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Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

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  • #16
    Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

    Please do e-van

    While I havent spent much time trying, Id love to see others results.

    More than interested in the tamper idea as well

    And hey, your first post, welcome to CS. You could do well around here if you are a master!!

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    • #17
      Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

      Bellman actually have a special tamper- though I dont stock them currently- I will try and pick some up when I go to Taiwan next month.

      Like you say though- you dont really want to tamp like you would for an espresso machine. Or if you do tamp that hard you must use a coarser grind. Tapping the grinds down is generally enough.

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      • #18
        Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

        Just picked up a Bellmann today (at Coffee Craft -- 5 minute delivery from Sorrentina himself : ) for a camping trip with the kids school. Mine hasnt got the gauge on it -- but you say leaving the coffee valve open from the start will help with regulating pressure?

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        • #19
          Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

          Hi guys,

          Own a Bellman CX25 without the pressure gauge - have been struggling to make a good cuppa since purchased 6 months ago.

          Tried following the instruction booklet and result is weak long black and even grinding it to espresso fine. The coffee produce is just slightly stronger. Can anyone please provide some step-by-step guide to generating some reasonable coffee?

          Ive tried using hot water with low heat - still struggle to produce anything reasonable. Please advise.

          Thank you.

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          • #20
            Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

            Hi friskhr,

            Wondering what you are comparing to, these machines are not working at anything like the pressure of an espresso machine, so will produce something a bit different.
            As always with any coffee making the most important factors are freshly roasted and freshly ground beans.  You dont specify what you have been using, and in case you have been using pre-ground, for example, that would be part of your problem.
            Beans that were roasted less than about 3 weeks prior, preferably closer to 1 week, and ground less than 3 minutes before use should give good results as they do in plungers, vac pots, aeropress and other methods.  

            Having said that, I also use a plunger and an Aeropress, and i actually prefer the taste of well made plunger brew due to the extra body, unless I can steam some milk to go with the Aeropress brew then there isnt much in it for me. Most of all I prefer Silvia, but an seriously considering a Bellman or similar, with my Kyocera hand grinder, for camping.

            Assuming that you have a suitable grinder and fresh beans, changing grind one step at a time, and amount of ground coffee, a bit at a time should give some indication of where you want to go, remembering that small changes may need to occur on ongoing basis depending on the daily temperature/humidity, and bean types/roast level/freshness.
            Also as noted above the operating pressure is lower than an espresso machine so slightly courser grind should be optimal, and then change does amount and tamping to suit.

            I think you may also get some brewing tips from the stovetop hints that are referenced in various other places on this site.  

            Hope this is of some help.

            Bullitt

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            • #21
              Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

              recently purchased the model with guage and the kyocera grinder - excellent results. Would now like to find a tamper to suit the Bellman just to do a better job than the back of a teaspoon. Using quite a course grind as recommended and is turning out better than I expected. Just tried it on my yacht with top results.

              Any news on an available tamper would be great.

              cheers
              Greg

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              • #22
                Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                Hello there Greg,

                glad you are enjoying your machine.

                at the moment there is no tamper available. I have tried to order some and there is a chance that I will get some on my next shipment in around 5 weeks. However there are actually two tampers- one for use without the reducer device and one for use with the reducer. Personally I get good results just knocking the basket on the bench to settle the grinds- then smoothing with a spoon. I dont think the bellman benifits from a really hard tamp...

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                • #23
                  Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                  It’s taken a while but here are some pictures of my belman (Squirrel as he is known) in action. The milk is in focus, it looks creamy because it makes superb micro foam.
                  I’ve now been making coffee from Squirrel for over a year now and just had my first breakdown, the pressure relief valve activated at only 2.5bar. The seated ball bearing has come out of its socket so I need to disassemble the fitting and see if it can be fixed. Have to wait for it to cool down first. I will keep you posted on how the operation goes, I’m hoping simply.








