Espresso machines

[dashDustin]

you guys are making me paranoid. I rinse and wipe out my PF after every use. But...think I'll be ordering a bottomless one, as well as the blind cup and the Cafiza...and a group head gasket.

PartsGuru.com or CafeParts.com ?

[sjauch]

I asked about the Cafiza because someone back there mentioned about having to scrape their screen with a wire brush.

Cleaning anything that comes in contact with the coffee oils weekly with Cafiza will prevent that build up. A little bit of it goes a long way.

[rwsaunders]

Sort of espresso related...this gent and his wife recently relocated to Pittsburgh and they have opened a shop, including roasting their own beans. He's got a portable coffee station for events and I thought many here might appreciate the story of the build.

the making of the convive mobile espresso bar - convive coffee roastery

[j44ke]

Our Delonghi has just started wailing during the morning "wake-up" when I first turn it on and each time a cup is made. I pretty sure it is the brew group, which in the case of this super-automatic machine, is a gray plastic cartridge that contains all the moving parts associated with making each cup. There are linkages and plungers and gaskets and screens, some of which had lube on them when the machine was new, but with cleaning and use over nearly 8 years, I think most of that lube is gone.

Any ideas on replacement lube? While the parts that had lube do not touch the coffee, it feels kind of strange smearing some SuperLube or similar in there. The original was also pretty tenacious - perhaps some sort of waterproof lube with extra adherence powers in a wet environment? And edible/non-toxic?

[Mark Kelly]

We have an automatic machine at the winery, every couple of weeks when I am here I pull out the brewgroup, take it down to the maintenance workshop and blow the rubbish out with the compressed air gun. As long as it is never wet cleaned it doesn't seem to need or like lubrication. The coffee is OK when it is newly cleaned and declines slowly thereafter. Nine months without a proper clean and it is undrinkable.

[sonicw]

Not sure if this is the right thread... Does anyone prefer using a Chemex? My french press just broke today and while I'm not too fond of the disposable filters I'm thinking of trying it out.

[Eric Estlund]

I have friends that love it, but it strips out to many of the oils and seems to make coffee to "clean" for my tastes.

[Bobonli]

Not sure if this is the right thread... Does anyone prefer using a Chemex? My french press just broke today and while I'm not too fond of the disposable filters I'm thinking of trying it out.

I'm heading into week 3 with mine. I prefer it to the French press. I always thought the coffee sitting in the grounds made the press a little "dirty" in terms of taste. I took an intermediate path, buying a small Hario type dripper cup before committing to the Chemex. I think i prefer pour over to press. The Chemex is a lab grade device. I like it because I can make a big batch in the morning throw some into a travel mug and the rest in a thermos to drink later on. Yes, there's a lot of paper but I rationalize that I'm not stopping at the cofffee shop and getting a paper cup there, and by bringing the extra to work I stay away from the coffee machine and paper cups. Poke around on the web and check out a variety of brewing recipes.

[j44ke]

Not sure if this is the right thread... Does anyone prefer using a Chemex? My french press just broke today and while I'm not too fond of the disposable filters I'm thinking of trying it out.

Look for a heavy-duty espresso maker. They are usually made of high grade stainless steel and weigh a chunk, like this one, though you can get them more cheaply if you look around. You use them slightly differently that the speed Bialetti aluminum pots. You cook them slowly at low heat - lowest heat - and the thick base accumulates the heat until it boils the water. You use a finer grind than French press but coarser than typical espresso grind. Granular. The coffee is stronger than French press but smoother (I think) than the Bialetti. And more personality than the Chemex. We have the pot at the Amazon link above, and when our super automatic is underperforming, I am always tempted to switch permanently to this pot instead.

[j44ke]

We have an automatic machine at the winery, every couple of weeks when I am here I pull out the brewgroup, take it down to the maintenance workshop and blow the rubbish out with the compressed air gun. As long as it is never wet cleaned it doesn't seem to need or like lubrication. The coffee is OK when it is newly cleaned and declines slowly thereafter. Nine months without a proper clean and it is undrinkable.

That's a good idea. I don't have compressed air, but I know how to take it apart. Would make sense that something is in there causing the squeaking wail actually.

[dashDustin]

Does the type of glass you pull your shot into effect shot quality?

