4 Tips for Better Espresso (With Cheaper Espresso Machines)

If you have a cheaper, manual espresso machine with a pressurized basket - here's how to HUGELY improve your espresso at home, quick & simple.
Blog Reviews:
Best Coffee Scales review (UK):coffeeblog.co.uk/the-best-cof...
Best Coffee Tampers Review (UK):coffeeblog.co.uk/best-coffee-...
Best Coffee Roasters (UK):coffeeblog.co.uk/best-instant...
Timemore Scale Review on KZread: • Timemore Black Mirror ...
Links of Interest:
Freshly roasted high-quality coffee beans from The Coffeeworks (my website): cworks.co.uk (use discount code yt25 for 25% off your first order).
Coffee blog: coffeeblog.co.uk
Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/coffeeblogkev
Current Gear:
Canon M6 Mark ii amzn.to/3zoczes (great now the firmware has been updated so I can film in 4k without it getting hotter than the sun).
Blue Ember Mic (now just used for voiceovers): amzn.to/3pT6WR1
RØDE VideoMic Pro (now used for main audio): amzn.to/3DV7xHg
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface: amzn.to/3e3qwFn
Amaran 100D LED Video Light, 130W 5500K (Key light): amzn.to/3oQYrqY
Aputure Light Dome SE Softbox: amzn.to/3ESdHcJ
Neewer Bi-color 660 LED Video Light and Stand Kit (Fill light): amzn.to/35jUtwp
Neewer Portable 56 inch/142 cm Aluminium Camera Tripods (I have a few of these, very good value) amzn.to/3pPlCke
Cayer BV30L tripod with fluid head (mega tripod for the money!)
Please note, affiliate links included above.
Timecodes:
0:00 Intro
0:35 Standard/Pressurized baskets
02:33 Tip No.1
05:19 Tip No.2
06:21 Tip No.3
07:33 Tip No.4
08:29 Bonus Tips
13:19 Outro
13:45 Tatty Bye

Пікірлер: 27

  • @a.j.nelson3276
    @a.j.nelson32764 ай бұрын

    I just made brown soup and now I’m here.

  • @dna100
    @dna100 Жыл бұрын

    This'll make you laugh... I spent a couple of weeks trying to dial in my espresso when I first got my Duo Temp Pro and wasn't seeing much change.... then I realised I had the pressurised filter fitted - doh!

  • @steveleeatfullmeasure
    @steveleeatfullmeasure Жыл бұрын

    Will try, thanks. Also will give the sage single walled a go at some point.

  • @NoZenith
    @NoZenith11 ай бұрын

    Thank you

  • @Ian-H76
    @Ian-H76 Жыл бұрын

    New subscriber here , loving your approach and enthusiastic delivery Kev. Top content. I work for Breville in Australia so have been very interested in your reviews of the Products I work with every day ☺️ Hey where abouts in England are you from? I’ve been guessing in my head for days! 😂

  • @Coffee_Kev

    @Coffee_Kev

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Ian, Thanks for your very kind comments! :-) I'm from Macclesfield, Cheshire which is about 16 miles south of Manchester. Cheers, Kev

  • @alainjarjar2820
    @alainjarjar28204 ай бұрын

    Un petit bonjour de France, j'ai une Delonghi dedica, je suis passé rapidement a un porte filtre sans fond pour panier classique, mais tous tes conseils restent valables, café fraîchement torrifiés, réglages de la mouture, préchauffage du porte filtre, etc..👍 Pour l'instant je ne ressens pas le besoin de passer sur une machine plus haut de gamme.😉

  • @AndyGait
    @AndyGait Жыл бұрын

    Enjoyed this. I'm currently tossing up between improving my grinder, or buying a cheap espresso machine and this was very helpful. Seen good reviews for the Beko CEP5152B espresso machine at £80. Budget is tight, so can't really go above £100. My current set up includes an Aeropress and I have two Hario hand grinders (Skerton & Slim Pro) which I use to make my "espresso" shot each morning.

  • @AndyGait

    @AndyGait

    Жыл бұрын

    After doing more research and reading reviews, I've gone for the Brevile Bijou Espresso Machine in a Black Friday Deal for £99 (£100 off). Fingers crossed I've made the right choice.

