Hi,

I got a new (first) barista job. At work I was instructed to keep the old coffee in the portafilter until the next time I need to make an espresso. Then I'm supposed to knock it out and immediately fill with new coffee.

When I went to rinse the portafilter quickly with hot water, they told me to avoid that; just out with the old and in with the new. Even if there's a fair amount of used, wet coffee still in there.

Is this truly the best practice? Shouldn't the old stuff be good 'n gone before I put fresh coffee in there?

- Eyad

Run a taste test.

It's quite likely the old coffee may cause extraction problems.

If not bottomless, what does the PF look like when you remove basket?

I've never heard of a shop doing as you describe, but Ian's quite right: do a taste test.

I'm sorry to say what I'm just about to say... specially sorry to David Schomer, because it is his book that was the first book on barista techniques that I read, and he does so very good writing about coffee and stories from his childhood...

This practice that you describe is recommended in the book 'Espresso coffee: Proffessional Techniques. Updated', written by beforementioned David Schomer. (*) Author claims this practice makes shot taste sweeter. it helps to keep portafilter temperature more constant. This practice is one of the mysti pizza stuff written in the book, this is how I call it. In other words, this is ... you know what. Find it in the meadow.

(*) to those who are likely going to think it is impossible... well, it's page 57.
about this sweeter shots, I don't remember where exactly it was (could be I read it on forums)

But, of course, the version of the practice you were told is not flawlessly passed: you should wipe the portafilter from the remains of the old puck.

Somehow the whole point of the exercise got lost ....

On LMs, the group becomes cold if it idles for over 5 minutes. On older models, where the brew boiler was replenished with cold water (rather than via an HX from the steam boiler as in the new ones), running water through the unrestricted group to heat it crashed the temperature in the brew boiler. Schomer finally figured out the best way to get the group ready was to use the old puck as a flow restrictor and run water through it to warm the group slowly, so the brew boiler can keep up.

... the point is to run water through the old puck to heat the group with low water flow. You should have been instructed to do this whenever the group has been idle for a few minutes.

Wow! thanks for giving the rationale that was behind this practice!
However it is amazing, that in the book David does not mention that this makes sense only for LM machines!

Thanks everyone. I knew something was strange about this practice.

Now to see if they'll listen to "the new guy"...

Just don't go throw your new found weight around; remember, you work for them. Approach the topic, off shift, and work into it or you may find yourself the former barista.

The "puck in, puck out" debate is hardly new... I'd leave that part alone for now for reasons stated. However, the cleanliness thing really runs counter to everything we know about making good espresso. You should at least be wiping the basket with a dry rag to clean and dry the basket. Handle that part carefully and diplomatically at the appropriate time.

Good luck.

another_jim wrote:Somehow the whole point of the exercise got lost ....

On LMs, the group becomes cold if it idles for over 5 minutes. On older models, where the brew boiler was replenished with cold water (rather than via an HX from the steam boiler as in the new ones), running water through the unrestricted group to heat it crashed the temperature in the brew boiler. Schomer finally figured out the best way to get the group ready was to use the old puck as a flow restrictor and run water through it to warm the group slowly, so the brew boiler can keep up.

... the point is to run water through the old puck to heat the group with low water flow. You should have been instructed to do this whenever the group has been idle for a few minutes.

You know, I often wonder why we don't have blind portafilters with tiny holes drilled in them for this purpose. It would do the same thing, only without the cleanliness issues. Maybe might take the place of the morning "warm up shots" and reduce coffee waste. Anyone see a downside?