The rise of the lever espresso machine
July 20, 2012 4:17 PM Subscribe
The manual lever espresso machine is having a renaissance. A company in London is about to launch a British made, beautifully designed, state-of-the-art home lever machine on the world. Some home machines have aquired cult status. Is it a nostalgic return to a pre-electronic era, or is it down to the basic mechanics of the piston that simply makes better coffee?
While advanced technology dominates machines made on the North West USA, beautiful hand-made machines like these are favoured in Naples.
While advanced technology dominates machines made on the North West USA, beautiful hand-made machines like these are favoured in Naples.
expensive? rare? touch of "authenticity"? only those "in the know" have heard of it? related to coffee?
I predict success!!!
posted by modernnomad at 4:27 PM on July 20, 2012 [19 favorites]
I predict success!!!
posted by modernnomad at 4:27 PM on July 20, 2012 [19 favorites]
In a very real sense, this is part of process of carving new market niches from nostalgia. But not all digital adaptations of previous distinct processes are perfect. Digital cameras have one-color-per-pixel sensors and reconstruct color out of an arrangement that has two greens for every red and blue, for one.
There might be a deeper malaise with Turing's dangerous idea, though: since the computer is an universal machine, then it can replace any number of previously distinct production processes in a homogenized way. But understanding this involves enough mathematics to give them aesthetes the screaming meemies.
posted by syntaxfree at 4:30 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
There might be a deeper malaise with Turing's dangerous idea, though: since the computer is an universal machine, then it can replace any number of previously distinct production processes in a homogenized way. But understanding this involves enough mathematics to give them aesthetes the screaming meemies.
posted by syntaxfree at 4:30 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
or you could get an aeropress for < $30... Same principle
I've got the aeropress dialled in to the point where I feel it ranks with very good espresso. Key is a fairly fine grind, and using water quite a bit below boiling (I use ~ 175 F)
posted by lastobelus at 4:32 PM on July 20, 2012
I've got the aeropress dialled in to the point where I feel it ranks with very good espresso. Key is a fairly fine grind, and using water quite a bit below boiling (I use ~ 175 F)
posted by lastobelus at 4:32 PM on July 20, 2012
There is no substitution for the flavor of repetitive stress injuries, is there?
Seriously, I would love to try coffee from one of these. But I'd feel very sorry for the poor barista standing there yanking that crank all day long.
posted by Forktine at 4:44 PM on July 20, 2012
Seriously, I would love to try coffee from one of these. But I'd feel very sorry for the poor barista standing there yanking that crank all day long.
posted by Forktine at 4:44 PM on July 20, 2012
The Aeropress is great, but it doesn't really make espresso. It makes very good coffee, it's just something different (although I agree the principle is similar).
posted by rolo at 4:45 PM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by rolo at 4:45 PM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
I still use a french press, do I suck?
posted by fleetmouse at 4:48 PM on July 20, 2012
posted by fleetmouse at 4:48 PM on July 20, 2012
I still use a french press, do I suck?
posted by fleetmouse at 12:48 AM on July 21
Yes, but only because you didn't call it a сafetière.
posted by Decani at 4:51 PM on July 20, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by fleetmouse at 12:48 AM on July 21
Yes, but only because you didn't call it a сafetière.
posted by Decani at 4:51 PM on July 20, 2012 [11 favorites]
It's always nice to read about other people's techniques. Mine starts with vacuum-sputtering a thin layer of gold over my coffee beans (I won't go into the hand-selection and variable roasting program at this time!) and then using a miniature maglev to impact them against a non-reactive sapphire target. I collect the shattered grains and pass them through a pair of filters - gold plated for non-reactivity of course - to reject the granules that are too large or too small. The filters are screwed onto a platinum ampoule of glacial ice which is placed within a pressure chamber and heated according to a varying program depending on the age and source of the beans. When the time is right I open a port on the pressure chamber and its explosive decompression sprays the water through the grind with explosive force, creating a fine brown mist that contains the most perfectly developed crema imaginable. The intense feeling of pleasure and superiority I experience as I absorb the spray is simply indescribable, and the only constraint is the limited amount of available mucosa. I have plans to overcome this, however, and if all goes well you may look forward to a description of my explosive espresso enema at a later date.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:52 PM on July 20, 2012 [53 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:52 PM on July 20, 2012 [53 favorites]
I had some kind of espresso machine, oh about 20 years ago, which really didn't have any electronic jigjaggery in it, and it certainly wasn't computer controlled (as far as I can tell). You put the water in the back, put the grounds in a grounds-keeping thing, and turned it on. Once the water was hot, the force of pressure from the steam forced it through the coffee grounds. If you added a bit more water, you could also froth milk with the optional milk frother thingy that had a twist valve to let steam out of it. That was pretty much it.
Are pistons and/or computers really so necessary to the making of espresso? This made perfectly fine espresso. The whole process was just a bit too fussy for my taste, so I abandoned it when I left my first boyfriend. But... still... necessary? Somehow I'm not sure it is.
posted by hippybear at 4:57 PM on July 20, 2012
Are pistons and/or computers really so necessary to the making of espresso? This made perfectly fine espresso. The whole process was just a bit too fussy for my taste, so I abandoned it when I left my first boyfriend. But... still... necessary? Somehow I'm not sure it is.
posted by hippybear at 4:57 PM on July 20, 2012
if all goes well you may look forward to a description of my explosive espresso enema at a later date.
