seems to me that the current state of technology has brought good espresso well within reach of the casual coffee consumer (though extra effort and money are still required). I am thinking of suggesting to those who ask that (as far as equipment goes):

a. one get a descent grinder (nothing less than an Ascaso I-Mini)
b. then get a machine with an Italian pump (say at least a well constructed Delonghi or Saeco - which can be converted to non-pressurized if needed)
c. then confine oneself to a traditional Italian, ristretto-ish standard, modifying and improvising recipes to conform.

Point "c" above means no more than 16 grams of coffee and not trying to steam more than 4 oz of milk at a time - producing drinks no larger than 6 oz. All work is done by the grinder which is adjusted based on shot appearance, texture in the mouth, and taste as opposed to things like water temperature and extraction time. It does seem that within those parameters (with something like Illy whole bean coffee - if local roasters aren't up to par) one can make good to great coffee (perhaps not exceptional) even with such comparatively modest equipment. It's about good home espresso within one's coffee means.

With those assumptions appropriate roasts and machine specific preparation methods could then be discussed.

How does that sound?

Yep taxes can be brutal. Mind you Delonghi, Francis Francis!, and Elektra have dealers here. There is also commercial beans - Lavazza, Illy, and Bun al-Ameed - a local brand that hits shelves within days of being roasted. So people can at least get a feel for traditional Italian drinks at home with what's on the market here without having to import. AeroPress is not espresso at all as opposed to what a pressurized Delonghi system produces which is, at least by traditional Italian standards.

It's good to know Ascaso is going 58mm standard yet I'm happy with the Basic as it is. Some may disagree with this here but, for me, aiming for good espresso with a scale, grinder, some Illy beans, and a machine from one of brands mentioned above is far better and more satisfying than ditching the enterprise and going pour-over or Aeropress (unless no pump or manual espresso machines are on the market). But that's another topic.

With regard to the "ristretto-ish" comment - I should have been clearer but I meant that to refer to overall volume (not exceeding 30 - 40 ml in the cup) not the ratio which, as you mentioned, can always be played with. So I'm essentially saying that with small single boiler machines I try to keep things "to scale" which means smaller drinks for sake of quality and I don't pretend my Basic is somehow a Slayer or Linea Mini just because the manufacturer says "built with commercial components".

Italian coffee bars are equipped with commercial-grade equipment but they employ volumes of beans and output similar to yours. Following them, I do the same in London with my prosumer Londinium 1. When I follow a brew recipe, I cut down the quantities and retain the brew ratio. I prefer my results to those I usually taste in London's upmarket coffee shops.
Matt

Agreed... Except using my R58

Honestly, I ignore the roasters brew instructions.

I am interested in their perception for the length of time the beans should rest before use. About 1/2 the time the person I talk to on the phone @ the roaster regarding this simple question has no idea what I am talking about.

Trying a new roast involves a fair amount of testing and I start with the standard input/output/time formula and a blind tester (wife). How the espresso tastes with color as a supporting input is what matters.

I have owned a modest number of espresso machines over the years. If I had to pick one machine, I'd go with a lever. I love the Cremina, but would be happy with a small Pavoni. And, even my used Cremina was cheap compared to the ECM. I've seen used Pavonis in the $400 range, which is very economical. Grinders are another story - wow what a difference they make. I am happy with my SJ, but I would not rule out a future upgrade in this category. I keep looking at massive commercial models that come up on Craig's when a shop bites the dust.

Back when I used to make espresso with Miss Silvia (and, drove both ways to work uphill in 3 feet of snow), roasters provided little to no brewing parameters for their customers. Instead, I had Schomer's research, H-B, and CG. Somehow, I still managed to produce better espresso than I could find anywhere in the city from the > $10,000 commercial machines. Most consumers ordered heavily flavored, ginormous lattes or mochas anyway. That gave me the benefit of better beans and better knowledge/skills. I relished the 2:1 advantage I had over them.

Fast forward to today, and I usually start with a roaster's parameters but I also don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Experimentation provides me a lot of enjoyment and interesting discoveries.

And to clarify - I've pulled amazing shots from both the LaPavoni and Cremina. An average shot out of either of them is vastly better than what I've been served at upscale espresso shops that have massively commercial machines. My view is that a cheap machine operated by someone with a science based process will do better espresso than 95% of the shops on planet earth.