Is Brew Pressure Profiling Being Oversold? - Page 3

July 22nd, 2019, 2:50 pm

BaristaBoy E61 wrote:I have looked at levers and do like them. A 'Dipper' Profitec 800 with the Bosco group would be great but I'm concerned about the lever handle. It would definitely interfere with kitchen cabinets and would be something my wife would be less inclined to use. We are healthy now but I do think about pulling that lever as we get older. We're in our late 60's now.

I always ask of our guests, my wife and myself included, to rate our drinks on a scale of 1 to 10, "compared to all else ever tasted, how does this shot taste?" Usually it's between an 8.6 to a 9.4. Some of our 'regulars' have developed over the years quite a discriminating palate and are in fact hard markers, so the coffee is not bad.

The beans, grinder, prep (including the milk, which is its own thing), skill, knowledge, experience and intuition of the barista are far more important than the espresso machine once you're at this level. So you may be right that given that I like a particular dark roast bean (single origin El Salvador) in a milk based drink (flat white), that I am kidding myself that things will get much better unless my tastes change or I expand my horizons.

The dark beans we're using are fine. Our roaster lives 5-houses down the street and the beans we get were either roasted yesterday or 2-days ago. I have not tired of the E61 ritual - I like it!

This is a BIG concern, the spending a lot of money only to essentially fall back into something I'm already doing and have. Just upgrading the grinder to perhaps a Monolith Flat Max is something I entertain as well. That could be the most sensible first step, although I'm not unhappy with our present grinder.

That is the crux of the matter. I have considered all the machines mentioned. I don't like the aesthetics of the DE1, I don't like the plug in control head of the Hydra MPV or its aesthetics for its price.

"So, are you looking for pride of ownership, appearance, commercial level quality and reliability, rapid steaming and the ability to make great coffee (Slayer, Synesso, Speedster etc)... Ideally, I would like to have both the Synesso and the DE1, using the DE to create profiles I like and then replicating them on the Synesso for daily use. Sadly, I am not that crazy."

That is what I'm looking for but I could be happy with my present setup and wait for further developments to unfold.

I would like to thank everyone for contributing to this conversion that has previously been going on mostly with myself. My wife feels that our setup as it exists is just fine; she might be right.

I do need to 'Fall in Love' again before I can move on.

Someone definitely needs to create a Tinder or Ashley Madison type App for espresso machines!

I would also be 'Up' for 'Espresso Speed Dating'!

July 22nd, 2019, 2:58 pm

Duplicate post by mistake - sorry!

#23: Post by **happycat** » July 22nd, 2019, 3:08 pm

IamOiman wrote:Well, when I get my Bosco up and running and eventually my vintage levers you can drive down to Rhode Island to try them out depending on how much you want to try a lever

I was also going to suggest that maybe he just needs to make some new friends who have a lever somewhere in the Montreal area.

My coffee enjoyment went way up when I started incorporating my neighbourhood into my hobby. Chatting with Ethiopians who owned markets where I bought beans, for example. I'm sure there are levers in Montreal and people happy to show them off and try them out.

#24: Post by **guydebord** » July 24th, 2019, 12:39 am

I would not enjoy coffee as much as I do now without my Bianca. It has opened so many possibilities and I no longer feel threatened by light roasts or difficult to extract beans such as Pacamara. I love the freedom of just getting any bean I feel attracted to and never have to worry whether it will extract well or not. Even better, I am now buying expensive 8oz bags of 90+ beans because I know I will nail a good extraction in the first or second time. IMO Flow profiling is the single most important development in espresso culture since the coming of the semi-automatic machine, if you know how to use it and like to experiment its a night and day difference from a classic espresso machine.

#25: Post by **espressotime** » July 24th, 2019, 5:11 am

I'd say yes.I'm also a medium to dark bean drinker.Always with some milk added.
I have a lever now but I do think pressure profiling is overrated.
Only reason I have a lever is the silence that comes with the proces of coffee making.

#26: Post by **def** » July 24th, 2019, 8:26 am

I recently purchased a used Profitec Pro 800 (spring lever). I compared with my ECM Synchronika for one month. I change coffee every two weeks and I will occasionally try a light single origin but typically I prefer medium or darker roast blends.

I settled on the lever and sold the Synchronika but I would be happy with either machine. In particular, I tested two dark roast blends side by side on both machines - Counter Culture 46 and Zeke's 1812 blend. I used same grinder setting for both machines. These espresso shots were essentially equivalent in taste. Excellent espresso from both. So based on OP's original question - for dark balanced blends I do not think a profiling machine will make a significant difference in taste. However I will post a more detailed comparison later to explain why I chose the lever.

#27: Post by **slipchuck** » July 24th, 2019, 8:38 am

I have no proof but I honestly think some of the taste improvements are the placebo effect

Randy

July 24th, 2019, 11:53 am

Maybe. For some people who are followers of "must-have" fads. But there are some pretty heavy hitters out there for whom it is considerably more than placebo.

Anyone remotely interested in flow profiling should read the first six posts here (all from Jim, one of the heaviest hitters there is in espresso). Don't be put off by the fact it's a Bianca review. Most of it is applicable to any proper flow profiling machine.

Lelit Bianca Review

With the exception of post #4, (which you can skip), the rest is generically applicable to any other flow profiling machine be it a modded GS/3, BDB or what have you.

Just six lousy posts. Read them. The see if you think it's placebo.

-Peter

July 24th, 2019, 1:23 pm

correct me if I am wrong...
Although a lot of the reading was far advanced for me the one thing I did take away was there is just as much difference in taste from one machines shots as there was between different machines (taste tests)
Could this be true in the difference between the Bianca and other "regular" machines as well?
I hope I am making sense:)

Thanks

Randy

#30: Post by **TomC** » July 24th, 2019, 1:58 pm

guydebord wrote:..... I love the freedom of just getting any bean I feel attracted to and never have to worry whether it will extract well or not. Even better, I am now buying expensive 8oz bags of 90+ beans because I know I will nail a good extraction in the first or second time......

This is an impressive feat.

I know for myself that if I'm willing to set aside my pride, hubris, etc, that it might take several additional tweaks to dial in on what can be best taken out of a given coffee.

* bold added