This was an awesome video. You touched on so many key topics all in one video to make it easy for not only new espresso brews, but those who want a rev vamp on some major principles. So many other videos are superfluous… this was great!!
Way too manic for me with all those fast chop edits to avoid any breathing space between sentences. Feels like being ranted at by a racing commentator with his bugle full of meth... 😩 I'll stick with the chill of JH
"You can tell that you're touching the shower screen if when you pull out, there's an indent of the shower screen" - no, you will often find this indent anyway, even with a low dose, because when the extraction is stopped, the puck will often get sucked upwards and then touch the shower screen. This test can be done BEFORE extraction. See the video from Wired Gourmet where he uses a coin whose thickness is similar to the headspace he wants (he claims that 2mm is good to aim for).
Which video from wired gourmet? At least the key words to help with the search for the proper video would be helpful. - I always checked before the extraction as well, i didn't know about the reverse suction, i just figured it was from the last bit of water that came out. I would enjoy watching the wired video to hear the how and why's behind it. Thank you. : )
Regarding brewing temperature: your advice is generally very good. However, with high extraction large flat burrs, a lower temperature leads to much better shots. In some cases even going down to 83-85 on light roasts is recommended (see the Extractamundo Dos! profile on the Decent).
Got my brew ledger paired with a better grinder and the benefits were instantly noticeable - dialling in with 2 maybe 3 shots compared to before where it was 3 to 4 on a bad day! Thanks a lot! 😁😁
love the deep dive and practical examination of these long standing theoretical ideas on coffee extraction. Looking forward to the deep dive into burrs video, too bad i just bought my first grinder lol
In your what went wrong video you said it made it all worthwhile to make these if you have someone leave a comment that it was helpful. Having watched hundreds of hours of espresso videos, I have to say you distilled the most important things in this video that I learned. I just wish I had found it before spending hundreds of hours watching others! Not that they weren't good...they were, but if you really just need the information necessary to up your espresso game without doing research, then this is a way better tool than search, watch, search watch. Also, thanks for being "vulnerable" and opening up about the painful and challenging period of your life when you tried to make your own shop work. I really respect you for telling us about it. Cheers.
The matrix here is very useful, thank you! I love TWW, been using for a while now, no more descaling the coffee machines with harmful chemicals! (tap water here is terrible... water companies dumping more poopoo into it, and want to charge us more for the pleasure!!)
I enjoyed your video. The music didn't bother me one iota...in fact I hardly noticed it. The temperature graphic seemed like a very useful jumping off guide. Espresso enthusiasts are a tough crowd. I commend your bravery and patience. Ha
I could talk about it all day and don't mind the pushback. My audience are incredibly well-educated on coffee, and obsessive. So if they are wrong I just confirm and send them a laughing face emoji 🤣, and if they are right I learn something. I'm lucky to have such a smart audience!
Your pitcher filter does not "distill" the water, it removes chlorine and leaves most of the dissolved salts. Adding the salt packet is probably unnecessary, unless you prefer using salted water.
Thanks 😊 Let me share some info back. 1. I found WDT can result in uneven puck density. After some fails with the WDT, I started manually testing for dense areas in my puck (using a toothpick). Surprisingly it is very easy to feel any unevenness. So I changed my stirring motion and gradually I saw a big improvement. You might have a better technique so this tip might not be for you, just sharing 😊❤. 2. My local cafe takes notes on daily humidity and age of beans (days since roasting). They say this data helps dialling in grind size. This tip has saved me a lot of coffee and I dial in quick now 😊 Cheers.
@@The27Abdul Hi 😊 Fresh coffee produces more gas when hot water hits which adds pressure. Therefore you need a slightly coarser grind for fresh (one week old coffee). Coffee two weeks old, I try one notch finer (depends on your grinder, might be 2 notches or half a notch). Coffee 3 weeks old, I try one notch finer again ... Humid or rainy day, I try one or two notches coarser ... By just noting the coffee roast date, and humidity, I find I now get pretty close to dialing in my coffee on first attempt 👍 Cheers
This is the type of nerdiness I want. James Hoffman is ok but this is better. Looking forward to checking out your channel and more nerdiness. Everyone recommends the same process, ratio etc but never elaborates on the rabbit hole of espresso making. This, is that type of rabbit hole I look forward to.
Good video Charlie. Can't find anything to argue with at all. Only thing I defer on is I start at a 1:2.5 ratio for espresso, and move up or down from there depending on what the coffee's expecting from me. Best part of the vid was the visual representation of two different beans at 18g doses and how they have different volumes in the filter basket. The last thing, don't worry, the plumb in will come mate. Took me six years in this game of creating content about coffee before I got my first one (it was the OG LM GS3).
I kept stressing about grinders but really what has more impact is burrs, so I have been buying open box DF83 / DF83V grinders when I see them and currently have three grinders on my coffee bar along with my Lelit Bianca V3. Current setup is DLC espesso burrs, SSP HU burrs, and Compak Burrs, which has been really fun to experiment and test with to see how they produce different flavors. The Compak burrs have been awesome and I don't think I get a huge contrast between DLC and SSP HUs so I decided to buy some SSP Lab Sweet Red Speed burrs to swap out for the DLCs since the HUs seem to have a better espresso range in DF83Vs. I am excited to test out the Lab Sweets now (just got them).
If you spend so much money for espresso, I suggest buying an Ascaso Baby T Plus and using it instead of Bianca V3. Temperature consistency will double and you will have fresh water in your espresso which improves vastly the taste radically more in comparison with burr variety.
