Elektra Microcasa a Leva espresso 2

another shot- another slow pour- but into a crystal espresso cup this time! This is espresso from Hine Public Market roaster, from Phil & Sebastian Coffee, Calgary Farmers' Market.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• elektra
• espresso

[rodluvan76]

Hi, me again! I've had the Elektra MCaL for about 6 month now, and haven't nailed the shot yet (no crema what so ever). Please run through your parameters for me.

1. Grounding-fines?

2. Amount of coffee?

3. Tamping technique (if anything unusual)

4. Time of keeping the lever down (I've heard 10s but this is way longer)?

Anything else, you consider important?

I wuld very much appreciate it!

[furrycanuck]

Rod- your problem might be your coffee. How old are your beans? If they're more than say 4 weeks post roast and haven't been kept in an airtight container then you won't get decent crema in any machine.

I use my Brasilia alongside my Leva and although one of pump and the other is lever I use the same grind for both. You have to determine what's right through trial and error. Tamp is just a normal level-tap-tamp-polish as I would do with any machine. What you need is fresh beans!

[rodluvan76]

Excellent stuff!

However I've heard that a shot should take ab 20-25 xec to pull. Isn't thins much longer? Is that typical for a lever machine?

[furrycanuck]

rodiuvan- this shot is indeed much too long, and I've learned to ALWAYS do what looks like underdosing with the leva to make the shots pour a bit faster- but you can't really time shots as you would with a pump machine since you intervene in the midst of the pull.

[rodluvan76]

Oh, and another question.

DO you know if there's a difference in the spring mechanism between La Pavoni and Elektra? I little bell in the back of my head tells me they work differently.

[furrycanuck]

rod- pretty stable now but I am always switching beans around, so I've mostly had to tweak grind but some seem to benefit from longer or shorter preinfusion too.

Pavoni is strictly manual, no spring at all- the elektra more close approximates the professional levers, with the spring.

[mawean]

like in your other vid you should grind slightly rougher. adjust grinding till it doesn´t drop anymore but slowly flows. this will prevent over-extraction... the rocky is a good machine... grinds very homogeniously. and it seems to me, that you use a little too much coffee (should be 8g for single, 16g for double shot).

[JmanEspresso]

RodLuvin- The ONLY way to get results that aren't undrinkable, bitter dreck, is to use FRESH ROASTED Artisan beans-Order your beans online from a top tier roaster, who roasts your coffee to order and ships the same day-In U.S. Start with Counter Culture or Klatch Coffee, in the UK, Start with HAsbean or Square Mile-Google them by adding 'coffee roaster' to thier names, go their websites, and order only what you can consume in 14 days time. Klatch is a fave of mine, and Square Mile is also great

[rodluvan76]

I'm using newly opened vacuum packed beans (with exhaust valve) and I've tried several different beans (all freshly roasted, still no great creama. It's getting to me :( Anyway, I'll keep on trying. Thanks!

[rodluvan76]

Thank you,

Have you stabilised your procedure or are you still testing out different variables? It sure looks as if you've got a fluid motion when you're making the coffee.