I'm not going to link it here, but I have described enemas in detail here on the Blue, and if you have a truly revolutionary method for coffee enemas, I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
posted by hippybear at 4:58 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm not going to link it here, but I have described enemas in detail here on the Blue, and if you have a truly revolutionary method for coffee enemas, I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
posted by hippybear at 4:58 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've been using my La Pavoni for like seven years now. The biggest fault of the device is that you need to pay constant attention, and even then, with perfect technique, hawk like focus, you still might not produce anything palatable. But I love it. It is my morning ritual in frustration and disappointment, plus it makes my convenient cup of PG Tips taste that much better.
posted by TwelveTwo at 4:59 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by TwelveTwo at 4:59 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I got a lever machine because I got sick of repairing the (cheaper) electric pump machines, and the cost of the apparently reliable Rancilio Silvia scared me off. I've owned an Estro Vapore, a Breville, and a Francis Francis. The Estro still works, but the coffee is only so-so -- the other two needed constant electric repair, mostly poor connections and frying Zener diodes. With both machines eventually something broke that I couldn't figure out. And the worst thing about repairing coffee machines is they break on you before you've had your coffee. You should never hold wrenches or screwdrivers when you're in a bad mood.
My La Pavoni lever machine looks nice, makes decent espresso, and so far has been very reliable. I bought it used and after about a year of use I cleaned the innards and replaced all of the gaskets for about $25 and an hour's time. I probably should do that every couple of years. There is a learning curve, and there's a tradeoff with size and time (smaller boiler means fewer cups but quicker to heat up). I'll never go back to an pump machine.
Is it George Carlin who talks about how drugs should have rituals? I enjoy making coffee in the morning, and the manual machine makes it that much more of a ritual.
posted by Killick at 5:02 PM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
My La Pavoni lever machine looks nice, makes decent espresso, and so far has been very reliable. I bought it used and after about a year of use I cleaned the innards and replaced all of the gaskets for about $25 and an hour's time. I probably should do that every couple of years. There is a learning curve, and there's a tradeoff with size and time (smaller boiler means fewer cups but quicker to heat up). I'll never go back to an pump machine.
Is it George Carlin who talks about how drugs should have rituals? I enjoy making coffee in the morning, and the manual machine makes it that much more of a ritual.
posted by Killick at 5:02 PM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
I still use a french press, do I suck?
Where I work, this is the kind of French Press we use.
Why yes, that dial does go up to 3,000 psi. What of it?
posted by Scientist at 5:05 PM on July 20, 2012 [8 favorites]
Where I work, this is the kind of French Press we use.
Why yes, that dial does go up to 3,000 psi. What of it?
posted by Scientist at 5:05 PM on July 20, 2012 [8 favorites]
I had some kind of espresso machine, oh about 20 years ago, which really didn't have any electronic jigjaggery in it, and it certainly wasn't computer controlled (as far as I can tell). You put the water in the back, put the grounds in a grounds-keeping thing, and turned it on. Once the water was hot, the force of pressure from the steam forced it through the coffee grounds. If you added a bit more water, you could also froth milk with the optional milk frother thingy that had a twist valve to let steam out of it.We have this cheap-and-cheerful Mr. Coffee which is very much as you describe.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:17 PM on July 20, 2012
@rolo,
If you experiment a while and get the grind, time, temperature & amount of beans right you get something as good (but not quite as concentrated) as decent espresso.
I'm using 11-12 grams beans ground in a Maestro Plus (a low-end espresso grinder) set at almost the finest setting. I use 175-180° water. I fill the water to the top of the "1" marking. How long I wait before plunging depends on the roast, and ranges from 0 to 20 seconds.
I'm usually using beans I roasted myself and I favour city+ to full city roasts. I like the chocolate-butterscotch-caramel notes and these parameters (and looking for beans to roast that feature these notes) are working very well for me.
For milk I use 80 to 90 grams of whole milk from glass bottles and (gasp!) microwave it. This is VERY sensitive to the time/weight, so you have to find a time on the microwave and weigh the amount of milk for it to be just right. It's not as good as milk steamed by a decent barista, because it has less thickness. However, I find that the difference in taste from buying milk sold in glass bottles is bigger than the difference in taste between steamed milk & microwaved milk WHEN you get the microwaving just right.
Only occasionally do lattes in the best cafes in my city (Vancouver) taste better to me than the best of my aeropress mini "lattes".
The whole process took a while to get right, but is very repeatable and very low effort.
posted by lastobelus at 5:28 PM on July 20, 2012 [3 favorites]
If you experiment a while and get the grind, time, temperature & amount of beans right you get something as good (but not quite as concentrated) as decent espresso.
I'm using 11-12 grams beans ground in a Maestro Plus (a low-end espresso grinder) set at almost the finest setting. I use 175-180° water. I fill the water to the top of the "1" marking. How long I wait before plunging depends on the roast, and ranges from 0 to 20 seconds.
