# Blimey. Nearly got a perfect match



## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Opened a tin of pre-ground Illy espresso the other day (Satan I know), but needs must some times. Well did the usual, measure out 15g of coffee into the basket and tamped it in firmly then loaded it into the Gaggia. Set the timer to 25 seconds put the scales and cup under and hit the timer and machine together. Kept an eagle eye on things and the moment I hit the 24g mark on the scales I switched if off and pretty much at the same time the timer went off, so quite pleased that I nearly got the timing right. All that remains now it to sort out the grinder, so I can make an uber fresh coffee with freshly ground beans. It will happen.

One thing I was wondering though was, at what time do people switch the pump off on their machines, so to not run over the weight? Obviously there will be a bit of run over, so to my mind it would be a good thing to knock it off at 24 seconds rather than 25 seconds to allow for the run over. What do other people do?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

All depends how fast its running Malc, sometimes i can hit in and get within 0.2g of the desired weight, sometimes it goes 1-2 g over.

What did your Illy taste like?`


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

I wouldn't get to hung up the time - the important thing is how does it taste (I can imagine it now.... shudders). You can play around with the timings (and dose) to get the best taste to suit you... 25 seconds is not a cast iron rule.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

To be fair it was ok although I am inexperienced and to that end my palette isn't that finely tuned yet, so what tasted fine now will probably be lousy once I have tasted freshly ground coffee in the future. It is still all a work in progress.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Agree with Daren , grinder and fresh ground beans will be a more massive in taste improvement than timing a few seconds with illy.....

Without a grinder you are making and minimal small adjustments to a sub par ingredient .....

What's holding you up getting a grinder , money or somewhere to buy it from ?

Put up a wanted post and we can help you .....got to be better than wasting money on illy and the L word


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I had some illy the other week as i ran out of beans, it didnt taste bad in milk, just didnt really taste great, was kind of boring with no real flavours jumping through the milk...

It was better than instant though!


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

You can always pull the cup from the stream if you feel the shot is overrunning, us lever crew have to do it anyway!


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

aaronb said:


> You can always pull the cup from the stream if you feel the shot is overrunning, us lever crew have to do it anyway!


If it's Illy or L--- you could always pour the contents into a stream - now that would be an improvement.

Boots speaky good advice! Buy a decent grinder and see why we recommend one- its like the difference between watching Crossroads on a black and white TV and watching Avatar on blueray in 3d with surround sound.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Firstly I would like to announce to the forum that I am not hen-pecked, but there is only one thing or should I say one person from stopping me from getting my grinder and that is er indoors. We only have a small kitchen (although my chosen grinder, Mignon) will sit quite happily alongside my Classic, but she said that she would sanction a grinder once we have a kitchen large enough to accommodate it with room to spare. I am still working on things as it it wholly unreasonable of her to ask me to wait until we have a house with a big enough kitchen to fit it in.

In any case I am currently working on numerous other avenues in order to get the grinder sooner rather than later. Just my luck anyhow. Bella Barista are all out of Gloss Black ones at the mo.

I must say I have been surprised by the fact that the Illy ran through my machine better than the stuff that I had ground at my local coffee shop last week, although the coffee shop stuff tasted a whole heap better even though it ran through nearly twice as fast. If only I could get the coffee shop to grind it a little bit finer, but I suppose it would upset things with their espresso machine.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Divorce the wife???

Just saying.....


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Ok good luck with that ..,have you contacted coffeebean on here he has some new mignions coming in this week .

Daren wins the award for linking crossroad and avatar as a comparative to coffee - well done , not heard that one before


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Crossroads on B&W TV then.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> Daren wins the award for linking crossroad and avatar as a comparative to coffee - well done , not heard that one before


It is fairly accurate tho! I can think of other comparisons of you want - could be fun, but be careful what you start


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I am fully aware that my whole coffee tasting experience will rocket into the stratosphere once I can grind my own beans.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> I am fully aware that my whole coffee tasting experience will rocket into the stratosphere once I can grind my own beans.


