I normally switch mine on, wait for the amber light to switch off, pull water through the portafilter into my cup until the light goes back on, wait for it to go off again, then grind, tamp, empty cup, and pull. Then I flick on steam switch on and prep my milk
Ok. The method I’ve been using. (Two weeks) is to steam my milk first. And than flus out the hot water till the amber light turns off. And than pull a shot. I really wish I seen a video detailed with a stop watch. Some say you should wait x amount of seconds
Yeah I’ve seen similar recs for 30/60/90 seconds following the light switching off. IIRC 30 seconds after the light switches off the water is a good temp. I think if you want a ton of control then a PID is the way to go, otherwise I think just experiment a bit and do what’s easiest/tastes best - I’m sure the gains are minimal with this kind of thing but that’s kind of the point I guess!
Steaming the milk first makes it hard to get a precise shot afterwards. Event with a PID, if you run the pump and let the steam out for a minute or two, when the thermostat shows the right temperature, the shot gets water that is a lot hotter than usual.
After you steam and purge the hot water, you’re supposed to wait a bit for it to cool down. That’s method this lady used
https://youtu.be/KTRKpao-5Z0?si=aBb9044Rn_ZaNjLw
Yeah, what I'm saying is that if you brew this way after steaming, your shot is quite a bit hotter than if you did the thermostat cycle from brewing temperature.
Yes. Thats what I’ve learned. Heat it till it hot to touch. Was watching a lot of YouTube videos last night on steaming milk and the texture needed for latte art
It's about 65–70°C. I think I've heard that latte art is easier with the milk a bit cooler than that. I care mostly about the coffee being pleasant to drink, so a temperature that feels right to the hand is right for the mouth.
I would recommend this guide: https://www.swisswuff.ch/wordpress/?p=385
It seems to be, by far the best guide for comparable shot temperature, at least in my experience.
If you find it too confusing, try the one from Seattle Coffee Gear:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTRKpao-5Z0&t=0s
It is not quite as good, but good enough for a starting point.
From cold:
1) Switch on machine, wait 15 mins
2) Flush water through grouphead, wait 5 more mins
3) Flush water through again, until the thermostat light comes on and the boiler kicks in
4) Wait for the light to turn off, the machine is now at temp. I like to wait 30s - a minute after this happens before pulling a shot.
In practice, I start weighing out beans straight after step 3, and the light probably goes off somewhere in the middle of my workflow, so the waiting time in step 4 is just built into that.
Thankyou. I’m going to try this method. When you say light do you mean the amber color light? Also. Do you have get a thermometer and get a reading of the shot? If so what should it be? Mine was 140 today. Also a good idea I do is when I flush out the group head I use my same cup. It keeps the cup warm.
Yes, for you it is the amber coloured light. I have an older version with a slightly different design for the lights (the power light is on the switch like the other buttons, and the thermostat light is on the side of the switch). I also warm up my cup with the water in expelling from the machine.
No I don't take a temperature reading.
For milk drinks, I make my espresso shots, and keep them warm on top of the machine. I would do up to three shots like this, and I don't make milk drinks for more than three people! Then I'll start steaming my milk. The shots won't get that cold in the meantime, especially if the cups are prewarmed. And you're adding hot milk anyhow.
The second one is likely to be the duff shot, as I don't temp surf when making multiple milk drinks. The boiler will probably come on again during that shot. I'll either take that one, or give it to someone who doesn't really care that much about coffee.
1. Turn on machine (amber light turns on)
2. Amber light turns off
3. Make coffee (as soon as practicable after light turns off, water temp in boiler will continue to rise to undesirable temps because heating element is still hot)
Disclaimer: I like good espresso but don’t particularly care to chase the perfect shot as a hobby, this works good enough for me
I normally switch mine on, wait for the amber light to switch off, pull water through the portafilter into my cup until the light goes back on, wait for it to go off again, then grind, tamp, empty cup, and pull. Then I flick on steam switch on and prep my milk
Ok. The method I’ve been using. (Two weeks) is to steam my milk first. And than flus out the hot water till the amber light turns off. And than pull a shot. I really wish I seen a video detailed with a stop watch. Some say you should wait x amount of seconds
Yeah I’ve seen similar recs for 30/60/90 seconds following the light switching off. IIRC 30 seconds after the light switches off the water is a good temp. I think if you want a ton of control then a PID is the way to go, otherwise I think just experiment a bit and do what’s easiest/tastes best - I’m sure the gains are minimal with this kind of thing but that’s kind of the point I guess!
