General > General Technical Chat
Coffee machines revisited, with an emphasis on controllability
SiliconWizard:
--- Quote from: jonpaul on November 10, 2022, 07:59:27 pm ---Bialetti Moka pot, stovetop
All the machines are junk and make lousy cafe
--- End quote ---
So, you prefer those to expresso machines?
I have one of those stove-top italian pots, but I don't use it very often. I find the taste a bit "odd" compared to expresso - it's a bit closer to what turkish coffee tastes like, which I'm not very fond of. But maybe I'm just doing it wrong.
MarkMLl:
After many years of using a filter, I've switched to a cheap espresso machine as more appropriate to somebody who is normally a solitary drinker.
My conclusion in both cases is that the overwhelmingly important thing is spotless cleanliness, in particular getting rid of all oily residue out of the "portafilter" basket (this would normally be trapped in a disposable paper filter).
I've actually also got a middle-of-the road Dualit espresso machine, for which I 3D-printed a replacement steam union using nylon. However I /really/ dislike it: not only does it mandate using a small paper filter but the basket is basically a sealed unit which can't be disassembled for an occasional cleanout.
MarkMLl
jonpaul:
lots of technique involved in a good Moka, grind, preheat water, bean type, slow heat
Used ONLY genuine Baletti or Italiano, the Chinese clones are junk
Jon
MarkMLl:
The quality of Chinese-manufactured stuff depends mainly on the diligence of the commissioning company's QA department.
However, the more TLC that the QA department expends, the more the subcontractor learns which can later be used on his own account.
Forcibly dragging this back on-topic, I once read a downright lyrical piece from a BBC journalist about a government-owned coffee shop in Columbia that was basically making coffee with laboratory precision. But the bottom line is that we all have to find some compromise between spending more time on the preparation than the enjoyment, and an excessively casual approach which doesn't do the beans any favours (and is probably unsanitary to boot).
MarkMLl
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