# Take the single espresso challenge



## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

Sorry for the cheeky thread title.

The challenge here is about pulling a single espresso (presumably using a single basket) that tastes as good as one of two single espressos pulled with a double basket.

Throwing away one of the two singles (or offering it to someone) is not a solution that I am willing to contemplate.

I work alone from home, most of my coffees are single espresso and I am not willing to waste coffee for the sake of pulling a better coffee. There must be a better way.

Currently using a Baby Gaggia, with a single basket my best results come from using 9.7g (of Winter Espresso blend from Square Mile; the amount varies with other coffees) and light tamping, extracting slightly less coffee in about 25-27 seconds as I would by making two single with a double basket.

The grind is the same that I am using for the double and it works very well for that.

The results are OK, but the best coffee (by a long way) is the one I have when I make two, using a double basket.

Surely I am not the only one with this problem, not willing to chuck coffee away or drink double espresso (God forbid; I am getting enough caffeine as it is).

In bars and coffee-shops they tend to use single portafilters (one spout). Do these make a difference?

What do you do?

Thanks for your time.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

An interesting thread

Although a single spout portafilter is used, (in the cafe) is a single basket being used?

Many cafes pull a double shout into a single spout - as the base of a flat white / latte etc

Single shots are harder to get right than doubles and a lot of this has to do with basket shape and the extraction process

Water contact time with less grinds has an effect, as does tamping pressure and grind distribution

For the sake of a few pennies I'd rather throw a shot (or have another), knowing I got the best out of the coffee that I could, and didn't sacrifice quality for literally a few pennies

If you can find the magic cure then patent it - as it is the curse of the coffee industry


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## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

La Pavonis are great atmaking singles (from the double basket) - in fact I think that they are at their best in this mode.


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

I was under the impression that a single shot should be pulled in around 13-14 ish seconds? I'll have a go out of curiosity tomorrow.


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## hashluck (Jan 11, 2011)

Now this is interesting, see my Fracino Piccino review, as I am with Glen on basket shape of singles based on my experience but I thought it was just harder to get the dose and tamp correct. That said I am making a pretty good single shot (in my opinion) and it comes out as good as the double on my machine.


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

Hashluck, would that be with the single basket?

Perhaps it is (mainly) a problem with the design of the Gaggia single basket.

I remember someone in another post suggesting that their Gaggia would pull much better singles with a Marzocco single basket.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I just found this on youtube:






Not bad looking single shot.


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## hashluck (Jan 11, 2011)

Yes Single Basket. The design of the basket (on my machine) makes it difficult to get a 58mm tamper in there and tamp evenly. Your video does not show them tamping but it also looks to me like not much coffee in there either. Maybe I do overdose even more than I think.


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

Here's the post I was remembering talking about the La Marzocco single basket:

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/archive/index.php?t-2504.html

I am growing convinced I should give this basket a try.

However, as it looks much deeper than a Gaggia basket does anyone know if it can be fitted to the standard portafilter or whether I will need to buy a bottomless?


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## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

I messed about with the single basket back when I had my Gaggia and whilst I could get a good shot, the consistency of this was an issue. Since then I have stuck with double baskets and rarely have a problem,TBH since I got the big Mazzer, I haven`t needed to throw a shot down the sink apart from during the initial dialing in.


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

Tried my first single today using my original single Silvia basket. Used about 8g and same grind as normal. It was difficult to tamp so I guess if this sort of thing was of interest to me I'd need to buy a much smaller tamper. Other than that it came out in exactly the same time as a double and tasted pretty much the same. Only problem was not enough espresso for my efforts


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

I just found this article:

http://www.coffeekid.com/cafetalk/05-16-2003

I am sold and I have ordered a LM Single basket. I will report back with my experience using it, though it looks as I will probably need a new smaller tamper as well.


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## espresso_a_day (Aug 18, 2010)

The LM single basket fits into the standard Gaggia Classic portafilter (but I usually keep it in the bottomless PF). I don't have a special smaller tamper. I get good results using the standard "58 mm" tamper from Happy Donkey. When I dose about 8-9g aiming at the deep narrow middle of the LM single basket, I end up with a little mound of coffee inside the basket. Tamping that results in a flat surface extending all the way to the wider rim of the basket, about 1mm above the deep narrow part of the basket. Works fine for me. Look forward to hearing your experience.


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

I received the LM single basket and I just cannot get it right.

With 9.5g once I have properly tamped it (with a 40mm tamper i.e. the small side of the plastic one) I just fill the central part of the basket which is what other people are doing. It start pouring very well only to become much faster and light in the middle of the shot; a consequence of channelling, I presume.

No matter how I tamp, this is what I get.

I cannot repeat the experience of espresso_a_day above. For me to tamp with the 58mm tamper I have to put at least 10.5g of coffee, and this affects the taste.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

I try some more to avoid the channelling. Luckily the coffee actually does not taste bad but the experience is rather frustrating.


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## espresso_a_day (Aug 18, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your problems.

Two thoughts: maybe grind a bit finer to go with a lighter tamp (using the 58mm tamper). I don't use >9g for the single basket using the 58 mm tamper. I usually tamp pretty light, even on the double basket.

Also, I have mucked around with the OPV when I got the machine, aiming to set it at 9bar. So maybe it works better with the OPV set to a lower pressure. (Coincidentally though, I mucked around some more with the OPV last night, setting it a bit higher again, to go from flow rate of ~130ml/30 seconds to ~90ml/30 seconds, and I still get good results).

Also, of course we don't know whether my result is in fact better than yours, or whether you've just go higher standards!







Paying attention today I get a similar result as you describe, with shot becoming a bit faster after about 12-15 seconds and early blonding. However, I observe the same with the double basket at the moment, and my best guess is that this is due to the 3 month old beans I'm currenlty using up. Using the bottomless PF, there are no other signs of channelling (such as diagonal streams of coffee gushing out). I may try to compare a bit more between the double and single basket result once I'm back to fresh coffee.


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

Getting much better and consistent results now with the LM single basket.

I grind a bit finer and I use 9g. I still use the smaller tamper and only fill the central part of the basket though.

The channelling problem is gone and my single espresso are pretty good now. A massive improvement from the results with the Gaggia basket.

My double has suffered slightly as the grind a a bit too fine now.

I have partially remedied by reducing the dose and tamping less.

It is not practical to change the grind every time as with my porlex it is a bit hit and miss. Once you get it about right you don't really want to mess with it.


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## espresso_a_day (Aug 18, 2010)

glad to hear that!


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