Francis Francis 101?

[coffinated]

Hi,

I have just brought a Francis Francis X1 and need a couple of pointers.

- What startup sequence should I use for this.... I have heard that flicking the steam or brew on a bit during the heat-up helps?

- Sadly I could not get the proper "grinds" handle, so am using the ESE pods instead. Any suggestions on getting the best possible brew out of this? (I find the temp gets quite hot, and I need some ideas for bringing it down a bit so as not to burn the brew...)

- For 1 or 2 cups, how long should I steam the milk for.... (I usually only use a small amount)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gary]

Hi,

With my Francis Francis here's how I get the best out of it.

Start up sequence:
Just turn on the main power switch. Do not heat the boiler for steaming milk yet. Wait about 10 minutes until the termometer on the front reads about 100 degrees C.

You should call Francis-Francis in the US to get a replacement part. They have a couple different incarnations of that model and the portafilter sizes are different.

After brewing a shot (or two) of espresso, knock out the spent grinds and flip the switch to heat the boiler to steam temp. Re-insert the portafilter handle. Then steam your milk. Sadly the espresso will sit for a moment while you wait to steam the milk.

After steaming milk, flip the switch back to brew temperature and run water through the empty portafilter to bring the boiler temperature back down to brew temp again (about 100 degrees C).

Gary

 

[coffinated]

Thanks Gary,

Seemed to do the trick. Getting used to it all.

Cheers for you help!

 

[espressobsessed]

It's a shame to have spent all that money on the Francis and to not be using the ground coffee PF. It doesn't make financial sense to me. The aftermarket PF couldn't be more than 70USD.