I've watched all of these understanding espresso videos, now I just need to get an espresso machine.

@deparoo

3 жыл бұрын

Same.

@miniwarrior7

3 жыл бұрын

There's a video for that too

@b4804514

3 жыл бұрын

Hey go with a Breville machine to start. You can vary enough of the process to make it fun and really tasty

@miniwarrior7

3 жыл бұрын

Or a DeLonghi its a great long term brand

@asheleydavies

3 жыл бұрын

Gaggia classic pro is a good place to start...

When I clicked this, my alert said it was uploaded 54 seconds ago...there were already 10 comments and 36 likes. We may not be the biggest fanbase, but we're perhaps the most eager (or caffeinated)

@0AsianForever0

3 жыл бұрын

Caffeinated

@chinechinecherie

3 жыл бұрын

And, not or.

@akanthony100

3 жыл бұрын

sufficiently agitated

@DC-Aust

3 жыл бұрын

Stirred, not swirled.

@noohoozfurra

3 жыл бұрын

Clearly Scott, there are some individuals whose knowledge extraction time, is particularly swift...personally, I need all the pre-infusion I can get...

I dont even drink coffee but the professionialism and perfection behind the creation of a good coffee is just so good and it's a pleasure to watch your videos.

@jameshoffmann

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@im_Spade_

Жыл бұрын

@@Skedge I just spent $800 on a machine, grinder, and accessories. Its exciting but a little confusing and stressful to learn this, but james and reddit both certainly help!

@im_Spade_

Жыл бұрын

@@Skedge looks like your budget is a bit bigger than mine was 🤣 Happy espresso-making!

I bought an Espresso Machine almost 7 years ago, i consume them 3 -5 times a days (depending on the day) & realized after wathching a few of your videos that I've been brewing shit espresso all this time. This past weekend has been a whole new learning curve for me. I am really enjoying the videos and your content.

@scottklandl488

2 жыл бұрын

Especially German cafes. Germans don’t know coffee… That said. One of the best shots I’ve ever had was at Berlins airport

@philidor9657

2 жыл бұрын

I had a similar experience. I was basically making strong coffee. And it tasted fine, no complaints. But after watching this and looking at the community for my espresso machine recently I realized I was never actually making espresso. 30 second shot time for a 2:1 extraction? I was getting closer to 10 seconds. After tweaking grind size the past few days I can finally feel comfortable calling it espresso, albeit probably not fantastic espresso.

@Dan-uy2ld

2 жыл бұрын

Yo depends what dose you are using but 3-5 espressos a day is quite a lot of caffeine. Look out for yourself bro

@jonasalopecia1662

6 ай бұрын

​@scottklandl488 well to be fair most countries in the west serve bad coffe. But there always have been roasters, which provide good quality. If you think you get a good coffee from a standard bakery well duuh😂 what germans really dont have is a nice coffe culture of enjoyment. Its more of a tool for many... explains who buys that trash in the supermarkets 😂

we bought our first (and so far only) nice espresso machine and grinder 14 years ago and we've used them every morning (and most afternoons) ever since. and... we'd been totally happy with our results until youtube happened to throw one of your videos our way. that led to several more of your videos, which quickly led to our realization that we've never had any idea how to make espresso. not sure we'll ever get around to weighing things out and some of the other steps, but we've changed our grind, and kept a closer eye on our doses, and that's reduced our flow rate and final volume pretty dramatically. am happy to say we're now getting a completely different beverage out of the very same machines and beans. it's a thick, dark, almost sweet and chocolate-ish thing, and with just our usual frothed milk or half & half added, it almost tastes like something you'd buy at a dairy queen. the difference is AMAZING. we are both astonished that such a thing is possible and a little aggravated knowing it always was. mostly we just want to send along our MOST SINCERE THANK YOU for doing what you do. coffee will never be the same in this house.

