I lied, new tamper makes it's way in.
Okay, okay, I lied. . . sorry!
If you read on my blog entry about the Espro, it was supposed to be my one and only. There was simply no reason to look any futher than the Espro tamper. Solid, feels good in my hand, tells me when I hit 30 pounds, what else could a guy ask for? Well, I’ve been reading CoffeeGeek.com and Home-Barista.com quite a bit and there is endless debate as to if a flat bottom or a convex bottom is the way to go. It got me thinking (and that is saying a LOT!).
So, welcome home to my Deluxe Lava Tamp with a CONVEX base. I doubt I'll use this new tamper much for when I use my spouts, but for a naked extraction, I think it might make them more 'porn worthy'. So far, the results have been hit or miss (more hits though. . .).
The Lava Tamp also feels good in my hand. Slightly lighter than the Espro, but still substantial. The height too is very close to the Espro tamper. You can see how they stack up below:
The convex base versus the flat of the Espro.
Now that I have a flat and a convex, we'll see if I can hold off from adding to my ever growing collection of espresso gadgets. With this order, I added two new frothing pitchers and a Pallo group head brush (still en route).
I'm hoping not to run out of room or even more so - the wife not running out of patience!
YIKES!
If you read on my blog entry about the Espro, it was supposed to be my one and only. There was simply no reason to look any futher than the Espro tamper. Solid, feels good in my hand, tells me when I hit 30 pounds, what else could a guy ask for? Well, I’ve been reading CoffeeGeek.com and Home-Barista.com quite a bit and there is endless debate as to if a flat bottom or a convex bottom is the way to go. It got me thinking (and that is saying a LOT!).
So, welcome home to my Deluxe Lava Tamp with a CONVEX base. I doubt I'll use this new tamper much for when I use my spouts, but for a naked extraction, I think it might make them more 'porn worthy'. So far, the results have been hit or miss (more hits though. . .).
The Lava Tamp also feels good in my hand. Slightly lighter than the Espro, but still substantial. The height too is very close to the Espro tamper. You can see how they stack up below:
The convex base versus the flat of the Espro.
Now that I have a flat and a convex, we'll see if I can hold off from adding to my ever growing collection of espresso gadgets. With this order, I added two new frothing pitchers and a Pallo group head brush (still en route).
I'm hoping not to run out of room or even more so - the wife not running out of patience!
YIKES!
posted by -T at 3:28 PM
2 Comments:
Hi
After reading through the boards on Coffee Geek I noticed that you also own a Gaggia Evolution. I have had mine for about 3 weeks and am having some teething troubles. Would you mind giving me some advice?
The coffee tastes great but has no crema, looks like mud, so I have ordered a new tamper and am going to start roasting and grinding my own beans (can't get any fresh coffee here in Belgium). I have been using Lavazza from a packet which probably explains the lack of crema.
When the machine heats up it drips a little from the steam wand. Is this normal? I use the measureng spoon that came with the machine but more often than not the spent puck remains stuck under the machine instead of in the portafilter. I have tried filling the basket, locking the filter under and then taking it out to see if there are any marks in the coffee. The coffee has then loosend a bit around the edges but there are no big marks in the middle. Have you had this problem?
Would you mind describing to me how you set the machine up?
Thanks very much and greetings from Belgium!
Claire
Hey Claire!
At one time I did in fact own the Evolution, was a great little machine for quite some time - I just think I wore that thing out!
First off, I would say the issue with crema (or lack of) is from using older beans. Once you start using freshly roasted beans, that should help tremendously. How much volume (espresso) do you get in how much time? Also, do you know if these people will sell you fresh roast? http://www.vascobel.com/
As for the slight dripping, it does happen. It is a pain and I simply would wipe the counter as it wasn't much. How much would you say yours drips? If it is a few drops, don't worry. If it is more and makes a terrible mess, it could be some of the internal gaskets. They do dry out and crack after time.
Is the machine brand new?
As for the puck sticking to the screen. How long in between shots are you letting it sit in the portafilter? If it sits for a long time, the puck will dry out and stick. Of course you don't want to pull the portafilter off right away either because without the 3 way solenoid valve, it could make a mess. I'd say wait 30-60 seconds after pulling the shot and the puck should stay put in the basket filter.
Let me know if I'm on the right track to helping or if I missed the boat completely.
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