I wish you all the luck in persuading the other half . In all honesty though if she is going to make you wait that long (til a new house ) , you would be better off making brewed coffee with fresh beans and a hand grinder , great way to explore fresh roasted coffee as well..


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Got in touch with Coffeebean regarding the Mignons and he only does the Silver ones for £265. When I get mine I want the gloss black one. Strange that Bella Barista do all the coloured ones at the same price (except the chrome one which is about £30) more. Oh well.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> Got in touch with Coffeebean regarding the Mignons and he only does the Silver ones for £265. When I get mine I want the gloss black one. Strange that Bella Barista do all the coloured ones at the same price (except the chrome one which is about £30) more. Oh well.


Ok shame there was a black one on the sales thread yesterday , but they go within an hour of being posted normally....

Hopefully BB will have the colour you want in stock soon


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Yeah. I have requested a stock notification when they are in.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> Yeah. I have requested a stock notification when they are in.


Fingers crossed soon then !!! What roaster you fancy trying for your first lot to grind?

My advice get say 500g of a blend or bean , so your get dialled in with the same roast , as will be easier to do .

Your beans will need a rest period from espresso , so if online ordering do it the same time as the grinder perhaps then you'll have some good stuff ready to go !


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Cheers for the excellent advice Mrboots. I must say I quite like the sound of the Rave Signature blend to begin with then see where it takes me. Since I joined the forum I have seen a plethora of different places. I am certainly going to have a good time checking them all out.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

froggystyle said:


> Divorce the wife???
> 
> Just saying.....


Malc, Sean Kelly, Irish racing cyclist (retired, now on a commentator on Eurosport) famously told his wife off for leaning on his car. When she complained that the trouble with him was that his car came before her, he replied that she was wrong - it's bike, then car, then her. It would be easy to apply this to coffee making: grinder, then machine, then wife. (see also my thread on an argument for buying a grinder.) Incidentally, I always thought Crossroads in B&W was the only way to see to appreciate the inherent deep irony.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

And yes. Crossroads was very ironic. Thank goodness the wobbily sets and the wooden acting are a distant memory.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> And yes. Crossroads was very ironic. Thank goodness the wobbily sets and the wooden acting are a distant memory.


Crossroads was awful...Benny released a single that was even worse!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Crossroads was awful...Benny released a single that was even worse!


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Truly, truly shocking. Thank the lord that the tv bigwigs pulled the plug. It was scrapped in 83 or 84 if memory serves me. Oh blimey, yeah. Benny and Miss Dianne. Who else? Meg Mortimer, Shuie McFee the crazy chef. Anybody remember any of the other characters?


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Oh my god. I lasted about 15 seconds. Awful and cringeworthy is what I call it.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Please watch this

Genius ...


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Oh no, Mrboots. Don't put me through anymore, please. I submit


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

m4lcs67 said:


> Oh no, Mrboots. Don't put me through anymore, please. I submit


Its the slight reggae tinge he uses...

Plus it your punishment for using for the L word .....


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

That's not even Bennys Theme.....bennys theme is even worse!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

urbanbumpkin said:


> That's not even Bennys Theme.....bennys theme is even worse!


I dunno i quite like it....


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Ive really messed this thread up I apologise M4lcs....


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

The "L" word will utter from my lips no more from this day forth.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I can follow it, Mrboots. Looks like there is a confusion between Benny from Crossroads and Benny Hill.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Apparently, during the Falklands war, our Paras referred to the locals as 'Bennies' - a none too affectionate reference to the Crossroads character.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Apparently, during the Falklands war, our Paras referred to the locals as 'Bennies' - a none too affectionate reference to the Crossroads character.


When I was at school calling someone a Benny has a totally different meaning!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)




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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Daren said:


> When I was at school calling someone a Benny has a totally different meaning!


Woolly hats were popular headgear in the Falklands in the 80s.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Yeah. Calling someone a Benny certainly wasn't a term of endearment.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

A Benny! I haven't heard that since primary school! And I was convinced for years that a "beanie" hat was just the Americans midspelling Benny. Woolly hats were probably the only thing to not take offence at being called Benny!


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