Thursday, January 17, 2008
Experiments on the Latté Front
After going to Amherst Coffee and my near revelatory experience in lattés, I've been experimenting - so far with some success. Using my trusta Starbucks Barrista machine (I don't remember who actually makes it for them), I've been packing the portafilter with close to three tablespoons of gound espresso (currently trying some from Pierce Brothers, a local roaster, though Amherst Coffee using beans from Barrington Coffee Roasting Company). I tried a suggestion to tamp the grounds with 30 pounds of pressure, but my poor scale turns pale and passes out. So I made a good guess and brewed for about 25 seconds. I'm still not getting as syrupy a draw as I think I should, so that means some more experimenting, possibly making the grind a bit finer.
The big cloud clearing moment has been realizing just how much steamed milk I've been using, and cutting it by at least a third, if not a half. That starts gettijng tricky in the actual steaming, as a smaller pitcher would be helpful. But, all in all, while I haven't hit the Amherst mark, my lattés are significantly better. I just hope the experiment won't require an expenditure for a new espresso maker.
The big cloud clearing moment has been realizing just how much steamed milk I've been using, and cutting it by at least a third, if not a half. That starts gettijng tricky in the actual steaming, as a smaller pitcher would be helpful. But, all in all, while I haven't hit the Amherst mark, my lattés are significantly better. I just hope the experiment won't require an expenditure for a new espresso maker.