3/4 of my last shots have been perfect. The good ones have all been into a demitasse. The others were in clear shot glasses...I was wanting to see how they look. Those always end up with less than ideal crema.

Coincidence or is there something behind that?

Ordered up some cleaner, descaler, group head gasket, and...a naked portafilter. Kinda excited.

[Tristan]

Does the type of glass you pull your shot into effect shot quality?

3/4 of my last shots have been perfect. The good ones have all been into a demitasse. The others were in clear shot glasses...I was wanting to see how they look. Those always end up with less than ideal crema.

Coincidence or is there something behind that?

Mark will jump in with some science but I find that china tastes better than glass and certainly better than a paper take-away cup. Make sure the china or glass is warmed or all the heat from the shot will disappear straight into the cup.

[jdp211]

Not sure if this is the right thread... Does anyone prefer using a Chemex? My french press just broke today and while I'm not too fond of the disposable filters I'm thinking of trying it out.

I use my Chemex daily. It makes for an ultra clean, super drinkable cup of coffee. What I particularly like is the ability to bring the flavors of your coffee into the forefront. As to the disposable filter issue, there are reusable ones like coffee socks, but I have no experience with them.

[dashDustin]

Got my Dezcal, and descaled.

A day later I realize the pressure is off. Crap. Guess some of the gunk had clogged with the solenoid. Also got some Cafiza and was thinking that if the 3-way solenoid is being blocked, the Cafiza should help blow that out. So, ran that through last night, replaced the group head gasket, and hot damn. Pressure is awesome now.

At the same time got a naked portafilter. It came with a triple basket. My first pull with this was when the solenoid was obstructed, so immediately, I didn't care for the basket, as I thought that was my problem. Swapped it out for the double that I had been using, a pulled a shot last night. Much better, even though I realize it had nothing to do with the basket. Not as sexy from underneath as the triple, but c'est la vie.

Pretty happy with the machine right now, but have to tweak my grinds, again, to get back to where I was before the descaling.

[j44ke]

Can Cafiza cleaning tablets be used in super-automatics? I hear conflicting advice. The instructions say if your machine has a cleaning cycle, then follow that. Otherwise put the Cafiza tablets in the ground coffee chute and run it for 4 cycles, making a half cup each time.

Our Delonghi has a cleaning cycle but it is for descaling. I don't see any mention for cleaning tablets. The two things are different. You aren't supposed to put cleaning tablets in the water reservoir, because the tablets are soap and will alter the taste of the coffee.

I guess that means our machine doesn't have a cleaning cycle, so the tablet goes in the ground coffee chute?

I feel like I am being a little dense on this, but the stakes are high. No coffee in the morning may create havoc.

[Mark Kelly]

I just looked up the Cafiza MSDS, they contain amidosulphonic acid (descaling cleaner), sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate (cleaner and sterilant, widely used in the wine industry) and a small amount of a non-ionic surfactant (to improve surface wetting).

In my opinion there would be no problem using them in the water as long as you can rinse the water reservoir thoroughly after use.

[sjauch]

I wouldn't put the tablet in the water tank.

It seems with super-autos you can use the tablets during the cleaning cycle and running it through the grinder portion. I'd imagine that's the best course to follow.

[ericpmoss]

I posted over in the manual espresso machines thread, but most of the action is here, so here goes.

After much reading and wishful thinking, I've ordered one of these: CT1. In two months or so I'll let you know if it lives up to the promises of rainbows and unicorns in every cup.

[ericpmoss]

The CT1 finally arrived, and a unicorn popped out, pulling a rainbow with it. It's a perfect match for the HG-1 – LWW as they are both very tweaky, very manual, and very quiet. The CT1 is actually silent. Unless one has kids that tend to grab hot exposed metal bits, or SOs that want hot milk drinks, it's fantastic.

[dashDustin]

The CT1 finally arrived, and a unicorn popped out, pulling a rainbow with it. It's a perfect match for the HG-1 – LWW as they are both very tweaky, very manual, and very quiet. The CT1 is actually silent. Unless one has kids that tend to grab hot exposed metal bits, or SOs that want hot milk drinks, it's fantastic.

That looks awesome. Photos that aren't studio?

" It’s our belief that these rituals and routines keep you in touch with your coffee, and give you a better understanding of the how and why of pulling a great shot."

....gulp....