Espresso Machine Porta-Filter (#)

  „The porta-filter is the entire assembly of the handle, the basket, and the spouts.  The porta-filter is always made of metal and must always be warmed before extracting espresso.  If you see the porta-filter resting on the tray of the espresso machine at your local coffee shop you should walk out the door.  Pre-heating the porta-filter can be done using the hot water nozzle or water from the group head itself.  It is not recommended to ever use more than 1-1.5 ounces of water at a time since excess use will cool the hot water reservoir inside the machine.  It is essential that you learn how to "temperature surf" on your machine to accurately control the temperature at which the espresso is brewed.  Some people recommend leaving used pucks of espresso in the basket to help maintain heat.  This advice seems advantageous, but make sure you allow about 1 oz of water to flow out of the head to rinse the screen after pulling each shot.“

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/espresso/ portafilter.htm - Cached

See Technorati for links to this site, see Alexa for related sites and search this website for ›Make Espresso‹.

Some slightly related:

The Hidden Planet - coffeecrew.com - victoria, b.c. canada

  „An attention to the varying needs of their customers has become more and more important, explains Kyla. In order to survive, today’s café must provide more than good coffee and espresso. They must provide an atmosphere that accommodates their clientele, giving them a reason to keep coming back. Much of their traffic, quickly served, wandered back on their way to their ultimate destination, carrying with them their daily fix.“

http://www.coffeecrew.com/mamblog/default-category/ the-hidden-planet-5.html - Cached

View topic - how to make espresso at home - its not working for me - Coffee Forum

  „Good espresso at home: to even hope for a decent result one must spend about $200 - $225 for an espresso machine and about $175 to $275 for a grinder. If you go much cheaper than that you're better off getting a Moka pot (aka stove-top "espresso-maker"). Good moka coffee ain't the same as good espresso but it's way better than bad espresso.“

http://www.coffeeforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=669 - Cached

Espresso Tamping (INeedCoffee.com)

  „The tamper should be made of aluminum or similar light metal and should have a diameter so that it fits firmly into the basket. Marzocco baskets are 58mm, so order the appropriate size. Without a flat packing surface you create indents which cause uneven extraction. You may order your tamper from Vivace's , which sells pistons of several different sizes to perfectly fit your basket.“

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/00/08/tamping/ ?page=2 - Cached

CoffeeGeek - An Espresso Glossary

  „Filter Basket: is a metal, flat bottomed “bowl” shaped insert that fits inside a portafilter. The filter basket holds your bed of ground coffee and has a multitude of tiny holes in the bottom to allow the extracted beverage to seep through and pour into a demitasse cup or other receptacle. Most espresso machines include two filter baskets, a single basket and a double basket, though some machines feature convertible baskets that allow either a single or double shot of espresso to be produced from the same basket.“

http://www.coffeegeek.com/opinions/markprince/ 07-20-2004 - Cached

Archived in Make Espresso, Coffee Shop, Espresso Shop, Machine