Mgindle

Alright, yesterday I finished the tamper, turning out the handle portion. It ended up a bit shorter than I would have liked it but it was the stock we had laying around. All in all, I turned out nice, with a heavy feel and a good fit in the basket. Coincidently, the seals for the La Pavoni arrived yesterday as well. Switch them out, fire it up and take it for a pull. The beans I roasted that made such a nice press pot, don’t make an equally nice espresso but technically speaking everything went pretty well, pulling a shot in around 22 seconds. The weight of the tamper gives it a very solid feel as it is compacting the puck, andthe fit is spot on, leaving a nice surface.

The last shot looks a bit anorexic in the crema department, probably because of the bean. I’ve also got to make a new base plate.

The coffee bean that is…

Coffee has been a bit of an obsession for me for the past few years. I must say that coffee consumes a portion of every day. Recently I’ve read some really great articles on espresso, being my drink of choice for some time now. It started with lattes’, an then to standard brewed coffees using various methods, the americano never disappoints but a standard shot, either ristretto or a double is by far the preferred means of consumption.

I’ve had a few espresso machines, from the first, craptastic, plastic, all in one wonder machine, next to a Saeco pump machine which does a decent job for sure. At work, we’ve got a great Rancillio Silvia that is an absolute workhorse, consistantly pumping out great shots, and finally; my La Pavoni lever machine at home. This thing was a great ebay find, capable of producing copious quantities of creme. Lately however the machine has been giving me some fits, It has been hissing and moaning, and rather than take action i’ve been ignoring it and going for the press pot or drip cone. Finally I decided enough is enough and I need my machine back. I took it apart and found some dodgy seals that are most likely the culprit. Some internet searching an a phone call and some seals are on the way. In the mean time, I pulled out the coffee roaster and turned some green beans into a nice smooth roast, ideal for press pot coffee.

I also decided, after reading up on tamping theory, that I finally needed a proper tamper so i’m turning a big hunk o brass into a custom tamper for my basket.

Should be great. Hopefully the seals will arrive soon and the La Pavoni will sing once again.

Some great reading over at Coffee Geek