@@danielryan4488 I opened a title about this issue. That home espresso machines need bigger boilers for temp stability however it results in detoriated water due to heat-cool down circle and long waiting time of water in metal boilers. Machines in cafe's overcome this with fast circulation and relative low metal surface/boiler volume ratio. Baby T Plus fresh water technology gives the same quality of espresso with cafe's, moreover in 8 min full heated readiness option. Also not comprising on temp stability (like other standard thermocoils). I suggest you to check this in detail. Have a nice day and tasty espresso
If the number of variables needing to be finessed for good espresso is overwhelming you could focus more on a good immersion brewer or even a pour over brewer, if you want to involve a bit more technique. Really though, you can be making delicious coffee with an Aeropress (or a Pulsar perhaps) or a V60 but it won't be espresso. It's still delicious coffee though and you shouldn't be dissuaded from making coffee at home by the complexity of espresso. Just choose the level that suits you. You can always add in other brewing options as you go. Starting with espresso is probably ill advised in fact as you've noticed yourself.
Good advice, but Third Wave Water LIGHT Roast Profile has chlorides and may not be great for espresso machines, chlorides can cause pitting / corrosion in stainless steel boilers. Other coffee water brands also have chlorides. The Espresso profile is the one you want to use for espresso machines, I use it at half-strength so I get twice as much value from it. Light roast one is for pourovers / brew coffee and brings out more acidity. The espresso profile at half strength has good acidity already so I use it for both pourover and espresso!
On my Mara X I like to do 19g in and around 50g out, this is with local roasted coffee a 50/50 mix of Guatemalan and Panama, for me this ticks all the boxes, hey have you used the Varia VS6 Grinder ?
There is only one rule: make it taste good. I don’t weigh my beans or my coffee. I do beans volumetrically, and I do the shot by temperature and observation. Time does not work - because physics. You see, if you do two shots in a row in the same basket, and all other factors are equal, the second will always be faster than the first. This is due to expansion of the basket metal. So my temperatures are dependent on roast; the lighter the beans, the higher the starting temperature. And then I just observe. By the time the ‘white’ crema starts to develop in the cup you’ve extracted as much of the good stuff as you need. So that’s where I end the shot.
If it's working for you, it's good! This video is really for the people who aren't getting great shots even though they are following all the "guidelines".
Do you change your temperature based off the actual brewing altitude? For EX, I live at 5000ft and water boils at 96C not 100C so I am wondering if brew temps need to be adjusted down for this reason or whether it remains the same...
I have literally never thought about that. I guess you would reduce the temperature if water boils at a lower rate, but I really don't have a firm enough grasp of physics to know if that's the right way to go. Super interesting question though.
You had mentioned pulling a ristretto is better for "stronger" milk drinks but that's not the case. James made a video on this recently. To make the same sized drink, you're going to end up using more milk compared to espresso. Ristrettos black are "stronger" per ml than a lungo or regular shot, but with a milk drink it will all be relative to the ratio you use of milk to coffee. Your 6oz latte has less coffee solids in it if you pull a ristretto vs a lungo. If you use less milk, that's great, but you could just pull a lungo and then subtract the extra volume from the milk you're using and in every case, get a stronger milk drink. Turns out even some modern knowledge is still wrong 😅
Don't mean to only roast this one micro-point in the video. Everything else was crispy btw 😁... Except saying that the blind shaker faffs your workflow. Replacing WDT with it is lower maintenance because you can drop it in and just tamp and it works better not convoluting it or doing distribution after. The only thing is that it increases the flow rate so substantially it can create some issues with some coffees.
@@wretchedpkmn Thanks for the comment. I didn't mean it would be stronger in terms of caffeine, I meant it tastes bolder. As the coffee gets more watery it extracts more compounds that don't mix well with water. Try it yourself. Pull a 27g shot and then pull a 54g shot and fill up your latte cup with milk. The 27g cup will taste better with milk, a rounder coffee flavour whereas the 54g cup will taste watery and flat.
@@homecafecharlie Not caffeine, hence why I didn't mention it. TDS, total dissolved solids. The percentage of coffee solids relative to the liquid. In your example, assuming it is the exact same sized drink, the 51g shot latte is scientifically proven to have more coffee solids and more perceptible coffee flavor, aka boldness. Like I mentioned, James Hoffman made a video debunking this very idea. I'd highly recommend it as if you're pulling ristrettos for milk drinks, you're wasting extractable coffee.
As far as water goes. A reverse osmosis system with remineralization would be a better option. It goes as far as to remove PFAS chemicals which cause cancer and heart disease
All shipped from the UK! It's a book so as far as I can tell there are no import tariffs in most countries, but may be subject to state taxes or VAT depending on where you are.
my take on the Espresso style Earliest 1st Wave Espresso = larger batch brew MokaPot (1/2 Bar, make sense why Mokapot is called stovetop espresso, yes its espresso in context of the earliest one not the modern) 2nd Wave Espresso = Italian Roast 1:2 Ratio 9 Bar 30 Sec 3rd Wave Espresso = Different Variables, Pre-Infusion, Pressure Profiling, Flow Control, different beans and roast different calibration 4th Wave Espresso = highly experimental usually served in Omakase Course style cafe usually brewed by Competition level Barista (well at least here in Indonesia) 5th Wave Espresso = Eversys?
Can you please Tell me more about the Hypernova flat Burrs? Are they good for Medium to light roast Espresso with a fruity Taste? On the Varia Website is quite the Same explanation for each burr and I cannot See the Differenz. Thank you for your help
Architecture is complicated and yes I have sent a message about that to Varia already cos it's not helpful. In my experience the hypernova architecture is a good middle ground between emphasising fruity and light notes, while still giving some body. Conicals give a lot more body and the flavour, while still sweet, is much less sharp and expressive. The Multipurpose burrs tend to make the espresso thinner, more watery. Mh hypothesis is that this has a lot more to do with the eventual shape of the grinds coming out. If you imagine the blades cutting the beans up, then the multipurpose ones will kind of roll the beans to the edge, shaving off bits at a time as they go. But the conicals kinda cut them sharp then they fall through, so they will have a flatter surface. Will do a proper post about this in my next newsletter at homecafecharlie.substack.com/
the shakers are a lie! you have a dosing cup. you have a porta filter. put the dosing cup on the porta filter as you normally would, only rather than just removing the dosing cup, shake the whole deal. porta filter and dosing cup as one unit with the grounds in the whole thing just rattling around breaking clumps, removing static, all that fun stuff. only then do you remove the dosing cup. use a WDT to smooth the bed from there, tap on your rubber mat and tamp. easy peasy.
