# Very first setup!



## Mr. Bean

Been using the Aeropress for the past 6 months, but finally decided to delve into the world of espresso







After reading countless reviews, researching people's thoughts on various setups, here's what I ended up with:

Gaggia Classic.

Non pressurised double basket.

Iberital MC2 (Doserless) grinder.

Motta 58mm curved tamper.

Rattleware 340ml milk jug.









Actually took me quite a while (and about 150g of beans) to get the grinder dialled in. Now getting a nice 28ish second shot. Lovely crema being produced. Very happy with the purchase so far!

Bought a couple of really nice cups too, might as well share those here:

100ml espresso cup:









250ml regular cup:









Just wanted to take the time to say thanks to the community on here. Without the countless threads I've been trawling through, I really don't think I'd have gained the (albeit little) knowledge I have so far.

Will try and get some shots of the Gaggia in action soon!


----------



## glevum

Nice coffee corner...like the bottom cup! is it a Denby?


----------



## mike 100

Nice little set up, now the fun really starts


----------



## Mrboots2u

Nice pic , have fun with the set up


----------



## Mr. Bean

glevum said:


> Nice coffee corner...like the bottom cup! is it a Denby?


Thanks, yep it's a Denby! Really nice cup actually, has a great feel to it.



mike 100 said:


> Nice little set up, now the fun really starts


I have officially been bitten by the coffee bug. If it's anything like music production equipment, I see this setup lasting about 6 months before I start wanting to upgrade! Let's hope I can keep it for a bit longer...


----------



## forzajuve

Its a great place to start your coffee adventure, bigger and shinier things await but you can get a lot out of that set up.


----------



## Chaffey

Same set up as I have, enjoy!


----------



## Mr. Bean

Thanks


----------



## Mr. Bean

How does this grind look to everyone? (Probably hard to tell from pics, but roughly) Little bit too fine?

















Here's a vid of a recent shot.. (sorry about the scaling, had the camera the wrong way round) doesn't seem to be as good as the earlier ones I was getting. Thinking I may have tamped it just a little bit too hard. Left it pouring about 10 seconds too long as well. Oops.

Also, there was actually a little bit of water in the bottom of the cup, which is why the first few drops look a bit...well, watery.






It's a bloody science this! Am I getting close? I'm guessing it was probably ground a little too fine this time.


----------



## Sami

Hard to tell from the vid but you're basically aiming for an extraction time of 25-30s from when you hit the button to when your extraction starts blonding, at which point you cut the pump. Given that the video was 36 seconds long, the pump had already started when the video begins and blonding had not occurred when the video ended, I would say you need to grind a bit coarser to sipped things up. Alternatively you could put less coffee into the portafilter. Other than that it looks like you're on your way!


----------



## Mrboots2u

How did it taste tho?


----------



## Mr. Bean

Sami said:


> Hard to tell from the vid but you're basically aiming for an extraction time of 25-30s from when you hit the button to when your extraction starts blonding, at which point you cut the pump. Given that the video was 36 seconds long, the pump had already started when the video begins and blonding had not occurred when the video ended, I would say you need to grind a bit coarser to sipped things up. Alternatively you could put less coffee into the portafilter. Other than that it looks like you're on your way!


Thanks, will give that a try tomorrow!


----------



## Mr. Bean

Mrboots2u said:


> How did it taste tho?


Quite bitter... definitely something up with the method I'm using. Just can't quite put my finger on it.


----------



## Sami

It's over-extracted is all. Get it under 30 seconds and you'll notice a big difference.

Also some beans don't work well as an espresso drink but do a better job of cutting through milk.


----------



## Mr. Bean

Been having another go at it today... Tasting a bit better, but still a little on the bitter side. As you can see from the vid (below) I've got it to around 25 seconds with a 1.5oz shot glass. (Which I think may be a bit fast, considering it's not a 2oz?) Also, considering I spilt a little bit of it by mis-judging the position of the glass!






