I love it when someone does the work upfront to demystify things like this so the rest of us don't have to. This video gave me confidence. People should be forced to watch this before they add a machine to their cart.
Newbie to espresso making here but have learned a lot by watching experts. From that I've learned that my watery pucks always come from my pressurized basket and not from my unpressurized one due to back pressure. A lot of self proclaimed experts say ditch that pressurized basket. Then I watched a video from a manufacturer of those baskets with 30 years of experience behind them explaining why those baskets are best for almost everyone and will make a much better espresso for 98% of users as it guarantees a 9 bar output unless you spent 8 hours a day making espresso with $10k machines and go through 100 lbs of coffee to gain the expertise to use the puck as back pressure to generate 9 bars. Nice video presentation btw.
Thanks! Yeah, pressurized baskets are great if you have more of a consumer-style machine that doesn't have consistent pressure or if you don't have a good enough espresso-focused grinder to be able to control your grind size. I understand what you're saying, but we focus on the craft of making espresso. Making espresso at home is the most expensive way to make coffee, but you definitely don't need 10k to do it.
THANK YOU, I am so annoyed and fed up with espresso “experts” who are all parroting different contradictory religious things about things that really don’t matter, while ignoring the important issues about what makes the coffee come out well. I’ve wasted so much money trying to follow the advice of folks on r/espresso.
I read quite a few forums about soggy puck. Most of them recommended to either reduce the dose so that it allows space between the puck and the shower screen. The other suggestion is to CALIBRATE the depth by using the trimmer provided by Breville. I had proven all of these suggestions doesn't help in resolving the problem. Finally, I INCREASE the dose from standard 18g to 18.2g. Do you know what is the end result? The soggy is gone, and the taste is much sweeter. This method is proven and it works for me over months without any soggy puck.
So, slightly increasing the dose made the sogginess go away? What espresso machine are you working with? I’m trying to solve this problem on a Bambino Plus.
@@ZethAkadi Same result here, Bambino Plus. The included razor trims too much off, end up with 16-17g and a soggy puck with bad tasting espresso. Stopped using the razor and even without a distributor my shots are way better on average and I'm measuring for just slightly over 18g.
I noticed a similar thing and also read that a slight underdose creates a gap between the coffee and water outlet which creates a pooling of water. Adding a tiny bit more coffee helps me to avoid this too.
Thanks a bunch! My basket always ended up with a pool of water and I had no idea why. Turns out I was underfilling by about 3-4 grams (had to get out my jewelry scale), and I wasn't tamping hard enough. Now I have a perfect puck.
Imo wet puck is because the basket needs more ground coffee in it. It mostly happens to me when I use 7 gram in a single basket. While if I use 14g in single or 20 in double basket, the puck will be formed nicely even with grids on it because it's full of ground coffee and when water enters will increase volume thus touch the upper ceiling of the filter in the machine where the water flows
The ridge simply helps the basket get a grip from the spring in your portafilter -> zooms in to show there’s no spring in portafilter. Great channel. Instantly subbed.
There is: 1:33 -- you can see a little metal bar around the circumference of the inside of the portafilter which extends out slightly at ~1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, and 8 o'clock. That bar is flexible and interacts with the basket ridge to help hold it in place
I've a rancilio silvia, used before the standard basket, 14g, but brew always 15g, the puck was always dry. Then I've bought a IMS competition basket, 16/20 grams. I've changed my grind settings for finer, and more coffee, 18 grams, and now the coffee is better, have a really nice crema, but the puck is wet. The shot is better now, I think it's ok, I don't have channels...
Something that your puck may tell you - over or under dosing. If you place your dry puck into your machine and then remove (without brewing) and your puck has an impression from the shower screen or screw, you may be dosing to high and this can lead to channeling. If your shot starts drippy but then runs very fast towards the end you may be under-dosing our basket. Also vst make a 25g basket but disregard the single, double and triple lingo simply use brew ratio instead, a good way to start is 1:2 dose to yield and keep in mind head space within the basket as a deciding factor when choosing a basket size.
Great video. I can second almost everthing but the use of distribution tools. Doesn't matter how they are constructed, all of them either pre-compress when they are put upon the coffee bed or cause uneveness when they are turned. Source: My own experience with all different types of them (including the self-lowering ones like Bravo or Pessado). That being said: If you can't resist your strong desire to turn something on your coffee before tamping, to my experience the chisel-types like St. Anthony's shown here, Pullman Chisel or 20 bucks Scarlet Espresso (Amazon) do the least harm.
Ok, got yourself a new sub. Learning to use my basic Gaggia Classic Pro with a VST 18g basket and the OPV spring mod and my pucks are always a little damp and I needed to know if it was a problem. Thanks for answering that. Very nice presentation, looking forward to more of the same.
Hi, I currently have a problem with my crema using the Gaggia Classic Pro. It always turn out dark and lots of bubbles. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance
Great video! Was worried about not tamping hard enough... I'm down to 13 grams of coffe again, and light tamping. On my machine it gives better results. (A hand lever machine.) Am now also trying to do a longer soak time, up to 20-30 seconds, to get more flavour and more liquid, since it isn't enough, otherwise. You're right, it's what's in the cup that matters. - Perfect advice!
