Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with espresso

half a coffee pot

dhruva — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:34:33 -0800

How to make half a pot of coffee from a cafetera? I have a Bialetti Stove-pot espresso making device (cafetera). It supposedly makes 6 cups. How can I make half a pot, ie 3 cups? Half the water? Half the coffee powder?

A dark, rich cup of coffee creme, please!

backseatpilot — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:40:31 -0800

What makes European coffee different from American coffee? While in Europe the other week, I was reminded about how much different their coffee is from ours in America - darker, thicker, richer. I often saw it listed as "Kaffee Kreme" on menus, and regular "drip" style coffee seemed to be nonexistent.

I'd like to recreate that style of coffee at home, but I'm not sure how. It seemed almost, but not exactly, like a large espresso - but espressos were also on the menu, so it seems obvious that it's something different. What's the secret?

I have a normal drip coffee maker, a French press, and a stovetop "Tassimo" pot - can I make European coffee with these? Do I need other equipment?

Bonus: the single serve coffee machines I saw there were awesome - pick a coffee drink and the machine grinds beans and gives you a perfect brew, none of this K-cup crap. Is there anywhere I can buy one of those in the States?

Your favorite espresso maker

zenpop — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:32:18 -0800

My espresso maker just gave up the ghost, after 15 years of great coffee and service. What's a really dependable, good new machine to purchase? As functional as it was cool looking, I had a fire-engine red Francis and Francis unit (shown here http://tinyurl.com/d75rd3 ) I think I paid about 700 bucks for it at the time (and see they've really gone up). Too, Ferancis was bought out by illy -- I'm open to something different).

So I'm wondering Meta peeps -- what do you recommend for a new machine/purchase?

Where can I find these cool and comfy chairs in TO?

JPDD — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:58:58 -0800

Where can I find chairs like the ones at Aroma Espresso Bar in Toronto (pic). They're really comfortable and I want some for my apartment. Need not be an exact match, the cheaper the better.

One (double) shot deal.

Darth Fedor — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:35:01 -0800

Where is to be had the best espresso in San Francisco? Not mocha latte, not caramel frappe---espresso. A double shot.

I am very passionate about coffee, but don't live in a city where true-blue, all stops pulled out, no stone left unturned in the processes of grinding, leveling, tamping or temperature control exists. There are some nice tries here, but no whole hog.

I get a day in San Francisco next month, and I want to taste the best. I'm talkin' rich, gooey, sweet, red-brown out of control espresso.

Direct me.

What's the best coffee machine setup for the occasional espresso drinker?

insouciant — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:23:13 -0800

I drink an espresso a day and two or three cappuccinos a week. I want to get a new coffee machine. I value quality of the espresso and price about equally. And I don't want to turn home coffee-making into a science, so ease of use is important.

What's the most fitting system? Capsules - Nespresso, Tassimo, Illy, ...? A semiautomatic/automatic, with or without a grinder? A manual machine or even a stovetop macchinetta?

You dont get how important this is to me. Or maybe you do.

shothotbot — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:38:24 -0800

When I use my stove-top espresso maker on a propane stove, it doesn't work well, but when I use it on a natural gas stove it works great. I use the exact same coffee, and espresso maker (the Bialetti) on two different stoves, one natural gas and one propane. On the propane stove I only get about half a container of coffee, it seems as if more coffee is evaporating out the top? Or steam coming out of the safety valve? I honestly dont know what is happening but there isnt much coffee but there isnt excess water left in the bottom part.

The only other difference is that the water in the propane kitchen may be a little hard.

What could be going on? What should I do?

Is espresso hot chocolate impossible?

goo — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:26:44 -0800

Chocolate espresso - impossible? I want to make espresso hot chocolate, but after reading up it seems as though it's not doable. At all. Am I right? I want to make hot chocolate using my espresso machine. Initially I searched for insoluble chocolate thinking I could just run it through the machine as I would coffee, but such a thing doesn't seem to exist, and after doing some reading it looks like cacao beans need to be heavily processed before resembling chocolate.

I've read up on home-roasting cacao beans, but apparently that still wouldn't get me what I want as cacao beans are extremely bitter before processing, and need milk proteins and sugar to taste anything like chocolate (which doesn't actually make sense to me, as good dark chocolate doesn't contain any milk proteins, but that's what I read). Could I add milk and sugar after making the espresso to get the same effect?

I'm going to buy some cacao beans and experiment, but thought the hive mind could help as my chemistry and chocolate understandings are pretty basic overall! To summarise;
- will I totally be wasting money and time buying and roasting cacao beans in order to try to make espresso chocolate?
- if I make espresso chocolate, using an espresso machine and some ground, roasted cacao beans, will it be totally disgusting?
- will it be disgusting even if I add milk and sugar afterward? Or should I think about how to add milk and sugar to the ground beans before running it through the espresso machine?

