Espresso

Coffee Data ScienceGetting CloserSince return to the office, I have had some time to compare the Kim Express and the Decent Espresso machine again. The caveat is that the Kim Express is at work. So I have slowly been taking data over the past few months, and I have some results ready to share. I am pleased that I have bridged the gap between the Decent and the Kim, but there is still room.Firstly, I have been doing multiple modifications on my shot profile for the Decent, particularly the Pump & Dump profile. This…

Coffee Data ScienceCutting up the shot to learn something newCoffee extraction happens over time, and it changes throughout an espresso shot. To better understand this, people have used salami shots. To make a salami shot, one uses multiple cups during the espresso shot. I wanted to see how my new Pump & Dump profile compared to extraction for individual particle sizes.A salami shot can be used to measure extraction as well as better understand when different taste components are extracted into the cup.Total Dissolved…

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At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsFully automatic dispenseAdjustable coffee mode settingsCan use beans and ground coffeeExcellent milk foamConsMilk container and smart features cost extraMilk dispense requires daily cleanPriceyOur VerdictLike other bean-to-cup machines, the Jura E6 is a pricey piece of caffeine kit, but if you want your coffee fast and freshly ground, it’s good value and worth the investment. Best Prices Today: Jura E6…

Coffee Data ScienceTo better measure the difference between the top and bottom of each holeCameras have greatly advanced over the years allowing people to take high quality images. While this can be useful for computer vision applications, often simple changes in design of experiment can greatly improve the quality of these images for specific applications. Enter coffee!For a few years, I have been applying my image processing skills to image espresso filter baskets. Two years ago, I looked at trying to image the top and…

Coffee Data ScienceA short experiment to isolate variablesCoffee is a marvelous beverage that, like tea, requires some amount of steep time to extract the goodness. This steep time or water contact time needs to be balanced with the flavors drawn out of the coffee. In espresso, this is particularly challenging because water is flowing through the coffee at pressure in a shorter steep time than other brew methods.There is a theory that a higher water contact time will cause a higher extraction in espresso. Some have argued…

Coffee Data ScienceGetting Wild with Low FlowOne of my frustrations using the Decent Espresso Machine is the water dispenser. It causes channeling to the left side for low flow, high temperature profiles, and this was particularly challenging for staccato espresso. So I set out to improve my profile so I could once again pull a staccato shot.I didn’t want to waste a ton of coffee, so my investigation started with spent coffee.Could I push water through evenly to the bottom layer of a staccato shot?I sifted dried, spent…

You might not thank yourself for buying it the first bleary morning you try to use your brand-new espresso maker, but you will once you have the hang of it. There’s no way around it: an espresso maker is the most time-consuming and fiddly way to get your caffeine fix at home. But for those willing to put in the effort, the reward is the best coffee you’re likely to make yourself. Espresso makers tend to be expensive – much more so than filter or pod coffee machines. Still, they are less pricey than a bean-to-cup…

Coffee Data SciencePivoting on what makes great espressoIn my previous Moka pot study, I found large holes were effective for espresso brewing without coffee migrating through the basket. So I wanted to modify a basket with an aim at imprecision. Most of the espresso community has pivoted towards precision baskets. The original investigation into precision baskets aimed for a particular shot time not necessarily extraction yield.My previous work has looked at filter baskets based on how much area of the basket is open. I…

Coffee Data ScienceApplying modern techniques to hack flavorEspresso is generally brewed hot, but one of the downsides is that aroma continues to be lost to evaporation. Generally, there is a notion one should drink espresso almost immediately after brewing. The trouble is that espresso is hot, and my experience is that letting a shot cool to below 50C causes a large improvement in flavor. The downside is that if a shot sits for too long, oxidation ruins flavor. What if we cool the shot rapidly after being brewed? We…