Spraying during extraction is due to chunks of coffee getting stuck in the screen allowing only some water through and usually causes the water to spray sideways. Grind consistency is important. Not too much pressure when tamping and using filters top and bottom of your portafilter. Filters keep things clean on top and prevents small granules from sticking and causing spraying. This week I tried using a toothpick to stir my portafilter then tamped. The pull was much better and the water pretty much came through equally and nearly all at one time for a proper time extraction. So I do see a huge difference in the pull after stirring. The filters also remove some bitterness and the coffee tastes much better. Im not one for plain straight expresso but the smell is soooooo wonderful. A touch of sugar and steamed milk is the best. I also use an old vintage grinder on my Kitchen Aid and it's set to the perfect grind. It grinds fast and accurate.
yes...channeling can happen for many reasons. Not really due to chunks of coffee getting stuck in the screen, but more so cracks in the espresso puck, poor puck prep, bad distribution, etc.
@@clivecoffee My experience is that channeling and spraying are two totally different problems. Spraying is the easiest to deal with. Channeling is not but the filters really help in channeling. Filters are the best and Ive been using them for a couple years now. Figured I'd give it a spin before I ever heard anyone using them. Now everyone is using them. Makes better tasting coffee and stops the spray and helps give a much better pull.
Thanks for the expresso tips! Well made channel from a video standpoint! Flip that mic upsidedown and route the wire through the clip to make a cleaner look on the shirt. Its a omnidirectional mic, so it wont change your audio quality, just look much better.
Also got a VST and this is totally normal. As the VST has a higher hole density than most baskets it allows more water to exit the basket. Also an increased gap between shower screen and coffeepuck(because of the deepness of big VST baskets) could cause a too fast extraction. There should be a gap of course but in optimum case, its just big enough for the puck to swell. Imo a 15g VST needs at least 17g of grinded coffee to function like intended. A puckscreen also helps with decreasing gap(if higher coffee dosing is not wanted) to the shower while also providing better water distribution during extraction.
Thank you for your advice! I’m new to making espresso at home and my machine is nowhere as nice as the one I used as a barista. Whew! You answered all my questions. 🙌🏻☕️💕
I worked for the largest coffee chain in Australia for a long time where we were always told to look for a "firm, dry biscuit" after a shot. Something I still thought was important until now.
I have a 18g basket. I always got very rich and bitter coffee. I played around with Grind size till I decided to reduce the amount of coffee. Now I am at 12 g and finally the bitterness is natural and coffee full of flavour.
Hello With 20 grams in my 58 mm basket and my insert the basket into the brewhead, I can see the marks pf the brewhead in the coffee - is it ok or should I reduce my coffee amount?
Hey there! I'd recommend reducing the amount of coffee in your portafilter. It's not going to burn the coffee, but it will cause an uneven extraction which will effect your flavor overall.
Please forgive me, I have just stumbled across your channel. WOW impressed. I have a few schoolboy questions for you. If I vacuum pack my beans, will they last longer? Can I freeze vacuum packed beans? Will that help them stay fresher longer? The reason I ask my 1KG bag of beans tastes alright at the end of the bag, but WOW at the start. I need advice on this. Thank you. great channel so far, am ripping through your videos.
Great questions! If you vacuum your coffee it will absolutely preserve your coffee, and same with putting them in the freezer if they are in an airtight bag. This inspired a new video idea.... :)
Sorry to come late to the show, very nicely done production. One thing which I didn't hear said, but was present in the visuals is the use of a scale to measure the extraction weight. Recently I've heard said one should expect a 2:1 to 2.2:1 extraction to the weight of the ground coffee. Is this what others have come to believe? Reasons include reproducibility and, help resolve the volume issues when using coffees with different crema behaviors.
Typically around here we're shooting for a 1:1.5 brew ratio (ground coffee:liquid yield), but different coffees taste best at various outputs. I find lighter roasts tend to thrive with a longer ratio such as the 1:2 ratio. But, It's important to trust your tongue and allow the flavor to guide your recipe. -Amanda
@@clivecoffee Thank You Amanda/CCC. (Oh, and thank you for correcting me on the placement of the ratio components. I knew that, but my hands appear to have not! /Cheers!)
What machine are you using? It's beautiful! Ive been using a Breville Barista Express for 6 years & looking to upgrade. I never know which puck to use for ground espresso (when I've run out of beans) bc the online manual is lacking. I just learned from your video I'm having a channeling problem. I'm going to watch your video on that now! What an excellent tutorial!
Of a bottomless portafilter, most likely an uneven tamp. If it's coming out one side of a double spouted portafilter, it could be the same issue or potentially the spout needs to be cleaned and soaked in purocaf or cafiza.
Agree to disagree, a soggy puck tends to give an over extracted taste, since some of the left behind extraction will always drizzle into the cup, dragging the overall experience down. Volume in basket must be consistent to have consistent extraction.
Hello, great as you do this video clearly short and clear. Question, I just bought a Brezerra Magica and am under a lot of stress to make a delicious esspreso now. I have a 16 gram tray, can I add 18 grams or not? and my coffee is now weak and sour and with the current setting at 10 bar it takes about 25 seconds for 60 ml of coffee. Grinder is a Eureka Mignon Speialita and I now need 11.6 sec for 18 grams. the coffee is brand Medellin Secret Finca La Luisa Colombia. I would like to hear every tip I can get and I assure that I try to follow all RUclips espresso films but in the end it turns out that it is easy to get lost. Greetings John.
25s for 60ml of coffee seems to be a little too fast and hence your espresso sounds like it's being underextracted (ie. weak, sour). You might wanna try grinding finer and brewing to a 1:2 ratio which would be 18g in 36g out if going by weight in about 25-30s.
