Adventures in Espresso

I recently set up my home espresso machine. I am not an espresso novice, but this is the first machine I’ve had in my own kitchen. Based upon careful research, I selected the best machine I could find. And by “careful research”, I mean to say that I got a good deal on a good-looking machine. Fortunately for me, it is also an excellent machine that offers great performance, especially for a countertop model. It has a 15-BAR pressure pump and high quality brass hadware inside. The sleek, retro styling and small size are nice bonuses, in my opinon.  I have a Francis!Francis! X3.

A while back, I worked in a coffee shop where I was fortunate to receive some excellent instruction on making good espresso. I learned how to tamp grounds, calibrate the machine and time my shots. Not many of the other employees enjoyed straight espresso, so I arguably spent more time attempting to perfect my technique than some of my co-workers. The problem with learning in a commercial setting is that that knowledge does not directly translate back into the home. A commercial machine is hundreds of pounds of metal with a greater capacity and greater ability to make the perfect espresso. The pump is stronger, the machine gets hotter and it all turns over much more quickly, not to mention the fact that I got used to snapping the portafilter – the handled-thing that you put the coffee grounds in – in to place; the same motion would knock over my new machine, though it weighs in at a respectable 14-pounds.

Aside from reading the instruction manual, which was brief and to the point, but fairly clear, I turned to the best source I knew of for an in-depth look at my X3: coffeegeek.com. They have an overview of the mechanics of my machine, as well as many, many others. After reading through their detailed analysis of the X3, combined with my knowledge of the basics from the manual, I knew that I was ready to start pulling shots.

The machine came with a box of Illy espresso pods. While Illy coffees are excellent, I was not optinistic about even their pods because pods generally taste like paper. Stale and bitter paper. Nevertheless, since I knew that it would take a while to get the hang of my machine, I started with the pods – why waste good coffee when you’re just starting out?

The pods were not very tasty, but I quickly got the hang of things and switched over to fresh grounds. But how long should I run the machine to get the perfect shot? Unlike commercial machines that I had dealt with, most home machines do not have an automatic shut-off after a certain amount of water has run through the machine. I could identify a good shot by sight, looking for thick, blond crema – the foam on top – but I was unclear on long it would take on my X3. I checked out the miniFAQ at coffeekid.com for advice. It seems that a perfect shot should take about 25-30 seconds and produces about 1.5 ounces of coffee. To be safe, I not only measured but timed my shots. After a few practice runs, I was getting consistently good pulls.

I will take this opportunity to mention that the pressure you use to “tamp” the grounds into place and the fineness of the ground beans are important, but something that varies too much from person to person for me to explain it in detail here. I will say that if your shots aren’t coming out quickly enough, try putting less weight on your tamp, or using a slightly coarser grind. If your shots are too fast, try the opposite.

Once I had my shots, I decided to try steaming some milk. The pressure and heat were great on my Francis!Francis! and after “surfing” the milk with the steaming wand – meaning that I kept the froth-aiding hole that the X3's wand is equipped with just below the milk’s surface to try and get small, fine, thick bubbles - I was pleased with my results. I used a thermometer and steamed the milk to 140F each time. Milk heats up an extra 5-10 degrees after the steaming process and it burns at over 180F, at which point it also starts to taste like charred rubber, so it is best to play it on the safe side with milk. I tried macchiatos, cappuccinos and a latte. My only complaint is that you can really only steam one cup’s worth of milk at a time. I'm not yet as skilled as I'd like to be with the machine, but I'm hopeful that someday I'll be able to do some latte art.

Overall, I would say that I am very happy with my first week of espresso machine ownership. It looks great on my counter and I’m getting better every time I use it. Be prepared for the time it takes to learn to use a machine properly, though. Otherwise, you’re best off getting an automatic, computerized machine.

 [Photos by Nicole Weston]