Any thoughts/tips would be appreciated


----------



## mike 100

Looks pretty good, you can use two shot glasses side by side if needs be (if you have them) what beans are they by the way? You could try ajusting the grind a little to give you a slightly longer pour, then taste to see if there is a difference, one thing I would suggest is change one thing at a time and keep notes of changes and their effect, it's all to easy to forget what you have done


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Timing looks fine. What beans are you using and the degree of roast?


----------



## Mr. Bean

mike 100 said:


> Looks pretty good, you can use two shot glasses side by side if needs be (if you have them) what beans are they by the way? You could try ajusting the grind a little to give you a slightly longer pour, then taste to see if there is a difference, one thing I would suggest is change one thing at a time and keep notes of changes and their effect, it's all to easy to forget what you have done


Yeah, I was using two before, but found it easier just to stick with one while I'm still learning. Quick question - If I do use two of the 1.5oz's side by side, then would I just wait until both have reached the 1oz level, or would I need them both to reach the 1.5oz line? Probably a silly question, but I have been wondering.

I think I underestimated just how important the right tamping pressure is too, because I'm almost certain that's why I was getting such inconsistent results. Now I've got that down, it's a little bit easier just to adjust the grind. Still not perfect, but I'm getting there.

The beans are actually some I got free with the grinder (Fed up of wasting the good stuff)

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/classic-italian-coffee-beans-2-bags.html

A little dark for my liking, I'm guessing that may explain the bitterness?


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Mr. Bean said:


> A little dark for my liking, I'm guessing that may explain the bitterness?


Probably stale too. Nothing beats freshly roasted beans.


----------



## Mr. Bean

The Systemic Kid said:


> Probably stale too. Nothing beats freshly roasted beans.


You may be right. I've got some from Grumpy Mule that I'll give a shot (no pun intended) tomorrow. Have you ever ordered from there? They arrived without a roast date on them, so I'm not sure if they've been sat around for a little while. Pretty sure GM have a good reputation though.

Think it might be time to make another HasBean/SquareMile order.


----------



## urbanbumpkin

Yes if it's 2 glasses then messure 1oz in each. No worries...I'm sure I asked a similar question a few months ago.


----------



## bubbajvegas

I've had grumpy mule beans as there local,really nice organic espresso blend and the organic Sumatra gayo highlands was really good,they roast on a Tuesday so will never be older than a week


----------



## Mr. Bean

bubbajvegas said:


> I've had grumpy mule beans as there local,really nice organic espresso blend and the organic Sumatra gayo highlands was really good,they roast on a Tuesday so will never be older than a week


Thanks, that's good to know. I've got a bag of the organic espresso blend funnily enough, about to give it a whirl!


----------



## glevum

have not used HD for a couple of years, will give them a go again next week


----------



## aodstratford

Trust your taste buds ! Great coffee mouth feel - no bitterness ! You've done it!


----------



## Mr. Bean

Finally nailed it.. perfect pour time, with a deep, rich and nutty flavoured espresso.

Made it into a Macchiato and it was one of the nicest I've ever had!


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Mr. Bean said:


> Finally nailed it.. perfect pour time, with a deep, rich and nutty flavoured espresso. Made it into a Macchiato and it was one of the nicest I've ever had!


Nice one - great when you hit the sweet spot - worth all the aggro and hassle - well, almost!


----------



## glevum

Mr. Bean said:


> Finally nailed it.. perfect pour time, with a deep, rich and nutty flavoured espresso.
> 
> Made it into a Macchiato and it was one of the nicest I've ever had!


You wont want to go to inferior coffee shops now


----------



## bubbajvegas

I reckon grumpy mule is an underrated gem,they have some fantastic beans


----------



## coffeechap

shall we get them in for the DSOL?


----------



## bubbajvegas

not sure if they will roast dark enough,maybe worth enquiring


----------



## Mr. Bean

Few white spots, but it's getting there! Tasted lovely. (This is actually the Grumpy Mule Organic Espresso)


----------

