shellyB Senior Member Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 9 Location: nyc Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sat Nov 18, 2006, 4:20pm Subject: Portafilter-Pressurized vs Non-pressurized
I made an effort to look for this info on the site but couldn't find it. So... Would you folks be so kind as to tell me the benifits and drawbacks to using a machine with a pressurized as opposed to a non-pressurized portafilter
Posted Sun Nov 19, 2006, 8:18am Subject: Re: Portafilter-Pressurized vs Non-pressurized
shellyB Said:
I made an effort to look for this info on the site but couldn't find it. So... Would you folks be so kind as to tell me the benifits and drawbacks to using a machine with a pressurized as opposed to a non-pressurized portafilter
Hi Shelly, and welcome to CG. The pressurized portafilter/filter basket forces espresso to exit through a pinhole in a piece of plastic. This generates a pale yellowish rapidly-subsiding foam which gives the illusion of crema, even with stale preground supermarket coffee. A better name would be "krema" or perhaps coffee froth. Because pressure builds up due to the pinhole rather than the coffee puck, you cannot grind fine enough for a true espresso extraction without choking the pour.
Many entry-level pump machines feature these devices (my first machine, a Briel, had one). IMHO, you cannot produce anything approaching the flavor and mouthfeel of true espresso from a pressurized portafilter. Certainly nothing like this:
shellyB Senior Member Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 9 Location: nyc Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sun Nov 19, 2006, 9:04am Subject: Re: Portafilter-Pressurized vs Non-pressurized
Thanks So the reason the crema from a Bodum Granos disapates somewhat like the foam on a warm soda is that is is pressurized. I always wondered why it only had one hole while an X5 had them throughout. This would be an inherent problem with all pressurized machines.
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