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  • #16
    Re: Cafe Roma Problems

    Hi Ozz. Your mod looks good. From the description, I dont think the problem is with your cafe roma, so I dont think you should rush into selling it just yet. If you are getting a pour time of 13 seconds for 60ml from your single basket, that is the most likely reason for your problem. I think you should be aiming roughly for a pour time of 30 seconds for 30ml from your single basket. You should not try to extract more than 30 ml from a single basket - it will just taste bad. With your current set up, the water is moving through your coffee 4 times too fast. This suggests that your grind is not fine enough (if you are tamping hard) and is probably also connected to the lack of crema. The sunbeam grinder can be tricky to get right and I think if it isnt clean, then compacted coffee grounds can keep the upper burr from getting closer to the lower burr even when you dial it down. So, firstly, try to clean the burrs if they are covered in old grounds. Then, try grinding at a the same or even a finer setting. If you cant get a setting that slows the pour rate, then the problem is with your grinder, not the cafe roma. I used to be able to choke my cafe roma so it wouldnt pour at all, if I dropped the grinder setting to about 10 and tamped hard with the plastic tamper. From there, 1 or 2 clicks higher, same amount of coffee and same tamp pressure, had it working about right, producing nice coffee with decent crema through my modified basket. I dont know Campos coffee, but if it isnt fresh roasted (ie. within a few weeks at most), then that may also be why you arent getting much crema.

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    • #17
      Re: Cafe Roma Problems

      Hi Ozz. Your mod looks good. From the description
      Thanks for the encouragement & your posts & help mate.
      I thought I stuffed it to begin with as I thought that just a few extra drill holes in the bottom might work but I could hear little bits of metal shaking around so ended up at a mates place (who has more tools than I do) & drilled out the hole than punched the top part of the basket out, got the dremel in to grind away any sharp bits & punched the top part back in, so was reasonably happy being able to get it done without buggering it up completly.

      I dont think the problem is with your cafe roma, so I dont think you should rush into selling it just yet.
      I might subconsciously be looking for a reason to upgrade...  

      If you are getting a pour time of 13 seconds for 60ml from your single basket, that is the most likely reason for your problem. I think you should be aiming roughly for a pour time of 30 seconds for 30ml from your single basket. You should not try to extract more than 30 ml from a single basket - it will just taste bad. With your current set up, the water is moving through your coffee 4 times too fast.
      So far I havent been able to get a 30 sec pour from the single or double basket, modded or not modded no matter what the grind and/or tamping. Mostly I use the double basket as I like a bigger coffee & tried the mod on the single because i thought if I stuff it up its no loss as I probably wouldnt use it anyhow, but still cant achieve that elusive 30 sec pour.

      This suggests that your grind is not fine enough (if you are tamping hard) and is probably also connected to the lack of crema. The sunbeam grinder can be tricky to get right and I think if it isnt clean, then compacted coffee grounds can keep the upper burr from getting closer to the lower burr even when you dial it down. So, firstly, try to clean the burrs if they are covered in old grounds. Then, try grinding at a the same or even a finer setting. If you cant get a setting that slows the pour rate, then the problem is with your grinder, not the cafe roma. I used to be able to choke my cafe roma so it wouldnt pour at all, if I dropped the grinder setting to about 10 and tamped hard with the plastic tamper. From there, 1 or 2 clicks higher, same amount of coffee and same tamp pressure, had it working about right,
      This grinder gets cleaned as best I can after every grind so I dont cross contaminate the different coffees we are trying out(got about 10 diff ones...do I qualify as a coffee addict yet...lol) Its a mongrel thing to clean too. I had a choice of this one, sunbeam EM0450(ours is a 0450 but they have 0480 on the site, dont know what the diff is.)
      Code:
      http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/product_details.cfm?rec_id=587&sec_id=79&home_id=2
      or a delonghi KG100 for $5 dearer
      Code:
      http://www.delonghi.com.au/products/product_details.asp?Model=KG100
      (Id be curious which one you or anyone would consider the better grinder & easiest to clean)


      I dont know Campos coffee, but if it isnt fresh roasted (ie. within a few weeks at most), then that may also be why you arent getting much crema.
      Man this is the best coffee ive EVER had. They are in Newtown & well worth a try. My fav is the superior blend, have loved & craved it for years & this batch is really fresh. This is the batch I benchmark all other coffee to, if it dont stand up to the campos coffee...out it goes or the mrs gets it...lolI still havent gotten to the part of the forum yet thats about all the diff coffees there is to try but ill get there eventually. Whats your favs?

      Thanks heaps for all your & everyones help. Im not used to being a useless noob at many things & am finding this whole learning curve really really frustrating so all your help, suggestions & encouragement is very much appreciated.
      Thanks
      Oz

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      • #18
        Re: Cafe Roma Problems

        No worries Oz, I was in your boat not long ago and got heaps of help from folks here so if I can pass some on then great (and I am happy to be corrected by any of the more experience CSers). I reckon your grinder is the problem, but only in that you might need to set it to grind much finer. Also, try tamping on top of a set of bathroom scales, to see if you are getting near 15kg (which you should aim for). If you can do a bit of experimenting, why not try a few steps finer on the grinder. If you cant get the pour to take 30seconds or more, even on the finest setting your grinder will allow, then you may need to fix or replace your grinder. I have the 0480. I am not sure how much different they are, but I am pretty sure the 0450 is capable of producing a fine enough grind for espresso. There are lots of posts in the grinder section about problems with the 0480 gradually getting courser and requiring a lower setting, and more importantly, tips to fix the problem (adjusting the position of the burrs). These may also prove useful for your 0450 grinder if you cant get it to grind fine enough. The cafe roma can certainly do the job (mine did it very well), so if you buy another machine and you use the same grinder, you will probably be just as disappointed. That isnt to say that you can improve on a cafe roma - you can for sure, but at this stage I dont think it is your weakest link.

        I get my coffee from Coffea in Melbourne (Fidels blend). Typically roasted within 2-4 days of purchase. It is my favourite.

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