# Latte Nightmares



## Greenpotterer (Nov 29, 2009)

Its happened again

Family descended on us again, invited I might add. Out goes the call " Gaz can you make a coffee make that 7 lattes and a cappachino Help my baby Gaggia just won't cope, any suggestions

Gaz


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Domestic machines are just not cut out for this sort of thing. They need time to reheat as the boiler will have started to refill itself and will lack the temperature required to create steam / pressure. 4 doubles in a row plus milk is a big ask

Set their expectation by telling them it will take a few minutes between drinks.

My advice, make 4 drinks, steam the milk in 1 large jug (enough for 4), decant into a smaller jug and pour each drink

Deliver the drinks and stall the guests by chatting to them for at least 5-10 minutes.

Return to the machine and repeat

If they are expecting cafe service then they should go to a cafe


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

I sympathise with you Gaz, that sort of scenario was what set me off on looking at a new espresso machine. If you are like me it doesn`t happen very often so even though I have gone for a Silvia I still have to use pretty much the technique Glenn outlined.

Step One - Family arrives unexpectedly and I gallop into the kitchen saying "you will be wanting proper coffees then", replies of yes please love, echo behind me.

Step Two - Bu**er, Machines off, flick Silvia on, check reservoir is full, fill kettle and switch on and remind everyone it will take a little while.

Step Three - Push Silvia into a fast warm up routine by flushing water through the mounted PF a few times, swear gently under breath whilst getting mugs, milk, biccies etc out. Engage family in lively converation for a few mins.

Step Four - Select mugs that are not too big and preheat them with water from kettle, Silvias ready, discard mug water, dry mugs(stick on top of Silvia), brew four shots pronto.

Step Five - Change to steam setting on Silvia, flush wand and try to start steaming a big jug of milk just before the thermostat goes off. Silvias faster than my Gaggia and doesn`t run out of puff as easily. Flick Silvia back to brew settting, clean and flush steam pipe.

Step Six - pour four drinks, serve wth biccies, gallop back to kitchen flush loads of water through grouphead to get temp down for brewing again. Think to self where is all that water coming from and realise the drip tray is overflowing. Swear less quietly as I start another drink run and consider some mad modification to the drip tray.

Step Seven - Family have left and I tell Sadie I need a a two group behemoth to cope with coffee making, she says "you love it really" and " It doesn`t happen often which is why you got the Silvia not a behemoth". I think how much leccy would I burn keeping behemoth running and realise that it would be loads and overkill at home and start designing a drip tray mod. Realise that all I have to do is flush into my smaller jug rather than the drip tray so scrap mad mod plan.

Silvia is a bit faster than the Gaggia for this process but not by a massive margin.

Don


----------



## ajc-79 (Apr 18, 2010)

DonRJ said:


> Step Six - pour four drinks, serve wth biccies, gallop back to kitchen flush loads of water through grouphead to get temp down for brewing again. Think to self where is all that water coming from and realise the drip tray is overflowing. Swear less quietly as I start another drink run and consider some mad modification to the drip tray.


It's interesting to read the mental steps other people go through as they perform their coffee routine. Still being pretty new to it all, i'd never really considered flushing water through to get the temp. down after steaming milk. The other day I turned my Gaggia Classic back on after about five minutes of being powered off (i'd been steaming milk) and I was surprised that it was still up to temperature!

Don, look at it this way - either you'll get a flash commercial machine or the rellies can only descend on you once a month!


----------



## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

I like the diary. Once people realise you serve proper coffee, visitors do insist when they come to visit. I have tried to palm them off with coffee from a french press, but it doesn't go down as well, and the MC2 is not great for redialing.


----------



## Greenpotterer (Nov 29, 2009)

The trouble is I keep getting attacks of upgraditus could this be a symptom or just an excuse

gaz


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Try to view the multi latte event as an occasional challenge that you of course overcome, I mean upgrade to a full on commercial stylee machine and where would the challenge be? All the swearing, flushing, steaming and general clattering about can be viewed as a value added component of the visitors coffee experience, I mean it has to be great coffee with all that effort and good things are always worth waiting for. etc etc

I am helping you here to resist that terrible urge, no wait RESISTANCE IS FUTILE (sorry just saw 7 of 9 snog someone on Star Trek)

Don


----------



## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

Most I've done for company was three lattes . . . BUT I have a hand grinder.

At least boiler recovery time wasn't my biggest worry


----------



## Greenpotterer (Nov 29, 2009)

Convinced by Star Trek now that would get me locked up birthday on a few months just seen a machine on e bay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250602649776&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1169wt_941

but you don't know who to trust do you

decisions, decisions

Gaz


----------



## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

Whoa!