I'm usually using beans I roasted myself and I favour city+ to full city roasts. I like the chocolate-butterscotch-caramel notes and these parameters (and looking for beans to roast that feature these notes) are working very well for me.
For milk I use 80 to 90 grams of whole milk from glass bottles and (gasp!) microwave it. This is VERY sensitive to the time/weight, so you have to find a time on the microwave and weigh the amount of milk for it to be just right. It's not as good as milk steamed by a decent barista, because it has less thickness. However, I find that the difference in taste from buying milk sold in glass bottles is bigger than the difference in taste between steamed milk & microwaved milk WHEN you get the microwaving just right.
Only occasionally do lattes in the best cafes in my city (Vancouver) taste better to me than the best of my aeropress mini "lattes".
The whole process took a while to get right, but is very repeatable and very low effort.
posted by lastobelus at 5:28 PM on July 20, 2012 [3 favorites]
Now what about the beans? One gent claims that the "modern" method of water sorting causes a form of "rotting" (his words) that effect the final product. So his coffee of choice comes from beans that never hit water as part of the processing. While I can find sources for beans that has passed thru a cat online - I can't seem to find a source for these "never touch water" beans.
posted by rough ashlar at 5:32 PM on July 20, 2012
posted by rough ashlar at 5:32 PM on July 20, 2012
The Caravel lever machine - no longer made - has its heating element below the boiler, rather that inside the boiler, which might make it take a bit longer to heat up (especially at 120V) but as a result avoids the mineral buildup on the element. And they have no steam wand.
But they are beautiful, and apparently they make really good espresso. I'd love to see a modern version with a steam wand and maybe a pressure gauge.
posted by Killick at 5:32 PM on July 20, 2012
But they are beautiful, and apparently they make really good espresso. I'd love to see a modern version with a steam wand and maybe a pressure gauge.
posted by Killick at 5:32 PM on July 20, 2012
Can I get a machine that only has the steam wand? I haven't yet developed a taste for espresso, but I'm very epicurean about my hot cocoa.
posted by eviemath at 5:37 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by eviemath at 5:37 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
We have this cheap-and-cheerful Mr. Coffee which is very much as you describe.
Yeah, I can't remember the make of the one I had... it was some trendy kitchen gadget brand from 20 years ago, I think vaguely european-sounding in name...
Anyway, I've been pretty much off coffee except as an actual drug (not a daily habit) these days, and so anything beyond a cup or two of basic drip-brewed or french press coffee gives me the jitters and a really horrible body hum that I can't stand... so having a home espresso machine is sort of like the coffee equivalent of having a back-of-the-closet meth lab in my mind... I'm sure the high is great, but do I really want to go there?
posted by hippybear at 5:38 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I can't remember the make of the one I had... it was some trendy kitchen gadget brand from 20 years ago, I think vaguely european-sounding in name...
Anyway, I've been pretty much off coffee except as an actual drug (not a daily habit) these days, and so anything beyond a cup or two of basic drip-brewed or french press coffee gives me the jitters and a really horrible body hum that I can't stand... so having a home espresso machine is sort of like the coffee equivalent of having a back-of-the-closet meth lab in my mind... I'm sure the high is great, but do I really want to go there?
posted by hippybear at 5:38 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
The filters are screwed onto a platinum ampoule of glacial ice which is placed within a pressure chamber and heated according to a varying program depending on the age and source of the beans.
Well, Joe, I guess suppose that's a good start if you're not concerned about the unacceptably wide variation of mineral content in glacial water and the unpredictable effects this can have on acidity profile. I think you'll find you can get much tighter control by starting with double-distilled water (made in an alembic, obviously, do NOT get me started on electric distillers), and then weighing and grinding an appropriate amount of calcium and magnesium carbonate to dissolve it into the water. I usually prefer a water hardness of about 2.7 dGH, but that's really a matter of personal taste and something you'll have to experiment with to find the bean pairings you prefer.
Still, that's not a bad entry-level setup, and I suppose would be serviceable enough for camping or a vacation home.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 5:41 PM on July 20, 2012 [10 favorites]
Well, Joe, I guess suppose that's a good start if you're not concerned about the unacceptably wide variation of mineral content in glacial water and the unpredictable effects this can have on acidity profile. I think you'll find you can get much tighter control by starting with double-distilled water (made in an alembic, obviously, do NOT get me started on electric distillers), and then weighing and grinding an appropriate amount of calcium and magnesium carbonate to dissolve it into the water. I usually prefer a water hardness of about 2.7 dGH, but that's really a matter of personal taste and something you'll have to experiment with to find the bean pairings you prefer.
Still, that's not a bad entry-level setup, and I suppose would be serviceable enough for camping or a vacation home.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 5:41 PM on July 20, 2012 [10 favorites]
eviemath:
Look for a 'Nespresso Aeroccino Plus'.
(sorry can't provide link from this phone)
posted by artdrectr at 5:51 PM on July 20, 2012
Look for a 'Nespresso Aeroccino Plus'.
