That depends on your dose of coffee and desired extraction volume. Many times these are programmable... if this is the case there is no way to tell you where to start without knowing the volume of water dispensed for each button. On my auto machines with buttons I have program one button to pull the

If you want to go the electric route Baratza has the Maestro @ $99. They also frequently have refurbs for <$100 available on their site

IMHO I would go the route of fine brewed coffee as well. Commercial espresso machines are designed to brew... when they sit idle for long periods of time calibrations are necessary in order to pull a palatable product. These calibrations need to be performed by staff that understand the dynamics of ...

I want to cast another vote for Baratza. Any of their grinders will fit the bill for FP

I always use my finger not only for convenience but also because I can make extremely slight adjustments in the volume of grounds by varying the pressure with my finger. When the extraction is sooooooo close but not quite spot on sometimes a slight variation in volume is just what the doctor ordered

Good call Kirk. He actually says just that in his book "Espresso Coffee Professional Espresso Techniques" Save the elbows!

Interesting shape and design... Have you had the chance to put it to the test?

For what it is worth... In Vegas we have nearly no humidity and it is a rare occurrence to lose a puck upon inversion. My OCD side cringes when I think of a textured (even slightly) filter basket... more for cleaning reasons than channeling. I believe all of my filter baskets are high polish and I h...

I am all about rampant experimentation for the fun of it but I sure love the expensive OCD techniques as well. IMHO if you are going to build the DIY pressure gauge you might as well add the T and needle valve... that way you can check both... Go OCD!

Wow thanks... This sure beats sifting through all of my notes. Great Link