@KyleBaker

Жыл бұрын

I mean, this is heart warming, but... Did you just say dairy queen? Like, the cheap fast food drive through from the southern US? As your reference for the pinnacle of coffee? (Or maybe I misunderstood and you're comparing it to their ice cream treats?)

@ricodeco2139

Жыл бұрын

@@KyleBaker definitely referring to the sweet treats at dq, not the coffee.

@KyleBaker

Жыл бұрын

@@ricodeco2139 oh, that makes so much more sense, haha. I'm sure that must be such a revelation!

As an absolute beginner with only two weeks with a machine, the advise to stick to 25-30 sec is actually incredibly helpful and offers a solid and easy framework to understand.

You can’t talk about a scuba tank under your machine and say “that’s a story for another day” WE MUST KNOW OF THE SCUBA TANK!!!1!!1!!!1!1!!1 🤣

@mimachado5546

3 жыл бұрын

Satoru yes se want to Hera about the sucuba!

@Auttieb

3 жыл бұрын

If its a story for another day, we want that story

@ultrademigod

3 жыл бұрын

WTH is going on, it's another day today, and still no news on the scuba tank.

@abramnilsen1527

3 жыл бұрын

It’s a story for right now!!😂

@bryanhumphreys940

3 жыл бұрын

I'm guessing he was using it as a pressure source and a valve to vary the pressure.

I will blame you for all the missing coffee in my cafe. Whenever you post a video, I just rush to the machine and do like ten shots just to try out what you are talking about... On the other hand, you are one of the reasons why people talk about us having one of best coffees in the town, so I ain´t that mad :)

PSA: the Acaia Lunar scale shown in the video has a mode that starts the timer as soon as it auto-tares, rather than when it detects coffee hitting the glass. That means you can put your glass on the scale, wait a second for it to tare, and then push the button or pull the level on your espresso machine. This times your brew start to finish.

@sofronio.

3 жыл бұрын

thanks for the info！will try tomorrow！

@jamesb.ofdesertdistrict567

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! That’s helpful

@mbda1

8 ай бұрын

I need a $250 scale to make an espresso! wow.

As a competition judge I've experienced a lot great coffees from the 15 to 20 seconds window and also from 30 to 40. I agree with James and I think people should test more with their recipes and find out what is the best extraction time. Don't be closed minded about how many seconds your espresso should have.

We need a JH podcast. No matter the topics 🧐

@jameshoffmann

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe. I finally have an idea for one, now I just need the time - and the time of my guests!

@jornidema1884

3 жыл бұрын

This would be a great idea

@freezingsunbreaka

3 жыл бұрын

@@jameshoffmann I adore how polite you are, Mr. Hoffman.

@Sina-wt4xn

3 жыл бұрын

@@jameshoffmann Don't let it affect your video amount though.

@144avery

3 жыл бұрын

The "time" thing is exactly why I listen to zero podcasts hahaha. I use KZread as a break, often, and I don't take hour-long breaks. I understand that's not most people though.

Is James Hofmann the most watchable and easy listening host of any channel on KZread? Yes, yes he is. Another informative and educational video, thanks!

I just want to say this understanding espresso series has been a godsend. I know you’ve said James that you’d be inclined to ask people interested in a home espresso machine if they really want a new hobby and in my case, I love coffee and coffee culture and absolutely am ready for a new hobby and this series has seriously helped make the idea of getting started in it less intimidating.

@marcmadler454

3 жыл бұрын

Nate Kiellach Same here! I could spent all day with my flow controlled dual boiler!

"Do you understand the rule well enough to begin to break it and have some interesting and different results" This explains SO much of Italian cuisine. SOOO many culinary rules, but every great Italian chef breaks one rule in a glorious way.

This little school of espresso was amazing! Thank you man! It's amazing how much you can learn in 30 min course when someone is explaining the topic clearly and nicely.

This understanding espresso series is great. I have watched multiple times, each time come away with new knowledge and details I didn’t picked up before.

