Coffee Appreciation

had my first cortardo today from the chaps at small batch in hove, nice little change from my usual flat white, even if the difference between the two is marginal.

been watching youtube vids of the presso this morning, seems a decent option if haven't got the room for machine. http://www.presso.co.uk/

Flat white is made with microfoam though, cortado is steamed milk poured into a shot, ie. like a macchiato done with warmed milk rather than frothed milk.

I have just purchased a Gaggia Factory 106.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gaggia-Classic-coffee-maker-/250725844267?pt=Coffee_Machines_Makers&hash=item3a606cc52b
£125, Bargain?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gaggia-Classic-coffee-maker-/250725844267?pt=Coffee_Machines_Makers&hash=item3a606cc52b
£125, Bargain?

You can get them cheaper but that looks in pretty good nick. Most people run them until they fill with limescale and then sell them because they don't work.

I have just purchased a Gaggia Factory 106.

I want to try a lever machine now. :)

Come over tomorrow (if I can pick it up).

I'm going to go and pick it up tomorrow morning from Archway area. Hippy- I could swing over to Ealing and pick you up, be good to have someone who knows what they are doing.

Nice machine that factory, same as a Pavoni. Manual lever espresso is the awesomest, after a while you get this intuition for applying the pressure - gentle preinfusion ramping up to full extraction pressure and tailing off as the coffee exhausts, all in a seamlessly analogue fashion to give the best textured espresso you will ever have... ahhh.

Seriously, all these hyped up mega machines like slayers and stradas don't come close. You have to sweat about temperature control, and they're not easy machines to master but there's plenty of info about and they're dead rewarding.

I'm going to go and pick it up tomorrow morning from Archway area. Hippy- I could swing over to Ealing and pick you up, be good to have someone who knows what they are doing.

What time? I'll probably be out on a club run for much of tomorrow.

bombcup.. I don't care if you're applying any logic to this.. any machine called Slayer gets my vote! :)

What time? I'll probably be out on a club run for much of tomorrow.

Willing to adjust time to suit you to a degree- when do you expect to be home?

It's a bit random depending on who turns up, how far, mechanicals, etc. Anywhere between 1-3pm and then wash and eat eat eat.

Give me a ring when you are done, if I am still in the motor I'll come get you.

Will do.

It even looks like it is giving you a cheery greeting:

Waving it's lever at you.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180582745393&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I'm very excited about going to collect it now.

Right, getting the grind right, and frothing the milk are both tricky.

The milk part is the trickiest as you can keep experimenting until the grind is correct.

I'm sure you can do that with the frothing, but it's going to take a little longer!

http://coffeegeek.com/guides/frothingguide

So, start with ice cold milk, keep the tip of the wand just under the surface, don't let it get over 70 degrees or so?

**Instant Pure Indulgence **

Two and half heaps in a small cup - pure rocket juice.

So, start with ice cold milk, keep the tip of the wand just under the surface, don't let it get over 70 degrees or so?

Milk from fridge, start wand in milk and move jug down so tip is just near surface (it'll get quieter), stretch to around 100F then go deeper with wand and get your spin on up to 150F.
This is basically what I do so no guarantees.

So, a milk thermometer would be handy then. Any reco's?

I've got one off ebay for a tenner but don't use it much now (every now and then to check my method). Generally when it starts to warm - that's your stretching done and when it's getting to be too hot to touch, you're all done.

Steam at "Vigorous" or "Feeble" setting?

Assuming Vigorous, despite that not working so far...

Since I have a single hole tip, I just crank it up usually. You may want to be more moderate.
Hard to tell without seeing it in action.