The line is usually just for the retaining spring to sit against in the portafilter but does work nicely as a marker. VST shower plates have a membrane to help stop oils getting pulled back through to the other side, collecting and affecting taste.. pretty good (if they work..). The baskets are a bit of a gimmick. Nice groups on an ECM mechanical pre-infusion too 😉
Great video, I have a question, when would you remove the portafilter after extraction, today I left it on to froth the milk and then I tried to remove the PFilter it took some doing, I have a Gaggia classic evo. Thanks for any tips.
I'd remove it shortly after pulling a shot. If you leave it in for long periods of time, the espresso puck is much harder to get out and cakes the inside.
Hi! Great Video! I just bought a Breville express and I love Starbucks dark roast beans as that's what I am used to and prefer. I normally get lattes and that's what I plan on making. My question to you what should I dial in for those beans? Should I just have Starbucks Grind them fine for me and if so should I use a pressurized or non filter basket or should I have them grind medium and use a pressurized?
If you have things pre-ground then you'd want to use a pressurized basket. You'd have no control over making adjustments if you opt for that. We always recommend grinding fresh beans, having a standalone espresso focused grinder, and using non-pressurized baskets.
@@clivecoffee I have tried fresh beans and they just don't have the Starbucks taste that I am used too. I know their beans are not fresh and over roasted but I really like them as it's hard to find a local roster that has that dark roast taste that I am looking for unless you have some recommendations?
I use a VST 20g basket with a BZ10 machine & Ceado grinder. When I use the full 20g, the puck will swell into the screen and this seems to encourage channeling. A finer grind compacts more, but chokes. So I end up using 17 -18g instead in the 20g VST. But your vid says to use the proper spec dose for those baskets. Is it okay for a swollen puck to touch the shower screen?
Hey like your video. I hv a questions, my espresso pucks look watery. Why is that? The coffee bean is to fine? Did I need to adjust to be a little bit course?
This is very informative video. I got a question for all coffee lover, will water temperature in water tank matter? I have a basic manual espresso maker here, water temperature inside water tank is keep rising when I'm doing the routine of making espresso, then steaming. I measure the temperature inside the tank, it could get to 65C, I am not sure this is normal or not. will it affect the taste of espresso. Thanks.
When I had a Flair, the tamping pressure definitely made a difference (because you're the one pulling the shot, you can definitely feel it). When I tamped the puck too hard, the shot was significantly harder to pull and it ended up horribly overextracted.
We always recommend to try and keep your tamping pressure a constant variable and then adjust grind size to manipulate extraction because yes, tamp pressure can impact things greatly!
Here's a beginner question: for an Americano (or what I would call a regular sized small cup of coffee vs. an espresso), do I have to add hot water or can I simply let the extraction run for a couple of seconds longer?
How many times can you extract from one basket? I always thought it was a waste just to throw away the grounds after just one extraction so I try to get maybe 2 or 3 (I use 2 shot glasses to catch the espresso each extraction). Is that a coffee sin?
If you and your family/friends are enjoying those shots, that’s all that matters. That said, I would not like the second extraction as much. It would necessarily be weaker, and likely more bitter
What’s the best way to know your dose is correct? I have an 18g basket but the thumb press test post extraction feels very soft. I find to get a firmer thumb feel I have to up the dose closer to 21ish grams. Have I been doing this correctly?
Hi Charles. I'd like to hear your opinion on how to improve consistency in my espresso preparation. I have been using for home coffee preparation Catler es 8013 for few years now. But I'm still struggling to get consistent results. Here's a few more details about my process. Cofee is never older than month, ordered from recognised and well rated local roasters in Slovakia. I do pay attention to flushing machine before, getting the filter and cups wamed up before as well as keeping the extraction pressure and time in recommended limits. In the end coffee always tastes differently (not necessarily in a bad way). What would be your recommendations to up the game and get more control over the result so i can maybe start fine tuning once consistent? Maybe change of machine or grinder? Or using scale? Appreciate you taking time to answer.
Hey man, I know it’s a late answer but from reading your experience, i would have a deeper look into brew temperature and temperature consistency. Last parameter that you didn’t look at judging from what you wrote. Hope you sorted out this issue until now ✌🏼
Thanks Clive. The downers with their "expert" comments didn't understand what you said about the "end of the day" on how the espresso tastes, they were to busy banging on their keyboard on how to correct you. At the end of my day: I enjoy how my espresso tastes 😋. Thank you for the video. I always enjoy the coffee culture. ☕
I tampered my puck by mistake. Does it cause problems in the cell ? Second question : I use IMS 18/22 basket and I grind 18g then using puck. It gets water on the surface after pulling the shot. Any recommendation ?
Hi, I've just got myself a gift of a sage/breville barista pro and I'm having a really hard time getting the coffee grounds puck to drop out of the basket. I end up making a hell of a noise driving everyone crazy. I've ended up driving out the coffee puck with a spoon! I have ordered a knock Box but I'm worried it won't help. Any suggestions really gratefully received☺️🙏🏻☺️
Ok now I wonder; what would the coffee taste like, if you squeeze the rest out of the coffee powder? Would it be more bitter, more tasteful, just more coffee or just bitter?
this was really cool. I do have a question tho if anyone in the comment can help me out: My problem with the soggy pucks is not that mine are soggy, they are full of water. After the extraction almost every. single. time. the puck is filled to the brim with water. Is this normal? does this have to do with the fact that i'm removing my portafilter a couple of seconds after I turn the pressure off? So do i basically have to leave it in for the grounds to soak the excess water up?
