I definitely think my method needs improvement. My machine extracts over about 15-20 seconds, any more and it's over extracted. I'm guessing this means I need to either grind a bit more or tamp a bit more. I struggle to tamp it any more with the plastic tamper that came with the machine, maybe I need to get a better one.

I'd like a better grinder as well, but a decent grinder costs more than my espresso machine 😆

[–] FloofahNZ 2 points 1 month ago (11 children)

What you could try is half filling the portafilter, then tamping, top it up and tamp again.

I tamp my portafilter by filling it to the rim with ground coffee, resting the portafilter head on the kitchen worktop, then really leaning into the tamping process, only a single tamp press for me. It should drop the coffee level 1-2mm.

[–] Dave 2 points 1 month ago (10 children)

I've ground it a bit longer and tried what you suggested tamping it twice, which sort of helped.

It definitely has more flavour, and I had extract for closer to 30s.

However, with the grounds so dense, when I take the portafilter off it has a pool of water on the top.

[–] FloofahNZ 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Mine does too, so after use, I remove it and leave the portafilter resting on the machine base. After a while, so typically before the next brew, it has dried enough to make the old coffee removal from the portafilter easier.

Glad to see your extract is better timed. It’s all very tricky on timing to suit the machines, certainly not a plug and play!!!

[–] Dave 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

My machine instructions says water pooling on the portafilter is a sign you're doing something wrong 😆

certainly not a plug and play!!!

I had no idea how much this was going to be true! It looks so easy in the cafes 😆

[–] FloofahNZ 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I guess cafes need to run dozens, if not hundreds, of shots a day. Once they establish their process, and that’s typically biased to saving money, that’s when you find your home coffee tastes a million miles better than that from the local cafe.

[–] Dave 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, also the personal taste thing. Plus they probably do it much quicker because they already have their machines and grinders set to the beans.

Definitely a lot of variance in cafes. My wife laughs at me for swapping my order between long black and flat whites depending on the cafe. Often based on a snap judgement of a place I've never been before.

[–] FloofahNZ 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Time to get into the only "drink at home" principle. I have to admit, we have several friends and locals who often visit us, seemingly primarily for our coffee. Got a visitor coming tomorrow, they’ll get a taste of our new Deadly Sin blend. Won’t say anything, just ask about how they like our "new" coffee.

[–] Dave 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Haha well I don't go to cafes because they do coffee better than I do. I also don't go to cafes because they do better food than I do.

Sounds a bit like you're running a cafe yourself

[–] FloofahNZ 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Crickey, that’s an interesting response. I guess I should ask, why do you go there then?

I was ready to take on a cafe about 10 years back, but the business owners still wanted full control of how the cafe was run, so my answer was no.

[–] Dave 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The same reason I go to the pub instead of drinking at home! Because that's where everyone else is drinking 😆

I guess for a cafe there's also the benefit of not having to cook. I don't often find anything in a cafe that I couldn't make better myself. And by better I mean more in line with my own tastes, which aren't necessarily objectively better.

[–] FloofahNZ 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I fully understand the social aspects of your comments. That said, your coffee made from your own machine will be a bit more personal and need to be as best as possible aligned to your personal taste.

[–] Dave 2 points 1 month ago

For sure! Just as soon as I get better at it 😅

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