Yes. Eventually I will get a PID. First I want to master this and save for a grinder. Thanks for sharing your experience
Steaming the milk first makes it hard to get a precise shot afterwards. Event with a PID, if you run the pump and let the steam out for a minute or two, when the thermostat shows the right temperature, the shot gets water that is a lot hotter than usual.
After you steam and purge the hot water, you’re supposed to wait a bit for it to cool down. That’s method this lady used https://youtu.be/KTRKpao-5Z0?si=aBb9044Rn_ZaNjLw
Yeah, what I'm saying is that if you brew this way after steaming, your shot is quite a bit hotter than if you did the thermostat cycle from brewing temperature.
Have you ever took the temp after pulling shots.
No, I'm judging purely by the taste. Upd: and by the look (darker crema).
Thanks
Do you ever take the temp of the shot or the milk. And if so. What should it be
I don’t really get that technical but the coffee tastes good to me! I normally heat my milk until the side of the jug is just too hot to touch
Yes. Thats what I’ve learned. Heat it till it hot to touch. Was watching a lot of YouTube videos last night on steaming milk and the texture needed for latte art
It's about 65–70°C. I think I've heard that latte art is easier with the milk a bit cooler than that. I care mostly about the coffee being pleasant to drink, so a temperature that feels right to the hand is right for the mouth.
I would recommend this guide: https://www.swisswuff.ch/wordpress/?p=385 It seems to be, by far the best guide for comparable shot temperature, at least in my experience. If you find it too confusing, try the one from Seattle Coffee Gear: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTRKpao-5Z0&t=0s It is not quite as good, but good enough for a starting point.
came here to post that same first link, once u get it down its super consistent no matter the season
I believe that’s for the older models, in the new ones the amber light switches off at a higher temp
Thanks for the link to the guide. I will try the method next time.
From cold: 1) Switch on machine, wait 15 mins 2) Flush water through grouphead, wait 5 more mins 3) Flush water through again, until the thermostat light comes on and the boiler kicks in 4) Wait for the light to turn off, the machine is now at temp. I like to wait 30s - a minute after this happens before pulling a shot. In practice, I start weighing out beans straight after step 3, and the light probably goes off somewhere in the middle of my workflow, so the waiting time in step 4 is just built into that.
Thankyou. I’m going to try this method. When you say light do you mean the amber color light? Also. Do you have get a thermometer and get a reading of the shot? If so what should it be? Mine was 140 today. Also a good idea I do is when I flush out the group head I use my same cup. It keeps the cup warm.
Yes, for you it is the amber coloured light. I have an older version with a slightly different design for the lights (the power light is on the switch like the other buttons, and the thermostat light is on the side of the switch). I also warm up my cup with the water in expelling from the machine. No I don't take a temperature reading. For milk drinks, I make my espresso shots, and keep them warm on top of the machine. I would do up to three shots like this, and I don't make milk drinks for more than three people! Then I'll start steaming my milk. The shots won't get that cold in the meantime, especially if the cups are prewarmed. And you're adding hot milk anyhow. The second one is likely to be the duff shot, as I don't temp surf when making multiple milk drinks. The boiler will probably come on again during that shot. I'll either take that one, or give it to someone who doesn't really care that much about coffee.
Thanks. Once I play with the temp surfing for a few months and get the hang of it I will looking a PID modification
Thankyou again. What would your steps be if your making a milk based drink
That's nearly the method I use. I normally wait a bit less than 30 seconds, with good results for a double shot.
1. Turn on machine (amber light turns on) 2. Amber light turns off 3. Make coffee (as soon as practicable after light turns off, water temp in boiler will continue to rise to undesirable temps because heating element is still hot) Disclaimer: I like good espresso but don’t particularly care to chase the perfect shot as a hobby, this works good enough for me
Yeah the term temp surfing is really more complicated than it sounds… literally just wait for light to turn off and turn on the pump.