Ok sorry never saw the response After some more testing, apparently the problem was a much lower dose compared to the basket size. I was doing a 15 / 16 gram dose in a 18 gram basket (which was the only one I had at the time)
I didn't know the basket size since it's a more generic model and it doesn't say the gramatura at the side. So I did a bunch of tests incrementing the dosage by a gram everytime and determined it must be around an 18 gram basket
Depends on the amount. A few flecks? Nope.. A gram (or more)? Probably Yes! you'll get a bit of staleness and astringency in the cup (coffee tastes drier and more bitter). I'd say try it out and do a side by side :)
Hi there! The machine featured in this video is the ECM Synchronika, which retails for $2999 USD. It's certainly a favorite amongst the Clive team. Let me know if you have any other questions about this machine! -Amanda
Hey there! Baskets don't get worn out typically. A thorough soaking with the portafilter head and basket in back flush detergent might help fix your flow rate.
thank you, great info - what does it mean when the used puck is bulging? (sometimes cracked) I have a Breville Oracle and reduced how much this used to occur by reducing the built-in doser/tamper to 22 grams (min amount possible)
As a newbie home person I'm so self conscious about my soggy pucks. Even if I tamp hard. Idk what grind setting is best though. Idk how to figure it out.
Time it, it should be roughly 25 to 30 seconds for the shot to pull. If it's more, go courser. If it's less go finer. Similarly tamping harder will increase the time and tamping less will take less time.
Hey, thanks for the video. Regarding the basket size, if it says 16g on the side of the double shot basket is it recommending to only use 16g? Additionally, after struggling to get the correct grind size, I ended up adding another gram to reduce the speed. It tastes good but is that recommended? Please share your expert opinion.
Hi there! It sounds like the optimal dose for your basket is 16g, but you can certainly experiment with slightly smaller or larger doses. Different coffees will have a different density, so with a darker roast you might be able to only fit 14g without overfilling! If you were not able to dial in the grinder to get the perfect shot, adding a gram to your basket it another great way to slow down the total shot time and improve the quality of your extraction. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions, -Amanda
Be warned - I put 16g in my 15g IMS basket (which I try for lighter roasts, but, I'm not convinced yet), even with a good solid tamp my puck stuck to my grouphead.... Ooops. a messy clean-up for sure. Won't make that mistake again.
Hands down the best no BS video about home brewing I have watched. Thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love it when someone does the work upfront to demystify things like this so the rest of us don't have to. This video gave me confidence. People should be forced to watch this before they add a machine to their cart.
learning the art & craft is a part of the journey. Embrace it.
Finally, YT coffee videos that are to the point, helpful and not filled with waffle.
Bro... I subscribed just because you were so direct and clear in your presentation. Being concise is a lost art. Well done. 👍🏻☕️
Thanks and welcome!
Short, straight to the point , without any useless information , thank you so much !
"swirling around in your grouphead" earned my subscription 😂
He has a gift
lnternet RB me too👍
came here to write this exact same comment!
did you 'tamp' subscribe ;)
Me too :D
Hands down the best, most straightforward coffee vid that bursts the balloon of vids posing as arcane coffee lore on the net.
Interesting how all these coffee buffs are extremely relaxed.
lol caffeine couldn't do anything to them anymore.
After 12 shots in 1 day, you’ve experienced heaven.
Jordan Crawford so true, it’s better than heaven
@@JordanCrawfordSF ha ye cuz you've had a heart attack and died and revived.
It's because they are all doing what they love 💕 ☕
This is the most correct and informative video on commercial coffee I have watched on the net.
thank you. glad you enjoyed it.
Very informative and directly to the point; I like the "What doesn't...".
For the beginners, this is remove some overthinking in my mind.
Thank you!!! This is down-to-earth, competent, applicable information; and your not afraid to debunk the myths. really helpful.
Newbie to espresso making here but have learned a lot by watching experts. From that I've learned that my watery pucks always come from my pressurized basket and not from my unpressurized one due to back pressure. A lot of self proclaimed experts say ditch that pressurized basket. Then I watched a video from a manufacturer of those baskets with 30 years of experience behind them explaining why those baskets are best for almost everyone and will make a much better espresso for 98% of users as it guarantees a 9 bar output unless you spent 8 hours a day making espresso with $10k machines and go through 100 lbs of coffee to gain the expertise to use the puck as back pressure to generate 9 bars. Nice video presentation btw.
Thanks! Yeah, pressurized baskets are great if you have more of a consumer-style machine that doesn't have consistent pressure or if you don't have a good enough espresso-focused grinder to be able to control your grind size. I understand what you're saying, but we focus on the craft of making espresso. Making espresso at home is the most expensive way to make coffee, but you definitely don't need 10k to do it.
Best video about this topic! no nonsense and not being obnoxious. 👏👏👏
That boy's got a smooth delivery. Maybe audiobook narration is in his future.
Yes is very nice, he remind me Freddie Highmore!
No lie. My heart rate reduced watching this despite the espresso in my hand.
Its the very reason subbed.
Yeah his voice is smooth...
Once you hear the mouth sounds though you can’t unhear them
This has to be the most accurate video and simplest to save yourself from online misconceptions.
THANK YOU, I am so annoyed and fed up with espresso “experts” who are all parroting different contradictory religious things about things that really don’t matter, while ignoring the important issues about what makes the coffee come out well. I’ve wasted so much money trying to follow the advice of folks on r/espresso.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, does videos as polished, professional, and useful as Clive. Thanks for the intelligent and terse presentation.