Given that you’re now discussing more pro level variables and techniques / details. I can’t help but notice you’re using the Meraki. Does that mean you’re happy with it after all this time? (I’ve seen your review) but I’m still not sure if it will give me the right pro level jump I’m looking for. Is it extracting the flavours you’re looking for? Especially using its own built in grinder ?
I like the espresso but I'm using external grinders most of the time. The onboard one is fine, nothing special compared to the grinders I have. Will do a final review of the production model when they send it to me.
femobook friend, it's better than the Niche for both espresso and filter. the VS6 doesn't have the range with the conical burrs to really make it a viable option imo. That's probably why they have the VS3, but that's honestly a sub-par option if you have the cash for a better conical to begin with
I disagree on range. The VS6 comes with lifters to adjust the depth of the burrs (just stick one or two under). So my grinding range for conicals has been between 3-3.6 or so for espresso, and plenty of adjustment room. If you're hitting the ceiling put one of the washers they sent you with the conicals kit below the bottom burr to raise the range and give you more room. It's a great burrset IMO and will talk about it in a video soon.
Anyone has a problem with Varia VS3 changing grind size on its own? It's so annoying. I even went back to the shop and he said he fixed it... But it's not properly fixed. It still changes from 2 to 2,2 within 14g
You're recommending tabletop water filters for reducing water hardness, however, they are terrible at it. Not only do they leave a LOT of minerals in the water, but they also are very inconsistent in what they remove from the water. Either buy proper distilled water, or use a reverse osmosis system.
It certainly doesn't get you completely to zero. But for the price it's good enough. Mine usually reads between 5 and 25ppm which is good enough. Reverse osmosis devices are very expensive.
Depends on they system You can get tabletop RO systems for under 400eur on sale with UV filters and all that stuff Considering that water makes up 95%+ of coffee it's baffling to me how many ppl still buy top end espresso machines, mid-end grinders and a cheap brita filter.
@@homecafecharlieI wouldn’t use distilled or reverse osmosis water to make the best tasting espresso. Espresso and coffee taste better with calcium or magnesium ions in the water, it really all depends on the ppm.
Sorry if I’m wrong but those filters you use for your water definitely don’t make “distilled” water? That’s just tap water with a few contaminates filtered out but very much still with a lot of minerals?
I tested it with a water mineral reader and it was around 15ppm, with one filter through, which is good enough for me. It isn't completely distilled but I think it does an excellent job for a fraction of the price of a reverse osmosis machine.
@@homecafecharliereverse osmosis is not distilled either. Distilled water is a type of purified water made by boiling somewhat clean water and then cooling down the resulting steam to get pure water. Reverse osmosis is a different process that gives similar results but slightly less pure. So in this case both would be good options but the filter jug doesn’t really remove enough contaminants to need to add more minerals afterwards, there is still a lot of minerals left in it.
Some exaggeration in this video, maybe for effect. That recipe is not “dark roasted Italian from the 1990s” 😅vs “specialty”….the Italian recipe would be way less coffee and a way longer shot, actually. The 18g in 36 out in 30 seconds pulls a really nice shot of specialty coffee (which exists at nearly all roast levels)…frankly, I prefer an even tighter 18g in 27g out in 30 seconds and I’m seeing more and more folks who were pulling longer shots coming back to this, for a reason. It’s really good.
If I pull 18g in and 36g out in 30 seconds using my VST 18g, my coffee is almost always extremely sour. I rarely ever do less than 1:2.5 and I'm usually closer to 1:3 for big punchy flavors in lighter roasted espresso. To each their own!
Yep this is why I say it's a variable not a rule. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why their coffee still tastes bad when they are doing the 18:36 rule. Cos it's a bad rule, it's just a starting point but then you need to adjust for each bean.
Just use RO and you don’t need to add anything in your water. I plumbed a line from my RO and goes back to my espresso machine so when my water is low in tank, I remove the top tray open the valve. very convenient I recommend this for everyone who has their machine under cabinets that doesn’t have enough space to pour water from a pitcher. I personally don’t like puck screen idea. Paper one makes more sense to me since it is disposed but metal one that is keep used and you need to wash and clean the screen every time, that adds more process. I think this still doesn’t prevent the coffee oil build up in your shower screen which you end up cleaning anyways. I used to take notes but since I roast my own coffee that adds more complication into it even within the same origin beans. You will end up getting millions of variations. The only time I play my brewing temperature is when I extract darker roasts which I reduce the temperature because I don’t want all the bitter flavour infuse into the shot. Plus your 18g dose will be too much since darker roasts are lighter and drier and you end up getting more beans. I usually drop it to 16g for those roasts. I usually don’t buy or roast more than full city roast so I do that micro adjustment once in a blue moon. Definitely use distribution tool makes a big difference. If you are still having extraction problems, I sometimes cheat and put a small hole in the center of the puck when I can’t micro adjust the steps on the grinder but don’t go all the way. That will force to water go thru that dot and it will speed up your extraction and don’t make a mess on your buttonless extractions. I use also 94 degrees for my extractions.
After a year of faffing my Barista Express and getting the gadgets I had worked out, using the levelling tool, that I needed to allow for the thickness of the puck screen and grind around 16.5 g. I'm still not understanding if tamping pressure has anything to do with it as sometimes it feels one coffees don't need so much pressure to reach the level. I use a depth set tamper.
Tamping pressure changes things a bit, which is why I mostly just tamp really hard. As you approach maximum density you remove the variable and just have maximum density pucks.