I have an electric bench-top machine and a stovetop mokka pot I can use, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for your help!

What can I do with my broken espresso machine?

veggieboy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:15:29 -0800

I have a Francis Francis! X5 espresso machine that I would like to sell. The problem is that it's the one referred to in this question, meaning it doesn't work. What's the best way to proceed? It's a rather expensive machine — $650 — bought back in the days when I had a job (!) and money (!).

The thing is, I'm not sure I can afford to get it repaired in order to sell it. The estimate is $200 to look at it, which then can be applied to the repair. I could probably somehow manage the $200, especially if I could then turn around and sell the repaired machine for, say, $250 or $300. (Which seems totally possible.)

But, say I find out the repair is $400. I really can't afford that. So in that scenario I'm out $200 for the repair estimate and I still have a broken espresso machine.

In the end, I can't bear to just throw it out. And . . . I'm not quite to the point mentally where I can just give it away. Because I look at it and see a potential sale and thus a bit of income.

So any ideas on how to handle that would be welcome. It seems to me to be a fairly clear-cut case, and it looks like I don't have any options, really. But I'm hoping I'm overlooking something and the hivemind will enlighten me. (Let me be absolutely clear: I am not entertaining the notion of somehow covering up the fact that it's broken to sell it, if that were even possible.)

Finally, if there are no ways to wring a bit of money out of this machine, I'd welcome ideas on what I can do to avoid simply throwing it out in the garbage, which would be a real shame. Freecycle occurred to me, but I'm interested in other ideas.

Espresso Con Panna will bow to my will

toni_jean — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:31:16 -0800

Help me become a kick ass Barista.

I just got a job at an awesome coffee shop. I have a little Barista experience from working at a café in high school, I can steam milk, pull a shot, do your basic barista work, but what I really want is to be the best Barista on the face of the planet. Not because I want a promotion or need to impress anyone, I just love the business that I am going to be working for and I would love to be an asset to them.

So great people of MetaFilter please give me any tips, tricks, or resources pertaining to being the world’s greatest Barista; I am not interested in competing, and going to Seattle for training is out of the question. However I would be willing to travel to San Francisco if it was worth it to do so. I will read anything and everything pertaining to this subject. Also, if you are an avid coffee drinker and have a favorite Barista, what is it that makes them your favorite? I have the sweet smile and intellectual small talk; I need the chops to back it up.

Thanks in advance!

Also, the shop uses a 3 group Conti XEOS & Swift Grinders

CoffeeFilter: Cheap descale/decalc solution for my coffee machine?

monkeybutt — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:42:30 -0800

Is there a cheaper alternative to the manufacturer-recommended descale solutions used to decalcify coffee/espresso machines???? I just got a nice fancy Delonghi full-automatic coffee/espresso machine for Christmas and i want to keep it running well forever, so that means faithfully descaling it. However those little bottles of "NOKALK" and similar products are expensive. I notice on the label that it says it contains "20-30% lactic acid" and some research on the web suggests that other descale solutions are primarily citric acid. That leads me to think i can use non-manufacturer (but food-grade) chemistry so long as i keep the ratios consistent. Is there a bulk source for the components i need to keep this machine reliably free of deposits that won't cost me an arm and a leg? Thanks in advance.

Delonghi Ec5 Espresso machine

arcticwoman — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:33:02 -0800

How much water do I put in my Delonghi Ec5 Espresso machine? I have the machine with all the parts, minus the manual and carafe. I found instructions online, but the only information on how much water to add is measured in increments marked on the carafe I don't have. Through searching, I found that the carafe itself is 8.5 ounces, but I don't know the volume measured by each of the increments. Does anyone have this model? Failing that, is there a rule of thumb for how much water goes in per espresso shot out?

Coffee help!

wongcorgi — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:59:10 -0800

Good/great espresso on the cheap... possible? Background:

My dad just got into coffee and bought a lever action expresso machine (Pavoni) and a nice grinder. I'm not normally a coffee person, but he made me an iced latte that was awesome. (Espresso, whole milk and some hazelnut syrup).

It was seriously the best coffee drink I've ever had (although I'll admit I'm not a coffee connoisseur), and after drinking that espresso, I'm hooked. I've been craving it the past few weeks, but I don't really want to shell out $1000+ for the equipment. I've gone around trying local coffee shops, and everything tastes pretty blah.

