# Coffee making fundamentals



## Lewbur (Feb 7, 2019)

This may have been done to death before and I just can't seem to see it, if so please point me

in the correct direction if you'd be so kind?...

ive been doing a lot of reading and I'm getting there but I just get a bit lost in all the terminology at times- burr settings, pressurised baskets, etc. Some threads look like complete word salads to me ...it's probably me being thick but surely I'm not alone?.. hopefully

I've also been trying to establish what actually makes a decent espresso. I know temperature, bean quality, etc plays a part. Again, if there's any threads out there then please point me in that direction.

cheers!!!


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

It's a mine field when you are getting into a new hobby. It reminds me of when Ian (hubby) was learning to ride last year - the instructor kept telling him to 'put his leg on'! Oh we did laugh!

All I can suggest is going around the various forum threads and read and digest as much as possible. Some sections have stickies have helpful stuff - better to browse in a browser rather than TapAtalk









Maybe someone will chime in with some links


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## lhavelund (Dec 28, 2018)

Lewbur said:


> This may have been done to death before and I just can't seem to see it, if so please point me
> 
> in the correct direction if you'd be so kind?...
> 
> ...


Getting into anything new is always challenging -- and terminology plays a huge part in that. I'm not sure if there's a "go to" list, but I can try to define a couple (inc. the ones you've presented). I'm by no means an expert like a large number of people on the forum who I expect will chip in.

*Burrs*

Most coffee grinders function on one of two principles -- they're either blade grinders or burr grinders. Blade grinders (blenders, for all intents and purpose) unevenly chop up coffee beans at indiscriminate sizes, which means they'll extract at different rates. This is generally considered a bad thing; some of your coffee may be overextracted, some underextracted. In these instances, you're unlikely to get the best from your beans, although





 for a small subset of use cases, with plenty of extra work steps included.

Burr grinders work differently -- instead of cutting the bean, they're crushed to a much more uniform size (generally speaking), though this varies greatly on the quality and consistency of the grinder. Beans grind slightly differently depending on the roast level, oil content, etc., which requires frequent adjustments. I find myself tinkering with my grind setting (or *burr setting*) on a daily basis to get the best from the same batch of beans over the course of several days. Making good coffee involves loads of variables, and grind size is one such variable. Burr grinders are generally considered to be superior to blade grinders in any context (I only write 'generally' because there's a chance I'll find myself corrected for a highly specific and esoteric brew type... ahem.)

*Basket*

For espresso making, coffee is ground, placed in a *basket*, which is placed in a portafilter. An unpressurised basket is a simple (very fine) style of sieve, which holds your coffee grinds in place, and allows water to flow through them ("the puck") to give you delicious caffeinated goodness. For many consumer-focused machines, pressurised baskets are often included. These have a small plastic plate which works as a valve, only triggering when a certain threshold of pressure has been achieved, i.e. when the basket is full and pressure starts to build. This creates a "faux" crema by introducing air in the coffee. It's not the real thing, it isn't as good, and you should only really be using a pressurised basket if you are using pre-ground coffee (don't -- really) or have a low-quality grinder, or if your machine is otherwise incapable of working without one.

I echo Mildred's recommendation to simply browse around and start getting a feel for the terminology, the equipment, the methodology, the variables, etc. The forum is full of incredibly knowledgeable individuals with a passion for good coffee, and I've found it to be an incredibly welcoming and helpful community in my relatively short tenure here.

So - what (if any!) equipment do you already have? What is it you would like to achieve?


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Have you been to a decent coffee shop for decent espresso?


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## Lewbur (Feb 7, 2019)

Thanks for the in depth response, that's very helpful!!!

I have posted previously in other threads and said I've got a basic delonghi dedica, which is pretty pants. I'm going to get myself a Gaggia classic and a decent entry level grinder but there are so many different opinions to go for.

I love a strong double espresso every morning and just want to perfect getting that right, I like the occasional flat white but I'm not bothered too much about that to be honest.

i think my confusion comes from trawling the second hand pages and seeing machines with upgrades, I never know what's decent!


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## Lewbur (Feb 7, 2019)

Hasi said:


> Have you been to a decent coffee shop for decent espresso?


I have in the past. I fell in love with the good stuff in Venice... never had anything on par since


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Get some scales, do some reading around weighing dose and output.

Barista hustle sections on recipes, dose, extraction are a good starting point.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Lewbur said:


> Thanks for the in depth response, that's very helpful!!!
> 
> I have posted previously in other threads and said I've got a basic delonghi dedica, which is pretty pants. I'm going to get myself a Gaggia classic and a decent entry level grinder but there are so many different opinions to go for.
> 
> ...


If you're looking at getting a Classic, this thread has a wealth of information & links that'll help.


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## Lewbur (Feb 7, 2019)

ashcroc said:


> If you're looking at getting a Classic, this thread has a wealth of information & links that'll help.


just what I was looking for... a bit of an idiots guide. Thanks!


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## Lewbur (Feb 7, 2019)

Mrboots2u said:


> Get some scales, do some reading around weighing dose and output.
> 
> Barista hustle sections on recipes, dose, extraction are a good starting point.


Sounds good.. cheers


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## 9719 (Mar 29, 2015)

Read this at least twice, bookmark it for future reference. I can vouch that when I was starting out this made the biggest impact to improving what I was able to produce, I still use it everyday, why, because it work's, and always will

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcoffeeforums%2Eco%2Euk%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D22879&share_tid=22879&share_fid=6813&share_type=t


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Lewbur said:


> I have in the past. I fell in love with the good stuff in Venice... never had anything on par since


That's a good starting point!

Now you have a target


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## dev (Jul 28, 2017)

Lewbur said:


> I have in the past. I fell in love with the good stuff in Venice... never had anything on par since


I think you'll find people don't actually make traditional Italian espresso on this forum and similar.

At least third wave stuff is focused more on numbers, precise measuring, getting the most out of a bean and less about a simple straight shot from a traditional blend.

Any begininers setup should be focused on the type of espresso you want.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

dev said:


> I think you'll find people don't actually make traditional Italian espresso on this forum and similar.
> 
> At least third wave stuff is focused more on numbers, precise measuring, getting the most out of a bean and less about a simple straight shot from a traditional blend.
> 
> Any begininers setup should be focused on the type of espresso you want.


Count me in for both worlds 

I also roast quite a trad espresso blend









I've encountered during my coffee journey that for me there is no such thing as the one and only true type of coffee. If you can enjoy espresso, pour over, steeped, cold brew, light roast third wave, traditional blend, fruity, nutty, chocolaty, herbal, you name it, you've also got plenty of learning curves, much to pick up, room to play indefinitely!

As @dev rightly said, it's about your own preference. Just be warned, your point of view might change over time


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## Tami (May 25, 2019)

good info, thnk


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## msmi (Jul 21, 2019)

********** said:


> Read this at least twice, bookmark it for future reference. I can vouch that when I was starting out this made the biggest impact to improving what I was able to produce, I still use it everyday, why, because it work's, and always will
> 
> https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcoffeeforums%2Eco%2Euk%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D22879&share_tid=22879&share_fid=6813&share_type=t


 Great read!! Thanks. Will definitely read again to properly digest.


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Here we go.


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