(sorry can't provide link from this phone)
posted by artdrectr at 5:51 PM on July 20, 2012
If you experiment a while and get the grind, time, temperature & amount of beans right you get something as good (but not quite as concentrated) as decent espresso.
An Aeropress makes something much closer to what a moka pot makes than what you can get from a good espresso machine. Starbucks used La Marzocco Linea machines for years and made terrible coffee with them so it's obviously a lot more complicated than just buying a decent machine and calling it done.
posted by foodgeek at 5:51 PM on July 20, 2012
An Aeropress makes something much closer to what a moka pot makes than what you can get from a good espresso machine. Starbucks used La Marzocco Linea machines for years and made terrible coffee with them so it's obviously a lot more complicated than just buying a decent machine and calling it done.
posted by foodgeek at 5:51 PM on July 20, 2012
Yeah, I can't remember the make of the one I had... it was some trendy kitchen gadget brand from 20 years ago, I think vaguely european-sounding in name...
You're probably thinking of the Krups espresso maker, that was probably the first consumer-grade machine to become really popular. I had one of them, maybe back in the 80s. It makes decent but not excellent espresso. I recall it was a pain in the ass to clean and maintain, and died an early death. I think the Bialetti stovetop machines make better espresso. The basic Moka Express models don't steam milk, but they do make machines that do, although I've never tried them. My only complaint with the Bialetti machines is an irrational one, I am always afraid it is going to explode. There must have been some stern warning about explosions in the instructions.
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:54 PM on July 20, 2012
You're probably thinking of the Krups espresso maker, that was probably the first consumer-grade machine to become really popular. I had one of them, maybe back in the 80s. It makes decent but not excellent espresso. I recall it was a pain in the ass to clean and maintain, and died an early death. I think the Bialetti stovetop machines make better espresso. The basic Moka Express models don't steam milk, but they do make machines that do, although I've never tried them. My only complaint with the Bialetti machines is an irrational one, I am always afraid it is going to explode. There must have been some stern warning about explosions in the instructions.
posted by charlie don't surf at 5:54 PM on July 20, 2012
Ah, yes. It WAS a Krups. I didn't find it difficult to clean or anything... the milk spigot came off easily and would soak clean quickly... the coffee basket was detachable... and I made sure to run water through it that wasn't tap water so I had no scale build-up on the inside...
We actually have a Bialetti or two sitting around... along with some odd version of that which, instead of a pitcher on top, has a platform and a kind of long vertical-bending-to-downward-facing spigot on it, so you set your cup on the platform and it dispenses the steam-forced product directly into your cup. Similar to this, only less fancy-schmancy.
posted by hippybear at 5:59 PM on July 20, 2012
We actually have a Bialetti or two sitting around... along with some odd version of that which, instead of a pitcher on top, has a platform and a kind of long vertical-bending-to-downward-facing spigot on it, so you set your cup on the platform and it dispenses the steam-forced product directly into your cup. Similar to this, only less fancy-schmancy.
posted by hippybear at 5:59 PM on July 20, 2012
@foodgeek:
perhaps closer to a moka pot if you use the stainless steel filter, but if you use paper filters the aeropress is slightly LESS silty than espresso not more.
One of the reasons I use a quite fine grind is to get it silty enough, even though the finer grind makes it more time sensitive and thus less repeatable. By using water at least 30° off boiling and a fine grind, the richer flavours are extracted, approaching (though not quite equalling) the richness of espresso.
I tried the stainless steel filter but didn't like initial results (either more french press or moka pot like depending on grind) and didn't keep experimenting because using the stainless steel filter is more time-consuming. The grinds don't form a cake, so you actually have to rinse the aeropress, instead of just popping the cake into the compost. This is the other reason I use a fine grind.
posted by lastobelus at 6:01 PM on July 20, 2012
perhaps closer to a moka pot if you use the stainless steel filter, but if you use paper filters the aeropress is slightly LESS silty than espresso not more.
One of the reasons I use a quite fine grind is to get it silty enough, even though the finer grind makes it more time sensitive and thus less repeatable. By using water at least 30° off boiling and a fine grind, the richer flavours are extracted, approaching (though not quite equalling) the richness of espresso.
I tried the stainless steel filter but didn't like initial results (either more french press or moka pot like depending on grind) and didn't keep experimenting because using the stainless steel filter is more time-consuming. The grinds don't form a cake, so you actually have to rinse the aeropress, instead of just popping the cake into the compost. This is the other reason I use a fine grind.
posted by lastobelus at 6:01 PM on July 20, 2012
I'm kind of surprised never to have run into a centrifugal espresso maker.
You'd put the beans in a hopper with a weighted plunger, turn the machine on at low speed and the coffee would be ground between a burr fixed to the hopper and a moving burr at the center of the basket, then when the coffee was ground it would speed up to pack the ground coffee against the filter at the perimeter of the basket where it would already be sitting loosely packed, slow down again as the heated water welled up from below into the basket and filtered through the packed coffee, then really speed up to pull the last drop of water out of the grounds.