You are a hero. The teaching you provide in this series is beyond compare

As a new-ish hire at a coffee shop, I always wondered why we rely so heavily on time when at home enthusiasts seemed to focus on taste indicators instead. Helpful to know that we’re aiming for two different things: consistency vs interesting flavours

@jononthejourney

3 жыл бұрын

Both can be helpful for sure. I would assume the cafe you are at uses the same espresso blend or SO and has a good idea of the recipe that it taste best with and believes numbers are easier to communicate than taste.

@chloemayvlog

3 жыл бұрын

Coffee Pilgrim Yeah for sure. For reference it’s a local chain (couple locations and a local roastery in my city) and we dial in every morning ( I’m still learning) but use all the same equipment and blend.

@jononthejourney

3 жыл бұрын

Chloe Merritt well congrats on the new gig! Definitely a fun time starting out working on bar. I enjoy answering coffee questions if you have any in the future :)

@chloemayvlog

3 жыл бұрын

Coffee Pilgrim thank you!

This is so helpful! I've watched so many videos that give target times but don't clarify when they're starting their timers. Since preinfusion can be 10-20% of the total time, that distinction is significant. Keep up this great series!

Very helpful! As I'm just getting started on making espresso, I was very focused on getting a certain volume within a certain time. This video series has been great, teaching me about the variables that matter most and how they affect what's most important, the taste of the espresso.

James - you mentioned the great "when to start timing" debate in a response to another video I commented on. Thank you for covering this topic. At that time, the notion of starting the timer when the drop hit the cup was something I'd read and blindly followed, but now as you've stated I have a better grasp of time/water/dose/output and paying attention to pressure at the puck as well as how it tastes to know what I like and how to make changes. Pretty much all of this has come through experimentation, taking detailed notes and watching your videos. Thank you!

Thank you for the video, I was pondering the brew time, was more than enough overwhelmed by the many many videos on it. Yours by far makes the most sense. Have a recipe and play around with flow rate and temperature to get the desired results

I recently started messing with my grind size, timing, preinfusion length, and more, because of the knowledge gained from your videos. Thank you. Today, I found my longer preinfusion definitely made my flow faster when I ramped up to full pressure. Next shot will compensate. I appreciate all of your wisdom, Mr. Hoffman :). I'm using a Breville Barista Express with a Baratza Sette 30 (with 270 attachment).

I love this series so much, it's helped me think about espresso in a bigger way than I ever did by myself on an espresso machine. I wish I could apply more of this technical knowledge to my home shot pulling, but my machine (Ascaso Dream PID) has an external gauge to set water pressure, and it can take me over 10 shots just to dial in a single grind/dose setting to achieve 9 bars.

man, you are the best person to explain complex and simple stuff about coffee, I really admire all your knowledge and how you share it. I have the luck to work with many kind of beans, diferent densities and I've found that time is very relative in extraction but you are right, starting with the 25-30 seconds rule is the best to begin with the espresso journey. I've pulled 60+ seconds espressos with high density beans getting magnificient flavors. Greetings from México.

I've been learned more with your videos than the courses. I really apreciate that. Thanks for all.

Once I got myself a manual lever machine, the concept of brew time went out the window. Since that day, an espresso process for me became about playing around with brew pressure, while targeting for a specific flow rate and output weight. Even the pressure profile isn't something I try to be consistent with because the coffee itself doesn't interact with water consistently on a day to day basis.

we definitely want to hear more about the scuba tank rig

Great video. I have been brewing for quite a while now and got some information in various locations. This really summarizes the important stuff before taking the journey to another level. Well done!

After 5 years of owning an espresso machine and trying to dial in my espresso basically only using the grind setting on my Sage Barista Express, these videos have been a revelation. Picked up some TimeMore Black Mirror Basic scales, and have started playing with brew-time & temperature as well as consistent dosing and coffee I previously found a little astringent and lacking in body & flavour is now a totally different brew entirely! Please keep making these videos.

