Coffee Appreciation

No, but on the subject of sifting fines did you see this?

https://youtu.be/dvYhLvbi4zQ

I did, I was looking at getting one of the posher sifter thingies until I saw this video, so I followed Lance's AliExpress tip.

Hah, I thought it was sealant, given that the unit pulled apart

Did the la pavoni get fixed? I’m invested now

Coffee lovers >>>> Vietnam 🇻🇳

this beats any fancy machine in my book
The bean choice and serving options are off the chain…

Pavoni update- no leaks during use, but at some point in the time following use it vents a lot of water out, I’m not sure how.

So you have a coffee?

The lesser-spotted 'LaPavoni Blackbird'

Hopefully the next part of the Gaggia/Pavoni Tin Man will get off the ground tomorrow. I need to make sure it's water tight before rebuilding proper, so awaiting some washers which will hopefully arrive tomorrow and I can mock it up by getting the element, pstat pipe and pstat fitted along with the sight glass. If I have time I'll also wire it up and get it pressurised.

Then if all OK I'll sit it in some descaler overnight and get everything ready for deep cleaning, polishing and rebuilding.

Venting from where though?

I don’t know, but it just did it again.

Surely it's coming from the safety valve?

Do you have a video @Dammit?

I vented the pressure out before leaving the machine- first with the steam wand, then I took the filling cap off.

I've been enjoying home espresso again over the holidays. I've changed bean subscription this year (Industry decaf from Melbourne) so have been experimenting with different settings to get the best flavour. Do any of you use a puck screen for espresso? Or Aeropress filters? I'm trying to lose bitterness and get more sweetness in the cup. Did it work for you?

So I just pulled two shots, first had Aeropress filters above and below the puck, took over 50secs to pull, still quite a bit of bitterness. Second shot only had a paper filter on top of the puck and pulled in 40secs, it was a really good shot! Possibly the best I've ever had on this setup.

Since I stopped consuming sugar it's really highlighted the things I don't want in my coffee, sugar used to hide a multitude of sins.

I guess I'll buy a metal puck screen and see how we go from there. I'll get the next shot into the 30sec brew zone and see what that delivers.

I wouldn't make an espresso without a metal puck screen thesedays. I tried paper at the bottom once but the ones I bought severely restricted flow (when they're meant to speed it up?) and made things taste weird and haven't tried again.

I've found mesh puck screens improved consistency, taste and (most importantly?) way less time spend cleaning the grouphead. The flat metal ones not so much difference in taste but still help reduce mess the same.

Ok, bubbles are coming out here:

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Tighten this bit up and it might stop.

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It’s coming from the junction between the steam wand assembly and the body of the boiler- so before the steam valve

Weird BB cluster

The plot she thickens

Yes, I'm gonna get one. I want to get back into the habit of using my Gaggia Classic, stupid to have it sitting there doing nothing. I've been enjoying espresso again over the holidays.

I like the look of the Muvna P2-Duality.

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Anyway, off to the airport today, let’s see if it fixes itself by sitting in a cupboard for months.

I was at a roasters for work a while ago and they basically said all this puck prep stuff is bs and it’s essentially to accommodate for bad grinding and to sell stuff not needed.

I’m a hypocrite because I love all these accessories. But how much difference will a puck screen really make?

Personally I think it's more nuanced that that.

These sorts of tools aid consistency (which does align with what they're saying, but my point is that it's not necessarily bs), which is a lot more valuable for someone making one or two coffees a day vs someone who's spent a few years making hundreds per day.

Also, if it brings you joy, there's value to be had in it. The value will differ from person to person.