Looks interesting, but I've not heard of Astoria before.


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

That`ll fill your worktop, just watch for front to back size, I looked at a machine on Ebay a bit back then realised from a bit of research that it would not fit on a standard worktop with room left for the power point that would have been right behind it. Just looked at the ad again that one would fit as its 460mm deep. Big boiler to heat but looks the biz


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

big boiler on those, you would be heating up 6-7 litres of water for the daily espresso, fantastic for doing loads of drinks, steam milk at warp factor 10 and I bet stunningly stable temp wise but the leccy bill could get a biffing.

Nice though

Don


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Not the greatest temp stability wise and a huge machine - overkill for home users to be honest.

Just how often do the relatives visit?


----------



## Greenpotterer (Nov 29, 2009)

Glenn said:


> Not the greatest temp stability wise and a huge machine - overkill for home users to be honest.
> 
> Just how often do the relatives visit?


From whats been said not often enough and I'm sure I couldn't get them to pay.

realistically making 6 - 10 lattes a day usually 2-3 at a time

would a domestic hx machine be better or how small do commercial gp1's go down to


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

I find a couple of good sized lattes at a time no bother, things start to get strained if it`s more than four at a time which isn`t that often and you can cheat with milk drinks if push comes to shove, well lattes anyway. Prewarm the milk in the microwave in a plastic jug while pulling shots, decant into a smaller jug and use the steam to finish it off and generate some foam. Sacrilege I know but effective when needed.

Something like a Fracino Cherub would do the job, I know its not one of the real eye candy machines, but got some welly and the My Espresso guy raves about its performance for the money, I was tempted until the Silvia deal came my way.

Don


----------



## Greenpotterer (Nov 29, 2009)

DonRJ said:


> I find a couple of good sized lattes at a time no bother, things start to get strained if it`s more than four at a time which isn`t that often and you can cheat with milk drinks if push comes to shove, well lattes anyway. Prewarm the milk in the microwave in a plastic jug while pulling shots, decant into a smaller jug and use the steam to finish it off and generate some foam. Sacrilege I know but effective when needed.
> 
> Something like a Fracino Cherub would do the job, I know its not one of the real eye candy machines, but got some welly and the My Espresso guy raves about its performance for the money, I was tempted until the Silvia deal came my way.
> 
> Don


My daughter suggested the microwave idea I must admit.

As for the cherub quite fancy that, looks aren't paramount a I have my set-up in the utility room.I hear that after sales is good but may be reliability issues.

Ant thoughts

Gaz


----------



## DavidS (Apr 8, 2010)

Charge 'em cafe prices for each drink, you'll soon be able to get a new machine to keep up with the demand


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Lee W did say the Fracino machines are a bit more time consuming to work on than some others but that was from a repair techies perspective where I guess time is of the essence.

Not heard anything negative about the machines otherwise and I had a long chat with the companies sales and technical guys when I nearly bought one, the only reason I didn`t was seeing a Silvia for £299. I had found he Cherub for less than £600 here.

https://www.cateringps.co.uk/cps_itemsubcategories.asp?ItemSubCatID=154

I had decided to order one the next day when I saw the Rancilio offer. I know the lady wife prefers the Silvia in terms of size but she would have accepted the Cherub as long as I went for the optional shiny side panels. In truth, when I rebuild my kitchen in 2-3 years I way well go for a Fracino - price, performance and UK source for parts/ repair are all positives in my book.

Wach the demo video at My Espresso to get an idea of its steaming wellie.

Don


----------



## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

I have had a long look at these machines before, and I was wondering about which one:- Cherub or Heavenly. They have different size boilers which have their advantages/disadvantages. Is there anything else to be aware of?

Or do you stretch to the Isomac and Expobar range, which have their own maintenance foibles.


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Boilers are the same size, its the water reservoirs thar are different, 3L on the Cherub and 4.5L on the Heavenly.

Boilers 2.3L on both but the Heavenly is a bit bigger footprint plus the Heavenly doesnt have the hot water outlet as standard and the Cherub does.

See here

http://www.fracino.com/machines/hand-fill-coffee-machines/heavenly-and-cherub.html

The group is an E61 clone , probably Spanish in origin so no little brew lever on the group, my reading up suggested that they are pretty robust being aimed at small commercial low volume environments. As I said there is a strong likelihood I will have a Cherub in the kitchen when I retire in a couple of years = more time for coffee and folks round to socialise. The Silvia will easily find a new home when the time comes and I bet I could transfer the PID to a Cherub with a bit of rewiring for the PID loom.

Don


----------