A much simpler design would involve pouring a slurry of grounds and hot water into a feeder tube which would add it to the spinning basket at a controlled rate, which would then speed up and speed again at the end.
posted by jamjam at 6:10 PM on July 20, 2012
You'd put the beans in a hopper with a weighted plunger, turn the machine on at low speed and the coffee would be ground between a burr fixed to the hopper and a moving burr at the center of the basket, then when the coffee was ground it would speed up to pack the ground coffee against the filter at the perimeter of the basket where it would already be sitting loosely packed, slow down again as the heated water welled up from below into the basket and filtered through the packed coffee, then really speed up to pull the last drop of water out of the grounds.
A much simpler design would involve pouring a slurry of grounds and hot water into a feeder tube which would add it to the spinning basket at a controlled rate, which would then speed up and speed again at the end.
posted by jamjam at 6:10 PM on July 20, 2012
it's obviously a lot more complicated than just buying a decent machine and calling it done.
Well, yes. It is true that when I first got the aeropress it was just a better cup of drip coffee.
But by experimenting with and controlling with some degree of repeatability the grind, water temperature (using a kettle with temperature settings) and especially by weighing the beans for a shot, I am getting something out of the aeropress that it would be quite inaccurate and unfair to characterize as merely a better cup of drip coffee.
posted by lastobelus at 6:12 PM on July 20, 2012
Well, yes. It is true that when I first got the aeropress it was just a better cup of drip coffee.
But by experimenting with and controlling with some degree of repeatability the grind, water temperature (using a kettle with temperature settings) and especially by weighing the beans for a shot, I am getting something out of the aeropress that it would be quite inaccurate and unfair to characterize as merely a better cup of drip coffee.
posted by lastobelus at 6:12 PM on July 20, 2012
I'd love to try a lever machine, if I could find something affordable. I've had two home machines; a Starbucks that had a tank, boiler, and a pump, and a similar, smaller Braun. Both made really nice espresso, with no bite and a nice crema on top. I like mine straight, no milk or anything else, just a shot. I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine, and was told due to the quick manner of extraction that espresso is lower in caffeine by volume. Or maybe I just drink less, anyway, I do better on espresso.
I find there isn't a lot of fluff to pulling a good shot. I can turn out a pretty nice shot early in the morning, when I'm about half asleep. I've had beans from Stumptown and my local Safeway, and although the Stumptown was lots more interesting, a plain "espresso roast" seemed to do just fine. Better than the shop down the street.
How I learned was by going in a shop towards closing, and telling the guy I had just gotten a machine and was wondering what tips he could give me on pulling shots. He showed me how to pack the portafilter consistently, and how fine to grind. Filtered tap water (Brita) seems to work best. He also told me the only home machines he thought worth the effort were the ones with a pump - the straight boiler models didn't make enough pressure to do the job right.
As to the Starbucks, I don't like their beans especially. They always seem burnt, and others have told me that as well. They do make a nice chai latte, though.
posted by cybrcamper at 6:14 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I find there isn't a lot of fluff to pulling a good shot. I can turn out a pretty nice shot early in the morning, when I'm about half asleep. I've had beans from Stumptown and my local Safeway, and although the Stumptown was lots more interesting, a plain "espresso roast" seemed to do just fine. Better than the shop down the street.
How I learned was by going in a shop towards closing, and telling the guy I had just gotten a machine and was wondering what tips he could give me on pulling shots. He showed me how to pack the portafilter consistently, and how fine to grind. Filtered tap water (Brita) seems to work best. He also told me the only home machines he thought worth the effort were the ones with a pump - the straight boiler models didn't make enough pressure to do the job right.
As to the Starbucks, I don't like their beans especially. They always seem burnt, and others have told me that as well. They do make a nice chai latte, though.
posted by cybrcamper at 6:14 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've got a green magic marker right here that I will sell you for $150 that will align the cosmological constants perfectly to improve your manually pulled shots, simply use it to sign your initials on the machine.
Send me a precisely photographed image of your machine -- I will send you the three page instructions on how to do this -- and for a $750 analysis fee I will tell you exactly where to apply the initials for maximum effect.
For an extra $20000 plus a copy of your birth certificate, university transcript and your last 10 tax returns, I will instruct a secret cadre of three castrated acolytes of the bean to design your unique, personalised marque.
For merely $90000 there will be sixteen acolytes, they will be the gender of your choice, sylphlike and naked, and they will rub every crevice and pore of your body with the finest unguents, which will be decanted and distilled by the world's most powerful digital chromatograph into a Cosmique Microdot, which will be encased in a 16 carat synthetic sapphire, mounted in a 1 oz pedestal of 999 pure platinum, the mere presence of which in the room with your expresso machine will cause the gods of coffee to smile upon you forever producing the ultimate in shots, guaranteed for 1 year minimum.
Recharges of the cosmological divinations available for merely $60000/year, simply contact us when you feel the power wane and our acolytes will visit you at your convenience for a tune-up.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:22 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Send me a precisely photographed image of your machine -- I will send you the three page instructions on how to do this -- and for a $750 analysis fee I will tell you exactly where to apply the initials for maximum effect.
