How do we make our lattes stronger?

[Darryl]

For many years my wife and I have been using a small Krups drip-type espresso machine. We use Kirkland fine ground Columbian coffee from Costco.
Before, while the water was warming in the Krups, we would heat up two half- filled large mugs with milk in our microwave, and half fill a stainless steel jug with milk for steaming. We would steam the milk in the jug while the espresso was dripping into the carafe. Then we would pour the espresso and steamed milk into the large mugs for drinking.
Recently the carafe broke and also the Krups had not been foaming well, so we decided to purchase a new pump-style espresso machine. We purchase a Delonghi EC460 which has 15 bars of pressure.
The problem, as we see it is that the old Krups filter which holds the ground coffee is much (twice) deeper than the filter in the Delonghi. Because there is more ground coffee in the Krups to filter through, the brewed espresso from the Krups is stronger than the brewed espresso from the Delonghi. Therefore our lattes now come out too weak. How do we overcome this problem so we can make stronger lattes for both of us? Thanks

 

[coffeeloverlisa]

Not professing to be an espresso expert at all, we at Rocketfuel had the same issue come up with coffee fans who loved Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffees. Truth is, these are just medium roast coffees and you cannot get blood from a stone.

So we made a new blend called Konakaze, where we added espresso beans... true, Italian roast beans that are strong little fellers, to our Kona and now the Konakaze has true kick!

So the answer is in the coffee you are you are using. You guys are used to your beans and now need to up the octane. Try a French roast espresso bean, an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, or I am sure our fellow forum members can recommend their faves.

Cheers!

 

[shadow745]

Lisa, changing beans doesn't make too much difference when there is so much variation in basket size, meaning less grounds for the water to push through. What the OP can do is get a proper grinder and grind a bit finer, as long as it doesn't choke the machine. BTW using preground seems like a viable option, but you will get MUCH better results if you buy fresh beans and grind on demand. It will require some tinkering, but will be well worth it once dialed in.

If you choose to keep all variables the same, you can simply run less water through the puck, as that will lead to a higher concentration in the cup.

BTW, I know people "think" espresso roasts should be on the darker side, but what I currently use is a medium roasted Brazil and it simply rocks. I do have to let it age a bit longer for maturity sake in the cup, but it simply kicks butt against every SO/blend I've tried yet. Our customers also agree as they are tired of the same old boring dark/oily crap in the cup they've gotten at other establishments. They appreciate being able to taste chocolate/nutty notes from our espresso, be it straight or milk based. Later!

 

[coffeeloverlisa]

Totally great advice as usual... and excellent call on fresh ground with a good burr grinder.

I still like a better quality bean though of course ;-)

Cheers!

 

[PinkRose]

Hi Darryl,

Here's a thought:
Since you're making your lattes at home, have you tried using less milk in them (2% or half and half)?

Maybe that would help you get the "stronger" coffee taste that you're looking for.

Rose

 

[ElPugDiablo]

Have you check home-barista.com or coffeegeek.com for Delonghi EC460 how to guide?

I agree that you need a burr grinder and probably better, but not necessary darker beans.

 

[topher]

How long is your shot taking to pull...I agree with the grind being off. As to roasts and blends that is subjective. We offer 2 different espressos. One is a light roast with java/panama/ and brazil. This blend is so smooth! Our other blend is Sumatra/Brazil/Colombian. This blend is not roasted to the point of French roast but is dark and oily. Most Americans drink milk in their coffee such as a latte or cappuccino. If you use a light roast such as Lavazza you lose a lot...the coffee comes out tasting like a cafe au lait.... this is just my opinion though. Dark roast doesn't get washed away in the milk. Another reason I developed a lighter roast was super auto espresso machines. Dark roast espressos play havoc on super autos. One more thing...you can use any coffee/blend you like for espresso. It is the process that makes the actual drink. As long as you have the proper grind/pressure temp and so on...you can make it from what ever you like!

 

[coffeelogicuk]

I would have to agree about adjusting the grind if it's a viable option, just be careful not to jam up the machine though, I have seen that many times!