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Espresso Enthusiasts
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Prepared a pot (French Press, Le Creuset) of piping hot Ethiopian coffee, served with organic hot milk, and organic raw cane brown sugar.
Perfect for a cold March morning.
Perfect for a cold March morning.
Today I finally pulled a pretty good shot with the la Pavoni. I think I've almost got the HG-One dialed in and my technique figured out. My cup had a huge amount of crema and the taste was not bitter, but more light and fluffy, the way I like it.
I’m feeling more confident that I have the setup dialed in and my technique down for making espresso with the la Pavoni. I’m using 13 grams of beans, ground in the HG-One to a setting that seems appropriate. Once I lock the PF handle into the machine, I raise the lever slowly and just until I can hear the valve open a little and start letting water in. It’s kind of like a pre-infusion technique. Then I even more slowly continue to raise the lever until it is all the way up and the water has stopped entering the chamber signaling it is full. I hold there for a few seconds and then slowly begin to press down, quite firmly on the lever. I do need to use two hands to pull down, one more for stability and the other for strength. I don’t have to pull down nearly as hard as the guy in the review video on Whole Latte Love.com did when he was using his body weight to help - that was a bit much. But I do have to put some muscle into it.
The past few days I’ve made a pretty decent cup. They’re not perfect by any means, but I am getting a consistently good pull and tasty espresso to drink.
Once I finish pulling the shot, I slip the cup out and insert a folded piece of paper towel under the PF spouts to catch the lingering drips. Plus I slightly open the steam wand valve to release the pressure from inside the machine. I leave it like that while I sit down and enjoy my cup before going back to pull the PF handle out, knock the puck out and close the valve and do general cleanup.
The best part of all is that it’s all quiet except for the glorious sound of the beans being crushed by huge 83 mm burrs of the HG-One.
The past few days I’ve made a pretty decent cup. They’re not perfect by any means, but I am getting a consistently good pull and tasty espresso to drink.
Once I finish pulling the shot, I slip the cup out and insert a folded piece of paper towel under the PF spouts to catch the lingering drips. Plus I slightly open the steam wand valve to release the pressure from inside the machine. I leave it like that while I sit down and enjoy my cup before going back to pull the PF handle out, knock the puck out and close the valve and do general cleanup.
The best part of all is that it’s all quiet except for the glorious sound of the beans being crushed by huge 83 mm burrs of the HG-One.
Sounds brilliant.
I must confess that the purely physical aspect of this would not be an attraction for me - my upper body strength leaves a lot to be desired, and indeed, when I was contemplating purchasing a La Pavoni machine some six years ago, our mutual friend @Shrink talked me out of it for that very precise reason.
Glad your espressos are so richly satisfying, though.
Here, Ethiopian coffee, as always, meets my needs.
Yes, it does require a bit of effort to pull a shot, enough so to where you need to apply enough force to bow the lever somewhat. It was probably wise to pass on getting a full manual like a la Pavoni if you aren't interested in or not capable of using enough force on it. Going the route that @Shrink did by buying the Londonium which is spring-assisted would eliminate the need to apply physical force on the lever.
To be honest, I find using the OE Lido (canal grinder - a magnificent piece of equipment) a bit of a challenge at times, so, yes, I do think that @Shrink was perfectly correct - and wary thoughtful - to talk me out of that possible purchase, especially at a time when I was smitten by the stunning Italian design.
But, lovely picture of some gorgeous coffee equipment.
I've thought about buying the OE Lido several times over the years but never done it yet. I may still do it though and use it in the office when making coffee in the Chemex. it is a lovely looking piece of equipment.
It is both a lovely looking piece of equipment, and an extremely functional piece of equipment; it is also hefty and sturdy and beautifully engineered.
However, there are two things about it which concern me: The first is the issue of pure brute strength; for me, an unfit lady becalmed in middle age, it requires a fair degree of strength to operate. In truth, this is not so much an issue for obtaining the desired degree of coarseness (or otherwise) for the coffee I usually drink, French Press, or Hario dripper, but it is an issue if you wish to have coffee ground to the fineness required for espresso.
For me, this was such physical hard work, that I didn't really enjoy the resulting espresso.
The second thing is that everything is not only manual, but there are no numbers, or anything of the sort on the rings, so, not only is "dialling" in required degrees of fineness or coarseness in grind not an issue, to some extent, as the rings aren't marked (so that you would know where to twist them), or degrees of coarseness or fineness not delineated or specified, it does become then, an element of experimentation or memory, in trying to determine the correct setting for a grind.
This, I feel, is something that could be remedied.
Since I bought mine, I think that OE Lido have brought out a manual grinder engineered solely for espresso.
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I have the same issue with the HG-One. Since I have one of the original models, those did not have numbers or lines on the locking ring. The newer production models of the HG-One do indeed have lines and numbers on them. Just a few weeks ago I contacted the company to see if I could get a new locking ring for mine, but was told that the newer ones wouldn't work with my model.
Generally, this is not a problem for me because once I get it dialed in I never adjust it again. It stayed in the same setting for years with the Expobar, but when I bought the la Pavoni I needed to adjust it. I'd forget where I set it from the day before as I worked to get it just right which prompted me to contact them.
But if I were to be adjusting the HG-One regularly, this would present a problem for me, much like the OE Lido does for you. However, I think I have it set where it needs to be for the la Pavoni and I don't intend on adjusting anymore.
I did that, as well, (used the setting that I had learned form experience worked best for my needs), but, occasionally, one of the two rings would become unlocked and shift (unknowingly) and then, one would have to reset the lot using trial and error.
I truly wish that the OE Lido had numbers or lines on the locking ring; originally, when I bought it, all of five years ago, it did have one faint black line, on one ring, from which one was supposed to extrapolate everything else.
That thin black line (not indelible) has long since disappeared, and, in truth, I never found it all that helpful, as, if I had, I daresay I would have marked the spot myself with black ink.
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Enjoying the same while watching the rugby match between England/Scotland.
Simple pressing of a blend of Colombian and Brazilian beans. Bright. Hint of natural sweetness coming through. Very refreshing since I usually opt for a dark Kenyan AA roast most of the time.
What prompted you to get up that early?
I'm a big fan of Central and South American coffees. I find them to be much better tasting than most Asian and African beans. And they really do take to blending quite well.
I prefer to do my core workout (lifting) at 5am (at times followed by some swimming), with cardio or martial arts at 6pm.
I am still going through the Lynch Signature coffee packs I ordered by mistake.
Enjoyed a mug of Ethiopian coffee with full fat, draw, organic milk, and organic brown sugar.