# Silvia, at last you're putting out properly for me! (espresso thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232 "2009-12-06T22:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/41 "2009-12-16T21:03:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I love my Silvia even more now. I got 3 more portafilter baskets now, and a decent tamper that clicks when I reach 30 pounds of pressure. I’ve gotten the grind, the amount and the tamping down where I want them, and 90% of my shots are “excellent”. Interesting, as I’m having rather the opposite problem getting used to my ‘new’ (about a month old.) Krups machine. The French Roast and 454 Horsepower roasted coffees I have were ground too fine for my machine, and if I tamp it down too much, the machine has to strain to pump the espresso out. The Lavazza Rossa, that I bought at the Italian grocer’s around the corner, works just fine. I apparently need further experimentation to get the grind/tamp ratio just right. It’s still just unspeakably cool to have my four o’clock latte without leaving the house. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/42 "2009-12-16T22:46:59Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > coffees I have were ground too fine for my machine, and if I tamp it down too much, the machine has to strain to pump the espresso out. Do you grind your own beans? If not, I’d suggest considering it. Grind it wrong, and you waste less than 16 grams of beans. And part of the fun is fiddling with the grind, to find the perfect setting! I’ve tried grinding finer and tamping less hard. Once I got a near-perfect ristretto from that, but just now I had an unpalatable shot that brewed much too fast. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/43 "2009-12-17T15:10:54Z")
**Qadgop** Not yet - I had been hoping to learn to use the machine first, then figure out how to grind to suit the machine. We only have one of those little Braun electric grinders, which I use for my filter coffee of a morning. I have to sit down with three sheets of white paper and a magnifying glass to compare my three samples - Lavazza, 454 and the French Roast - to figure out how to grind to the size of the Lavazza. Interestingly, despite the machine sitting there pumping away for about 90 seconds without any liquid coming out, the 454 and French Roast have tasted much better. That would confirm my opinion that the actual beans used for Lavazza make it the espresso equivalent of Nabob, even if they do the grind perfectly for my machine. Still experimenting - [del]Sleepless in Seaton Village[/del] I mean, Le Ministre. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/44 "2009-12-17T18:43:26Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I’ve tried grinding finer and tamping less hard. Once I got a near-perfect ristretto from that, but just now I had an unpalatable shot that brewed much too fast. Temperamental stuff, isn’t it? I watch the professional baristas at artisan espresso joints, and they don’t get it right all the time, either. I’ve seen them ditch a shot that they’ve just labored over as not perfect enough, then make an infinitesimal adjustment to the grind and do the whole thing all over again. They remark that bean age, changing temperature during the course of the day and humidity will all affect how well the shot will pull. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/45 "2009-12-17T18:45:27Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Temperamental stuff, isn’t it? I watch the professional baristas at artisan espresso joints, and they don’t get it right all the time, either. I’ve seen them ditch a shot that they’ve just labored over as not perfect enough, then make an infinitesimal adjustment to the grind and do the whole thing all over again. They remark that bean age and weather humidity affects how well the shot will pull. Oh lordy yes, one never is quite sure what one will get. Yet my quality is consistently much higher than it ever was before, so it’s a lot more fun. I guess I should have sprung for the machine with the humidity control… ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/46 "2009-12-19T10:14:08Z")
Repossesed my La Marzzoco today from the people who were leasing it…well, they would have been leasing it if they had paid their bill…it’s in the back of my suburban now. I need to hook it up…just to test it…yeah that’s it, before I sell it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/47 "2009-12-19T16:00:09Z")
> [@bdgr](#): > > Repossesed my La Marzzoco today from the people who were leasing it…well, they would have been leasing it if they had paid their bill…it’s in the back of my suburban now. I need to hook it up…just to test it…yeah that’s it, before I sell it. If my Silvia = Eowyn, then a La Marzocco would = Arwen. :eek: Oh well, I’m no Aragorn. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/48 "2009-12-19T18:48:56Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I guess I should have sprung for the machine with the humidity control… Yeah, what’s the matter with you, you cheap bastard? ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232/49 "2009-12-20T00:16:21Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > If my Silvia = Eowyn, then a La Marzocco would = Arwen. :eek: > > Oh well, I’m no Aragorn. I can make you a hell of a deal on it…even take your silvia in trade. You’ve got an an extra 220 outlet in your kitchen, and the extra counter space, right? (mods: the preceding was a joke, I’m not seriously trying to sell a comerical espresso machine the size of a kia on the boards here) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silvia-at-last-youre-putting-out-properly-for-me-espresso-thread/520232.md?page=2)