jeru Senior Member Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 44 Location: Corvallis, OR Expertise: Intermediate
Espresso: Isomac Tea Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Wed Nov 20, 2002, 11:01am Subject: TEA on the way!
Well, UPS informs me that my new Isomac Tea should arrive tomorrow. I was hoping that some of the Tea owners out there could give me some pointers on the initial setup. Of course, I'll be calling Chris N. for the full setup treatment, but we all know that the second it's in your hands you MUST fill it with water and plug it in. That said, and knowing the manual will be poor, I want to be sure not to mess anything up and (gasp) damage it.
Posted Wed Nov 20, 2002, 2:20pm Subject: Re: TEA on the way!
"Intermediate" refers to the experience level you choose to put in your coffeegeek profile. I have also chosen Intermediate for mine. Not sure if I'll ever really become an expert as I'm not a professional in the industry - I am an aficionado at heart and but virtue of my interests but believe I need some more experience before I can use that title for myself. The more I learn the more I realize I don't know. Those of you who read my Tea saga know that my initial experience was the exception and not the rule. Happily, my machine is now working beautifully but I haven't been home enough to really put it through its paces. I can suggest the following:
1) Remove the water tank and rinse it out throughly. Replace it and fill with water. 2) Take the water hardness test strips that Chris includes and do the litmus hardness test on the filtered water two times. If the little square does not change color or only changes to the first possible color level change - you're fine on water hardness. if it shows a higher level of hardness you can proceed to use the machine but call Chris for advice on water softening. There's a water softener cartridge of some sort on the tube that draws water out of the tank. It needs to be sleaned and flushed on a regular schedule depending on hardness level. there is info here in the forum archives on that or Chris can explain it. 3) Wait a good 45 minutes or an hour before trying to use the machine. I drew some water off the hot water tap a few times before trying to draw a shot. IIRC this fills the bolier and primes the pump. Do it a few times with at least 6-8 oz water each time. It will be discolored the first few times - this is normal. I'd also suggest running a bit of water through the portafilter before putting any coffee in just to flush out any production residue in there as well. 4) From what I understand, complicated "temperature surfing" is not necessary with machines of this type but if it's sitting at idle for awhile (as opposed to when you're making multiple shots in relatively short succession), you should draw some water off the boiler - grab another 6 oz or so from the hot water tap and then load and pull your shot. The first shot or two from any new machine may not quite be right but with the Tea, it should be pretty darn good very quickly. You might want to have some cheaper beans for the first few shots but reward yourself with a good fresh espresso blend quickly - you should see some great shots in no time at all. I haven't even had the chance to runn good beans through my tea since I got it back as I have been on the road but next week that all changes! 5) Empty the portafilter immediately, lock it back on and run and run a bit of water through it to flush the residue from the grouphead, THEN sit down and enjoy your shot! This "portafilter waltz" practice helps prevent coffee oil residue and other gunk from building up too quickly in the grouphead. I have also discovered that if you pull the activation lever (the one you use to pull a shot) partway out just to or before the first click, the hot water top will angle back in towards the drip tray at about a 45 degree angle. You can actually use the water jet from it to rinse the portafilter nicely rather than doing it at the sink. 6) You'll receive a blank basket with the handles. use it on one of them to backflush periodically. I so it once with water at the end of a session. Chris recommends doing it once a month or so with a very small amount of ordinary dishwashing liquid detergent placed in the portafilter first (IIRC about 1/2 teaspoon or a bit less). Backflush for 10 or 12 seconds on the daily backflush but for 20 seconds or so with the detergent. Rinse it and repeat the process with a plain water backflush a few times to clear the detergent residue. Members of this forum have harped (rightly so!) over and over about the importance of keeping a clean machine. I agree. It makes sense.... better tasting shots and reduced likelihodd of possible maintenance issues down the road. 7) Sit back with your doppio or latte and read the Tea Instruction manual for true comic relief!
As mentioned, I am really an intermediate user and a novice with the tea. One of the "Jims" will probably weigh in with some additional info or corrections but I think I've hit some of the basic bullet points for new users.
jeru Senior Member Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 44 Location: Corvallis, OR Expertise: Intermediate
Espresso: Isomac Tea Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Wed Nov 20, 2002, 2:31pm Subject: Re: TEA on the way!
A couple questions: -After filling the machine, testing the water, and turning the machine on, should you run some water through immediately (for instance, through the tea nozzle) to fill the boiler? Or does it do that automatically? It seems like it would be bad to have it coming up to temperature dry. -For the soap, are we talking hand style liquid soap, or the type you put in your dishwashing machine? -What is IIRC?
Posted Wed Nov 20, 2002, 2:34pm Subject: Re: TEA on the way!
jeru Said:
I know what you mean about "intermediate"...
Does Chris' have more Mazzer's? Mine was on backorder last week, and I had them ship the Tea anyway just cuz I was anxious to get it.