Too many word spoken too rapidly over-saturates viewers AKA the Principal of saturation. When it comes to public speaking, always remember this: WORDS ARE EXPENSIVE so LESS is always MORE.
I try to make it as helpful as possible without wasting viewers time. I could make this a 30 minute video but I would get bored watching something that's 30 minutes if it could be concisely explained in 11.
Or you could do with the vast majority of people do: just add a lot of steamed milk, sweetener, syrups, whipped cream, and sprinkles, and none of this matters.
@ Seems like you’re dissing the vast majority of espresso drinkers out there. Their taste may differ from yours, but I wouldn’t be so judgmental. Those machines come with a steam wand for a reason.
No one ever said those numbers were "right." They said ~18g in, ~36g out in ~24 seconds is a rough guideline for a ristretto shot. The difference between professionals and hobbyists in the food industry is that pros care about flavor, hobbyists care about recipes.
It is not a good practice to tap the portafilter on a rubber mat. This can create an uneven puck, leading to channeling during extraction. Recommending this method is highly problematic.
Lol, I'll post a final review of the production machine when they send it to me. It's still on my bench and I use it almost every day so that should tell you something.
I think auto translating titles is a mistake. It would be much better to put the english title with [Untertitel] / [subtitles]. Random translated titles are confusing and sometimes I don't recognize it's you and don't click
bro you do know that these theories and numbers are designed for newbies who want to learn brewing for the first time right? even both of us is in that situation in the past. and after few years working in coffee industry i've learned to stop listening to people because i can do it myself because we know how to do it as a professional. this is called "progress" mate. just like a professor in prestigeous university was a student when they were kid. you cannot destroy history.
I can enjoy a good traditional Italian espresso but it's a different drink from the speciality coffee that a lot of us home enthusiasts enjoy. Like the difference between a Twix chocolate bar and a bean to bar fancy 64% cocoa chocolate. The latter is just better, but Twix reminds me of growing up and that was all I liked.
I like my coffee to taste like coffee. This light roast nonsense is fine for those who like it, but it’s not proper coffee. There is some good info in the video
WHAT are you blabbing about man??? If, what you show in your video, is by your terms "espresso", dont even visit Italy and show it there. They proberly kick you out of the country. Your ristretto looks more like an espresso. The rest is just clickbait to sell your products.
I have an old Rocket no pid, during extraction the temp changes less that 1 degree c at the group. It's nonsense and marketing hype. Subjectivity on display. Only true testing is double blind testing. Sorry I think point 7 is nonsense on zhx machines. Just buy a thermometer and attach to group
Thanks so much for watching! If you want to support my channel you can buy my book (it's awesome): shop.homecafebycharlie.com/
Wait, how did the beans have lease volume than another? Different grind? Because your grind is responsible for this
@@NSWvet83 because of the density of the bean, which is largely determined by the growing altitude and the roast level ;)
This was an awesome video. You touched on so many key topics all in one video to make it easy for not only new espresso brews, but those who want a rev vamp on some major principles. So many other videos are superfluous… this was great!!
Your videos are always worth a watch, but your new background music is chaotic and makes you sound like you're stressfully shouting over it
Maybe I had one too many espressos before filming 😅
Way too manic for me with all those fast chop edits to avoid any breathing space between sentences.
Feels like being ranted at by a racing commentator with his bugle full of meth... 😩
I'll stick with the chill of JH
"You can tell that you're touching the shower screen if when you pull out, there's an indent of the shower screen" - no, you will often find this indent anyway, even with a low dose, because when the extraction is stopped, the puck will often get sucked upwards and then touch the shower screen. This test can be done BEFORE extraction. See the video from Wired Gourmet where he uses a coin whose thickness is similar to the headspace he wants (he claims that 2mm is good to aim for).
Or use a shower screen, that helps to be more consistent
Yeah. I was gonna say that.
Which video from wired gourmet?
At least the key words to help with the search for the proper video would be helpful.
-
I always checked before the extraction as well, i didn't know about the reverse suction, i just figured it was from the last bit of water that came out.
I would enjoy watching the wired video to hear the how and why's behind it. Thank you. : )
@hawkdriver68 "dose espresso by volume, not by weight" or so
@@JakubTarnawskisorry, that's just bad advise
I think one of the telltale signs that you're under-dosing your portafilter is you end up with water on top of your puck after pulling a shot.
Facts!
Nice to know. 😮
yes im getting the desired amount but a bit of water is left on portafilter, buh of an issue?!
Regarding brewing temperature: your advice is generally very good. However, with high extraction large flat burrs, a lower temperature leads to much better shots. In some cases even going down to 83-85 on light roasts is recommended (see the Extractamundo Dos! profile on the Decent).
Great info! Been doing all of these tips for the most part.
Great video! Thanks! After making espresso every day for a year, you've opened my eyes to keep improving my shots. Thanks so much!
Awesome!
Great video!!! Especially the information on temperature at the end. Thank you
Got my brew ledger paired with a better grinder and the benefits were instantly noticeable - dialling in with 2 maybe 3 shots compared to before where it was 3 to 4 on a bad day! Thanks a lot! 😁😁
Amazing, I'm so glad it helped you! Would love it if you could share that as a review on the store page 🙏
Nice overview Charlie- loving my new Brew Ledger - definitely helps me to focus in on flavour profile and variable adjustments! Cheers
So glad it is helping you! Would love it if you reviewed it on the store 🙏
Great video🎉Keep going with reviews like this.Very useful!!!!
I have to say the DiFluid helped me come to many of these conclusions myself. Great video!!
love the deep dive and practical examination of these long standing theoretical ideas on coffee extraction. Looking forward to the deep dive into burrs video, too bad i just bought my first grinder lol
Brazil has such a vast variety of altitudes that you can find coffee from 200 until 1200 meters.
