# Newbie kit 2



## Monkey_Boy

Hi this is my set up:-

Dualit Espressivo

Iberital MC5

s/s knock draw

revol/bodum double wall espresso cups


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## BanishInstant

How is your Iberital and Dualit combination working out?


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## Monkey_Boy

I've just been playing with the grind settings, just had some choc cheese cake and a latte.....I think I can taste the difference all the time...just getting better by small increments. Hows everything going with yours??


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## BanishInstant

An excellent shot last night, although I think I had slightly too much coffee in the portafilter.

The thing that bothers me the most about my setup is the waiting between coffee and milk frothing, and watching the crema ebb away. That's when my eyes glitter at the thought of a new shiny dual boiler replacement









Are you straight espresso or do you like the odd milky drink?


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## Monkey_Boy

I have a espresso perhaps once a day and then a couple of latte's or flat whites.......just made a couple of drinks now and they turned out very bitter?......the beans i'm using are nothing great but expected better


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## BanishInstant

How long is the extraction taking?

Do you pump some water through the head before attaching the portafilter with the ground coffee in?


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## Monkey_Boy

Yeah I always pump some through, extractions taking bout 25 seconds........dialling up the fineness again..........but trying new beans.....the last came from Sainsburys...and they are bland as can be....nothing bad just nothing that stands out....


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## sandykt

I don't think anyone on here would recommend buying beans from Sainsburys - unless they were Heinz, that is


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## BanishInstant

sandykt said:


> I don't think anyone on here would recommend buying beans from Sainsburys - unless they were Heinz, that is












Even as a last resort, supermarket beans are pretty rough. Sandykt will be recommending your local Costa again


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## Monkey_Boy

Well I got 500g from my mate at baristas to go through now......fresh and full of flavour....dumped the other beans


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## BanishInstant

You did right. I have kept some beans for practice, or resetting the burrs after cleaning.

Had another good latte from After Dinner blend from Coffee Direct.


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## Monkey_Boy

Just tried to do latte art......looked like a bloody onion!.....I wanted a leaf lol....forgot to use the spatula to hold back the froth


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## BanishInstant

My milk jug doesn't have a spout - completely round - so my art is amusing at best.

So, are we going to see some picks of this art?


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## sandykt

I am trying with the latte art - especially trying to get the flat white leaf. Not really there yet. I think its all to do with the jug as well. Try the Espro Toroid jug or Motta jugs to see how you get on.

I have a mini list of things to get and spatula is one. About to surf the websites of Bella Barista & Coffee Hit







if only everything was in one place.


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## Monkey_Boy

I want the jug and I'll purchase it on pay day







...........and I've finally settled the row between me and my better half over my machine and grinder being in the corner of the living room (a foot away from the kitchen as its all open plan) her staunchest supporter of putting it back in the kitchen because it "doesn't belong" her mum saw the set up today and said it looks lovely there with all the kit and what not!!!.......I'm chuffed and not a just a little bit smug atm.....I think it looks nice there what do you think??


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## sandykt

Your coffee set up is in the living room LOL







No wonder your girlfriend wants it moved!!

I think kitchen is best.

Next you'll want a motorbike engine in the middle of the living room with a piece of wood on top as a coffee table !!!


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## Monkey_Boy

well to be specific its on top of a kitchen trolley that was used as a service table and was in our dining area (never used) but she's slowly coming around and I'm classy me, the engines got a glass top....lol


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## BanishInstant

Good old mum! I must admit having it in the living room is a strange one, but its probably a talking point when people come to visit. People know I am serious when they see a machine and a grinder. Now if I only had a Silvia...


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## Monkey_Boy

I have to admit I think it looks impressive for a home set up, and I know there's members out there with amazing set ups but I like mine


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## sandykt

I think everyone's set up is good and let's face it, if we were all the same life would be boring and what we talk about here?


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## Monkey_Boy

Very true variety is the spice of life, we all care about coffee and put a lot of effort into getting it right!....


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## Monkey_Boy

Ok Its changed.....and will change again on Tues.....but heres the new new set up lol.....


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## sandykt

Looks good. Is it another Briel on the way? Will it look much different?


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## Monkey_Boy

The other ones all silver and has a pressure gauge, still a Briel


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## sandykt

Sweet - that will look good. So are you going to put the Duait and the Briel sent to you by mistake on ebay?


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## Monkey_Boy

as soon as the one i originally ordered arrives the Dualit will be on ebay and keeping the other Briel for a back up


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## BanishInstant

Not a bad backup! I have a French Press if things went bellyup but the Gaggia Coffee keeps on working - no excuse to replace it yet


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## Monkey_Boy

If it does the job well what more can you ask??.......


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## BanishInstant

The quest for better coffee never stops....


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## Monkey_Boy

Thats very true...........Though to be honest I'm finding it harder to get it right everytime with this new set up.....but its much more satisfying when I do


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## BanishInstant

You are letting the machine warm up aren't you? I seem to remember you like to serve pretty quickly.


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## Glenn

Learning the faults and foibles of a new machine and how to correct (or tame) them is immensely satisfying (and sometime utterly frustrating).

This is one of the joys of coffee. No two coffee's are the same.

It is only through falling over and exploring new methods that you will continue to improve and start to get consistency.

Are you logging the variables so that you can replicate settings (or roll back and start again from a known 'good' setup?

I used to keep a little notebook next to the machine when I was trying new coffees so that I could use the previous settings (mainly grind fineness and tamp pressure) to start from when dialling in a new bean.

Keep at it, I'm sure you'll start producing quite consistent coffees the longer you work with the machine you have now.


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## Monkey_Boy

Its very enjoyable! and its nice to feel like I'm getting better at it


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## sandykt

Did the new machine arrive today as promised?


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## Monkey_Boy

yep its here, and after sorting out an airlock i got my first cup which wasn't bad, the steam wands bloody powerful though!!.......


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## Monkey_Boy

Ok......I don't know how I did it but I made my portafilter explode all over the wall......ok I might have a clue....it was either filed to much and or tamped to hard......I think it was the first one


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## Jimmyram77

Monkey_Boy said:


> Ok......I don't know how I did it but I made my portafilter explode all over the wall......ok I might have a clue....it was either filed to much and or tamped to hard......I think it was the first one


Sounds messy, hope it all cleaned up ok


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