Thank you!
I read quite a few forums about soggy puck. Most of them recommended to either reduce the dose so that it allows space between the puck and the shower screen. The other suggestion is to CALIBRATE the depth by using the trimmer provided by Breville. I had proven all of these suggestions doesn't help in resolving the problem. Finally, I INCREASE the dose from standard 18g to 18.2g. Do you know what is the end result? The soggy is gone, and the taste is much sweeter. This method is proven and it works for me over months without any soggy puck.
So, slightly increasing the dose made the sogginess go away? What espresso machine are you working with? I’m trying to solve this problem on a Bambino Plus.
@@ZethAkadi Same result here, Bambino Plus. The included razor trims too much off, end up with 16-17g and a soggy puck with bad tasting espresso. Stopped using the razor and even without a distributor my shots are way better on average and I'm measuring for just slightly over 18g.
I noticed a similar thing and also read that a slight underdose creates a gap between the coffee and water outlet which creates a pooling of water. Adding a tiny bit more coffee helps me to avoid this too.
Man, i was just thinking of buying an espresso machine and randomly found this channel, insta suscribed, im gonna do my research first.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!
Thanks a bunch! My basket always ended up with a pool of water and I had no idea why. Turns out I was underfilling by about 3-4 grams (had to get out my jewelry scale), and I wasn't tamping hard enough. Now I have a perfect puck.
Imo wet puck is because the basket needs more ground coffee in it. It mostly happens to me when I use 7 gram in a single basket. While if I use 14g in single or 20 in double basket, the puck will be formed nicely even with grids on it because it's full of ground coffee and when water enters will increase volume thus touch the upper ceiling of the filter in the machine where the water flows
Straight to the point with excellent content., wish all RUclipsrs can be like u!
This video is a proof of respect for its audience. Thank you
Seriously excellent presentation skills. I heard not a single filler word; good job!
The ridge simply helps the basket get a grip from the spring in your portafilter -> zooms in to show there’s no spring in portafilter.
Great channel. Instantly subbed.
There is: 1:33 -- you can see a little metal bar around the circumference of the inside of the portafilter which extends out slightly at ~1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, and 8 o'clock. That bar is flexible and interacts with the basket ridge to help hold it in place
R U blind? There is a spring
Good delivery. Relevant. Precise.
I've a rancilio silvia, used before the standard basket, 14g, but brew always 15g, the puck was always dry. Then I've bought a IMS competition basket, 16/20 grams. I've changed my grind settings for finer, and more coffee, 18 grams, and now the coffee is better, have a really nice crema, but the puck is wet. The shot is better now, I think it's ok, I don't have channels...
Something that your puck may tell you - over or under dosing. If you place your dry puck into your machine and then remove (without brewing) and your puck has an impression from the shower screen or screw, you may be dosing to high and this can lead to channeling. If your shot starts drippy but then runs very fast towards the end you may be under-dosing our basket. Also vst make a 25g basket but disregard the single, double and triple lingo simply use brew ratio instead, a good way to start is 1:2 dose to yield and keep in mind head space within the basket as a deciding factor when choosing a basket size.
Finally a video that treats coffee as a drink and not a science project
I mean, it kind of is a chemistry set. 😂
Cooking is science.
By far the best video on the subject. No BS and straight to the point!
I love the script that you used to describe the nuances and to clarify the best advice. Thanks for the work to explain
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. I can second almost everthing but the use of distribution tools. Doesn't matter how they are constructed, all of them either pre-compress when they are put upon the coffee bed or cause uneveness when they are turned.
Source: My own experience with all different types of them (including the self-lowering ones like Bravo or Pessado).
That being said: If you can't resist your strong desire to turn something on your coffee before tamping, to my experience the chisel-types like St. Anthony's shown here, Pullman Chisel or 20 bucks Scarlet Espresso (Amazon) do the least harm.
Short, sharp and too the point. Really appreciate this video thank you.
Ok, got yourself a new sub. Learning to use my basic Gaggia Classic Pro with a VST 18g basket and the OPV spring mod and my pucks are always a little damp and I needed to know if it was a problem. Thanks for answering that. Very nice presentation, looking forward to more of the same.
Hi,
I currently have a problem with my crema using the Gaggia Classic Pro. It always turn out dark and lots of bubbles. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance
Precision in the presentation makes it so crisp.
presentation was filtered with a VST basket
Great video! Was worried about not tamping hard enough...
I'm down to 13 grams of coffe again, and light tamping. On my machine it gives better results. (A hand lever machine.) Am now also trying to do a longer soak time, up to 20-30 seconds, to get more flavour and more liquid, since it isn't enough, otherwise.
You're right, it's what's in the cup that matters. -
Perfect advice!
Thank you very much, I’m new this and I’m already up the wall confused, now if my coffee tastes ok I’m not bothered about nothing 👍
Spraying during extraction is due to chunks of coffee getting stuck in the screen allowing only some water through and usually causes the water to spray sideways. Grind consistency is important. Not too much pressure when tamping and using filters top and bottom of your portafilter. Filters keep things clean on top and prevents small granules from sticking and causing spraying. This week I tried using a toothpick to stir my portafilter then tamped. The pull was much better and the water pretty much came through equally and nearly all at one time for a proper time extraction. So I do see a huge difference in the pull after stirring. The filters also remove some bitterness and the coffee tastes much better. Im not one for plain straight expresso but the smell is soooooo wonderful. A touch of sugar and steamed milk is the best. I also use an old vintage grinder on my Kitchen Aid and it's set to the perfect grind. It grinds fast and accurate.
yes...channeling can happen for many reasons. Not really due to chunks of coffee getting stuck in the screen, but more so cracks in the espresso puck, poor puck prep, bad distribution, etc.
