What grind should I be using as I start off on my 'cutting my teeth' on acquiring home barista skills?
I have a Pasquini Livia 90 SemiAuto that I just got last week off eBay. I am buying Starbucks Espresso blend and have them grind it for me at that time. The coffee will be used in just a few days, and I am not quite ready to get a home grinder (counter space/wife issue).
I have tried 'espresso' grind and the shots are watery. 'Turkish' grind seems better and I do get crema that seems acceptable, but something is just not right about the taste.
BTW, what temperature should the espresso shots be coming out at?
My water spout and frother seem to make very hot water, but espresso shots are not very hot.
Shots are OK when served, as I do pre-heat espresso demi-cups.
Getting the right grind all in one shot every time you buy a pound or so of coffee is a difficult proposition. There is no such thing as "espresso grind" .. the best grind is found by trial and error and each espresso maker must find his / her own grind.
Keep in mind as you grind .. that how much coffee you place in the basket and how evenly you distribute and how firmly you pack the coffe will determine the quality and pour time of each shot.
Even the weather can throw off your grind !
At any given grind you need to practice a few shots to be sure it is the grind that needs adjustment and not that your filling .. loading .. and packing is off. When first starting thats a tricky task.
That is all a heck of a job when all your coffee has been preground !
Lastly .. although I tend to like some of Starbucks coffee .. it never goes in my espresso machine .. it is more then a bit too stale. Get some fresh coffee it will make a world of difference.
Bottom Line : Tell your wife you will rub her feet for a year and not waste money in the coffee shops but you need your own grinder. Make sure you get a GOOD one !
As to what I can do next, I think the wife has to stay.
As (lucky) circumstance may have it, there is a local coffee roaster/cafe (literally across the street from Starbucks (Larchmont, NY), and, up the street from my home). My next move is to start trying beans roasted from that roaster/cafe.
I am trying to be very methodical about filling, packing, tamping, pre-heating cups, etc.
Not sure about the grinder just yet. I took a leap on the Pasquini and will work my way up to the next level.
I appreciate your help. This forum is rich with information and reading material.
You will have a very hard time controlling your extractions for a few reasons, I think.
Your ingredients are not fresh. There's been no Starbuck's roast I ever tried that wasn't stale in the store. The best before date is non sense. Stale roast= little or no crema. A roast needs to be no more than about 10 days past the day it was roasted.
Pre grinding stales the coffee even more. Ground coffee has a greater surface area for oxidation and stales much more quickly than whole beans.
As was said already, your grind needs to be adjusted for your machine. Espresso extraction is pretty sensitive and even environmental conditions could change things from one grind to another. To ensure good extractions you need to have direct control over your grind.
The prevailing advice, and I agree, is that your grinder will be the most important investment in the quality of your espresso. A semi automatic machine can only extract what you put in it. It can't compensate for stale ingredients or bad grind. If you want to get the best out of your machine you really need a good grinder and a fresh roast.
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