What do You Do when a Friend asks for a Coffee Leggero?

[rmchenry]

Ok, after a couple of months with my new Expobar machine and K3 grinder and WOW beans and learning dosing, grinding and tamping I get just the full bodied coffee I like. Good double dose, nice slow extraction over about 25 seconds.

Most of my friends like my coffee like this.

Occasionally, however, someone asks for a weak cappuccino or latte and I am not sure how to proceed with this.

Options I have considered:

1. Grinding the beans more coarsely using same dose
2. Grinding as normal but smaller dose in the portafilter
3. Using the same double dose and grind but only allowing half the usual volume of espresso

So far 3 seems best when I taste but interested in what others do in this circumstance

[Mouldy]

Do you normally use a double basket to make a cappuccino? If someone asks for a weak version then single shot in your cappuccino cup with the rest being milk should be ok I would have thought.

This is basically option 3 that you describe above. I don't see that adjusting the grind to be coarser and then under-extracting will produce a palatable drink.

[TOK]

Dont touch the grinder....

Yes, in view of you using a double dose for everything, the first port of call is to use the "correct" std dose of grinds to make your guests coffee (ie split the double).

If that is still too stong, use the same dose (grinds) but go per your option three. This uses less coffee and more milk in their capp, making the character of thecoffee as a whole, more milky.

Be careful double dosing everything....some people are very sensitive to caffeine.

[rmchenry]

Dont touch the grinder....

Yes, in view of you using a double dose for everything, the first port of call is to use the "correct" std dose of grinds to make your guests coffee (ie split the double).

If that is still too stong, use the same dose (grinds) but go per your option three. This uses less coffee and more milk in their capp, making the character of thecoffee as a whole, more milky.

Be careful double dosing everything....some people are very sensitive to caffeine.

Thanks. When I use a single dose in the portafilter the coffee comes out too quickly and loses its flavour. I think I'll stick to option 3 and just keep or ditch half of the espresso.

[TOK]

Yes, in view of you using a double dose for everything, the first port of call is to use the "correct" std dose of grinds to make your guests coffee (ie split the double)....

Hi there. It seems my comment may have been a little ambiguous. It doesnt mean to halve the grinds in the double filter (dont ever do that). "Splitting" is when you (correctly) use the double filter to make 2 coffees, one from each spout...kind of like "splitting the difference".

I dont know why you would throw out the other part of the split.....there is never a problem with a well made std dose coffee in the correct size cups OR....as like double dose coffees, just halve the size of everything else to suit the single dose of grinds. You will just have a smaller coffee of same character that you like...

Hope that helps.

[Javaphile]

What do You Do when a Friend asks for a Coffee Leggero?

I serve them this!




Java " " phile

[fg1972]

I always use a single filter to make 1 coffee and double filter to make 2 coffee's or 1 doulble dose coffee. If chaning back to a single filter for your friend is not an easy option since your gtinder and dose/tamp method is suited to your double, then I agree whith don't change anything and just serve them 1/2 of the normal doulble espresso you make.

[blend52]

..What do You Do when a Friend asks for a Coffee Leggero?

Just tell them you are all out of Nespresso ! ..and serve them your best shot of latte.

[mrvautin]

..What do You Do when a Friend asks for a Coffee Leggero?

Start the search for a new friend.

[terrawarra]

Just tell them you are all out of Nespresso ! ..and serve them your best shot of latte.

Great Idea blend52..... an even better solution is to tell them that the coffee machine is broke and they'll just have to have a cup of tea instead !

[lemoo]

just serve them a normal cup of coffee and say you made it specially for them. they won't know the difference ;P

[oble89]

1) Up-size the drink by diluting the shot with more milk in a bigger cup, or
2) use one side of the double spout from your normal double shot into the guest's cup (drink the other shot yourself, or use it for another cup of coffee if there's another order for a single or weak), or
3) last resort is to take the single shot from one side of the double spout and pour half of that into the guest's cup if he/she wants it very weak, or
4) Make a double ristretto and take the shot from one of the spouts for your guest's cup.

I highly recommend options 2), 3) or even 4). Less coffee for them, more coffee for yourself
Don't touch grind or dose if you insist on quality coffee. Your option 3 is less ideal because taking only the first half of your extraction may result in a sour/incomplete extraction.. Finish the extraction first, and then split the espresso after.

[rmchenry]

Don't touch grind or dose if you insist on quality coffee. Your option 3 is less ideal because taking only the first half of your extraction may result in a sour/incomplete extraction.. Finish the extraction first, and then split the espresso after.

Thanks for that, I hadn't considered the difference between the first and second half of the extraction. Great advice from you and the others.