In your what went wrong video you said it made it all worthwhile to make these if you have someone leave a comment that it was helpful. Having watched hundreds of hours of espresso videos, I have to say you distilled the most important things in this video that I learned. I just wish I had found it before spending hundreds of hours watching others! Not that they weren't good...they were, but if you really just need the information necessary to up your espresso game without doing research, then this is a way better tool than search, watch, search watch. Also, thanks for being "vulnerable" and opening up about the painful and challenging period of your life when you tried to make your own shop work. I really respect you for telling us about it. Cheers.
What a superb video! This is the best kind of coffee nerdery!
The matrix here is very useful, thank you! I love TWW, been using for a while now, no more descaling the coffee machines with harmful chemicals! (tap water here is terrible... water companies dumping more poopoo into it, and want to charge us more for the pleasure!!)
I enjoyed your video. The music didn't bother me one iota...in fact I hardly noticed it. The temperature graphic seemed like a very useful jumping off guide. Espresso enthusiasts are a tough crowd. I commend your bravery and patience. Ha
I could talk about it all day and don't mind the pushback. My audience are incredibly well-educated on coffee, and obsessive. So if they are wrong I just confirm and send them a laughing face emoji 🤣, and if they are right I learn something. I'm lucky to have such a smart audience!
Thank You ❤
Excellent video and info!
Your pitcher filter does not "distill" the water, it removes chlorine and leaves most of the dissolved salts. Adding the salt packet is probably unnecessary, unless you prefer using salted water.
Thanks 😊 Let me share some info back. 1. I found WDT can result in uneven puck density. After some fails with the WDT, I started manually testing for dense areas in my puck (using a toothpick). Surprisingly it is very easy to feel any unevenness. So I changed my stirring motion and gradually I saw a big improvement. You might have a better technique so this tip might not be for you, just sharing 😊❤. 2. My local cafe takes notes on daily humidity and age of beans (days since roasting). They say this data helps dialling in grind size. This tip has saved me a lot of coffee and I dial in quick now 😊 Cheers.
Hey thanks for the Tip, how does humidity affect your dial in?
@@The27Abdul Hi 😊 Fresh coffee produces more gas when hot water hits which adds pressure. Therefore you need a slightly coarser grind for fresh (one week old coffee). Coffee two weeks old, I try one notch finer (depends on your grinder, might be 2 notches or half a notch). Coffee 3 weeks old, I try one notch finer again ... Humid or rainy day, I try one or two notches coarser ... By just noting the coffee roast date, and humidity, I find I now get pretty close to dialing in my coffee on first attempt 👍 Cheers
I always extract shorter shots for millky drinks it taste better
This is the type of nerdiness I want. James Hoffman is ok but this is better. Looking forward to checking out your channel and more nerdiness. Everyone recommends the same process, ratio etc but never elaborates on the rabbit hole of espresso making. This, is that type of rabbit hole I look forward to.
Thanks! I love the nerdiness too but I try to keep it not completely off in the clouds 😜
Good video Charlie. Can't find anything to argue with at all. Only thing I defer on is I start at a 1:2.5 ratio for espresso, and move up or down from there depending on what the coffee's expecting from me. Best part of the vid was the visual representation of two different beans at 18g doses and how they have different volumes in the filter basket. The last thing, don't worry, the plumb in will come mate. Took me six years in this game of creating content about coffee before I got my first one (it was the OG LM GS3).
Oh a GS3 would be magic!
I don't understand why dosing is done by weight instead of volume?
Where did you find your t-shirt ? It is beautiful!
Thanks for the video, some nice insight
Thanks so much, it's really random I just saw it on Vinted and bought it. The label says Sons of Sparta.
I kept stressing about grinders but really what has more impact is burrs, so I have been buying open box DF83 / DF83V grinders when I see them and currently have three grinders on my coffee bar along with my Lelit Bianca V3. Current setup is DLC espesso burrs, SSP HU burrs, and Compak Burrs, which has been really fun to experiment and test with to see how they produce different flavors. The Compak burrs have been awesome and I don't think I get a huge contrast between DLC and SSP HUs so I decided to buy some SSP Lab Sweet Red Speed burrs to swap out for the DLCs since the HUs seem to have a better espresso range in DF83Vs. I am excited to test out the Lab Sweets now (just got them).
If you spend so much money for espresso, I suggest buying an Ascaso Baby T Plus and using it instead of Bianca V3. Temperature consistency will double and you will have fresh water in your espresso which improves vastly the taste radically more in comparison with burr variety.
@muratozt ill check it out, I'll get a new machine eventually but I have only had the bianca for about a year
@@danielryan4488 I opened a title about this issue. That home espresso machines need bigger boilers for temp stability however it results in detoriated water due to heat-cool down circle and long waiting time of water in metal boilers. Machines in cafe's overcome this with fast circulation and relative low metal surface/boiler volume ratio. Baby T Plus fresh water technology gives the same quality of espresso with cafe's, moreover in 8 min full heated readiness option. Also not comprising on temp stability (like other standard thermocoils). I suggest you to check this in detail. Have a nice day and tasty espresso
Omg this puts me off starting the home coffee journey! Way too complicated! It may make the most amazing coffee but somewhat overwhelming!
It is a lot to learn if you want to make the best coffee... That's just the way it is right now I'm afraid.
If the number of variables needing to be finessed for good espresso is overwhelming you could focus more on a good immersion brewer or even a pour over brewer, if you want to involve a bit more technique. Really though, you can be making delicious coffee with an Aeropress (or a Pulsar perhaps) or a V60 but it won't be espresso. It's still delicious coffee though and you shouldn't be dissuaded from making coffee at home by the complexity of espresso. Just choose the level that suits you. You can always add in other brewing options as you go. Starting with espresso is probably ill advised in fact as you've noticed yourself.
I liked the temperature /altitude/ processing info graphic. Where is it from?
