# Too much variety too soon?



## pendragoncs (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi All,

I've had my Classic for about 3 monts now and my grinder for a couple as well and although i've put a few bags throught both i still feel i'm not getting the most out of it and my shots are no way near as good as whats possible from these two machines.

Now i know part of the issue may be my basic technique as they seem to go from choking the machine so a very short shot to being a bit watery, i may video some of these and ask for feedback soon but i'm also wondering if i may be trying to many varieties too soon thus meaning i'm continually changing my setting i.e. grind just when i may be close to improving my shots with the previous coffee type.

I'm contemplating sticking to one bean for a few weeks ideally one that has a proven track record and isn't going to break the bank (i'm thinking one of the Hasbean blends) then i can spend the next few weeks getting my shot perfected with this.

Just wondering what your thoughts are....could it be i'm playing too much with my grind and not looking at other possible issue with my technique?

Jason


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## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

If you're not happy with the shot quality, I'd try and change one variable at a time - so sticking to one bean for while might be useful. That'll give you freedom to alter other aspects such as grind, tamp, distribution, etc. and get a better impression of what the impact of these changes is. If the shots of the same coffee are changing radically in how fast they flow, the first things to look at would be dose (are you using the same dose each time? are you weighing it?), distribution (are there big clumps in the grinds? any obvious uneven spread of loose grinds before tamping) and tamping (are you able to gently turn the portafilter upside down without the tamped puck falling out? is the tamp level?).


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

Rolands right. You need to cement as many of the variables as you can by weighing your beans, tamping the same pressure, distributing well even temp surfing. Then adjust one at a time. You might be getting some channeling if there is a big change in flow with only a small grind adjustment. Sticking to one bean would help a bit but I suspect every roast is slightly different so it might not make a huge difference.

The best thing to do would either be upload some vids of your technique. Something might stand out like a sore thumb..... or maybe invest in a few hours home training with your equipment. I'm planning on doing this once I feel like I've gone as far as I can on my own.


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## shannigan (Jun 1, 2015)

I started a similar thread a few weeks ago and got the same advice. As tempting as all the different varieties are, it makes sense to stick to a single type of bean for a while. I plumped for the Chatswood blend from Rave coffee. They have a couple of Espresso blends which work out at less than £4/250g if you buy kilo bags. Great beans at a bargain price, IMO.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I'd definitely agree. Good as the Classic is, there is the temperature instability inherent in a small single boiler machine. You've not had it long. When you're trying to find your feet, locking down all the variables will really help. Then once you're getting something consistent most of the time, only then when you have a baseline can you start to improve on it by altering one thing at a time. I'd agree that it's a good idea to find a bean you're happy with and buy it by the kilo so you can eliminate the grind level (or at least get it dialled in as well as you can). Rave are a great choice if you want a proven blend at reasonable cost. I use their beans a lot, but there are many alternatives on here. As long as you can be sure of getting the same bean (blend?) for a while, and you like it, at an acceptable price, you're golden.


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## batfink (Feb 28, 2015)

I think he's had it a while now - thread started March 2011?!


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## shannigan (Jun 1, 2015)

Ha. Not sure how I managed that. I'm sure it was in the new posts list :-\


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Zombie thread alert!


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