Thank you James. The discussion about when to start the "shot clock" has been a question I have had for awhile. My Barista Touch starts the clock as soon as I push the brew button - it takes about 9 seconds (Breville says it should take 8 to 12 seconds) before I see espresso flowing. Typically I use 18 grams of coffee and get about 36/37 grams out in about 28 to 30 seconds. That recipe gets me very close to the coffee roaster's profile and it is yummy, so much so I can't go back to Italian cafe style espresso. I was going to go for a much higher-end machine, dual boiler, etc but I am the only coffee drinker in the house and that amounts to about two or three espressos a day - so the Breville does the job. Great series that has been helpful to us home espresso brewers.

love your vids James. Would love to see one specifically about espresso temperature. I'm looking to upgrade my machine and would really like to have a better understanding of how temperature affects things and whether it's important to be able to really dial it in.

I've been watching your videos to help me at work and you're so well spoken and easy to listen to, thank you!, I find I switch off really easily when watching videos but these are great.

Absolutely outstanding videos. Thank you so much for your work. Credible. Factual and clear. Just bought my first E61 group machine switching from a single boiler that was my first machine. Working on dialing my grind. Thanks Mr. Hoffman. Your work is truly helpful to me. You are a great teacher and a remarkable communicator.

Brilliant! Yes, brew time is important, to an extent. I've been using the 20-30 second "rule of thumb" for some time and getting good results. As I learn more I will fiddle with brew time. BTW - Kudos on these "university-level" course videos! Will soon have my Masters in Espresso! 😀

i gotta say this really helped me a lot! i keep on watching them to remind me what should i consider when it doesnt goes as i planned. thank you very much!

James it is a relief to hear your learned verdict that time is more of a meta/out variable. Being a manual lever machine user from day 1 at home, I've lately found the best results to be at around 1m30s including 30s pre-infusion and a ramp up/down to/from pressure peak. But early on, I struggled for months in reconciling why deviating more and more from that 25-30s rule seemed to precipitate better and better results.

Honestly love this channel, learnt so much already. It's definitely becoming an expensive hobby 😂 Keep up the good work, looking forward to future content.

Hi James, this series is helpful but I wish the whole series worked backwards from the taste, and talked in more detail about how you yourself work backwards from taste. In your dialing in videos, you talk about how something will bring more sweetness out etc, or how something will “round the shot”. I hope you make videos about how others can develop the skills to dial in (more so than the knowledge of the factors at play). Thanks!!!

@GrantMcWilliams

3 жыл бұрын

I've asked for this too. What leads up to it being bitter or sour? Is it because of the brew times being too long/short, too fine of a grind etc..

@mattezuka1274

3 жыл бұрын

@@GrantMcWilliams he does talk about all of this though. Underextracting makes it sour, overextraction makes it bitter. This is affected by brew time and coarseness. He even says that a bad grind can make it bitter and sour

@happydeux2254

3 жыл бұрын

@@mattezuka1274 And this is why it's an art, not a science. Taste is subjective too. Even if we all had the same gear, beans and water, we'd brew different coffee

@Andrew.Branch

3 жыл бұрын

@@GrantMcWilliams The Coffee Compass from Barista Hustle can be extremely helpful... www.baristahustle.com/blog/the-coffee-compass/

@mattezuka1274

3 жыл бұрын

@@happydeux2254 I mean it's still a science, It's an extraction, using different factors to cause some stuff to extract more of less, using your mouth as a detector. Only difference is the end goals

U sir just saved me from a vicious circle which I had fallen into after experiments involving pre infusion and pressure profiling . Ur A saviour . Please accept my humble regards 👍

Great video, James. I am just beginning my journey with espresso. I've been roasting my own beans for about a year and am enjoying that process. Learning on a Delongi EC155 is a challenge given the temperature variations inherent in this low end machine. I did invest in a good grinder with the Baratza Sette 270. Loud, but it grinds consistently. I am starting to understand the brew time/grind size correlation so this video was very helpful. Thank you for all you do to help us stay caffeinated. WOOHOOO!!!™

I've just got my Niche zero and following the recipe 18g in 40g out over 30 seconds as a target was perfect for me. Meant that the dialling in was simple and straight forward. And that the coffee results were great. Now I'm ready to start comparing beans, roasts and sources so keeping the brew time and recipe constant is very important. Maybe one day I'll upgrade the coffee machine and my technique but for now there are more exciting variations to try. So thank you for your enthusiasm, reviews and tips. They are greatly appreciated.