I made it ;)
We have beautiful soft tap water that honestly tastes better than many bottled waters. Is there any advantage to filtered water beyond taste?
Good advice, but Third Wave Water LIGHT Roast Profile has chlorides and may not be great for espresso machines, chlorides can cause pitting / corrosion in stainless steel boilers. Other coffee water brands also have chlorides.
The Espresso profile is the one you want to use for espresso machines, I use it at half-strength so I get twice as much value from it. Light roast one is for pourovers / brew coffee and brings out more acidity. The espresso profile at half strength has good acidity already so I use it for both pourover and espresso!
I've been enjoying the light profile but I have some espresso profile as well, will use that on my next batch and see if I can taste test it.
Great video for raising your coffee game from enthusiastic, beginner home barista to past intermediate level. Thanks 🙂👍
Very good video. Thanks!
Non of thise 7 rules is new. Then I worked as a Barista 12 years ago alle of thise 7 "new" rules was known and used in everyday work.
On my Mara X I like to do 19g in and around 50g out, this is with local roasted coffee a 50/50 mix of Guatemalan and Panama, for me this ticks all the boxes, hey have you used the Varia VS6 Grinder ?
There is only one rule: make it taste good. I don’t weigh my beans or my coffee. I do beans volumetrically, and I do the shot by temperature and observation. Time does not work - because physics. You see, if you do two shots in a row in the same basket, and all other factors are equal, the second will always be faster than the first. This is due to expansion of the basket metal.
So my temperatures are dependent on roast; the lighter the beans, the higher the starting temperature. And then I just observe. By the time the ‘white’ crema starts to develop in the cup you’ve extracted as much of the good stuff as you need. So that’s where I end the shot.
If it's working for you, it's good! This video is really for the people who aren't getting great shots even though they are following all the "guidelines".
Did none of this with my super jolly and Oscar 2 and had great espresso.
Hi Charlie! You said you would link the blind shaker in your video description, but I can't find the link for it anywhere. Could you please link it?
It's in the MHW3Bomber tools part. I'll separate it 😉
Long live the ‘90s… and Italian roast!
south italian or north italian? massive difference
Tell us please - 7:12 what is it ? Ratio (distilled water : the powder)?
It's Third Wave Water light roast solution dissolved in 2L of distilled water. Link in the description ;)
@@homecafecharlie Thank You.
Do you change your temperature based off the actual brewing altitude? For EX, I live at 5000ft and water boils at 96C not 100C so I am wondering if brew temps need to be adjusted down for this reason or whether it remains the same...
I have literally never thought about that. I guess you would reduce the temperature if water boils at a lower rate, but I really don't have a firm enough grasp of physics to know if that's the right way to go. Super interesting question though.
Would your temperature graph also apply for drip?
BWT Water filter all the way. Ny problem? I live at 8000 feet above sea level. Water boils at lowr temperature. Light roast is tough.
You had mentioned pulling a ristretto is better for "stronger" milk drinks but that's not the case. James made a video on this recently. To make the same sized drink, you're going to end up using more milk compared to espresso. Ristrettos black are "stronger" per ml than a lungo or regular shot, but with a milk drink it will all be relative to the ratio you use of milk to coffee. Your 6oz latte has less coffee solids in it if you pull a ristretto vs a lungo. If you use less milk, that's great, but you could just pull a lungo and then subtract the extra volume from the milk you're using and in every case, get a stronger milk drink. Turns out even some modern knowledge is still wrong 😅
Don't mean to only roast this one micro-point in the video. Everything else was crispy btw 😁... Except saying that the blind shaker faffs your workflow. Replacing WDT with it is lower maintenance because you can drop it in and just tamp and it works better not convoluting it or doing distribution after. The only thing is that it increases the flow rate so substantially it can create some issues with some coffees.
@@wretchedpkmn Thanks for the comment. I didn't mean it would be stronger in terms of caffeine, I meant it tastes bolder. As the coffee gets more watery it extracts more compounds that don't mix well with water. Try it yourself. Pull a 27g shot and then pull a 54g shot and fill up your latte cup with milk. The 27g cup will taste better with milk, a rounder coffee flavour whereas the 54g cup will taste watery and flat.
@@homecafecharlie Not caffeine, hence why I didn't mention it. TDS, total dissolved solids. The percentage of coffee solids relative to the liquid. In your example, assuming it is the exact same sized drink, the 51g shot latte is scientifically proven to have more coffee solids and more perceptible coffee flavor, aka boldness. Like I mentioned, James Hoffman made a video debunking this very idea. I'd highly recommend it as if you're pulling ristrettos for milk drinks, you're wasting extractable coffee.
@@wretchedpkmn I'll have a watch of it, thanks for the recommendation. I still prefer my shorter shots for milky drinks though ;)
Yes i need review VS6 with Hypernova ULTRA Plasma 63mm Conical Burrs. Do you have it ?
Yep, I have those, the iridescent flats, the ULTRA conicals and the gold multipurpose flats.
@@homecafecharlie great can't wait you review its !
Perfect advice.
As far as water goes. A reverse osmosis system with remineralization would be a better option. It goes as far as to remove PFAS chemicals which cause cancer and heart disease
Would be nice if your shop mentioned from where you ship your book as this impacts import taxes etc
All shipped from the UK! It's a book so as far as I can tell there are no import tariffs in most countries, but may be subject to state taxes or VAT depending on where you are.
my take on the Espresso style
Earliest 1st Wave Espresso = larger batch brew MokaPot (1/2 Bar, make sense why Mokapot is called stovetop espresso, yes its espresso in context of the earliest one not the modern)
2nd Wave Espresso = Italian Roast 1:2 Ratio 9 Bar 30 Sec
3rd Wave Espresso = Different Variables, Pre-Infusion, Pressure Profiling, Flow Control, different beans and roast different calibration
4th Wave Espresso = highly experimental usually served in Omakase Course style cafe usually brewed by Competition level Barista (well at least here in Indonesia)
5th Wave Espresso = Eversys?
