I've already pretty much mastered the pour over and french press, and am now bored and want to try espresso.
Is the Bambino the entry route way to go?
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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I've already pretty much mastered the pour over and french press, and am now bored and want to try espresso.
Is the Bambino the entry route way to go?
I've already pretty much mastered the pour over and french press, and am now bored and want to try espresso.
Bambino + select beans, proper grind size, correct and consistent amount (dose per shot), good and even tamping = voila, joy in a cup! 😁 Steps aren’t a hassle once ‘dialed in’. That’s the learning/fun part! My previous methods were French press, drip cone, moka pot. Never going back to those . . . but that’s my taste . . . .
I haven't tried the Breville Bambino, I have a DeLonghi ECP31, which is a similar style machine. I believe that has now been replaced by the EC885M Dedica. Anyway, I have been quite satisfied with my DeLonghi machine.
Found him last weekend - the gentleman really knows his stuff. He even ate one of the new-fangled "coffee balls" a new sort of less ecologically harmful alternative to capsule machines.
To @TSE: Espresso is a lot less forgiving than some of the other methods of coffee preparation which is why I tend to leave it to the experts, and treat myself to an espresso (or two) when I am out and about and sipping and savouring espresso in a good café. There is a lot less by way of margin for error, and, thus, the taxing challenge of espresso preparation in the morning is not for me.
In fact, in the mornings, I prefer not to have to concentrate on coffee preparation - for, the whole point (or, most of the point) of the coffee, after all, is to aid my awakening.
However, all of the coffee experts - (on this thread and elsewhere) - do stress that if you wish to prepare good espresso, that you consider investing in a decent grinder, and that you give thought to spending as much on the grinder as on the actual espresso machine you eventually do purchase.
For myself, most days, I use the Hario dripper with filter (pour over), or a French press, or, at week-ends, sometimes, when I am pottering around in a relaxed frame of mind, I will unearth my moka pot and put it to work.
In fact, in the mornings, I prefer not to have to concentrate on coffee preparation - for, the whole point (or, most of the point) of the coffee, after all, is to aid my awakening.
However, all of the coffee experts - (on this thread and elsewhere) - do stress that if you wish to prepare good espresso, that you consider investing in a decent grinder, and that you give thought to spending as much on the grinder as on the actual espresso machine you eventually do purchase.
For myself, most days, I use the Hario dripper with filter (pour over), or a French press, or, at week-ends, sometimes, when I am pottering around in a relaxed frame of mind, I will unearth my moka pot and put it to work.
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don't cheap out on the grinder!!!
a lot of grinders simply can't produce the consistent "fine" grind needed to make a good espresso.
(when shopping for grinders, pay attention to how easy it is to clean the thing)
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In my case, my morning coffee is sometimes the victim of being made too early in the process of my waking up.
I finally abandoned the last espresso machine I had (a version of the DeLonghi machine DaveFromCampbeltown mentioned) and went to a Hario dripper
A Hario dripper (as a means of coffee preparation) is both foolproof and very forgiving at any insane o'clock early in the morning, agreed.
I've never used one of those......but since you already have it, give it a try. Either it'll give you the necessary grind size, or it won't.
On Amazon, I see it's described as a popular entry level grinder with mixed reviews......when I've had "entry level" grinders in the past, they typically didn't really produce the desired grind size for an espresso machine. (and if you want "badass" espresso, then you need everything just right)
You might buy a package of espresso roast that been already ground for an espresso maker, it would give you something to compare to what you get from your Barata.
So give your existing grinder a try and hope for good luck.
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My Siemens Espresso machine have inbuilt grinder. I don't have to worry about much. It tells me when it needs more beans, water or when it feels dirty, and tells me to clean it.
Btw, my Mexican beans tastes even better when fasting.
Could be that I'll drink more espresso during my fast than usual.
Btw, my Mexican beans tastes even better when fasting.
Could be that I'll drink more espresso during my fast than usual.
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Super helpful from all of you. Thanks guys! I'll wait for black friday to hit to see if I can get a ridiculous deal on an espresso machine!
It is for this reason that I also have an Aldi coffee pod machine.
Instructions --
- Turn on machine and wait for little light to come on
- Insert coffee pod.
- Press button.
- Suddenly remember you have to put cup under spout. Madly press stop button.
- Put cup under spout. Press button.
- Wait till it stops making noises.
- Remove cup
- Remove pod from machine.
- Drink coffee.
This is the very reason why the coffee I most frequently prepare in the mornings is the pour-over,/filter method.
Even then, as you shall see, it is possible to......ah, err, in the preparation process, very, very occasionally, when my (still befogged mind) slips inadvertently, to consider contemplation of another topic.
Uncomplicated version:
1. Put water in the kettle and put on the kettle (yes, it has a light, a little glowing orange light).
2. Heat coffee mug with hot water from kettle.
3. Empty the coffee cup and pour out the hot water into the sink.
3. Prepare Hario dripper - either the ceramic one, or the copper one.
This means: Remove a single filter paper (just once.....the error referred to, above), I have been known to overlook this step, (oh, dear) - fold it caarefully into the Hario dripper, and proceed to spoon a few spoons of (sometimes freshly ground, sometimes pre-ground) ground coffee into the filter paper.
4. Place Hario dripper, complete with folded filter paper that now contains coffee, on top of the heated coffee mug.
5. Pour hot water - carefully and slowly - drizzle - into the ground coffee in the filter paper so that it drips into the coffee mug.
The slightly more complicated version involves heating a saucepan of hot milk, and pouring that into the heated coffee mug before placing the Hario dripper (plus filter paper, plus coffee) on top of the mug, before repeating steps four and five.
And (not for the first time), DHL did not deliver it within their own announced time window - hence, despite having waited for a further forty minutes, I headed out to do some necessary shopping (French bread, organic salad leaves, guanciale, cheese, demerara sugar.....)
Anyway, a small package of coffee awaited me on my return, sitting up, perkily, just outside my front door.
So, at least, I am amply stocked with coffee from El Salvador and from Ethiopia....
Anyway, a small package of coffee awaited me on my return, sitting up, perkily, just outside my front door.
So, at least, I am amply stocked with coffee from El Salvador and from Ethiopia....
Enjoy.
I'm impressed, and jealous of how fast your delivery was!
When I order on a Friday I know the coffee is unlikely to be roasted until the beginning of the following week, and that means it won't get to me until later in the week.
While I'm waiting I'll be finishing the previous order. The last of the Ethiopian coffee vanished on Thursday leaving me with a couple of other coffees until the new order arrives.
I placed the order early on Thursday afternoon; that meant that I had a pretty fair idea that the coffee would be delivered to me either over the week-end, or on Monday.