What a fantastic video. I've had questions about exactly this. Thank you for making this. I'd love to see more dialing in videos of different coffees.

Just taking a moment to say thank you. I brew at home on a Gaggia Pro for my family. I have learned so much from watching your videos. I have watched all them. Clarifying time starts when I flick the switch is a big confidence boost. My pallette told me that was correct, but that helps when dialing in a new coffee immensely. The one ingredient you never really mention, but we can tell you use. The one I put in my girls latte every morning is love 💘.

Thank you so much for such an informative mini series delivered so clearly yet with so much enthusiasm.

Hi I have watched it all of videos you have made, they have increased my knowledge of making good espresso. Thank you for taking the time to provide the videos.

I drink instant coffee (don't @ me) but can't get enough of this guy! Great content

at the end, this is about whether you enjoy your drink whatever it is. Same as with tea ceremony. Final product doesn't have to be most tastefull tea you ever drank, but the way to get there is nice experience. I switched from instant cofee where the only nice experience was pleasant feel of warm mug, to (yet) cofee with milk from Sage Barista Pro. THE process of making morning coffee with milk changed my morning. Knowing infos from James changed my perception of what is going on in my espresso machine. So, I am more "present" where my machine clicks and hiss and doing all the nice stuff. I am more present when making coffee. And, there are so many ways to continue (funny to follow me when I try to play with milk), that for sure journey will go on.

Thank you for these super helpful videos. I had just assumed my espresso was bitter and people had much different taste than me. But I’ve been improving my shots and my morning’s have drastically improved!

I guess it gets tricky when the coffee roaster puts a recipe on the bag, therefore people not hitting those parameters can feel like they failed. But my take goes always back to flavour: that never fails. Thanks for another great video 🙏

Been doing 20 sec pre infusion and love how consistent it is.

First few weeks with the flair were difficult for me but the right kind of beans, really hot water, and small tweaks got me there. I do remember being pretty discouraged with sour espresso for a while.

Well done, sir! It is like you read my mind, been thinking about brew times lately.

I am new to the espresso game. I understand the brew time and the effects of grind size. I just need to go to a coffee house and have a professional great tasting shot. I do not know what to compare it to. Your videos are fun and helpful. I have learned a lot by tryng your recommendations. Thanks again for your time.

I can't say I hae a particular view on any of this yet as I have only just fallen down the coffee rabbit hole, but I think the idea of the giveway going to people who couldn't afford it rather than to anyone is really really good. I also appreciate the advice to think about ethcal sourcing when buying coffee from your other videos. More KZread creators should use their reach like this, keep up the good work and great coffee content!

Been waiting for this sequel for a while. Thank you!

Oreo fusion is important, but very interesting to play with mill and different coffees. I like experimenting with coffee from different regions) I think that such factors as humidity and fixed clean equipment is also very important for espresso!

I have vertical stripes in my crema, pretty sure that Matthew McConaughey is trying to contact me from the fifth dimension about my brew time... watching James on KZread is probably more convenient :)

I have been making espresso for more than 4 years now, got good results conventionally and moved to strada. Know I honestly feel lost, instead of understanding espresso better. Thanks James for your efforts and please guide us on pressure profiling and how to utilize it if you read this.

first time i saw this video when i just got my flair esspresso machine it wasnt helpful because the discussion was too advanced, now i couple of months in i thank you for the eye opening content

I think the more i watch you, Chris Baca and Sprometheus, no matter what coffee is being made - brew time is always an element that lets me know if "in the ballpark".

