:: The Tamperer :: (#)

  „That way, the essential battle between water pressure and compacted coffee is ensured and correct extraction takes place." We understand you, Ewan. But to make things even simpler, here are a few bullet points: - dose the ground coffee into the portafilter and tap its side with your hand to even out the surface - tamp once with about 20 psi of pressure (in other words, firm but not too hard!) - tap the portafilter again - tamp again with 40 psi pressure this time (about as firm as you can manage with the hand you don't use for writing) - "polish" the coffee surface by twisting the portafilter slightly under the tamp - dust off the edges of the portafilter before locking it into the group head and making a heavenly espresso - When done with style and bravura, the entire tamping process will take a barista about 5 seconds. Practice...practice.“

http://www.matthewalgie.com/find_out/ lab-tamper.html - Cached

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Some slightly related:

Virtual Coffee: Feature Articles

  „Judging Expresso Extraction by Crema “

http://www.virtualcoffee.com/archives.html - Cached

Coffee Grinding

  „For proper extraction, grinding properly is essential.  Freshly grinding coffee before brewing is one of the most important steps for achieving a quality cup of coffee.  Coffee should not be ground more than 2 minutes before brewing or major staling (oxidation) begins to take place.“

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/ grinding.htm - Cached

Virtual Coffee: Feature Articles

  „For the best coffee extraction, your water should contain the following properties: total dissolved solids of more than 300 ppm (parts per million); a pH reading of more than nine; calcium and magnesium levels of more than 100 ppm; sodium and potassium levels of more than 50 ppm; and a total hardness of more than 150 ppm.“

http://www.virtualcoffee.com/sep_water.html - Cached

:: Valvo-rama ::

  „It's all about valves. Our coffee beans are packed in bags with clever one-way valves that work to keep the precious coffee fresh. Ewan gets technical again: "Each kilo of roasted coffee beans can produce up to 10 litres of gas. primarily CO2, depending on roast height and blend composition." Ewan continues "Packaging coffee beans is like bottling champagne, except in reverse." How so?“

http://www.matthewalgie.com/find_out/ lab-valvor.html - Cached

:: Confusion About Infusion ::

  „For those of us who didn't attain Ewan's degree in Food Science, it can be simplified thus: Adding some of the brewing water to the wad of coffee grounds makes them swell up, and this change in particle size and extraction results in your brew having a different taste and mouth feel. From a sensory point of view, then, a careful use of pre-infusion can optimise your cup of espresso if necessary. It ought to raise the perceived body of the drink whilst also reducing acidity. But one has to be careful, as it is all too easy to ruin the character of the blend.“

http://www.matthewalgie.com/find_out/ lab-confusion.html - Cached

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