@@clivecoffee My experience is that channeling and spraying are two totally different problems. Spraying is the easiest to deal with. Channeling is not but the filters really help in channeling. Filters are the best and Ive been using them for a couple years now. Figured I'd give it a spin before I ever heard anyone using them. Now everyone is using them. Makes better tasting coffee and stops the spray and helps give a much better pull.
Glad it's working out for you!@@abittwisted
thank you for making the coffee machine product that means you have helped us indirectly as coffee farmers
We love you guys! Thanks for your hard work and the care you put into bringing us great beans :D
Man I only have pressurised porta for now, so all these don't really matter to me but your sense of humour does!
Thanks for the expresso tips! Well made channel from a video standpoint! Flip that mic upsidedown and route the wire through the clip to make a cleaner look on the shirt. Its a omnidirectional mic, so it wont change your audio quality, just look much better.
Thanks for a great and informative video. 4 minutes of valuable info. All the best Clive!
Very concise, informative, and even relaxing - thanks for the wonderful video!
Thank you. So refreshing to get clear info quickly.
I find with a precision VST basket to get my extraction time right I had to grind much finer than for the standard basket, too fine in my opinion.
Also got a VST and this is totally normal. As the VST has a higher hole density than most baskets it allows more water to exit the basket. Also an increased gap between shower screen and coffeepuck(because of the deepness of big VST baskets) could cause a too fast extraction. There should be a gap of course but in optimum case, its just big enough for the puck to swell. Imo a 15g VST needs at least 17g of grinded coffee to function like intended. A puckscreen also helps with decreasing gap(if higher coffee dosing is not wanted) to the shower while also providing better water distribution during extraction.
Thank you for your advice! I’m new to making espresso at home and my machine is nowhere as nice as the one I used as a barista. Whew! You answered all my questions. 🙌🏻☕️💕
I worked for the largest coffee chain in Australia for a long time where we were always told to look for a "firm, dry biscuit" after a shot. Something I still thought was important until now.
Glad we could help!
Absolutely agree here, if I see a soggy basket, I know immediately that either my grind, my dose or both are off slightly.
I have a 18g basket. I always got very rich and bitter coffee. I played around with Grind size till I decided to reduce the amount of coffee. Now I am at 12 g and finally the bitterness is natural and coffee full of flavour.
That's great!
Hello
With 20 grams in my 58 mm basket and my insert the basket into the brewhead, I can see the marks pf the brewhead in the coffee - is it ok or should I reduce my coffee amount?
If your coffee tastes good, then you're okay.
Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.
Is the used puck good for garden beds?
So far Clive Coffee I give you 5 *s ! I have learned more in a few of your videos than dozens of others I have seen on the subject. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the kind words!
Thank you for making this video! It answered all of my questions as a new espresso machine user 😄
Glad it was helpful!
Is it bad if the puck touches the ceiling of the grate during infusion/extraction? Like, will that cause the grounds to burn?
Hey there! I'd recommend reducing the amount of coffee in your portafilter. It's not going to burn the coffee, but it will cause an uneven extraction which will effect your flavor overall.
I bet this dudes sock drawer is really NEAT.
This video did answer some questions in my grouphead. 😂 Liked and subscribed
Please forgive me, I have just stumbled across your channel. WOW impressed. I have a few schoolboy questions for you. If I vacuum pack my beans, will they last longer? Can I freeze vacuum packed beans? Will that help them stay fresher longer? The reason I ask my 1KG bag of beans tastes alright at the end of the bag, but WOW at the start. I need advice on this. Thank you. great channel so far, am ripping through your videos.
Great questions! If you vacuum your coffee it will absolutely preserve your coffee, and same with putting them in the freezer if they are in an airtight bag. This inspired a new video idea.... :)
Sorry to come late to the show, very nicely done production. One thing which I didn't hear said, but was present in the visuals is the use of a scale to measure the extraction weight. Recently I've heard said one should expect a 2:1 to 2.2:1 extraction to the weight of the ground coffee. Is this what others have come to believe? Reasons include reproducibility and, help resolve the volume issues when using coffees with different crema behaviors.
Typically around here we're shooting for a 1:1.5 brew ratio (ground coffee:liquid yield), but different coffees taste best at various outputs. I find lighter roasts tend to thrive with a longer ratio such as the 1:2 ratio. But, It's important to trust your tongue and allow the flavor to guide your recipe.
-Amanda
@@clivecoffee Thank You Amanda/CCC. (Oh, and thank you for correcting me on the placement of the ratio components. I knew that, but my hands appear to have not! /Cheers!)
As always, you guys help us to do better coffee.. thank you and good luck
At last, a common-sense and to-the-point video. Great tips. Thanks.
Cheers!
Great video thanks! QQ…I have a 18g IMS basket….does that mean I should never put more than 18g in?
What machine are you using? It's beautiful! Ive been using a Breville Barista Express for 6 years & looking to upgrade. I never know which puck to use for ground espresso (when I've run out of beans) bc the online manual is lacking. I just learned from your video I'm having a channeling problem. I'm going to watch your video on that now! What an excellent tutorial!
So glad it was helpful! That is the ECM Synchronika. We are happy to help guide you to the right machine, give us a call!
