| TIPS ON USING THIS MACHINE - Scores 5/5
1.Use filtered water only. Water straight from the tap will increase the number of times you will need to descale the machine and your coffee won't taste as smooth. Please don't chuck the machine away after 3 months use thinking it is broken, it just needs a bottle of cheap vinegar!
2.Always use the '2 cup filter' for single and double espressos. If you only need a single espresso make two anyway and pour the rest away. Espresso from a 1 cup filter will rarely taste as good as one from a 2 cup filter from almost any machine available.
3.To start with, try the illy coffee grind. When you are ready to start experimenting purchase a Dualit Burr Coffee Grinder or any other good 'Burr' grinder, and grind your own beans at the beginning of each week. Don't be fooled by manufacturer claims written on the back of coffee packets such as 'suitable for all coffee makers', these are too coarse a grind for espresso making and you will be left with a soggy brown liquid with little to no crema - illy is the only brand out there in the UK that you can trust. If I am wrong on this please leave a recommendation in the comments section.
4.Add two loaded scoops of coffee grind to the 2 cup filter and tamp down hard. Apparently 7-14kg is optimum but I have found the harder you tamp the more concentrated the flavour of the coffee is and the more crema you produce. Really get stuck in there and level the surface when you are finished compacting. Of course discretion is advised, as if you are built like Arnold you won't get any flow at all.
5.If you want hot frothy milk for a cappuccino, leave the heating to the microwave and the frothing to the frother, otherwise you will be there for a long time trying to heat the milk up to a temperature where it starts to froth. I find 80s on full power for a cup of milk works well and sync the espresso extraction (20-25s) to heating the milk. Experiment with this as you do not want to end up with boiled milk as it tastes foul!
6.The machine has a temperature ready light; don't trust it with your coffee! The manual states 6 minutes is enough time from priming to when you can begin extraction. I find the light on my machine goes on and off beyond 6 minutes as the temperature further stabilizes. After 6 minutes recommended by the manufacturer is up prime the machine again this time switching the hot water button off as soon as the hot water begins to flow.
7.Wait 3-4 minutes or longer if you are not in a rush and place the filter holder into the brewing head 1-2 minutes before you start extracting the espresso.
This is my first machine so I would say its a 5-star product in this price range, it is built well and with a little care the results are superb. If you have more money to spend, have a look at the "Francis! Francis! X1!" espresso machine. | REVIEW BY ANONYMOUS
ON 17 SEPTEMBER 2008 |
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