Quote:
Originally Posted by cherrybomb
I am not clear on how calibrating and 5-10 wasted shots are related... can you please explain? i am lost in the land of espresso
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I have been doing this a lot time and trying to save some of the hassle and waste I went through. If I had known me back then, it would've been a lot easier...
Pressure and humidity (of the beans) change how the machine works. Each round of espresso making has to be first calibrated by grinding one shot, see if it is ground right or not and adjusting from there.
Two things never change when making an espresso; amount of ground coffee and the pressure of the tamp. You adjust the grind from there.
The cheaper machines never have constant even pressure. They are decent, but try a Silva vs. $1200+ machine and you'll see the difference.
Yes, as you get more experienced making shots, you can cheat a little to save coffee by tamping harder or lighter to save some already ground coffee, but the first shot will be a wash if not correct. When making straight espresso shots, getting them correct is even more important. Basically, it should fill an espresso cup in 23-30 seconds with two angel hair pasta thick streams. If the streams come out like that, no need to count; it one in the same.
At 16 gr. per espresso (average for double) shot equals 28 shots per pound. You say you'll make 2-4 a day plus 5 lost a week... No way a pound of coffee will last near a month. More like 10 days at best.