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                  • #24
                    Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                    forgot one*

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                    • #25
                      Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                      Belman is fixed. I got the relief valve undone today and nothing was out of place, just re-seated the seal and away it went. Just made a coffee and I am very happy! For the reference the relief valve is of very good design, no ball bearing insight. And also the silicon rubber used for all the seals is of exceptional quality, there is absolutely no sign of perishing or failure at all.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                        Good feedback and pics e-van, seems like you are having good success with using and maintaining your machine.
                        Always good to hear from owners about the quality, or otherwise, of internal components.

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                        • #27
                          Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                          Got one of these last week for Easter camping - arrived in a matter of days in good order, thanks to the team at Sorrentina.

                          It arrived with some filter papers - but no mention of them in the instructions (that I could see)
                          Presumably they go atop the basket? Are they necessary of beneficial?

                          Its a messy bugger, though; Ive flooded the stovetop with coffee when unscrewing the lid.
                          There was water/coffee above the basket, inside the screen, I suppose.
                          Is it best to:
                          - let it cool with valves open/closed (which valves - steam or coffee?)
                          - open it while still warm/hot

                          And, is the leftover water inside supposed to look like coffee at the end?
                          Ive been using the 3-cup screen but loading the thing to the 6-cup mark to avoid running out of steam.
                          Perhaps just follow the instructions?

                          Also, nice coffee but no crema of any description so far. Opening the valve at about 0.8 bar.
                          Im using beans now a few weeks old, ground fairly fine as for my EM6910 where they are still giving good crema from the unpressurised basket. I might have been tamping a bit hard. Should I go coarser/looser? I will get some fresh beans, of course, too.

                          Any advice appreciated.

                          Michael

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                          • #28
                            Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                            Hey Michael I have some answers for you;
                            The water in the boiler once it has cooled down will be diluted with coffee; my little theory is when you pour a coffee the top part of the lid with the pouring valve on it acts as a little reservoir with the left over shot. You then wait to build up pressure to froth some milk. For all intents and purposes you now have two separate sections in the coffee machine, the bottom boiler with water in it and the lid with the left over coffee shot. Pressure always flows from high pressure to low pressure, so as soon as you open the steam valve you reduce the pressure in the bottom boiler, the coffee in the lid is at a higher pressure and migrates back down to the bottom. It is more complex than this because the water is under pressure effectively raising its boiling point but I don’t think that would make enough of a difference, maybe??
                            I usually open up the steam valve after I’ve finished and let the pressure bleed off. If you open the pouring valve it gets pretty messy, I don’t see why letting it cool down without letting the pressure off would do any harm but it will take longer because the rapid evaporation takes more heat from the water increasing the temperature gradient (like ice cubes made from hot water will freeze quicker).
                            I have never used the filter papers, I did get some with my bellman too, might be an experiment next time, but without them still results in good coffee.
                            The level of water is a lot more important for the amount of coffee you want to pour; it would be very hard to run out of water only filling to the 3 cup line. Just check how much water is left over once it has cooled down.
                            I’ve been using a grind slightly coarser than espresso, no tamping, just tapping firmly on the bench to settle it, but making sure the basket is well full. You can see the crème in above pics, what little there is. It still tastes a lot better than most cafes!
                            Main point is experiment and you will soon get a feel for what works. Hope this helps!

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                            • #29
                              Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                              Thanks. Whats "well full"?
                              Do you fill to the level of the central tube, or the top of the basket, which is a few mm higher?

                              Do you open the pouring valve fully to draw the shot or only partly, to get a slower pour?

                              Michael

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                              • #30
                                Re: Belman Stove Top Coffee Maker

                                Update, have just started roasting my own coffee and I am now able to consistently achieve a respectable crème, even with my hopeless hand grinder, might try a friends rocky and see how much difference it makes.

                                Method.
                                Measure 21g of coffee for the small reducer, using a paper filter on top.

                                Wait to reach approx 1.2bar then remove from heat and open up the pour valve.

                                After shot, return to heat for steam.


                                The coffee has a great taste, the paper filter helps with this making sure that no dregs are let past.
                                Sorry the photo isn’t crash hot, will use a different cup next time.




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