Took the Plunge
- Thread starter JohnYaddy
- Start date
Post some photos of your set up and your results.... 
- Thread starter
- #3
Will do! I'm excited, because the more I read online indicated that my grind was the bigger issue than an entry-level espresso maker. Hoping this will help me learn to pull great shots. My local roaster has the same grinder, so I'm thinking I can ask them what they're setting the machine at as a baseline. Might still have to tweak things to adjust for differences in individual grinders though.
On the down side, I'm now worried that I haven't ever done a cleaning on my espresso machine. It's five years old, but lightly used. I think I may need to spend Saturday morning stripping it down and cleaning.
On the down side, I'm now worried that I haven't ever done a cleaning on my espresso machine. It's five years old, but lightly used. I think I may need to spend Saturday morning stripping it down and cleaning.
The numbers really don't mean anything from one grinder to another with any grinder. You have to find the zero point and back off of it by a bit -- how much I don't recall off the top of my head.
Congratulations! A good grinder is never a mistake.
I hope it works wonders for you.
I hope it works wonders for you.
Rather than ask what setting, have them grind you a double and take the grounds home with you. Compare then to what your grinder is putting out. A clean sheet of white paper helps. Put some of both in small piles (really small), then use your fingers to rub them around and gauge the size of the particles. Adjust your machine until they are the same as your local shop's machine is.
That will be your base point, Go finer or coarser based on how long it takes to do a double shot (2 oz of water) with a 14 gram grind. You should run 18 to 24 seconds to get 2 oz of espresso. Grind finer if your shot is running fast. Grind coarser if your shot is running long
Go to a health food store and get some citric acid. Make a strong solution of 1/4 cup to about a gallon of water and use that in your boiler (pour it in, let it heat up and with NO coffee in the portafilter..... pull shots, pull shots, pull shots until you've ran the citric acid through). You will need to remove the screen so that it does not clog with "chunks" Then flush the boiler with lots of clean water (pulling more no coffee shots).
If your machine has a 3 way valve and you can back flush, get some Urnex Cafiza and back flush the brew section. Again flush with clean water before restarting your espresso routine.
Wow, that's high end. Congratulations on your purchase. Enjoy!
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- #8
I was mistaken about the shop's grinder. It's actually a Mazzer Mini. It's the (really crappy) place near where I'm working that has the Rocky. I did have the good shop grind a few grams for me to play with. I think I have a baseline.
I also descaled my Gaggia and it's ready to go. Really excited to get home in a few weeks and try it all out!
