I've had a Cubika machine now for a number of months and it does seem to make pretty good coffee.
However, I still don't seem to be able to get a really rich crema head.
I've tried all sorts of grind (I have a proper burr grinder), amounts of coffee and type of grind, but I just can't seem to get it right.
In fact if I buy "Esspresso" ground coffee it is too fine and either the brew will not flow or is very slow.
I notice that Gaggia used to do some sort of disc which was intended to improve the crema, this is not now supplied with the machine, so I wonder whether this has always been a problem.
You obviously don't understand the concept of fresh coffee. The mass coffee sellers would have you believe that coffee is "fresh" for a year or more. Coffee is much like baked goods, freshly baked is the best, they flavor and aroma goes and eventually the product is rancid and no longer fresh for health department purposes. Freshly roasted coffee give off gas (CO2) and volatile oils and aromatics. It is the volatile oils that emulsify with water and other compounds in the coffee to make crema. Once the coffee has lost these volatile oils it is stale for for brewing purposes. Depending on a number of factors including the type of beans, the degree of roast and storage conditions coffee is "fresh" for 1 to 3 weeks. I'm using the term "fresh" for espresso purposes. It will make crema and a decent tasting shot.
Canned coffee is usually staled before putting in the can or the can would explode from the de-gassing coffee. Once the coffee is ground the volatile oils dissipate rapidly -- 10 minutes can make a noticeable difference in your espresso shot.
Your best bet is to find a local roaster and buy beans that were roasted on the day of purchase.
I missed the point? Where did you mention that you used the same coffee in other machines? You won't get much crema from stale coffee. If the other machines had crema enhancer disks in the portafilter the aerated bubbles you see are not real crema, just aerated bubbles. Crema is created by the emulsification of oils and other compounds in the coffee. This is done with fresh coffee, freshly ground under the heat and pressure in a properly adjusted espresso machine. You don't get that from a crema enhancer that just sprays the coffee through a small hole, aerating it and creating bubbles.
R "surely I'm still miss> Thanks, but I think you've missed the point; the SAME coffee produces a
just an amateur here, but I noticed a distinct difference between even machines of the same make and model.
I've noticed that the temperature that the water is heated to, influences the crema. I can't say what effect either the coffee, or the machine timing would have on it, though. Coffee is a complex drink, with many variables going into a recipe. Unless you can isolate everything, you'll always have differences.
As I said I have used the same coffee in different machines producing a good crema (I don't now have these machines), I have NEVER used a "crema enhancer disk" so I assume there is a problem with the Cubika machine, just not sure how, or whether it can be resolved.
Best Regards,
Charles
PS Might buy a different machine for Christmas! Any recomendations?
Howdy Charles! It depends on your expectations & restrictions;
what's your budget
do you want consistent "God Shots" or do you primarily have milked drinks
do you prefer the S/S industrial look that's currently in vogue
are you willing/capable of buying a machine & upgrading it yourself
There is no *perfect* machine. They're all about compromises; size for features, convenience for shot quality, price for machine quality, etc. For my money it's impossible to find another brand of machine in Gaggia's price range that produces the same quality coffee.
I re-read your original post. Where did you say you used the same coffee in different machines? If you did not know what a crema enhancer was how do you know those machines didn't have them?
Oops oops oops sorry about that I FAILED TO NOTE that you have NEVER used a crema enchancer disk well that takes one equation out.
Hmmm I am now thinking different size portafilter maybe ?? Deeper portafilters with a smaller diameter are more forgiving than portafilters with a wider diameter and less deph also these machines may produce different pump pressures they usually say 15 bars which is too much anyway but still capable of making a good brew (~ 8.5 to 9 bars is the standard) but some boast 18 bars these are maximum pressures and not the actual pressure when brewing as this is also controlled by size of grind and dose (brewing pressure).
What this all boils down to is that you probably need to change your grind size, dose, and/or tamping pressure. Hint grind size and dose are much more significant factors. Would I be correct to say that your gaggia has a wider 58mm portafilter and your other machines may have had a deeper
When I say deeper portafilters are more forgiving I mean in regards to tamping tecnique not just dose and how hard you tamp. I find the wider portafilters are more prone to channeling if you don't perfectly spread out the coffee evenly which can be complicated when it clumps together which happens often with doser grinders like my super jolly rather than sprinkle evenly throughout the portafilter.
So I would in addition to adjusting for different size portafilter, also do whatever you can to ensure as even a dispersal as possible and tamp with manic perfection. I have been doing this for years and you may have too ? But I still am not a perfect tamper myself.
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