  • @AndyGait

    @AndyGait

    Жыл бұрын

    "Fingers crossed I've made the right choice" Not to sure I have. A few days of trying, dialling in with all size of grinds. Tried both the grinders I have, tried two different coffees. Hard tamp, soft tamp and no tamp, I just can't get a decent shot out of this thing. The shot either races through in about 10-15 seconds, or it just slows to a drip and the unit times out. Finding a sweet spot is driving me nuts. It may be heading back to Amazon in a few days time. What's is good news (or bad depending on your point of view) is that I get a far better flat white using my Aeropress (with Prismo) and a small French Press to aerate the milk. I haven't made anything that comes close to the taste of it yet with the Brevile.

  • @SillyHapppy

    @SillyHapppy

    Жыл бұрын

    Wait, how did I get an expresso Maker for 20 bucks?

  • @JoiIsakYT
    @JoiIsakYT Жыл бұрын

    Is it possible just to swap out the baskets and portafilter on cheaper machines to get a better result as well? As long as you find something compatible for the fit of course. Like swapping to try a bottomless basket/portafilter on a "old faithful" cheaper machine you want to give new life too.

  • @Fastinsilence
    @FastinsilenceАй бұрын

    Just bought a cheap Stilosa machine, is it a big difference using fresh beans while still using a pressurized basket, was thinking of getting a hand grinder and fresh beans and as you said , just upgrade the basket later? Any recommendations for a hand grinder good enough for Espresso, was thinking Timemore c3 esp pro?

  • @rodrcastro
    @rodrcastro Жыл бұрын

    You mentioned specialty coffee. As I'm thinking about getting a Sage Bambino, but can't afford the grinder together, I was thinking that for the first couple of months I could buy from a roaster nearby and ask them to grind for espresso. Wouldn't that be enough to use a non-pressurized basket while you don't have a grinder at home? Thank you!

  • @Coffee_Kev

    @Coffee_Kev

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Rodrigo, when you're buying pre-ground it makes more sense to ask the roaster to grind on the coarse side for espresso (just explain that you're using the dual walled baskets on the Sage machine and they'll get it) and use the dual walled baskets. Pre-ground for standard baskets is difficult, as you can't dial in the grind, so for example you could find that it's too fine and chokes the machine, so that's an entire bag you can't use, or you may find it's too course and under-extracts. If you're going for pre-ground for standard baskets I'd ask the roaster to go on the coarse side simply because under extracted espresso is better than no espresso (which is what will happen if it chokes). Cheers, Kev.

  • @0707Dannyhamer
    @0707Dannyhamer Жыл бұрын

    Hi how do I know what year mine is? It’s got the all metal drip tray and base no black plastic I’m wanting to know if I can back flush it? Thanks

  • @Coffee_Kev

    @Coffee_Kev

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Daniel, What machine do you have?

  • @0707Dannyhamer

    @0707Dannyhamer

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Coffee_Kev thanks for getting back to me! Gaggia classic I got it second hand but can’t work it out!! The sticker underneath has 08/2018 serial number Nr. TU901808014607 on it but it’s all metal drip tray no solenoid that I can see old plastic steam wand and no pipe for pressure release I was thinking maybe 2015 but when I try to look it up I can’t see one like it!!

  • @joeyalvinguy-uyco4418
    @joeyalvinguy-uyco4418 Жыл бұрын

    Hi, Kev. Why is it that when I pull shot on my bambino plus using the standard basket it finishes only 16-18seconds and when I pull shots manually for 25-28seconds, i produce a lot of coffee like half full of my mug?my grind size is already at number 3 using the smart grinder pro. any tips?

  • @Coffee_Kev

    @Coffee_Kev

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Joey, is it relatively freshly roasted coffee, and an espresso roast? If so, it just sounds like it needs a finer grind, in which case you may just have to take the internal grind settings on the top burr of the grinder a notch finer, if it's at the factory pre-set just try dropping it down one setting.

  • @colinnich

    @colinnich

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Coffee_Kev I think I might need to try that too, I'm finding I'm grinding most coffee at number 1.

  • @Coffee_Kev

    @Coffee_Kev

    Жыл бұрын

    @@colinnich see how you get on Colin and let me know :-)

  • @danielcantos6425

    @danielcantos6425

    Жыл бұрын

    Same here...

  • @idakate7
    @idakate7 Жыл бұрын

    My Gaggia espresso machine is not cheap to me!!!

  • @MrSlickrickj
    @MrSlickrickj2 ай бұрын

    I think you are so EXCELLENT at explaining stuff you should teach Drivers Education without a car…just like you did here without even touching your machine you think watching your face is helpful 😂😂

  • @Coffee_Kev

    @Coffee_Kev

    2 ай бұрын

    😆😆👍

  • @AMZilla642
    @AMZilla6427 ай бұрын

    Talks too much, doesn’t show anything 🤷