hi and a question

[JOHNFIREDUP]

HI guess from what i read im a newbie and fair game lol

ok never had an expresso machine b4

just need the basics to get me going like how to use,,no book with it

its a sunbeam em2300

btw my name is john i pastor a church and run a street feeding the homeless ministry in bris
from my reading here theres an awful lot i dont know about coffe and i look fwd to learning ty

[Thundergod]

Re: hi and a question

Welcome to Coffee Snobs John.

A Sunbeam user should be along soon to give you some tips.

Do you have a grinder yet?

[JOHNFIREDUP]

Re: hi and a question

ty
no not real sure what a grinder is yet
dont u just use the stuff u buy or is it to grind bought beans?

[JavaB]

Re: hi and a question

John,

Hi and welcome to CoffeeSnobs....

The first rule of good coffee is to use fresh beans... So what are fresh beans?

After roasting whole beans last about 3 weeks before going stale - the flavours decrease and the coffee tastes dull and uninteresting....
Ground beans last 3 minutes before they deteriorate..... So if you buy them preground they will be stale when you get them home....

We buy freshly roasted beans (many of us roast them ourselves)... and then grind them as we need them... in which case you need a coffee grinder (and a reasonable quality one) to convert the whole beans into ground beans.

Please ask any questions you need - only too happy to help.

[JOHNFIREDUP]

Re: hi and a question

excellent thats the teaching i need

so where do i but a grinder and the beans ,,i live near westfield carindale but

cant remember seeing them
john

[Thundergod]

Re: hi and a question

Most "uneducated" coffee drinkers buy preground beans from the supermarket.
Freshly roasted beans, ground just before use, give an immensely better taste.

The EM2300 has the "Italian design dual-wall "crema" system" that produces faux crema from supermarket coffee.

Getting replacement "single wall" baskets may be an option and then a good grinder and freshly roastted coffee will make a big difference as I said.

However, be warned, you are on a new and long journey to better coffee.

I dont want to scare you, but the cheapest acceptable grinder for espresso is over $300.

A grinder is actually more important than the machine.

A good grinder will bring out the best in the beans AND the machine.
But an expensive machine will not reach its potential with a cheap grinder.

No rush though.

Get the best you can out of the EM2300 and move onward and upward as you learn.

EDIT: I see Im typing slow again tonight.

John the sponsors list on the list is a good place to start.
Any of them will do you a great deal and give good after sales service.

[JavaB]

Re: hi and a question

John,

Carindale is in QLD I think.....

I live in WA so dont know the local scene, but there are quite a few Queensland members who can help you out as to good places to buy roasted beans - and some of the site sponsors also sell roasted beans (Andy will be selling them from CoffeeSnobs Brown soon as well) but dont buy them from the Supermarket - they will be stale!!!.... :P

Re grinders, you could buy something like the Sunbeam EM480.... and you can get them from discount electrical dealers.... they do an OK job.... but Id really recommend an Iberital grinder (which the site sponsors sell) - far better grind quality and great support from the site sponsors as well..... But because they are better they are also more expensive...

Have a look at :

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1163235531

which has details of lots of grinders (some quite expensive).... One thing to remember great coffee is more dependant on a good grinder and fresh beans than the machine used..... So always spend as much as you can afford to get a good grinder.

[JOHNFIREDUP]

Re: hi and a question

ty for the good advice

this bit lost me what and how do i use?
The EM2300 has the "Italian design dual-wall "crema" system" that produces faux crema from supermarket coffee.

Getting replacement "single wall" baskets may be an option and then a good grinder and freshly roastted coffee will make a big difference as I said.

and i do need to know how to use this machine like after water in etc

sorry for being a pain
john

[JavaB]

Re: hi and a question

No problem John,

Firstly dual crema system....

When you apply water under pressure to firmly tamped (pressed) fresh coffee it extracts the coffee oils and the carbon dioxide which is in the grinds.... and they form the lovely crema (head) on the espresso....

With old beans or poor technique this wont happen.... so they invented a system where the coffee basket has two walls.... the second has a small pin hole in it through which the coffee is forced..... and as it squeezes through it generates the false crema.... looks good but doesnt taste good!!!

You can buy normal baskets (only a single wall). With these you need fresh coffee, ground to the correct size and you need to tamp it into the basket properly - you will then get great tasting coffee with real crema....

Now how to use the machine....

Send me a PM with your email address - Ive downloaded a manual for you and will email it.

or you can download it from:

http://www.sunbeam.com.au/product_documents/EM2300_ib.pdf

[JavaB]

Re: hi and a question

John,

Manual has been sent.

Good luck and enjoy the journey. The EM2300 is a small boiler machine so with normal baskets it should make a good coffee.

[JOHNFIREDUP]

Re: hi and a question

ty i got it and read its all starting to make sense now
and the 1 cup basket is missing i see

also the milk/cream thing has been solved

for a start i will use fresh ground from a shop yet to found

ty all for the friendly help

i look fwd to learning more and enjoying making my wife a bice coffee

john

[Sketchy]

Re: hi and a question

in just 10 minutes i found these from site sponsers

http://www.cosmorexcoffee.com.au/appliances.htm
http://barazi.com.au/content/category/4/99/146/
http://www.dibartoli.com.au/machines.html
http://www.gilkatho.com.au/shop/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=221
http://shop.coffeeroastery.com.au/store/listCategoriesAndProducts.shop?idCategory=16
http://www.thecoffeebarun.com.au/grinders.html
http://www.talkcoffee.com.au/equipment/grinders.php

[Sullo]

Re: hi and a question

one tip with this machine (I have one) turn it off after making the first one, might just be mine but it gets way too hot after making the first one and steaming the milk. I find I turn mine off for about 10 mins otherwise the second coffee you make comes out too hot and has a burnt smell to it. Dont know why it does this but someone here will have a good reason why. But definetly if you can get a good grinder, makes the world of difference, I purchased a sunbeam EM0480 for $175 and the dfference it made was unbelieveable. If youve got the time, have a read thru the grinders section and go thru the sponsored links.
Plus ask questions here, they are a really nice group and have helped me in leaps and bounds.
Cheers
Steve

[Viviane]

Re: hi and a question

Sullo, I dont know the machine you and John are using, but single boiler and thermoblock machines will all be too hot for espresso shots after steaming - the machine needs to heat up to a much higher temperature to produce the steam. Try pulling all your shots then switching to steaming the milk. Also, flushing water through the group will cool it down a lot faster than turning the machine off - this forces some cold water through its system. Youll need to play around with this, a stop watch or similar timer would come in handy. Have fun.

[coffeewise]

Re: hi and a question

Is it possible with this Sunbeam to draw water through the steam arm - if so draw the steam out until water appears. I know that some of the brevilles and sumbeams dont let you do this.

I would always recommend preparing the milk before the coffee, I would rather have warm milk than oxidised coffee.

If the coffee shot is let to sit for even a small amount of time it will obviously cool down and in the process, drastically change the flavours and characteristics of the coffee.

James