It’s the grinder, stupid.
So I have a caffeine addiction that goes back to 1986 when I was instructed on proper use of the cappucino machine on the 7th floor of the old MIT AI Lab (Thanks, Gumby!). At home, I’ve been making espresso with a 10 year old Saeco Aroma Nero with pre-ground canned Lavazza coffee. It made what I thought was passable coffee.
But then it started to get temperamental. It stopped making espresso so I descaled it and modified the pressurized portafilter to be non-pressurized by removing all of the springs. Then the water hose came loose and I had to open up the machine to replace it. The machine still works but I started to worry about a catastrophic failure. I needed to retire the Saeco to backup status.
So I started shopping for a new machine and discovered Home-Barista.com. This is where the real coffee nerds hang out; I didn’t know what I was missing. For the coffee nerds, the cheapest machine that is above threshold is the $500 Rancilio Silvia. However, it doesn’t stop there. According to the coffee nerds, freshly ground beans are the key to good espresso, which means you have to buy a grinder that costs at least $250 to go with your fancy espresso machine. So I plunk down my money and buy a Silvia and doserless Rocky grinder.
The new gear shows up and I start downing double espressos in the name of “research” and finally get the grinder settings and tamping dialed in. Since I’m a scientist, I decide to test the grinder theory by making espresso in the old Saeco with the freshly ground coffee from the Rocky. Holy Crap, it’s the best espresso the Saeco ever made. The most important piece of equipment really is the grinder.
August 13th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
So did you return the Rancilio Silvia? Having a good burr grinder is a key component to coffee prep. There really is just one step left for you to become an official coffee fanatic, I mean aficionado.. you need to start roasting green coffee beans.
Check out Sweet Maria’s for green beans, nice selection and great technical information that is sure to appease your scientific nature.
http://www.sweetmarias.com
August 24th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
True that!
I recently got a new machine, and without the grinder, it produced utter CRAP. I had always planned on getting the grinder, but it was just a few days late… they were a slow few days.
btw, if you are into latte art, check out this site - http://www.ratemyrosetta.com/ - for some inspiration
One of my little projects.
April 11th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Uncle come visit me. I love reading your stories.