Can you please Tell me more about the Hypernova flat Burrs? Are they good for Medium to light roast Espresso with a fruity Taste? On the Varia Website is quite the Same explanation for each burr and I cannot See the Differenz. Thank you for your help
Architecture is complicated and yes I have sent a message about that to Varia already cos it's not helpful. In my experience the hypernova architecture is a good middle ground between emphasising fruity and light notes, while still giving some body. Conicals give a lot more body and the flavour, while still sweet, is much less sharp and expressive. The Multipurpose burrs tend to make the espresso thinner, more watery. Mh hypothesis is that this has a lot more to do with the eventual shape of the grinds coming out. If you imagine the blades cutting the beans up, then the multipurpose ones will kind of roll the beans to the edge, shaving off bits at a time as they go. But the conicals kinda cut them sharp then they fall through, so they will have a flatter surface. Will do a proper post about this in my next newsletter at homecafecharlie.substack.com/
I use a cocktail stick instead of wdt
the shakers are a lie! you have a dosing cup. you have a porta filter. put the dosing cup on the porta filter as you normally would, only rather than just removing the dosing cup, shake the whole deal. porta filter and dosing cup as one unit with the grounds in the whole thing just rattling around breaking clumps, removing static, all that fun stuff. only then do you remove the dosing cup. use a WDT to smooth the bed from there, tap on your rubber mat and tamp. easy peasy.
Love your video
Is that a Varia VS6 in the background?
unbelievably hectic
PSA. If you use distilled water without minerals added you are going to ruin your boiler
Yeah don't do that 😖
Given that you’re now discussing more pro level variables and techniques / details. I can’t help but notice you’re using the Meraki. Does that mean you’re happy with it after all this time? (I’ve seen your review) but I’m still not sure if it will give me the right pro level jump I’m looking for. Is it extracting the flavours you’re looking for? Especially using its own built in grinder ?
I like the espresso but I'm using external grinders most of the time. The onboard one is fine, nothing special compared to the grinders I have. Will do a final review of the production model when they send it to me.
Which espresso machine is that 👀
Lol, not to be hyperbolic then proceeds to be hyperbolic. That tamp was pretty "extra", lol.
Anyway, I enjoyed the video as always.
Are you going to review the VS6? I like a dark roast espresso, and quite like the idea of a premium conical burr grinder.
Then buy niche zero and don't waste money
femobook friend, it's better than the Niche for both espresso and filter.
the VS6 doesn't have the range with the conical burrs to really make it a viable option imo. That's probably why they have the VS3, but that's honestly a sub-par option if you have the cash for a better conical to begin with
I disagree on range. The VS6 comes with lifters to adjust the depth of the burrs (just stick one or two under). So my grinding range for conicals has been between 3-3.6 or so for espresso, and plenty of adjustment room. If you're hitting the ceiling put one of the washers they sent you with the conicals kit below the bottom burr to raise the range and give you more room. It's a great burrset IMO and will talk about it in a video soon.
@@homecafecharlie thats still really poor compared to the femobook that goes anywhere from around 60 to 80 clicks, 8 micron adjustments
@@Cenot4ph I'm sure the Femobook is good, I haven't used it. The VS6 is stepless so the adjustment gives a lot of room in my experience.
Anyone has a problem with Varia VS3 changing grind size on its own? It's so annoying. I even went back to the shop and he said he fixed it... But it's not properly fixed. It still changes from 2 to 2,2 within 14g
You're recommending tabletop water filters for reducing water hardness, however, they are terrible at it. Not only do they leave a LOT of minerals in the water, but they also are very inconsistent in what they remove from the water. Either buy proper distilled water, or use a reverse osmosis system.
It certainly doesn't get you completely to zero. But for the price it's good enough. Mine usually reads between 5 and 25ppm which is good enough. Reverse osmosis devices are very expensive.
Depends on they system
You can get tabletop RO systems for under 400eur on sale with UV filters and all that stuff
Considering that water makes up 95%+ of coffee it's baffling to me how many ppl still buy top end espresso machines, mid-end grinders and a cheap brita filter.
@@homecafecharlieI wouldn’t use distilled or reverse osmosis water to make the best tasting espresso. Espresso and coffee taste better with calcium or magnesium ions in the water, it really all depends on the ppm.
How's that Varia VS6?
Sorry if I’m wrong but those filters you use for your water definitely don’t make “distilled” water? That’s just tap water with a few contaminates filtered out but very much still with a lot of minerals?
I tested it with a water mineral reader and it was around 15ppm, with one filter through, which is good enough for me. It isn't completely distilled but I think it does an excellent job for a fraction of the price of a reverse osmosis machine.
@ that’s great. I guess it’s also more convenient than buying gallons of distilled water from the store in plastic jugs
@@homecafecharliereverse osmosis is not distilled either.
Distilled water is a type of purified water made by boiling somewhat clean water and then cooling down the resulting steam to get pure water.
Reverse osmosis is a different process that gives similar results but slightly less pure.
So in this case both would be good options but the filter jug doesn’t really remove enough contaminants to need to add more minerals afterwards, there is still a lot of minerals left in it.
Some exaggeration in this video, maybe for effect. That recipe is not “dark roasted Italian from the 1990s” 😅vs “specialty”….the Italian recipe would be way less coffee and a way longer shot, actually. The 18g in 36 out in 30 seconds pulls a really nice shot of specialty coffee (which exists at nearly all roast levels)…frankly, I prefer an even tighter 18g in 27g out in 30 seconds and I’m seeing more and more folks who were pulling longer shots coming back to this, for a reason. It’s really good.
It all depends on your basket. That recipe wouldn't work for me, I'd bet my life savings on it.
