FAQ about Espresso

Mazzer grinders are commercial grade grinders with disc type burrs. The disc burrs must spin at a very high speed of 10,000 to 20,000 r.p.m. to grind fine coffee. At that spin speed, excessive heat is generated and change the quality of coffee. Mazzer grinder for home use is like someone asking to buy a size-12 shoe for size-7 foot! That is a wrong advice. A better choice of grinder than a Mazzer for home use, in the category of disc type flat burrs is Gaggia MDF grinder priced at $200.00.

If you have a semi-automatic espresso maker and would like to buy a grinder, my first preference is Infinity #565 or #560 with conical burr grinder manufactured by Capresso.

It will grind much better & consistent quality at a much slower spin speed of 500 r.pm. Conical burrs are quieter and generate much less heat due to slower speed, very suitable for all kinds of grinding jobs. Infiniti grinders do not come with dispensing mechanism. One should grind just enough for immediate use and discard what cannot be used. Infiniti grinders are the only grinders available with conical burrs for home use. They make a better choice for quality of grind as well as price when compared with Mazzer or Rocky.

All fully automatic machines manufactured by Saeco, Spidem and Gaggia have built-in grinders with conical burrs. Conical burr grinders perform a superior grinding job that the commercial grinders like Mazzer, Rocky or Rosso grinders can. If you buy a grinder for home use choose one with conical burrs.

When you are ready to purchase a better home espresso maker, choose a Saeco, Spidem or Gaggia fully automatic machine with built-in conical burr grinder.

Answer: A bottomless portafilter is a ridiculous idea without purpose. A portafilter has a single or double spout at the bottom to channel espresso to fill one or two cups. This is an outright stupid idea to remove the bottom half of the filter holder and cannot be dignified with any detail.

Question: I have received a Spidem Trevi automatica as a gift. I was told that fully automatic machines have many problems due to automatic functions. I love this machine for its simple operation. What should I do to prevent breakdown?

Answer: Whoever gifted this machine, must really love you very much. These are very efficient and best designed machines. As with any other espresso machine, you need to maintain the machine regularly. You will not have problem for several years if you follow the maintenance instructions as explained in the Operator's manual or as described under the title "DOs & DONTs". See details on page Espresso Maintenace of this web site.

There are as many opinions about Espresso and espresso machines. Very few are backed by comparative evaluation. Researching the information on espresso making and comparative evaluation of espresso makers is the responsibility of buyer himself.

Making espresso at home should be as effortless and as comfortable as possible, without sacrificing the quality. Lever operated machines and semi-automatic traditional machines are not effortless. Very frequently those who start with use of semi-automatic machines for the initial excitement and fun of making espresso, soon find it to be time consuming and inconsistent in quality. The decision to switch from beans to using Coffee pods is sad. Yuk! That’s right. Fall from the mountain top to the bottom of the pit.

Ideally, espresso is an extraordinarily sweet and aromatic extract of the same flavor as freshly ground coffee. It is smooth, thick dark liquid that should taste sweet, and never bitter. When sipped straight, it should not be bitter. The process of roasting release gases which mix with oils during extraction and float on the surface in golden color foam called 'Crema'. A pleasant and aftertaste of coffee would linger on the palate for several minutes after consumption. There are several factors that go into making a good espresso. The more important ones are following:

Any single origin of beans has limited taste outcome. When blended with beans of different origin, it is possible to create a balanced aroma, rich sweet taste and smooth mouth feel.

Roasting espresso beans is a process by which aromatics, acids, and other flavor components inside of coffee bean are altered and balanced in a way that it enhances the flavor, acidity, aftertaste and body of the coffee as desired.

It is a process aimed at enhancing the espresso potential for the sweetness and aroma of the coffee while minimizing the bitterness and acidity. The freshness of the roast cannot be over emphasized. If fresh roast is like a flower on a tree, stale coffee is a withered flower with out scent.

It is important to compare and familiarize the aroma of freshly roasted beans and stale beans with unknown date of roast, purchased from supermarkets, Starbucks or from distributors of Lavazza and Illy. The shelf life of roasted espresso bean is following:

Pre-ground espresso is a perishable item. It is unfit for use in three important ways.

First, it is definitely stale because contents of the package cannot be used up immediately.

Second, pre-ground espresso is not a Latex glove that fits all sizes. Fineness of espresso grind must be adjusted for the type of espresso machine in which it is being used. Grind must always be different (coarser) for espresso extraction with pre-infusion and relatively finer grind for extraction without pre-infusion.

Third, the pre-ground coffee absorbs moisture fast and changes the chemistry of its aromatic and useful components. It is not possible to prevent deterioration of quality under all weather conditions.

Oily espresso beans should be packaged in bags with one way valve to allow gases to escape and prevent air entering the bag. The oily beans must be consumed within four to 8 hours after opening the bag.

Non-oily espresso beans packaged in bags with one-way valve have a shelf life of 6 to 8 weeks. The beans should be used up within two weeks after the bag is opened.

Roasted Coffee bean is a perishable commodity. It should always be stored in air tight containers (ziplock bags with air pressed out), away from light and heat. It should not be refrigerated. For long term storage it should be stored in freezer at -10C. When removed from the freezer, it should be thawed to room temperature while still protected inside air-tight bad to protect from moisture condensation.

Fully automatic machines have a built in grinder, a removable electro-mechanical brewing device waste box, drip tray and a built in frother. A series of automatic functions is electronically controlled. Once programmed, the machine delivers consistent quality of classic espresso every time. It grinds, empties the doser, pre-infuses and extracts one or two shots of classic espresso at the push of a button. No mess, no fuss or regrets. As many as six safety switches protect the machine from errors in operating. The machine displayed on the right is amongst the simple, compact and dependable fully automatic espresso makers, excellent choice for home. The price range is from $499.00 (single boiler) to $700.00 (double boiler for simultaneous steam). Comments: Fully automatic home espresso makers by Saeco, Spidem and Gaggia are reliable & efficient. Avoid fully automatic models (Italia, Italia digital, and Incanto, Charisma, Divina and Synchrony compact) have steam valve malfunctions & poor design. Steam/water leakage damages the electronic board (located right next to the steam valve).