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How am I going to pull a good shot?

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Discussions > Espresso > Machines > How am I going...

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Ladede
Senior Member

Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 117
Location: WA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Isomac Zaffiro
Grinder: Mazzer Mini

Posted Tue Jul 6, 2004, 7:47pm Subject: How am I going to pull a good shot?

So, my Zaffiro should arrive on Friday, and I realize that I am not sure I'll be able to pull a good shot with it. I'll be using Illy ground coffee in a pressurized can (haven't ordered my grinder yet, it's next on my list), but I don't know how to tamp properly (with whatever tamper will be with the machine, Presto tamper will be on order this week), or what to do, really. All I know is that the shot should take about 25 seconds after a delay of maybe 6-7 seconds before coffee starts pouring. Can you help me? Thanks! YA

expobar
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Mar 2004
Posts: 3,003
Location: .

Posted Tue Jul 6, 2004, 7:51pm Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

illy coffee goes stale FAST (had one drink with it, then it got too stale so i gave it to my dad) plastic (included) tampers are crap, so buy the tamper quick! do about a 5 pound tamp then knock the portafilter (gently) on the counter to make the loose grounds come to the top, and use about 30 lbs. of pressure (probably more since illy is ground too coarsely for an espresso machine) pull the shot

grillroaster
Senior Member

Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 229
Location: ----
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: Isomac Rituale
Grinder: Rocky Doserless
Vac Pot: Cona D
Drip: Technivorm CD, Melitta...
Roaster: Alpenrost, HWP & Alpen-Grill

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 4:07am Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

YA, Having recently come into possession of a can of illy ground espresso (via a cup order), I'd suggest waiting for a good grinder before judging your shot skills. Your shot will be too fast (even with a 30lb tamp) using illy preground. It's ground too coarse to perform properly in your machine. Use the illy in your drip machine if you want to find a use for it (that's what I did). Get a good grinder as soon as you can and try some of the fresh roasted coffees from Intelligentisia. Their "Black Cat" blend is very good as espresso. Rick

Ladede
Senior Member

Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 117
Location: WA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Isomac Zaffiro
Grinder: Mazzer Mini

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 7:48am Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

So, even the Illy espresso fine grind is too coarse? I have a Peet's close to me, is there a blend from them that you'd recommend for good espresso? YA

jrtATL
Senior Member

Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 1,035
Location: Austin TX
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Marcuzzi (Expobar) Office...
Grinder: Mazzer Jolly; Cunill...
Drip: Presto Scandinavian
Roaster: Turbo Crazy (SC/CO); HG/DB

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 9:33am Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

Ladede Said: I have a Peet's close to me, is there a blend from them that you'd recommend for good espresso? YA Posted July 7, 2004 link I like, in no particular order: Major Dickason Blend, Maduro Blend, Sierra Dorada Blend, Espresso Forte Blend. I do find that Espresso Forte and Major Dickason are better for straight espresso than the other two. When you go into Peet's, they should know when their beans were roasted. Try to get some of the most recently roasted beans. Jeremy

"I've appeared before every court in the state. Often as a lawyer." - Lionel Hutz, Esq.

Rick
Senior Member

Joined: 23 Dec 2001
Posts: 765
Location: North Vancouver
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Wega Mininova Inox Auto...
Grinder: Macap M4 stepped
Drip: Melitta #2 cone filter
Roaster: Stir-Crazy/Infinity Turbo...

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 10:27am
Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

Ladede Said:

So, even the Illy espresso fine grind is too coarse?

I have a Peet's close to me, is there a blend from them that you'd recommend for good espresso?

YA

Posted July 7, 2004 link

When people first get espresso machines without grinders, they often ask questions like yours, but they just can't accept the answers.

Let me tell you from the perspective of someone who couldn't initially believe/accept the answers either.

I started out using a blade grinder for my first pump-driven espresso machine. (This was in 1992, before I had an Internet connection.) I checked out burr grinders because I read they are essential for making good espresso. Man, they were expensive! So I bought a cheap Braun burr grinder. It was worse than my blade grinder, so I returned it. I struggled along with my blade grinder, tried canned and brick-pack preground, and all were unsatisfactory. I just could NOT get espresso like the little bar downstairs from my office.