I just made my first shot of espresso on a secondhand Gaggia I recently found, it turned out super sour so now I'm binging all of the James Hoffman espresso videos

Thank you for these videos, until recently, thinking of a shot in grams didn't compute, I had always thought of it in volume! learning so much from your channel.

Oh James. You've made my day with this. Thank you.

Looking up to his video just strengthening my foundation of espresso knowledge and put it practice from time to time💪🏾😆

Would love a video on preinfusion and also brew temp impact on various bean types

Nice, thanks! Just got my scale with timer delivered when you posted this video.

Thanks for making these videos, James! Very informative and helpful! 🙂

I have found that pre-infusion really makes a great difference with brewed coffee. I have for several years learned to explore different tastes of the same bean/roast just by changing the amount of time of the pre-infusion, and the brew temperature. I accomplish this with the Behmor Brazen Brewer. - Having said this, I think pre-infusion should be set aside till you are ready to add it to the mix in pulling espresso shots. I look at time of the shot much the same as you - it is the result of many factors from dose, to fine or coarse grind, and the tamp. I have also found that pre-infusion can make a mess of your puck, and in some cases increase the chance that you will get channeling. All of that I am sure is a result of my own inexperience.

We hope YOU have a great day as well James.

You make me want to learn everything about coffee, thank you for making videos

I had always wondered when to start/stop the timer, since my machine has a basic automated pre-infusion cycle. Thanks for the clarification.

This is exactly what i needd for home barista,, Thank you James Hoffmann!

Completely agree with you, personal flavor preference is the most important. Sometimes I get a beautiful balance tasting shot at 19 seconds, because I thought I ruined my shot, made me not appreciating the cup as much as I should until the second half of the cup. Don't let brew time rules get to you phytologically, use your tongue then decide.

When you’re new to all this, well it’s just overwhelming. Thanks 😊

Thoroughly enjoyable video as usual. I appreciate that covering such a wide & complex topic in less than 10 is a very very challenging task. At the base of this espresso pyramid are entry level semi automatic users, e.g., Delonghi Dedica with a 12gm basket in a pressurised PF. The basic time rule for 1:2 type of shots is critical for them to understand too. They might feel a bit lost & ignored with this one.

@estebanmerello

2 жыл бұрын

Well this is my case, I've got a semi automatic machine with 14grs PF, I suppose that the time variable there should be lower having in mind that it takes around 25 to 30 sec for a 18grs PF. Lets try !

Thanks! Not just for this video, but for all the others that have also taught me a lot.

I've been waiting for this for a while, thank you sir

So good! Great as always with such useful information!

At last!!!! You have made it clear to me.......thank you.

James. These videos are so interesting and you make coffee fun in a scientific nerdy way. I love it. I would love to see some reviews of quality home espresso machines. I got an ECM CASA V and very happy. Would love to see reviews of similar priced manual espresso units.

Just came back home from a long shift at a local cafe, work as a barista there for almost two years now. We just reopened in full capacity for the first time since lockdown started here in Russia. What a mad world we live in. So if I survive this pandemic, I sure hope that this two month of free classes will help me out, thanks James :D Kind of started to lose my passion to what I do more and more recently, but as always you are someone to look up to, you helped a lot when I started out working as a barista in a much smaller place few years ago and to this day you still helping me thrue this journey again and again. Love you, James

Finally!!! i've been needing a video on this!

Absolutely love the Masterclass quality on a free platform like KZread

Great video James.

It's interesting to hear of such longer brew times as more of a standard today. 20+ years ago, our standard range was 17-23 seconds with 20 seconds considered the ideal brew time for a single/double shot. Tended to produce the best crema and provided the best flavor profile while mixing shots in drinks. Pulling a shot for 30 seconds would either be a specific lungo request or mostly frowned upon. And we very much counted the shot from when the pressure started not from when the drip started. Our La Marzocco used pressure profiles and would stop the shot on its own. We'd then have to adjust grind and/or tamping if a shot ran too short or too long. Very rare for us to manually stop a pull.

