I've been reviewing a few articles and Tips & Techniques.
So far, I have yet find the right topic on showing how to make a quality espresso using low end espresso machine. [I use SJ grinder but match with Starbucks Barista (Saeco Aroma)]

Karl Brown -Newbie or Not Newbie: That is the Question is a enjoyable article like reading a non-fiction novel. I understood the importance of using fresh beans and how its taste varies over time.
Thus, I found my local roaster[Jones Coffee Roasters] and sampled their beans.
RESULT: I finally understood what does it mean to taste a full body and sweet honey favor on the first cup.

I then follow Cannonfodder's posting on Dialing in a new espresso machine, a step by step guide. I appreciate the time he told to make the short video and help a newbie like me to understand the process of elimination in order to fine tune his good extraction/machine.

However, here is were I begin to have trouble. I brought home the same beans that I sampled from the roasters and placed it on the similar type of grinder but failed to reproduce the same level of body/texture on my espresso machine.

I tried several level of grinds and tamp with the same consistency. I even tried to time the closest temperature range to match the prosumer machine at the roasters' place. [ I dont have fancy gadget but I followed the instructions of Seeking low tech way to measure brew temperature referred by Dan- btw, which was in the range of 198-200*.]

Of course, I met with alot of limitations. I don't know how I can preinfusion on my machine or if so needed based on articles I have read about vibe pump. [Note: Barista does not have 3-ways solenoid]. I only have a small boiler [approx 6oz-if my research is correct] which something I noticed the light goes off during the extraction. I also not sure if my shot is channeling and resulted a poor texture and body. [usually my puck is more wet than dry-b/c I dont have 3-way solenoid]

So, I would like to know if there are any HBers' out there that still using low-end espresso machine to get their espresso? Is there someone like Cannonfodder who is willing to post a sequential steps/videos on how to get the best espresso out of simple machine-Single boiler?

My current setup is a Rattlewear 53mm tamper, a NPP with two spouts, RO filtered water, a digital thermometer, and mazzer SJ with Barista.
My problem: The extraction time with a double basket runs around 20-25secs. I feel the coffee comes out very liquidy and the initial drips appear to be light and not dense or oily layer. Although my crema is there but its taste water down. There was no body compare to what I have tried at the roaster place [granted the beans are the same and was in use around the same time(by the next day).] Also the temperature of my espresso seems lower [less hot] than the one I tried at the roasters.

Thank you for reading and appreciate the help.
PS- I hope I have shown I've done some homework before asking.

Try my website: Espresso! My Espresso and look at the "How To" #12 in the right-hand column EASY GUIDE TO BETTER ESPRESSO AT HOME.

Be aware that there is a lot more to a machine than temperature. The best judge to the best espresso your machine can make is your palate. And unless you are using the same equipment as the shop (or very similar) you won't be able to duplicate the taste they create. For example, When I upgraded my grinder I had to change my blend because the new grinder was bringing out a flavor profile from the same beans I had been using that I did not care for. That shop may have a special tweaked blend and roast that works great for them, but maybe not as well for you.

And while that espresso machine may never be capable of reproducing that taste for which you search (at least not on a regular basis *1), it sounds like you may need to grind a bit finer. Try some 30 second extractions... Maybe even 35. The only rule about the extraction time is that if you fixate on a set length of extraction then you may be precluding something that will work better.


*1 the nature of that machine, and all machines of that class (small, single boiler, button thermostats, etc.) makes it very difficult to get it to do the same thing shot after shot. The problem will be when you finally get a really good pull, and from then on you will wonder how you did it and why you can't duplicate it. It will drive you mad I tell you... MAD!

I agree with Randy here...

Try pulling shots more in the Ristretto range. FWIW, Im not generally pulling 2oz, in 25 seconds. There have, of course, been coffee's which performed well in that range.. But Im generally pulling a little tighter.. Say, 1.5-1.7oz, in ~30 seconds. The "Golden Rule" of 14grams of coffee, 2oz of liquid, in 25 seconds.. Might pull a phenomenal shot, of ONE COFFEE.. But many other coffees aren't going to taste great like that. If you don't own one already, I suggest getting a 0.1gram Scale, so you can accurately play around with different doses of coffee. IDK how much coffee the Barista's basket can hold.. But Id assume you can get at least 16grams in there. Dont be afraid to go up to 18gr, even 20gr.. as long as it fits. Pull shots at different times, for different amounts. A ristretto won't ALWAYS give you more body.. but a Ristretto, but nature, is a thicker shot.

So, what I mean by Ristretto, is grind a bit finer, so the shot takes longer to extract. Heck.. Pull using the same amount of coffee, and pull 1oz in 40 seconds. You can also try using more coffee in the basket, AND extracting less volume in more time.
-Check out This Article on Extraction Ratios for a very good read.


