Hi, I have been drinking espresso for years and finally decided to try making it myself. Actually, part of the reason for this is because I have had so many bad espressos at cafes in Sydney and thought "how can they get it so wrong?" - but since I myself didnt know how to make espresso I felt it maybe an unfair comment to make.
So after much research on this board, I purchased an EM6910. The coffee... was shocking. Because I used pre-ground coffee (Vittoria in fact). More research ensued, and I learned that pre-ground coffee is a no-no. I bought the EM0480 which is the companion grinder to the Sunbeam machine I have. I also bought beans from a coffee shop called Mecca in Sydney because that is where I get my favourite espresso from.
Tried again with my new set up... terrible! 5 failed cups later and Im starting to get nervous because in total this is a $900 investment for the two machines, and my beans are running out!
So I did MORE research, and discovered I made a lot of tiny errors:
- didnt pre-heat the machine
- underfilled the filter
- used the single instead of double basket
After spending a whole night learning more, I tried again and was amazed at the difference - a really nice espresso! I was overjoyed!
That was a few weeks ago. Now I find myself with a lot of questions. My biggest problem by far is consistency. Every espresso I make is different. Its usually good, certainly better than a typical cafe, but I feel I am pressing the start button and crossing my fingers, making a small sacrifice to Thor and hoping the result is right. I never know what I am going to get. So here are a few questions that are bugging me, and I know will help me:
1. My grind setting is at about 5. Sunbeam recommends a good espresso should have a grind setting between 10-14. But when I do that, my result is very watery. Why do I need the grind so fine? The beans typically are roasted half a week before I use them (I am using Campos beans at the moment).
2. There is a little gauge on the side of the coffee machine with a needle and 6 colours. From left to right they are: white, yellow, sandy, gold, brown, red. Apparently, the needle should hit the brown area. Sometimes I make it to the brown area perfectly. But sometimes, even on a fine grind setting, it only hits the gold or sand area. I actually dont know what I am doing differently, to make this happen. It is luck.
3. I heard 22-24 seconds is a good espresso. When do I time the extraction from? When I push the button or when I see liquid come out?
4. My espresso seems to go a blonde colour very quickly. Even so, it still seems thick and creamy. I am stopping my shot at this point but maybe I should leave it longer? I thought blonde = watery. I am finding it hard to tell when to stop the extraction.
Anyway, sorry for the long post!
So after much research on this board, I purchased an EM6910. The coffee... was shocking. Because I used pre-ground coffee (Vittoria in fact). More research ensued, and I learned that pre-ground coffee is a no-no. I bought the EM0480 which is the companion grinder to the Sunbeam machine I have. I also bought beans from a coffee shop called Mecca in Sydney because that is where I get my favourite espresso from.
Tried again with my new set up... terrible! 5 failed cups later and Im starting to get nervous because in total this is a $900 investment for the two machines, and my beans are running out!
So I did MORE research, and discovered I made a lot of tiny errors:
- didnt pre-heat the machine
- underfilled the filter
- used the single instead of double basket
After spending a whole night learning more, I tried again and was amazed at the difference - a really nice espresso! I was overjoyed!
That was a few weeks ago. Now I find myself with a lot of questions. My biggest problem by far is consistency. Every espresso I make is different. Its usually good, certainly better than a typical cafe, but I feel I am pressing the start button and crossing my fingers, making a small sacrifice to Thor and hoping the result is right. I never know what I am going to get. So here are a few questions that are bugging me, and I know will help me:
1. My grind setting is at about 5. Sunbeam recommends a good espresso should have a grind setting between 10-14. But when I do that, my result is very watery. Why do I need the grind so fine? The beans typically are roasted half a week before I use them (I am using Campos beans at the moment).
2. There is a little gauge on the side of the coffee machine with a needle and 6 colours. From left to right they are: white, yellow, sandy, gold, brown, red. Apparently, the needle should hit the brown area. Sometimes I make it to the brown area perfectly. But sometimes, even on a fine grind setting, it only hits the gold or sand area. I actually dont know what I am doing differently, to make this happen. It is luck.
3. I heard 22-24 seconds is a good espresso. When do I time the extraction from? When I push the button or when I see liquid come out?
4. My espresso seems to go a blonde colour very quickly. Even so, it still seems thick and creamy. I am stopping my shot at this point but maybe I should leave it longer? I thought blonde = watery. I am finding it hard to tell when to stop the extraction.
Anyway, sorry for the long post!

Comment