He didn't comment on backorders except to mention that it was difficult to get enough Mazzer's in to meet demand.
btw - what coffee will you start with?
I haven't decided. I'm definitely going to order Intelligentsia's Black Cat and Vivace's blends, but a more likely starting point is roasting up some Sweet Maria's Monkey Blend or a Sumatra a day or two before the machine arrives.
I've tried them as vac pot coffee, but never espresso.
milnerb1 Senior Member Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 390 Location: Lake Tapps, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Vivaldi II, Isomac Tea,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini, Solis Mulino Roaster: Behmor 1600, BBQ drum,...
Posted Wed Nov 20, 2002, 3:50pm Subject: Re: TEA on the way!
blkeagl Said:
I haven't decided. I'm definitely going to order Intelligentsia's Black Cat and Vivace's blends, but a more likely starting point is roasting up some Sweet Maria's Monkey Blend or a Sumatra a day or two before the machine arrives. Tarik
Vivace is much lighter so you can get away with a little higher brew temp. I have the boiler set to max out at about 1.25 bars (which yeilds water at about 201-203) after the initial bleed of the superheated water through the grouphead.
Intelligenisa is definitetly on the other spectrum of excellent espresso. It's a bit darker (but not too dark) than Vivace. You can brew it a little cooler and get amazingly deep flavor with a lot of chocolate overtone.
Another great one to try for a medium/dark roast would be Lighthouse Roasters here in Seattle area. This is a small roaster in the outskirts of the Fremont District of Seattle in the middle of old city houses. Picture a turn of the century house, with 12 foot ceilings converted to a humble coffee shop/roasting facility with. Very "Seattle" with a lot of extreme artsy folks hanging out, but OUTSTANDINDING ESPRESSO, roasted fresh daily. You can probably order their beans over the phone at 206-633-4444, but I don't think they have a web page. click here and look about half way down the page for a little write-up on them
Another outstanding lighter espresso comes from "Batdorf Bronson" in Olympia, WA. click here. Try their Dancing Goats Blend. It's every bit as good as Vivace (if not better) IMHO.
Good luck
I haven't had as good of luck with my home roasts as with the above freshly pre-roasted coffees. I need more practice!!
milnerb1 Senior Member Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 390 Location: Lake Tapps, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Vivaldi II, Isomac Tea,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini, Solis Mulino Roaster: Behmor 1600, BBQ drum,...
Posted Wed Nov 20, 2002, 3:52pm Subject: Re: TEA on the way!
jeru Said:
A couple questions: -After filling the machine, testing the water, and turning the machine on, should you run some water through immediately (for instance, through the tea nozzle) to fill the boiler? Or does it do that automatically? It seems like it would be bad to have it coming up to temperature dry. -For the soap, are we talking hand style liquid soap, or the type you put in your dishwashing machine? -What is IIRC?
Posted Thu Nov 21, 2002, 11:23am Subject: Re: TEA on the way!
IIRC means "if I recall correctly"
Double check with Chris before using any dscaler or espresso cleaner. I didn't have a discussion with him about periodic descaling but I had the impression that his preferred method is to make sure you deal with the water hardness BEFORE it enters the machine, thus lessening it as a frequent maintenance issue.
Liquid detergent like the stuff you use to wash dishes in the sink (not the dishwasher stuff).
I tried Monkey Blend and it was terrific. Haven't tried custom home blended espresso roasts but I will be blending and roasting some next week when I get home for long enough to do it.
Not sure how far you are from Stumptown Roasters in Portland but they have a terrific house espresso blend that they roast and sell on premises. Another blend I really liked that I tried on my Nortwest espresso run this summer was the Gusto Crema blend from Cafe Umbria. It's their lightest espresso roast but is a bit more robust in flavor than Vivace - lots of crema in this one. Another relatively new Seattle roaster, they don't have an online shopping system but you can order from them by phone, email or fax. Cafe Umbria
I really liked the atmosphere at Caffe Vita in Seattle but was less enamored of their recommended espresso blend, Cafe del Sol. It was on the darker more robust side but was not as smooth as the Umbria productor the Vivace. They do run a nice operation and offer roastery tours with a cupping session if you call in advance to make an appointment. It's the only one of their blends I've tried and my taste is likely different from yours so do consider giving them a try. Caffe Vita
Posted Sat Nov 23, 2002, 3:11pm Subject: Important correction on cleaning procedure!!!!
Chris Nachtrieb just emailed me and informed me (politely) that I was dead wrong about cleaning. Do NOT use any kind of liquid detergent - see his recommendation below.
"Do Not Use ordinary dishwashing liquid detergent" I never said that! I only recommend Puro Cafe or Urnex espresso machine cleaner, nothing else!!!!!!!!! Please print a retraction you will make a mess of not only your machine but anybody who follows your instructions machine. Did you ever put ordinary dishwashing liquid in an automatic dishwasher?
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