For an extra $20000 plus a copy of your birth certificate, university transcript and your last 10 tax returns, I will instruct a secret cadre of three castrated acolytes of the bean to design your unique, personalised marque.
For merely $90000 there will be sixteen acolytes, they will be the gender of your choice, sylphlike and naked, and they will rub every crevice and pore of your body with the finest unguents, which will be decanted and distilled by the world's most powerful digital chromatograph into a Cosmique Microdot, which will be encased in a 16 carat synthetic sapphire, mounted in a 1 oz pedestal of 999 pure platinum, the mere presence of which in the room with your expresso machine will cause the gods of coffee to smile upon you forever producing the ultimate in shots, guaranteed for 1 year minimum.
Recharges of the cosmological divinations available for merely $60000/year, simply contact us when you feel the power wane and our acolytes will visit you at your convenience for a tune-up.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:22 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
There's an Italian café (Café Vergnano in Charing Cross Road) in London which has a larger version of the Elektra machine. It looks like a steampunk Dalek or one of those old Prussian firemen's helmets which inspired everyone from Fritz Lang to George Lucas.
When I worked near there and my coworkers and I went for lunch, the question of whether we should swing by Vergnano for a coffee on the way back could be phrased as one word: “Dalek?”
posted by acb at 6:30 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
When I worked near there and my coworkers and I went for lunch, the question of whether we should swing by Vergnano for a coffee on the way back could be phrased as one word: “Dalek?”
posted by acb at 6:30 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Are pistons and/or computers really so necessary to the making of espresso?
You don't need pistons or computers, but you do need a pump. Steam based machines can only produce about 2-3 bar of pressure, and you need 8-10 to properly extract espresso. The other problem is that steam machines put out water that is too hot (since it is boiling) this produces bitter/burnt coffee. Now it's just a drink, and if people enjoy it that is all that matters, but it's not making espresso as such.
See also the Aeropress. Fantastic device, great coffee, not espresso though (which is fine, not all coffee should be espresso).
posted by markr at 7:27 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
You don't need pistons or computers, but you do need a pump. Steam based machines can only produce about 2-3 bar of pressure, and you need 8-10 to properly extract espresso. The other problem is that steam machines put out water that is too hot (since it is boiling) this produces bitter/burnt coffee. Now it's just a drink, and if people enjoy it that is all that matters, but it's not making espresso as such.
See also the Aeropress. Fantastic device, great coffee, not espresso though (which is fine, not all coffee should be espresso).
posted by markr at 7:27 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
> By using water at least 30° off boiling and a fine grind, the richer flavours are extracted
But the bitterness & burn of nearly-boiling brewed coffee is lost!
I fell for the "better coffee" claim and bought an Aeropress and it does what it claims, but it turns out I *like* nasty, too-hot coffee. I also tried switching back to sugar and I like the slight nastiness of sucralose too.
I might be able to develop a taste for "good" coffee, but not before 7 in the morning.
posted by morganw at 7:47 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
But the bitterness & burn of nearly-boiling brewed coffee is lost!
I fell for the "better coffee" claim and bought an Aeropress and it does what it claims, but it turns out I *like* nasty, too-hot coffee. I also tried switching back to sugar and I like the slight nastiness of sucralose too.
I might be able to develop a taste for "good" coffee, but not before 7 in the morning.
posted by morganw at 7:47 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I have a De'Longhi espresso maker . I always stock a range of pods from this random place I found online. And whenever possible I goto wholefoods to get a different kind of bean everyweek to grind with my spice grinder ( inexpensive / can handle really small quantities / can really control the grind) . What this means is I can always experiment and try something new every morning based on how much time I have before I have to rush . None of these are really expensive and it is really pleasant way to start my day.
posted by asra at 7:49 PM on July 20, 2012
posted by asra at 7:49 PM on July 20, 2012
machines like these are favoured in Naples. Wait, there are other types? Just kidding, but one of my fondest memories is of going to "breakfast" with my landlord in Naples. We ordered two espressos and a few biscotti. He added a pretty huge spoonful of sugar to the tiny "cup" and said, "Cosi." I can't speak Italian anymore but whatever he said meant, "like this."
He picked up the little demitasse with his thumb and first finger, yea, his pinky was sticking about a bit, and he performed a little slurping sucking maneuver that was pretty much the same as the venturi effect that happens in a carburetor, causing the piping hot espresso to mist in his mouth. I tried it and was hooked. It wasn't about swallowing the hand-pressed espresso as much as it was about savoring it as the mist came into contact with my palate.
posted by snsranch at 8:08 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
He picked up the little demitasse with his thumb and first finger, yea, his pinky was sticking about a bit, and he performed a little slurping sucking maneuver that was pretty much the same as the venturi effect that happens in a carburetor, causing the piping hot espresso to mist in his mouth. I tried it and was hooked. It wasn't about swallowing the hand-pressed espresso as much as it was about savoring it as the mist came into contact with my palate.
posted by snsranch at 8:08 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
I have an elderly La Pavoni lever arm machine. I bought it second hand about 10 years ago. Since then I've replaced the plastic piston with a nice brass one and put new seals in and it's all good.
