# This is an odd one ...



## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Right, so on boxing day I finished my half a shift, realising I had no coffee at home and resorted to the horror of buying a tin of beans from work. Can't go wrong for under £2.90 though!

What I am finding very strange, is the flavour difference between extracting coffee at home and at work.

So, what I tend to drink at home is a latte in a small Costa cup, with two shots instead of one (one is too weak - yuk!). I was very surprised that the beans were actually quite nice, not cherry sour like I always end up with at work when I make the same drink.

I always flush the group head, tamp and distribute correctly and everything but it still tastes bad and sour. Yet at home I can get much smoother, richer taste on my Ponte Vecchio. Could it just be a dirty grinder etc or just because of the machine I use? I really want to enjoy my work coffee


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

How often does the grinder get cleaned? How often does the work machine get a water-backflush and a detergent one? What temperature does the machine run at? How sharp are the grinder burrs? When was the machine last serviced? What is the water quality like/what kind of inline filtration and/or softener is installed? When was the portafilter last properly cleaned, under the basket? (Most are black under there.)

Just a few possibilities to consider. Still great to see a costa barista asking these questions. BTW would you ever consider entering the costa in-house barista competition(s)?


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

You'd hope Costa get all their machines serviced frequently but dull burr blades could be to blame. But as Mike pointed out, there are literally a hundred factors which could be affecting your drinks at work.

Try to get as many factors similar at home and at work but given the machines are radically different this may be quite tricky.

If at all possible try to grind fresh and not use the huge dosers that big coffee chains tend to have. Nasty oxidation will ruin your day!


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I really hate to say it, but the inside of the grinder has never been touched as far as I know, burrs must be ruined. The machine gets a detergent backflush and a good scrub every day, group handles are popped open, scoured, dishwashed, soaked in Cafiza and put through the dishwasher again, so they are usually very clean! As far as servicing, I think it was a while ago and we must be due it again soon, the gaskets are all leaky and horrible. There is a huge water softener under the machine, but the actual tap water quality is very very poor here, I use an inline drinking filter tap for my machine.

I would love to enter the competitions personally, I'm not one to toot my own horn but my manager says my drinks are always of a very high standard! And has mentioned the barista competitions, but I think I need to create a drink first.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

@fatboyslim It is difficult with the machines being different, and I hate the doser. If I've been put on bar and I've done my grind, I empty the doser and make myself a drink with nice fresh coffee!


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

New burrs £30. Tub of Grindz £10. Filters/softeners need replacing regularly. Backflush with water every hour, even if it's just for 10 seconds (spare PF makes this easy). Brewhead temperature is a huge factor.

Do consider competing







especially if you've had good feedback. Folks on here would help in any way possible, I'm sure.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Thanks, think I might suggest a grinder service to my manager tomorrow, it does take one heck of a beating! I think Cafe Bar replace the water filters, I know something went on with them earlier. Every hour for a backflush? Wow. I'll be in running bar a lot more often in January apparently, so I can take these skills with me, thanks! The brewhead temperature I haven't actually checked, I don't think we have equipment to do so.

Thanks Mike, it's payday next week, which means a visit to Bella Barista, and an order on Cream Supplies for some fancy syrups and stuff.

On a side note, I did make a pretty amazing double today which I drank straight, still had a hint of cherry sour but I pushed stop just as the bright flavours came through.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Keep at it James. I've had some really good coffee from Costa's HQ in the past so I know just how nice it can taste.

Great to see you're noticing the difference when making coffee at home. You don't have to follow brand standard there either which can sometimes make all the difference.

Have you weighed the amount of coffee you use at work vs at home too?


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

You've been to Costa's HQ? Wow, lucky! I bet it really was good there.

This is true, the brand standard i.e. only push the tamper down once and once only, can get in the way. If I'm making a drink for myself, I will happily spend a minute at the grinder perfecting that puck, then microfoam the milk nicely and stop the shot if it becomes too light. Brand standard wouldn't allow that normally.

I haven't yet, the dosage at work is checked each day to be 7g a dose, at home I tend to up-dose the basket straight from the grinder. I'm struggling to really perfect the grind at home at the moment due to the lack of a decent tamper, it's proving difficult to find such a small one for the PV. But shots are consistant and tasty at the moment so it's not all bad.


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## rodabod (Dec 4, 2011)

Hi James, slightly off-topic here, but if I want to try the Costa beans for comparison, what are the odds that I could ask the guys in my local Costa to check the roast date on them so I can get something within a few weeks old?

Cheers,

Roddy


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Hey Roddy, I'm pretty sure they'll check for you, it's not an every day request but there shouldn't be any problem with it as they tend to sell out before new ones come in so no stock rotation problems.


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## buzzbuzzbuzz (Sep 1, 2011)

Hi James,

Completely off topic but...

Thank-you for working on Boxing Day! I'm sure your customers were glad you were there (even if they didn't actually tell you).

Regards,

Buzz


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