Hi everyone,
Firstly great site, I have worn out the search button on your site and have found a lot of great tips and information.
I am at the extreme newbie end of the scale, at the risk of embarrasing myself I got a Tefal Espremio with my frequent flyer points (it was either that or an iPod and I thought lets give it a go!), I think its the best part of $100 to purchase the machine and have been using Vittoria ground from Coles...I know I know im donning the flame suit now..
My first cappucino was pulling the shot as long as it took to fill the cup to 2/3 (because you fill the cup like instant coffee dont you..lol). I think Penrite sump oil from the car would have tasted better...! My knowledge on tamping at this point was that it was something that bricklayers do, so I levelled off the portafilter with my hand and plugged it straight in. I even went to the trouble of frothing the milk and adding sugar..not sure it helped in the slightest.
My second cappucino was a little better after checking this site, I now use a large cap off a whiskey bottle as my tamper and it seems to work much better. I now also time the shot to 30 seconds and preheat eveything first. In my coffee world I have moved light years ahead, however still using the ground supermarket coffee.
Anyway dont want to bore you, I probably sound like a rank amateur, but can I say I am having an absolute ball with this little coffee machine, carefully measuring out my supermarket grind, tamping the filter, timing the shot with the wifes iPhone, and frothing the milk to some degree of foaminess. I think its the ritual that has got me hooked more than anything else, the missus is pleased with the output that seems to taste like Cafe quality to us.
So I have enrolled the wife and I in a Coffee course (one of the site sponsors) in June and we are really excited about learning the art. We might even go for a Rancillio and Rocky once we master this. I am really enjoying trying the get the most I can out of this machine, as I think this will teach me the fundamentals.
Can I ask a couple of dumb questions please:
Anyway great site and well done on such an active forum..ill let you know how the course goes..
Cheers
Firstly great site, I have worn out the search button on your site and have found a lot of great tips and information.
I am at the extreme newbie end of the scale, at the risk of embarrasing myself I got a Tefal Espremio with my frequent flyer points (it was either that or an iPod and I thought lets give it a go!), I think its the best part of $100 to purchase the machine and have been using Vittoria ground from Coles...I know I know im donning the flame suit now..
My first cappucino was pulling the shot as long as it took to fill the cup to 2/3 (because you fill the cup like instant coffee dont you..lol). I think Penrite sump oil from the car would have tasted better...! My knowledge on tamping at this point was that it was something that bricklayers do, so I levelled off the portafilter with my hand and plugged it straight in. I even went to the trouble of frothing the milk and adding sugar..not sure it helped in the slightest.
My second cappucino was a little better after checking this site, I now use a large cap off a whiskey bottle as my tamper and it seems to work much better. I now also time the shot to 30 seconds and preheat eveything first. In my coffee world I have moved light years ahead, however still using the ground supermarket coffee.
Anyway dont want to bore you, I probably sound like a rank amateur, but can I say I am having an absolute ball with this little coffee machine, carefully measuring out my supermarket grind, tamping the filter, timing the shot with the wifes iPhone, and frothing the milk to some degree of foaminess. I think its the ritual that has got me hooked more than anything else, the missus is pleased with the output that seems to taste like Cafe quality to us.
So I have enrolled the wife and I in a Coffee course (one of the site sponsors) in June and we are really excited about learning the art. We might even go for a Rancillio and Rocky once we master this. I am really enjoying trying the get the most I can out of this machine, as I think this will teach me the fundamentals.
Can I ask a couple of dumb questions please:
- How is it that most people say you should be able to make better than Cafe quality, arent they pro level machines with baristas that do this day in day out? What am I missing here?
- Do you think I would notice a difference in quality if I bought a rocky grinder, fresh beans from beanbay and perservered with the little Tefal?
- Is there much difference in quality between green beans vs fresh roasted from say beanbay?
Anyway great site and well done on such an active forum..ill let you know how the course goes..
Cheers



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