Are there any not-as-expensive ways to make good espresso? I'm only going to make 1 drink at a time, don't require any steaming of milk, and wouldn't mind a tedious manual process. I'd say the upper range I'd like to spend is $400ish for all the tools, but cheaper is always better.

Espresso My World

Spurious — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:02:42 -0800

Where Can I Buy A $80-$120 Espresso Machine in San Francisco (I live in SOMA) Tomorrow? I have become addicted to Starbucks lattes, and rather than pay $3 per fix, I would prefer to make my own.

I want to buy a Espresso Machine (has to froth milk too) in the $80 to $120 range tomorrow morning. I live in SOMA.

I searched online for a place in San Francisco to buy from, but all I can find are dozens of articles about where to some ridiculous $XXXX espresso machine from a shop that has been open since 18XX.

Where is a good place I can pop in tomorrow morning, acquire a good quality consumer level espresso machine without too much hassle for $80 to $120.

Thanks!

Barista elbow?!

waltzing astronomers — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:23:11 -0800

Help! I am a barista and my elbow hurts! What should I do? My elbow started aching after shifts a couple of weeks ago. It was minor, it would go away within a couple of hours. I started using a lighter tamp, which seemed to help for a while. Yesterday, it hurt for longer. This morning, I adjusted my grind so that I could tamp very lightly, but still, by the end of my shift, almost each time I tamped there was a slight pain in my elbow, much like I had hit my funny bone, but nowhere near as severe. Also, sometimes there is a slight tingling in my hand.

My shift ended at 11AM, it is now 9:15PM and my elbow still feels weird. I suspect that this is a result of putting too much weight on my elbow with hard tamping (which I have quit doing, I've used wimpy tamps for my last few shifts), and from the forceful motion required to wrench the portafilter into and out of the espresso machine each time I pull a shot. I am scheduled to work again tomorrow! This will require much more tamping and wrenching! I'm worried about permanent damage.

What should I do (quitting my job is not really an option right now)?

Cheap Beans, Rich Flavor.

mccarty.tim — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:29:13 -0800

What's a good whole bean coffee I can buy in bulk online on a college student budget? I'm a college student with limited money. However, I do like good coffee and keep a coffee grinder and an aeropress in my dorm. What brands should I go for? I'm a big fan of pacific coffees and blends of them. I would say the two best varieties that I've sampled would be Dean's Beans Moka Summatra and the Summatra blend from Starbucks. Starbucks is widely available, but it is, of course, really expensive, about $11 a bag here, for a bag that isn't even a whole lb. Dean's Beans is more reasonably priced, but the shipping makes small amounts not worth paying for if I'm not also ordering something else, which I only do around other coffee-lover's birthdays.

Is there any supermarket brand or internet brand that ship affordably? I'd like to be able to pay about $4-6 a lb after shipping, in quantities that vary from 2-5 lbs. I know ordering that much at once risks the coffee going stale, but I can deal with slightly stale coffee on my budget. Fair trade, organic, and shade grown would be nice touches, but I know it's a bit much to ask on my budget.

Also, my school is near Trenton, NJ. I'm a bit scared to go into the city, but it's worth it if there's a cheap wholesaler of beans in there.

Going cold turkey on the bean brew.

Gordion Knott — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:16:41 -0800

I'm anxious to give up the Java, or switch to decaf. For health reasons. Give me hints on how to do this effectively. For me, caffeine is a migraine trigger. I've successfully given up daily cups of tea and coffee, switching to a morning cup of hot water and lemon. But on occasion--during long drives, on vacations, or when passing a local cafe with its bean roaster dialed to 11--the devil strikes, and I give into temptation.

I've tried switching to decaf, but I can't get enough of that jolt that comes with a shot of freshly brewed espresso. Just thinking about the energy spike makes me jones.

I've tried alternative eye-openers, such as daily 5-mile runs or weightlifting at the gym. With modest success. But what I'm looking for is a way to jump-start my nervous system, so that I'll be comfortable with decaf and not desperate for the real thing.

Are there any techniques, exercises, herbal supplements, et cetera, that approximate the caffeine high? Or any comes-from-experience advice on making a permanent departure from caffeine?

Espresso Training?

Texasjake987 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:29:55 -0800

What are the best barista training programs/schools around? I'm looking to get some real, professional training with coffee, espresso, and all other coffeeshop elements. I've heard good things about some of the schools in portland, but its a little far. I live in Boston, but am willing to travel if need be. Lets just say cost is no factor. Does anyone have experience with these programs? Or know anyone who does? Any and all responses welcome.