I discovered alt.coffee in 2000 when I went Googling for a replacement PF handle when mine broke. I thought the denizens of alt.coffee were extremists. They roasted their own coffee, and many had huge, grossly expensive burr grinders like the ones in espresso bars! But after a while, I decided to try a decent burr grinder, and bought a Solis 166 (which I have since replaced with a Rocky). I also bought a roaster. VOILA! That was the flavour I'd been missing!

So, I have some advice for you. Take it in the helpful spirit in which it is intended.

"Do not believe that you can make good espresso without fresh beans and a good burr grinder"!

It ain't gonna happen because you can't fool Mother Nature. You'd have more success trying human powered flight with wax wings! (At least you won't melt them and fall to Earth!) ;-)

Making decent espresso requires that the coffee "puck" in the PF be:
- made from freshly roasted coffee (less than ~ 10 days, or within a month for beans deep frozen in an airtight container soon after roasting)
- ground within minutes of pulling the shot
- ground in a high quality burr grinder with sharp burrs
- ground and tamped to the consistency that requires 25 to 30 seconds to pull a ~ 2.5 oz. double at 9 bars of pressure.
- made from water that is between ~196 and ~ 203F when it hits the puck.

Get any one of these factors wrong, and your espresso will not taste good.

By all means, feel free to experiment with coffee of all kinds. But forget the pre-ground if you want good espresso. If you aren't going to get a burr grinder, you may be better off getting a pod adapter for your machine and buying some decent pods. You'll get better results that way than you will with loose preground.

Best of luck, and if you want the real espresso experience, buy a decent burr grinder.

Cheers,

Rick

Kiwibean
Senior Member

Joined: 4 May 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Auckland New Zealand
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Carimali Alfa

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 1:24pm Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

I 2nd what Rick said. I just purchased a grinder 2 days ago (Imat Lux) and what a difference!! I have a coffee roastery 5 mins walk from home so previously I would purchase 100g of coffee and they would grind it for me, run home and pull one decent shot. After that my shots were good (alot better than the coffee from Mall type cafes) but not fantastic. The difference with the grinder is firstly freshly ground and 2nd I can tune the grind exactly for my machine. The diiference is amazing, not just subtely different but obviously better. I wouldn't have believed it could have made that much difference. Trust the Geeks :)

Ladede
Senior Member

Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 117
Location: WA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Isomac Zaffiro
Grinder: Mazzer Mini

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 2:40pm Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

I ordered a Mini today. I know the grinder is more important than the machine, but all these expenses add up to terrifying numbers! Anyway, I am looking at maybe a week with Illy pre-ground, or I could ask Peet's to grind for me. I guess I also need to buy smaller doses if I want my coffee to stay fresh. Thanks for the help. YA

Rick
Senior Member

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 3:03pm
Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

Ladede Said:

I ordered a Mini today. I know the grinder is more important than the machine, but all these expenses add up to terrifying numbers!
YA

Posted July 7, 2004 link

You've got that right! But I think you forgot one thing -- the Titanium handlebar mount for the Mazzer. Those mid-ride stops for espresso will never be the same once you get the Mazzer home! You'll have to take it with you. ;-)

Cheers,

Rick

grillroaster
Senior Member

Posted Wed Jul 7, 2004, 3:29pm
Subject: Re: How am I going to pull a good shot?

Ladede Said:

I ordered a Mini today. I know the grinder is more important than the machine, but all these expenses add up to terrifying numbers!

Posted July 7, 2004 link

Ladede (or YA),

I applaud you for buying quality equipment from the onset (wish I'd done that). I know it feels very expensive now, but you'll have saved money by not having to go through several grinder and espresso machine upgrades.

By the way, I checked with illy and the pre-ground espresso they package in the cup gift boxes is "fine grind - medium roast".

You'll likely have to wait until the Mini is in hand before getting those great shots by finding the best grind setting for your Zaffiro. Even Peets would be guessing at the best setting, but that's a better alternative than trying to get a decent shot from the illy pre-ground.

Rick

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