When you talked about skill share and then talked about how you used to make music! THATS SO COOL! I make music for digital marketing agencies or for anyone’s creative needs. I like you even more now.

Thanks ! It helps a looot ! Can't wait you to talk about the Temperature !

Love your vids, keep up the good work! ❤️

Back to Back, what have we done to deserve such a Hoffblessing

I have just watched all of your videos in preparation for receiving my new machine. I purposely decided against buying a machine with a PID, (Lelit Victoria) mainly because it seemed to offer an overwhelming amount of flexibility. IN essence, I wanted a basic good quality machine to learn and perfect the basics of espresso making. (you mention this in the video). I ended up with a ECM CasaV. I think the idea of the brew pressure gauge is more fundamental to me as a beginner, than being able to adjust my Infusion time and temp settings since those variables I would consider to be on the next level after I have aquired the basics. I felt that it would just add to my confusion since it seems the basic variables of grind size and dose and constant temp seem to be more consequential and provide a solid platform of understanding and repeatability. Thanks for these videos. I can't wait to try out your recommendations. I also opted for a Eureka Specialita grinder since the general consensus seems to be that it is maybe more important than the actual machine itself. (basically all the espresso maker does it heat the water and apply the pressure) which they all are capable of doing... Thanks again,

He's the kind of barista / instructor I won't mind listening to for hours straight, though would be better if I'm sipping a latte or cappuccino made by him of course.😊♥️ Hoping to be a better home barista.🙏

I'd be very interested in a discussions about a) recipe scaling (how well a given recipe scales for dosage), and b) equivalence (how to get the same taste, using a different pressure, if it is even possible). Regarding b), the reason I'm interested in that is because many domestic machines lack an OPV.

Just got a home espresso machine and dialing in shots! The timing of this video couldn’t be better!

A true proffesional or should I say proffesor of the coffee industry thank you

My coffee life now officially changed from the amazing info on this channel - I have quite basic but still decent Breville machines at the studio and home and the results were annoyingly hit and miss - Went to a very good local roasters ( Milk Shed in Brighton ) and the immensely enthusiastic guy running it donated a pro-grade Italian made 58mm Basket which left me visibly speechless - took it back to the studio in a very excited state and from that moment everything changed ... I really do mean everything - Suddenly I could grind way, way finer and even the fairly poor grinder on the Breville was making much better coffee .. Then introduced a £16 set fo coffee scales / timer with one of these random Chinese import brand names and within 48 hours I have the best espressos I've ever made coming out time after time ... I love dark roasted Naples espresso coffee with milk and could not understand why the bag of Kimbo Naples expresso beans tasted so bad compared to their other bags "intenso" being the best ... this morning I've made a massive mess at home but have turned out 2 Espressos so glorious with the Naples blend that i did a victory lap of the kitchen and had to sit down and rethink my life. To anyone wondering whether all the fuss and detail about coffee that James discusses is non-sense - I please ask you to make the small changes he often discusses here and just see what happens - you'll get wrong first ( just like anything in life ) but keep going, improve and get more accurate and eventually and hopefully you'll have the same experience I just have had. I will never accept the dreadful coffee that is so prevalent ( even in cafes ) ever again as now i fully understand just how gorgeous even non subtle blend like Kimbo can be when everything is setup right - Thank you James - you have just imparted a skill set in me I will never lose again and enjoy forever - this is why I love modern KZread so much

Very nearly at 500k subscribers! You'll be there soon, I'm sure of it

This is WHAT I NEED. Thanks James 👍

Funny I had 2 cases where I was dialing my grinder for new beans and one of the shots where 1:2 ratio in 45-50 seconds and the shots were amazing!!

I too am a coffee pro & computer musician. I grinned way too hard when you said you were getting back into Ableton!