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The Newbie Introduction to Espresso series of videos was created specifically for those new to making espresso at home. In addition to watching these videos, I strongly urge newbies to spend an evening with the site's Recommended Reading outlined in the FAQs and Favorites Digest...
First post here so bear with me. I recently bought a Sage Barista Express. First baby step into the world of making decent coffee at home. I own the thing for a week now and must have made about 4 liters of espresso in total. The problem is, I cannot get one decent cup...
I'm curious as to HB members' feelings on the relative value of a bottomless portafilter in developing one's espresso-making skill? Reason I ask is twofold: 1. They're kind of spendy, at $42-$65 on Amazon, and 2. It's a bit of a roll of the dice, since Breville, itself, doesn't...
I'm a beginner and I started by steaming whole milk. It seemed to work just like the videos and I was getting decent microfoam. Then I read you can just as easily use 2% milk and even non-milk milks like oat milk. They said it was a little more challenging but totally doable. I...
Hi, first time posting but have been reading the forums and learning a TON. I just bought my first real espresso machine in the Lelit Mara x. I know I need to upgrade my grinder but thought at first my current cuisinart cbm-18 would be good enough to get started with. Now I'm...
I just got the new Crem ONE Infuser and it's my first machine. It has what they call GPF Gentle Pre Infusion. You can set the amount of time for pre infusion. I have mine set to 5 seconds. Don't ask me why, I'm just trying it. I prefer dark roasts and am using a medium-dark...
Dear baristas, I have found a thread from 2008 regarding cup temperature. Generally it is recommended to pre-warm a cup for espresso to keep the temperature of the espresso. That should be the reason behind the thick walls of the espresso cup - it can accumulate a heat so it...