Is my espresso machine shot?

veggieboy — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:43:17 -0800

My FrancisFrancis X5 espresso machine has water coming out everywhere except where it's supposed to. I just took the machine out of storage, so it's easily possible that something got jostled, or that the low temperatures in the garage where it was stored didn't agree with the machine.

When I turn on the machine, water comes out practically everywhere — places I didn't even realize it was possible for water to come out — EXCEPT the brew head.

I can call FrancisFrancis tomorrow, but I'd be grateful if anyone had a tip on how to repair this myself, or on what I might expect costwise.

Bialetti gasket removal woes

fijiwriter — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:49:11 -0800

Need help removing my beloved Bialetti's gasket that is stuck. Triggered by a recent question to replace a gasket on a Bialetti Moka Express, I started to remove mine. Well, I guess after a few years of use and no replacement* I can't fully remove it. What's left after cutting, soaking in hot water, and soaking in HOT soapy water, are little pieces of gasket stuck to the sides that I've been slowly removing via needle-nose pliers. They appear to be glued to the metal sides.

Is there a better way to remove the gasket that doesn't involve hours of pulling off stuck pieces or using industrial-grade chemicals that I apply with latex gloves? This was a gift to me from Mrs. Writer before she was a Mrs., so I'd like to avoid a total replacement.

(* Shame on me...yes, I know.)

Latex-flavored coffee tastes horrible

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:04:31 -0800

How do I avoid burning coffee with a stovetop espresso maker? I have a Bialetti Moka Express, 6-cup espresso maker. I have had it about a year.

General advice is to replace the rubber seal and filter plate once a year. Which I did last week. I threw away the old seal and plate.

I made a batch of coffee, threw it away. I made another few batches, which tasted just fine.

Within the last week, every batch I make takes on a bitter, burned flavor. Distinctly unpleasant, with hints of rubber. I'm not changing my coffee or coffee-making process in any way.

Do I simply need to replace the seal again to fix this? What other possibilities are there before I spend more money?

Coffee Drinks beyond the Basics

mccarty.tim — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:53:55 -0800

What are good espresso-based drinks beyond the typical lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas? I love the coffee my aeropress makes (Yes, I know it isn't really espresso, but I don't care), but I'm getting a bit bored with just my typical drinks, which are pretty much just cappuccinos and lattes in the morning, straight espresso in the afternoon. Are there any good drinks that I can make with my Aeropress, a battery powered frother, milk, and whatever I can get from my campus convenience store? I'm not much of a mocha person and usually the natural sweetness of steamed milk is about as much sweetening I need. However, if you have sweet confectionary drinks you really like, go ahead and tell me. I'm curious, and it doesn't have to be traditional Italian either. These can be drinks made in an American mug or a demitasse.

What would be nice is for the drink to not require too much cleanup and be easy enough to make in under 10 minutes. But I'm partly doing this for my entertainment, so if you have any big, crazy elaborate drink that takes all morning, I'm all ears.

How should a college kid store his coffee?

mccarty.tim — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:48:24 -0800

Coffee beans behave like busses apparently. I went with preground for a year, and then I got a 5lb bag and a 1lb bag of roasted coffee beans and a grinder today for Christmas. How should I store them, accounting for my specific situation? Here's my situation, which complicates things: I'm a college student, and I am on break until the 23rd, practically a month. I'd freeze it, but I've heard letting beans thaw after their frozen ruins them, which they would do on the trip back to school, which is about 45 minutes. Keep in mind I have a tiny college freezer, so I couldn't keep much that way, even if I were to bring over the coffee in a cooler or something. Or is freezing so bad for the beans, I should skip it altogether? What should I do?

$4 a day for a steaming pile of crap

strangeleftydoublethink — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:47:24 -0800

Due to budgetary constraints, I've cut back on my daily quad-shot 16 oz. latte and am brewing coffee to take to work in the morning. I've noticed a difference in my moods and energy levels, but, more importantly, brewed coffee does not bring out the poop like the espresso drink does. I would always have an easy, complete BM after drinking my daily 4-shot latte, but do not get the same results after drinking two cups of dark roast coffee (with milk). I also don't enjoy the high as much and find that I crash harder.

I've tested it several times. I might go four days in a row with coffee and then one day will buy a latte. Boom! Instant results with the BM. Isn't caffeine just caffeine? Why the big difference?

Looking for high quality espresso beans in Silicon Valley

spiderskull — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:51:24 -0800

GiftFilter: Where can I buy high quality beans for an espresso lover in Silicon Valley? I'm looking for recommendations for beans for a good friend's personal espresso machine. I am, unfortunately, grossly ignorant on the fine art of choosing the right beans.

I'd prefer a local joint that roasts their own beans -- organic would also be nice.

Thanks!