Awesome explanation, however i do have a question, coffee coming out mostly from one side is due bad tamper ?
Of a bottomless portafilter, most likely an uneven tamp. If it's coming out one side of a double spouted portafilter, it could be the same issue or potentially the spout needs to be cleaned and soaked in purocaf or cafiza.
Agree to disagree, a soggy puck tends to give an over extracted taste, since some of the left behind extraction will always drizzle into the cup, dragging the overall experience down. Volume in basket must be consistent to have consistent extraction.
Great video clear and concise 😺🙏👍
ayee thank you!
Hello, great as you do this video clearly short and clear. Question, I just bought a Brezerra Magica and am under a lot of stress to make a delicious esspreso now. I have a 16 gram tray, can I add 18 grams or not? and my coffee is now weak and sour and with the current setting at 10 bar it takes about 25 seconds for 60 ml of coffee. Grinder is a Eureka Mignon Speialita and I now need 11.6 sec for 18 grams. the coffee is brand Medellin Secret Finca La Luisa Colombia. I would like to hear every tip I can get and I assure that I try to follow all RUclips espresso films but in the end it turns out that it is easy to get lost. Greetings John.
25s for 60ml of coffee seems to be a little too fast and hence your espresso sounds like it's being underextracted (ie. weak, sour). You might wanna try grinding finer and brewing to a 1:2 ratio which would be 18g in 36g out if going by weight in about 25-30s.
The line is usually just for the retaining spring to sit against in the portafilter but does work nicely as a marker. VST shower plates have a membrane to help stop oils getting pulled back through to the other side, collecting and affecting taste.. pretty good (if they work..). The baskets are a bit of a gimmick. Nice groups on an ECM mechanical pre-infusion too 😉
This is very well produced guys great job
I like the wood knobs. Which color are those? Maple or Bubinga?
Great video, I have a question, when would you remove the portafilter after extraction, today I left it on to froth the milk and then I tried to remove the PFilter it took some doing, I have a Gaggia classic evo. Thanks for any tips.
I'd remove it shortly after pulling a shot. If you leave it in for long periods of time, the espresso puck is much harder to get out and cakes the inside.
Oh yes great video demystifying tamping, dosing and baskets thank you
what is that espresso machine?!
it's gorgeous
can you tell the brand name and model?
I'm just here to see that coffee flow.. Oh yeah.. xD
Hi! Great Video! I just bought a Breville express and I love Starbucks dark roast beans as that's what I am used to and prefer. I normally get lattes and that's what I plan on making. My question to you what should I dial in for those beans? Should I just have Starbucks Grind them fine for me and if so should I use a pressurized or non filter basket or should I have them grind medium and use a pressurized?
If you have things pre-ground then you'd want to use a pressurized basket. You'd have no control over making adjustments if you opt for that. We always recommend grinding fresh beans, having a standalone espresso focused grinder, and using non-pressurized baskets.
@@clivecoffee I have tried fresh beans and they just don't have the Starbucks taste that I am used too. I know their beans are not fresh and over roasted but I really like them as it's hard to find a local roster that has that dark roast taste that I am looking for unless you have some recommendations?
@@SAL-qt3ks Whatever tatses best to you is what matters most!
I use a VST 20g basket with a BZ10 machine & Ceado grinder. When I use the full 20g, the puck will swell into the screen and this seems to encourage channeling. A finer grind compacts more, but chokes. So I end up using 17 -18g instead in the 20g VST. But your vid says to use the proper spec dose for those baskets. Is it okay for a swollen puck to touch the shower screen?
Hey like your video. I hv a questions, my espresso pucks look watery. Why is that? The coffee bean is to fine? Did I need to adjust to be a little bit course?
This is very informative video. I got a question for all coffee lover, will water temperature in water tank matter? I have a basic manual espresso maker here, water temperature inside water tank is keep rising when I'm doing the routine of making espresso, then steaming. I measure the temperature inside the tank, it could get to 65C, I am not sure this is normal or not. will it affect the taste of espresso. Thanks.
When I had a Flair, the tamping pressure definitely made a difference (because you're the one pulling the shot, you can definitely feel it). When I tamped the puck too hard, the shot was significantly harder to pull and it ended up horribly overextracted.
We always recommend to try and keep your tamping pressure a constant variable and then adjust grind size to manipulate extraction because yes, tamp pressure can impact things greatly!
Here's a beginner question: for an Americano (or what I would call a regular sized small cup of coffee vs. an espresso), do I have to add hot water or can I simply let the extraction run for a couple of seconds longer?
you add hot water. Letting the shot run longer is a totally different thing with a totally different taste
May I ask who makes the tamper and distributer tools you are using? Thanks for the awesome video!
I would also like to know
How many times can you extract from one basket? I always thought it was a waste just to throw away the grounds after just one extraction so I try to get maybe 2 or 3 (I use 2 shot glasses to catch the espresso each extraction). Is that a coffee sin?
If you and your family/friends are enjoying those shots, that’s all that matters. That said, I would not like the second extraction as much. It would necessarily be weaker, and likely more bitter
What’s the best way to know your dose is correct? I have an 18g basket but the thumb press test post extraction feels very soft. I find to get a firmer thumb feel I have to up the dose closer to 21ish grams. Have I been doing this correctly?
