Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Espresso Enthusiasts

Status
The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
Sipping my afternoon cup of Barrington Gold right now. I've had a nice day of watching an episode of Star Trek Voyager, taking a nap and reading a chapter in the book by David Weber, "In Enemy Hands."

Soon I'll be doing the weekly cleaning of the Expobar and Rancilio coffee station, and hopefully later a little writing in my Marines book - provided that my two cats don't require my attention when I want to write of course!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 0388631 and Shrink
I seem to have been doing moka wrong for years. Do you tamp down or brush off excess? I've always tamped down hard, which leads to a coffee that gives good leg and a strong flavor profile as well.
 
Ahhh, damn I love the espresso the Expobar produces!

I've had two cups of the Atomic Coffee Intensi roast this morning, separated by about 3 hours, and I just finished the second cup a minute ago. I'm beginning to get a little low on the Atomic Coffee beans and I like what they've done with the Intensi roast I have. So I just placed an order for their famed Diesel blend which is an even darker roast than the Intensi. Obviously @Shrink likes the Diesel in his French Press, so I am in hopes I will like it in espresso. This will likely be the darkest roast I'll have had to date too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and Shrink
SandboxGeneral said:
Ahhh, damn I love the espresso the Expobar produces!

I've had two cups of the Atomic Coffee Intensi roast this morning, separated by about 3 hours, and I just finished the second cup a minute ago. I'm beginning to get a little low on the Atomic Coffee beans and I like what they've done with the Intensi roast I have. So I just placed an order for their famed Diesel blend which is an even darker roast than the Intensi. Obviously @Shrink likes the Diesel in his French Press, so I am in hopes I will like it in espresso. This will likely be the darkest roast I'll have had to date too.
Click to expand...

I really hope that you like the Diesel blend, and that it is not too dark a roast. It will be more bold and strong...but if you don't like it you can always go back to the Intensi blend.

What a shame about your buyer's regret about that Expobar thing.:p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and S.B.G
Milk frothing help. Im having problems frothing the milk. I place the arm of the frother in the middle (depth) of the milk but it rises up quickly, I mean in seconds, say 10. I'm using a jug and fill it a third with milk but it rises up too quickly for me to heat the milk hot enough. Any idea where I'm going wrong?
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1471178594.456204.jpg
 
Dave Meadows said:
Milk frothing help. Im having problems frothing the milk. I place the arm of the frother in the middle (depth) of the milk but it rises up quickly, I mean in seconds, say 10. I'm using a jug and fill it a third with milk but it rises up too quickly for me to heat the milk hot enough. Any idea where I'm going wrong? View attachment 644801
Click to expand...

One issue is the type of milk that you use. Although I never used milk or the steamer, it is my understanding that low fat milk froths better than higher fat milk. Also chilling the pitcher is advised.

Here are some instructions, and here is a tutorial video.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alexander.Of.Oz, AVBeatMan and S.B.G
Dave Meadows said:
Milk frothing help. Im having problems frothing the milk. I place the arm of the frother in the middle (depth) of the milk but it rises up quickly, I mean in seconds, say 10. I'm using a jug and fill it a third with milk but it rises up too quickly for me to heat the milk hot enough. Any idea where I'm going wrong? View attachment 644801
Click to expand...


 
  • Like
Reactions: Alexander.Of.Oz, AVBeatMan and Shrink
I've had the best frothing experience using higher fat milk. Specifically, one called Strauss with the cream on top. With skim milk, I find that it does foam but it subsides over a period of time. Also, when you get the Strauss, it's a bit of a two for one deal; you get that yummy cream.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and AVBeatMan
Shrink said:
Nothing about espresso, or it's associated elements, is easy. It takes a lot practice, at least a year or more, to become minimally competent at the necessary skills.:eek:o_O
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm beginning to realize that! I have, just by chance, made a really wonderful latte, using full fat milk, chilling the jug as well as the milk and frothing as instructed in those videos.

I also find so far setting the grinder to 5 as you suggested to be best for the beans I'm using. Others settings I've tried, 4, 6 and 10 seem to result in weaker coffee. The 5's just right.

It's more effort making coffee this way but lots more rewarding! Absolutely delicious!
 
Glad you're enjoying the process. When I first started, I thought it'd be simple too. That was a long time ago. I had a trick up my sleeve then. I'd use a very small amount of white sugar in my milk then because sugar seems to stabilize milk and produce an intense creamy, fine bubbled froth/foam. You wouldn't be able to taste the sweetness. It was my cheat method of making good foam until I learned how the real way.