You also might do some research on Temperature Surfing. IDK if there is much to found that relates directly to the Barista.. But, temp surfing is temp surfing.. Regardless of the machine, you're still doing the same thing, to accomplish the same result.

I'd recommend going for smaller volumes, ristrettos are a great way to do this and have the benefit of having a fuller body, but aren't the only way. Just cutting a shot short before it goes haywire will often give you a few sips of very nice espresso.

I think it's just so hard to nail down all of the variables on a cheap machine that trying to get the machine to stay consistent through the whole pull is just asking too much sometimes. But in a typical 2oz shot, there's usually 1oz of good espresso, you just have to keep the other 1oz from ruining it. Depending on the blend I've cut a shot early, late, pulled it super tight or any combination of the three to get the best I could out of the beans with my budget equipment.

It usually doesn't work the other way around, adding more volume might make a shot less objectionable, but that's just because it gets watered down and diluted. I'd rather have a little bit of good espresso than a larger 'acceptable' shot. Plus, you can always just pull another shot.

SimonSoCal wrote:However, here is were I begin to have trouble. I brought home the same beans that I sampled from the roasters and placed it on the similar type of grinder but failed to reproduce the same level of body/texture on my espresso machine.

My current setup is a Rattlewear 53mm tamper, a NPP with two spouts, RO filtered water, a digital thermometer, and mazzer SJ with Barista.

PS- I hope I have shown I've done some homework before asking.

As i added emphasis above you have to have good water to get good coffee. RO water has the mineral content stripped away. Without some of those minerals the water can not extract all the goodness from your coffee bed. Therefore you can dose, grind, stand on your head and still not get the body you are searching for.

Try a little experiment, go get a couple of gallon bottles of plain old spring water. Fill your tank and then flush the RO water from the boiler with the pump. (Do not run the vibe pump for more than 30 sec on then let it rest for a couple of minutes to make sure you do not overheat the pump). Once you have flushed the RO water go ahead and try your shots again. You should notice a nice difference in your cup.

If you are wanting to know more about this search around here for Jim's Insanely Long Water FAQ. That will give you a couple hours of heavy reading

-Cecil

Thank you for all the great feedback.
I will try to research the water this wkend.
I already plan to get a scale. 0.1g but, I'm not sure do I want the 0.1g increment or the fraction 1/3 scale. [B/c I thought I read that there is a difference b/w the two???]

Btw, I tried to grind it finer on my SJ but I ended choking my machine. I did not temp heavy [approx 10-15lb] ever since I got my SJ. In fact, I barely apply pressure on my grinds now. I believed I read somewhere that doing a finer grinds is better than temping hard to get the extraction running slowly. Is that true?

I just login and I'm at work, I will read the recommended posting when I have time.
Thank you once again guys.

PS- As Randy has mention that with a single boiler you can't really know for sure or possibility get consistent shots [one after another]....Is that a general acceptance for single boiler? Will a Hx or better yet dual boilers serve better and more consistent espresso?

Trying to justify my expense to my wife.

Another thing you might want to try ( which is cheaper than getting a new machine ) is measure the pressure coming out of the machine.

There's no overpressure valve in the Barista/Aroma so you could be getting 15-someodd bar out of the machine ( in fact some machines advertise this as though it were a feature. It is not. ) which would just kill the body. You can probably add an OPV to the plumbing fairly easily.

SimonSoCal wrote:Btw, I tried to grind it finer on my SJ but I ended choking my machine. I did not temp heavy [approx 10-15lb] ever since I got my SJ. In fact, I barely apply pressure on my grinds now. I believed I read somewhere that doing a finer grinds is better than temping hard to get the extraction running slowly. Is that true?

There is no consensus on the tamping issue. I tamp very lightly -- just the weight of the tamper and some finger pressure.

A couple of shops I visit from time to time have good machines, an Aurelia and a new Brasilia, both of which have preinfusion. The baristas at these shops resist when I ask them to prepare the shot with an ultra-light tamp (they are of the 30-pounds-is-perfection school) but they do comply, and the espresso always tastes sweeter when they do it my way, with a more complex flavor profile and better body. You can definitely slow the shot by grinding finer. With an ultra-light tamp and a low-pressure preinfusion, there is very little risk of channeling. Since you have a capable grinder, it would be well worth your while to experiment with the ultra-light tamp and fine grind; it does not require you to spend any money on measuring devices. Be sure to try different coffees and roast depths.

Something that has not been mentioned is fractionation. When I had a cheaper La Pavoni machine, I experimented a great deal with this. I lined up ten cups and when I pulled my shots, I would sequentially place a little espresso in each cup. The result was that I gained a great deal of knowledge over what flavor components were in each part. I ended up discarding the beginning and end fractions of the extractions, keeping only the center cut, which gave me a much improved flavor. I think it is worth playing around with that concept on your machine. I would also pay a great deal of attention to distribution.