Hi Charles. I'd like to hear your opinion on how to improve consistency in my espresso preparation. I have been using for home coffee preparation Catler es 8013 for few years now. But I'm still struggling to get consistent results. Here's a few more details about my process. Cofee is never older than month, ordered from recognised and well rated local roasters in Slovakia. I do pay attention to flushing machine before, getting the filter and cups wamed up before as well as keeping the extraction pressure and time in recommended limits. In the end coffee always tastes differently (not necessarily in a bad way). What would be your recommendations to up the game and get more control over the result so i can maybe start fine tuning once consistent? Maybe change of machine or grinder? Or using scale? Appreciate you taking time to answer.
Hey man, I know it’s a late answer but from reading your experience, i would have a deeper look into brew temperature and temperature consistency. Last parameter that you didn’t look at judging from what you wrote. Hope you sorted out this issue until now ✌🏼
Thanks Clive. The downers with their "expert" comments didn't understand what you said about the "end of the day" on how the espresso tastes, they were to busy banging on their keyboard on how to correct you. At the end of my day: I enjoy how my espresso tastes 😋. Thank you for the video. I always enjoy the coffee culture. ☕
great video, just what I needed, thanks! ❤️
So glad!
I tampered my puck by mistake. Does it cause problems in the cell ? Second question : I use IMS 18/22 basket and I grind 18g then using puck. It gets water on the surface after pulling the shot. Any recommendation ?
Just because you said "Tamp Subscribe", i subscribed.
Hi, I've just got myself a gift of a sage/breville barista pro and I'm having a really hard time getting the coffee grounds puck to drop out of the basket. I end up making a hell of a noise driving everyone crazy. I've ended up driving out the coffee puck with a spoon! I have ordered a knock Box but I'm worried it won't help. Any suggestions really gratefully received☺️🙏🏻☺️
Ok now I wonder; what would the coffee taste like, if you squeeze the rest out of the coffee powder? Would it be more bitter, more tasteful, just more coffee or just bitter?
What a quality video...great work
@@arturo5050 Cheers to you!
this was really cool. I do have a question tho if anyone in the comment can help me out:
My problem with the soggy pucks is not that mine are soggy, they are full of water. After the extraction almost every. single. time. the puck is filled to the brim with water. Is this normal? does this have to do with the fact that i'm removing my portafilter a couple of seconds after I turn the pressure off? So do i basically have to leave it in for the grounds to soak the excess water up?
What type of coffee are you using? When is the roast date? How many grams are you using for your dose?
Ok sorry never saw the response
After some more testing, apparently the problem was a much lower dose compared to the basket size. I was doing a 15 / 16 gram dose in a 18 gram basket (which was the only one I had at the time)
I didn't know the basket size since it's a more generic model and it doesn't say the gramatura at the side. So I did a bunch of tests incrementing the dosage by a gram everytime and determined it must be around an 18 gram basket
Does the taste change when there's a little bit of the older, already extracted coffeeground in the basket?
Depends on the amount. A few flecks? Nope.. A gram (or more)? Probably Yes! you'll get a bit of staleness and astringency in the cup (coffee tastes drier and more bitter). I'd say try it out and do a side by side :)
What a beautiful espresso machine and marvelous extraction. May I ask what model of your espresso machine and how much does it cost?
Hi there!
The machine featured in this video is the ECM Synchronika, which retails for $2999 USD. It's certainly a favorite amongst the Clive team. Let me know if you have any other questions about this machine!
-Amanda
Will the non-pressurize basket gets "worn out" over time? Of late I noticed that the 2 separate sprouts were having different flow rate.
Hey there! Baskets don't get worn out typically. A thorough soaking with the portafilter head and basket in back flush detergent might help fix your flow rate.
Clive Coffee Thanks for your advice. Indeed your suggestion had resolved my problem. Thank you,
Hi Clive, which is the best descaler solution to use on a sage barista ?
Sage makes a brand that the manufacturer recommends.
thank you, great info - what does it mean when the used puck is bulging?
(sometimes cracked)
I have a Breville Oracle and reduced how much this used to occur by reducing the built-in doser/tamper to 22 grams (min amount possible)
Don't worry if the puck is cracked, it doesn't really matter
As a newbie home person I'm so self conscious about my soggy pucks. Even if I tamp hard. Idk what grind setting is best though. Idk how to figure it out.
Time it, it should be roughly 25 to 30 seconds for the shot to pull. If it's more, go courser. If it's less go finer. Similarly tamping harder will increase the time and tamping less will take less time.
2:18 I want that, distribution tool, and I like that tamper using palm, not fingers.
It's new levy from Saint Anthony Industries.
Hey, thanks for the video. Regarding the basket size, if it says 16g on the side of the double shot basket is it recommending to only use 16g? Additionally, after struggling to get the correct grind size, I ended up adding another gram to reduce the speed. It tastes good but is that recommended? Please share your expert opinion.
Hi there!
It sounds like the optimal dose for your basket is 16g, but you can certainly experiment with slightly smaller or larger doses. Different coffees will have a different density, so with a darker roast you might be able to only fit 14g without overfilling! If you were not able to dial in the grinder to get the perfect shot, adding a gram to your basket it another great way to slow down the total shot time and improve the quality of your extraction.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions,
-Amanda
Be warned - I put 16g in my 15g IMS basket (which I try for lighter roasts, but, I'm not convinced yet), even with a good solid tamp my puck stuck to my grouphead.... Ooops. a messy clean-up for sure. Won't make that mistake again.
I am new to espresso and have to use decaf coffee beans for my shots. Do you have any suggestions?
Great video! How can i know the size of the basket? i bought one and it doesn’t say anything about it. Thanks!
Hi there! That would be a 21g triple basket used in this video :)