Double shot with steamed almond milk. Need to be a little healthier on weekends...
 
We use full fat raw milk (unpasteurised) for frothing here and it changes over the seasons, producing less froth in the height of Summer as the cows are fed straw. The biggest thing I've noticed in regard of froth production is to prepare the milk for each persons drink separately, rather than in a bigger jug! But I think that's more an indication of the limits of my espresso machines steam wand as my machine works with twin thermoblocks to heat the water, rather than a boiler or two.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and S.B.G
JamesMike said:
My friends I'm staying with in Maryland have this machine, but they tell me you can get it refurbished one much cheaper. Please your comments pro or negative.

http://www.1stincoffee.com/refurbished-jura-z9-one-touch.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparisonshopping&utm_campaign=Refurbished&utm_term=Refurbished Jura&gclid=Cj0KEQjw0MW9BRDxtYTn2_S699MBEiQAw33y40c5jl8cQjhq0ES-QWiptykSMlu7Zjt6A5aUUwPo7lYaAmcO8P8HAQ
Click to expand...

Interesting. It seems awfully 'automatic,' which most of us here would probably consider a negative. And for that kind of money, you could buy a serious grinder/espresso machine combo. I believe @SandboxGeneral 's current set up may even come in a bit below that price point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JamesMike and S.B.G
@JamesMike That looks like one of those super automatics one might find at a high volume coffee shop I suspect. I don't know much about those types, but as a bit of a purest (thanks @Shrink ) it appears to take a lot of the fun out of the production of coffee. Plus with a built in hopper and grinder it could lead to the operator being a little more lazy and allowing beans to stay in there and begin to get stale before they're used. Plus it says it can take pre-ground beans too.... no, just no. No.

The built in grinder says it's a conical burr, which is good, and says it is a variable adjustable, but doesn't say how many grind settings (minimum of 50 steps is appropriate) it has either.

Based on the description and what it is, I suppose its all up to user preference. If you want something to do all the work and you just accept what it produces for you, which doesn't allow much variation or user input for tweaking to just the right taste, I suppose it would be okay.

But as @mobilehaathi points out, for that refurbished price you could get my setup for about $1,755, less tax and shipping etc and have a brand new Expobar Office Lever espresso machine and a Rancilio Rocky doserless grinder. Plus you get all the fun, really, of making the espresso yourself and having tons of control over the whole process.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe, Shrink, mobilehaathi and 1 other person
SandboxGeneral said:
@JamesMike That looks like one of those super automatics one might find at a high volume coffee shop I suspect. I don't know much about those types, but as a bit of a purest (thanks @Shrink ) it appears to take a lot of the fun out of the production of coffee. Plus with a built in hopper and grinder it could lead to the operator being a little more lazy and allowing beans to stay in there and begin to get stale before they're used. Plus it says it can take pre-ground beans too.... no, just no. No.

The built in grinder says it's a conical burr, which is good, and says it is a variable adjustable, but doesn't say how many grind settings (minimum of 50 steps is appropriate) it has either.

Based on the description and what it is, I suppose its all up to user preference. If you want something to do all the work and you just accept what it produces for you, which doesn't allow much variation or user input for tweaking to just the right taste, I suppose it would be okay.

But as @mobilehaathi points out, for that refurbished price you could get my setup for about $1,755, less tax and shipping etc and have a brand new Expobar Office Lever espresso machine and a Rancilio Rocky doserless grinder. Plus you get all the fun, really, of making the espresso yourself and having tons of control over the whole process.
Click to expand...

The Man, @SandboxGeneral, has said it all.

Terrific post, Mate!:cool:

I just finished my first coffee of the day...such a delight!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe and S.B.G
Shrink said:
The Man, @SandboxGeneral, has said it all.

Terrific post, Mate!:cool:

I just finished my first coffee of the day...such a delight!
Click to expand...

Your post reminds me of the demeanour of a quietly proud - as in the bursting with pride kind of proud - teacher when a mentored pupil excels in a spontaneous demonstration of the skill or subject matter that has been taught with such loving attention to detail.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shrink and S.B.G
Since the Balkans less than two years ago, I cannot remember a day when I have had three espressos (and something horribly forgettable dribbled from an urn, but let us pass with averted eyes over that one).

But today has included three espressos......so far...

Quite candidly, despite having been an enthusiastic contributor to this very thread, (for years), I had almost clean forgotten that splendid feeling of of wonderfully insane alertness....... bestowed by three espressos.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: S.B.G
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back