If you use it every day, you soon figure out how to get a good shot. I love it that way I love all cranky but faithful machinery.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:06 PM on July 20, 2012
If you use it every day, you soon figure out how to get a good shot. I love it that way I love all cranky but faithful machinery.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:06 PM on July 20, 2012
MetaFilter: I love it that way I love all cranky but faithful machinery.
posted by hippybear at 9:22 PM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 9:22 PM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
I love my aeropress, but I do miss the crema, and I'm not going to try that whole upside-down approach in the work kitchen.
posted by pompomtom at 10:41 PM on July 20, 2012
posted by pompomtom at 10:41 PM on July 20, 2012
Like hi-fi, it can all get a little crazy and fetishistic, but I love espresso, and I particularly love the espresso I get out of my vintage Cremina (which tastes totally different from the coffee that came out of my Gaggia Classic and my Aeropress).
And I have to admit, I love coffee machines. In fact, I love machines, and when you get into the realm of beautifully engineered, slightly eccentric mechanisms designed to do one specific job well, it's a wonderfully antidote to the screen and the keyboard where so many of us spend so muchtime attached to.
And just in the days of analogue hi-fi you were told that it all starts with the turntable, in espresso it all starts with the grinder (it's easier to make decent espresso with a great grinder and a cheap espresso machine than a cheap grinder and a great espresso machine). There is, of course, as much bullshit in the world of coffee as there is in hi-fi (different curved based tampers/high-end cables and connectors).
It's a obsession, it's (literally) a drug, and it's a lot of fun.
If you like that sort of thing.
posted by rolo at 11:42 PM on July 20, 2012
And I have to admit, I love coffee machines. In fact, I love machines, and when you get into the realm of beautifully engineered, slightly eccentric mechanisms designed to do one specific job well, it's a wonderfully antidote to the screen and the keyboard where so many of us spend so muchtime attached to.
And just in the days of analogue hi-fi you were told that it all starts with the turntable, in espresso it all starts with the grinder (it's easier to make decent espresso with a great grinder and a cheap espresso machine than a cheap grinder and a great espresso machine). There is, of course, as much bullshit in the world of coffee as there is in hi-fi (different curved based tampers/high-end cables and connectors).
It's a obsession, it's (literally) a drug, and it's a lot of fun.
If you like that sort of thing.
posted by rolo at 11:42 PM on July 20, 2012
@jamjam -
I like the centrifugal idea in principle, but I don't think it is as simple as it sounds. Getting the grinder part of your machine to be sufficiently accurate and adjustable would be, I believe, non-trvial. The best commercial espresso machines rely on water swelling up the grinds in a confined space (pre-infusion) then controlling the temperature and the pressure (not necessarily linear) as the water is forced through the coffee. High-tech machines do this through electronic controls, lever machines through a combination of design of the piston and the skill of the barista.
Your spinning machine would certainly turn out some sort of coffee drink, but I don't know how good it would taste. Having sufficient control over all the variables might end up making it a very complicated device.
As for the slurry idea, it sounds like an automated French Press, and I'm not sure whether the French Press needs automating.
posted by rolo at 12:22 AM on July 21, 2012
I like the centrifugal idea in principle, but I don't think it is as simple as it sounds. Getting the grinder part of your machine to be sufficiently accurate and adjustable would be, I believe, non-trvial. The best commercial espresso machines rely on water swelling up the grinds in a confined space (pre-infusion) then controlling the temperature and the pressure (not necessarily linear) as the water is forced through the coffee. High-tech machines do this through electronic controls, lever machines through a combination of design of the piston and the skill of the barista.
Your spinning machine would certainly turn out some sort of coffee drink, but I don't know how good it would taste. Having sufficient control over all the variables might end up making it a very complicated device.
As for the slurry idea, it sounds like an automated French Press, and I'm not sure whether the French Press needs automating.
posted by rolo at 12:22 AM on July 21, 2012
Other manual lever machines are available, as they say on the BBC. I have a Presso, and I like it: cheapish, easy to clean, simple to operate, not much to go wrong, and it makes good coffee.
posted by calico at 3:02 AM on July 21, 2012
posted by calico at 3:02 AM on July 21, 2012
I decided I'd gone to far when I started a coffee plantation and luwak ranch. Now I drink Nescafé.
posted by humanfont at 4:26 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by humanfont at 4:26 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Since we are in a high-end coffee thread I was going to ask how Nespresso type pod machines actually compare. However I see that we have already covered this.
posted by rongorongo at 6:22 AM on July 21, 2012
posted by rongorongo at 6:22 AM on July 21, 2012
Filtered tap water (Brita) seems to work best.
This is something people always overlook. Improving the quality of the water will improve the quality of your coffee far more than improving the way you make it.
posted by charlie don't surf at 8:26 AM on July 21, 2012
This is something people always overlook. Improving the quality of the water will improve the quality of your coffee far more than improving the way you make it.
posted by charlie don't surf at 8:26 AM on July 21, 2012
Rough Ashler - what you want to look for is coffee that was fermented using the "unwashed" method. Coffee beans have to have the mucilage and skin removed to get to the seed we know as the 'bean'. Many types of coffee use a 'washed' method to ferment the mucilage and make it easier to remove.