If I pull 18g in and 36g out in 30 seconds using my VST 18g, my coffee is almost always extremely sour. I rarely ever do less than 1:2.5 and I'm usually closer to 1:3 for big punchy flavors in lighter roasted espresso. To each their own!
Yep this is why I say it's a variable not a rule. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why their coffee still tastes bad when they are doing the 18:36 rule. Cos it's a bad rule, it's just a starting point but then you need to adjust for each bean.
What espresso machine is that?
Meraki dual boiler, check my video about it!
You're not distilling your water. Don't refer to the output of your filter jug as distilled. Strong audiophile vibes from this video.
Just use RO and you don’t need to add anything in your water. I plumbed a line from my RO and goes back to my espresso machine so when my water is low in tank, I remove the top tray open the valve. very convenient I recommend this for everyone who has their machine under cabinets that doesn’t have enough space to pour water from a pitcher.
I personally don’t like puck screen idea. Paper one makes more sense to me since it is disposed but metal one that is keep used and you need to wash and clean the screen every time, that adds more process. I think this still doesn’t prevent the coffee oil build up in your shower screen which you end up cleaning anyways.
I used to take notes but since I roast my own coffee that adds more complication into it even within the same origin beans. You will end up getting millions of variations. The only time I play my brewing temperature is when I extract darker roasts which I reduce the temperature because I don’t want all the bitter flavour infuse into the shot. Plus your 18g dose will be too much since darker roasts are lighter and drier and you end up getting more beans. I usually drop it to 16g for those roasts. I usually don’t buy or roast more than full city roast so I do that micro adjustment once in a blue moon.
Definitely use distribution tool makes a big difference.
If you are still having extraction problems, I sometimes cheat and put a small hole in the center of the puck when I can’t micro adjust the steps on the grinder but don’t go all the way. That will force to water go thru that dot and it will speed up your extraction and don’t make a mess on your buttonless extractions.
I use also 94 degrees for my extractions.
After a year of faffing my Barista Express and getting the gadgets I had worked out, using the levelling tool, that I needed to allow for the thickness of the puck screen and grind around 16.5 g. I'm still not understanding if tamping pressure has anything to do with it as sometimes it feels one coffees don't need so much pressure to reach the level. I use a depth set tamper.
Tamping pressure changes things a bit, which is why I mostly just tamp really hard. As you approach maximum density you remove the variable and just have maximum density pucks.
Too many word spoken too rapidly over-saturates viewers AKA the Principal of saturation. When it comes to public speaking, always remember this: WORDS ARE EXPENSIVE so LESS is always MORE.
I try to make it as helpful as possible without wasting viewers time. I could make this a 30 minute video but I would get bored watching something that's 30 minutes if it could be concisely explained in 11.
Clearly you are not listening.
But I like dark roasted italian espresso from the 1990...
For some of us, espresso without body and texture, it's simply not espresso
So, no more than 1:2
I totally get that. I like an espresso with texture too but sometimes a light roast really pops 1:3 😘
Rule 1. Think for yourself.
Or you could do with the vast majority of people do: just add a lot of steamed milk, sweetener, syrups, whipped cream, and sprinkles, and none of this matters.
🤮
@ Seems like you’re dissing the vast majority of espresso drinkers out there. Their taste may differ from yours, but I wouldn’t be so judgmental. Those machines come with a steam wand for a reason.
Did he just say he distilled his water with a Brita filter?! 😂 sir that is not distillation
No I didn't say that 🤣
No one ever said those numbers were "right." They said ~18g in, ~36g out in ~24 seconds is a rough guideline for a ristretto shot. The difference between professionals and hobbyists in the food industry is that pros care about flavor, hobbyists care about recipes.
It is not a good practice to tap the portafilter on a rubber mat. This can create an uneven puck, leading to channeling during extraction. Recommending this method is highly problematic.
Highly! 😝
He is using a puck screen, it doesn't matter if he tap, wdt or anything else. The puck screen will prevent channeling anyway.
Bro you can’t flaunt the new v3 Meraki and not give us a full review!
Lol, I'll post a final review of the production machine when they send it to me. It's still on my bench and I use it almost every day so that should tell you something.
I think auto translating titles is a mistake. It would be much better to put the english title with [Untertitel] / [subtitles]. Random translated titles are confusing and sometimes I don't recognize it's you and don't click
bro you do know that these theories and numbers are designed for newbies who want to learn brewing for the first time right? even both of us is in that situation in the past. and after few years working in coffee industry i've learned to stop listening to people because i can do it myself because we know how to do it as a professional. this is called "progress" mate. just like a professor in prestigeous university was a student when they were kid. you cannot destroy history.
As an italian this is all wrong 😮💨
I can enjoy a good traditional Italian espresso but it's a different drink from the speciality coffee that a lot of us home enthusiasts enjoy. Like the difference between a Twix chocolate bar and a bean to bar fancy 64% cocoa chocolate. The latter is just better, but Twix reminds me of growing up and that was all I liked.
The crazy 🤪 world of wannabe home coffee ☕ experts
Insanity
Vostok
Extrem schlechte Synchronisation.
This is getting too complicated.
Just wait until you hear the magic words you have to say while using the miracle tools 😂
Americans like teawater so obviously they dont like proper espresso as its been done for decades
I like my coffee to taste like coffee.
This light roast nonsense is fine for those who like it, but it’s not proper coffee.
There is some good info in the video
yipie
First!
WHAT are you blabbing about man??? If, what you show in your video, is by your terms "espresso", dont even visit Italy and show it there. They proberly kick you out of the country. Your ristretto looks more like an espresso. The rest is just clickbait to sell your products.
I have an old Rocket no pid, during extraction the temp changes less that 1 degree c at the group. It's nonsense and marketing hype. Subjectivity on display. Only true testing is double blind testing. Sorry I think point 7 is nonsense on zhx machines. Just buy a thermometer and attach to group