Dave?

Illyfex wrote:I tried the Illy coffee when I got my machine about a month ago -- it wasn't expired then . . .

Coffee is not like prescription medicine with an expiration date. Coffee is more like fresh fruit -- or better yet, fresh bread: you need to use it before it goes stale.

Are you familiar with the "Rule of Fifteens"? (It doesn't sound as if you are.) Well, with the acknowledgement that there are no absolutes in life, the "Rule/Guideline of Fifteens" states:

• Green coffee beans should be roasted within 15 months of harvesting, or they goes stale;
• Roasted coffee beans should be ground within 15 days of roasting, or they goes stale;
• Ground coffee should be used within 15 minutes of grinding, or it goes stale.

Therefore, when you say

Illyfex wrote: . . . and (it) wasn't half bad.

The answer is yes, it was. Get some good quality, freshly roasted beans, and grind them right before you pull your shot. You will never go back to Illy or to pre-ground, stale coffee again!

Cheers,
Jason

P.S. For a list of roasters favored by many people here on HB, you may want to check out this link.

zin1953 wrote:Get some good quality, freshly roasted beans, and grind them right before you pull your shot. You will never go back to Illy or to pre-ground, stale coffee again!

Thanks for the edjumacation, but I wasn't talking about DRINKING the illy canned coffee -- I was talking about practicing dosing/distributing/tamping with it. The can I received last month (with a cup set) was sealed and within the expiration date, so I did crack it open and try it and, I have to say, it wasn't awful. I wouldn't drink it now or ever consider buying Illy coffee for consumption -- I've been a home roaster on and off for probably 5 years but just got into espresso.

Stale coffee will be too dry and not "gassy enough" to really show you anything. Water flows differently through a bed of stale grounds, you really have nothing to gain from using stale coffee even if you don't plan to drink it. It physically behaves differently, throw it out.

Stale coffee will show whether the puck is evenly distributed and tamped or not, will show it in very directly pointing-out way: if there's any flaw of technique, the result will be disastrous, if puck happened to be prepared perfect way, there will be tiny thin stream in the very perfect middle of the basket, first very dark, then deep brown, then getting lighter etc.
I advice everybody reading this thread actually do some experiment with stale beans instead imagining or thinking how it would be to do so then you will see for yourself. If someone has some practice (with fresh coffee) but doesn't get perfect flow every time, and has stale coffee and patience then they can practice with the stale beans and will see their every flaw. Starting with stale beans, as I already expressed, would not make sense.

+1

(Thanks, Jim -- I was trying to figure out how to explain my reaction and, as always, you put it much better than I.)

another_jim wrote:I may be missing something, but this approach seems perverse and joyless to me.

If you complete your exercises "correctly," you will be able to manipulate a powder you don't know in a way that gains the approval of people you don't know.

Taste the coffees you buy, use those you like, learn to make shots from them that taste good. Then you'll have something worthwhile.

This approach will give you opportunity to taste the coffees you buy, instead of tasting your barista-skill-limitations.
Learning sometimes looks pervert or joyless and (or because it) requires determination. Though there is joy to learning and practice and developing skill.

another_jim wrote:I may be missing something, but this approach seems perverse and joyless to me.

If you complete your exercises "correctly," you will be able to manipulate a powder you don't know in a way that gains the approval of people you don't know.

Clearly you are unfamiliar with online role playing games.

I understand the freshness dogma; believe me, I do. But "perverse and joyless" is a tad harsh.

CoffeeOwl makes a good point. There are often lessons to be learned at the margins of generally accepted practices.

As a beginner, I think I covered up flaws in my distribution by using really fresh coffee. An imperfect distribution was still good enough and less likely to have visible channeling.

But as one learns more about espresso preparation, I think a good exercise is to experiment with coffee as it ages. You will learn more about the coffee and more about your technique.

I purchased some Ecco Espresso, roasted on 2-15. It was ultra-bright when fresh. I decided to let the coffee age for a while. I was pulling nice shots of this coffee on days 13-20. I did have to finesse my dosing and distribution as the coffee aged.

It was an interesting experiment for me, and I got to enjoy a whole range of flavors from the coffee, which mellowed over time. Lemon sweetness eventually gave way to duller caramel notes, but that was part of the journey.

However, to address the OP: If you are having trouble pulling a shot from fresh coffee, I suggest you continue trying with fresh coffee. Your preground Illy will only drive you nuts.