Starbucks currently features a couple of Reserve coffees that aren't washed, the Brazil Peaberry Yellow Bourbon and 100% Oahu. If you follow those links, you'll see that the Processing Method says "Natural" - which in this case means "unwashed."
posted by dbmcd at 8:55 AM on July 21, 2012
Starbucks currently features a couple of Reserve coffees that aren't washed, the Brazil Peaberry Yellow Bourbon and 100% Oahu. If you follow those links, you'll see that the Processing Method says "Natural" - which in this case means "unwashed."
posted by dbmcd at 8:55 AM on July 21, 2012
I've got one of these Gaggia machines. I wanted something without a pressurized portafilter, and it was the least expensive option. It's very sensitive to grind and warmup time, but can make very good espresso if you get those right. A machine with a pressurized portafilter is less sensitive to grind. I don't think any of the lever machines are pressurized, so that might explain some of the differences people find with them.
Espresso aside, I've got to say that I mainly use my vacuum pot these days. It's even more fetishistic than making an Americana on the Gaggia, but I get a kick out of it.
posted by sfred at 10:47 AM on July 21, 2012
Espresso aside, I've got to say that I mainly use my vacuum pot these days. It's even more fetishistic than making an Americana on the Gaggia, but I get a kick out of it.
posted by sfred at 10:47 AM on July 21, 2012
jamjam, you have a kickstarter project there
posted by Fibognocchi at 1:35 PM on July 21, 2012
posted by Fibognocchi at 1:35 PM on July 21, 2012
acb mentioned Café Vergnano in Charing Cross Road... I remember it for the large coffee machine, but mainly because it served me pretty much the worst cappuccino I've ever had, and so I've avoided it ever since.
Like i_am_joe's_spleen, I like cranky-but-fixable machinery, so I have a La Pavoni for the coffee, and an old Dualit toaster for the bread. After you've got used to it for a while, you can get a really good cup out of the Pavoni.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:57 PM on July 21, 2012
Like i_am_joe's_spleen, I like cranky-but-fixable machinery, so I have a La Pavoni for the coffee, and an old Dualit toaster for the bread. After you've got used to it for a while, you can get a really good cup out of the Pavoni.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:57 PM on July 21, 2012
I mainly use my vacuum pot these days. It's even more fetishistic than making an Americana on the Gaggia, but I get a kick out of it.
What brand and model, sfred?
I collect vacuum pots, and use one or more every day.
I made my morning coffee with a Silex patented in 1906 (no model number on the coffee maker itself) and more this afternoon with a Cory model DN (a small 3-cupper with a ground glass seal between the upper and lower vessels).
posted by jamjam at 4:22 PM on July 21, 2012
What brand and model, sfred?
I collect vacuum pots, and use one or more every day.
I made my morning coffee with a Silex patented in 1906 (no model number on the coffee maker itself) and more this afternoon with a Cory model DN (a small 3-cupper with a ground glass seal between the upper and lower vessels).
posted by jamjam at 4:22 PM on July 21, 2012
Presso + naked portafilter.
(/returns to Sunbeam percolator coffee topped with canned whipped cream)
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:55 PM on July 21, 2012
(/returns to Sunbeam percolator coffee topped with canned whipped cream)
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:55 PM on July 21, 2012
obiwanwasabi: My vacuum pot is nothing fancy, just a little three-cup Yama, which I use most every day. I'd imagine I'd be quite jealous of your collection. I'll probably get a larger stovetop Bodum at some point, but storage is a little tight; I might have to get rid of of a couple of my mocha pots first.
On the subject of mocha pots, the Bialetti Brikka is a fun one. It's got a valve that releases once the pressure has reached a certain point. This means that if you get everything absolutely right, you might even get crema from a mocha pot, and it taste much more like espresso than most mocha pot coffee. Pity that you lose most of the crema when you pour it into your cup, though.
posted by sfred at 8:17 PM on July 21, 2012
On the subject of mocha pots, the Bialetti Brikka is a fun one. It's got a valve that releases once the pressure has reached a certain point. This means that if you get everything absolutely right, you might even get crema from a mocha pot, and it taste much more like espresso than most mocha pot coffee. Pity that you lose most of the crema when you pour it into your cup, though.
posted by sfred at 8:17 PM on July 21, 2012
obiwanwasabi: My vacuum pot is nothing fancy, just a little three-cup Yama, which I use most every day. I'd imagine I'd be quite jealous of your collection.
Eh? I don't have a collection of anything! (OK, Amiga bits.) I drink instant or pod coffee most days, percolated if I'm at my mum's house. If I get my act together I roast beans in a popcorn machine then grind and serve in my little Grindripper, but meh, so lazy.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:18 AM on August 6, 2012
Eh? I don't have a collection of anything! (OK, Amiga bits.) I drink instant or pod coffee most days, percolated if I'm at my mum's house. If I get my act together I roast beans in a popcorn machine then grind and serve in my little Grindripper, but meh, so lazy.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:18 AM on August 6, 2012
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