need help with my espresso making

[mpacker99]

hi

i recently bought a breville espresso maker. i noticed that when my espresso is done the grounds are still very wet, normally there is water in there that spills out.

im getting what seems to be a good shot, with proper creme

I've tried grinding the beans finer and it hasn't helped much.

i do not tamp the grounds very much otherwise i get very little out.

any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Randy G.]

It is important for us to know:
- what beans you are using
- how old are the beans since they were roasted
- what grinder do you have.
- What model of Breville do you have
- Is the Breville new
There are many other questions, but those are the place to begin.

 

[mpacker99]

It is important for us to know:
- what beans you are using
- how old are the beans since they were roasted
- what grinder do you have.
- What model of Breville do you have
- Is the Breville new
There are many other questions, but those are the place to begin.

beans... well i've got a few different types that I got at a health food grocery store, i'm not sure on the real name since I put them in the bag and just wrote the number and flavor on them to check out. I've tried about 4 different types of beans and they all result in the same "wetness", but the espresso taste good (actually a couple flavors had better taste (imo) than the local coffee shop).

the Breville is the BES830XL and I got it brand new (about 3-4 weeks ago)

the grinder i have is the Bodum Bistro (I know it's not a high end or $300 grinder, but I had to start somewhere). currently i'm grinding on on the finest setting.

I'm new to this (tired of paying 4-5 every day) and wanted to start and learn.

Thanks for any help

 

[Randy G.]

There are two (or more) models of the Bistro grinder. Even the "better" one (the "10903-") is not sufficient for espresso. The other one isn't sufficient for use as a fishing sinker. The grinder is more important than the espresso machine. It is likely creating a lot of dust which might be the reason you have to tamp so lightly. I suggest backing off two clicks and tamp harder. You might also head over to my website and look in the RIGHT hand column and read the "How TO" #12. It might take a couple of days to get through it, and a month or so before it all soaks in, but it wil assist you in getting as much as you can out of that outfit.

I should also mention that if you don't know when those beans were roasted, then their freshness is questionable. Was it Trader Joe's?

 

[mpacker99]

There are two (or more) models of the Bistro grinder. Even the "better" one (the "10903-") is not sufficient for espresso. The other one isn't sufficient for use as a fishing sinker. The grinder is more important than the espresso machine. It is likely creating a lot of dust which might be the reason you have to tamp so lightly. I suggest backing off two clicks and tamp harder. You might also head over to my website and look in the RIGHT hand column and read the "How TO" #12. It might take a couple of days to get through it, and a month or so before it all soaks in, but it wil assist you in getting as much as you can out of that outfit.

i did some practicing tonight and got a couple shots that looked pretty good. the grounds were drier when finished (but not where i think it 'should' be), but definitely better. i ended up dropping three clicks and tamping pretty hard. will try some more.... don't think i can drink anymore and i'm not about to throw it away....that's a sin in my book <grin>


I should also mention that if you don't know when those beans were roasted, then their freshness is questionable. Was it Trader Joe's?[/QUOTE]

well anything i get is most likely going to be questionable in freshness... i live in an area of about 7500 people and it's probably at least 90 miles to get to descent size city. never heard of trader joe's (i'm guessing it's not a good place to go by your message). it was a small, grocery store called healthy foods (or something like that) i charlotte,nc. we actually read online from some people in the area that it was the best place to get coffee beans

will let you know what i find out tomorrow.

one more question, the breville comes with a single wall and double wall "filter" (basket, is that the correct word?). One has one hole in the bottom and the other has many holes. i've been using the one with single hole and things look pretty good (they say that one is for beginners). i've tried the one with many holes in it and all my espresso looks like is dirty water, no creme and very bad color.

should i just stay with the "easy to use" one for now and not worry about the more advanced one?

thanks!

 

[Randy G.]

The single hole basket is a "crema enhancer" and shouldn't be used unless the grinder is so bad that you cannot get the "standard" basket with many holes to work. Usually, the crema-enhancer is used with pre-ground coffee and you just put the coffee in, level with a VERY light tamp, and go. The little hole emulsifies some of the oils and makes foam in the coffee a bit so you get the appearance of crema. It takes a lot of the guesswork out, but it also helps make some pretty bad espresso.

TJ's is a store around the country I think. There should be some good places to get coffee in Charlotte, although not right downtown.. there's virtually nothing there. If the shop has a website, send it and I will look. Also check on CoffeeGeek - News, Reviews, Opinion and Community for Coffee and Espresso as there is an area where folks review and talk about shops geographically organized so you might find something there.

 

[OldSalt]

Wet puck

Randy, are you suggesting I should not get a wet puck? My La Pavoni Europiccola, a manual lever machine, gives dry pucks every time. I've used this machine for years a couple of times a day. I have a GranGaggia, a Gaggia Espresso, and just picked up a Starbucks BuonCaffe, all of which produce a wet puck. Even my superauto Gaggia Syncrony Digital (automatically) leaves a wet puck in the box. As I understood it, these machines do not leave the puck under pressure, which means the water is not all pushed out of them. This, as compared to my La Pavoni, which I must turn the portafilter handle to the left slowly to release the steam, lest the explosion impact the group head gasket and my counter with more grounds than ever could have been in the filter.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom,
David "I appreciated your tribute to Madeleine Page and may respectfully borrow her delightful use of internyms" Hambleton

 

[Randy G.]

There is very little information available at the resellers of this machine where I just did some investigation. I could not find if this machine has a 3-way valve or not. If it doesn't have one then wet puck will be the norm. But stop worrying about the puck. Worry about the espresso. Some machines leave the puck wetter than others. allowing the machine to warm up for a reasonable amount of time (like 30 to 45 minutes) before use, and flushing a bit of water through with the portafilter removed before the first extraction might help.

 

[wmark]

There is a review of the Breville on CoffeeGeek that mostly says the machine disappoints.