Pref way to make coffee?

[mrs quoad]

For intense coffee taste, there's the espresso machine of course. Proper, 12+ bar units.

Any machine turning out coffee above 10 bar will be producing shit.

Bitter, thin shit.

The only redeeming factor of a machine with a 12 bar factory setting, is that the over pressure valve (OPV) can oftentimes be modded down to 9 bar.

No commercial setting in its right mind would use a machine drilling their coffee at 12 bar. It doesn't make sense. ESE pod standardisation requirements often mean that manufacturers are required to knock machines off the production line @ 12 bar.

But 12 bar is a joke setting. The only reason makers advertise '12 bar' / '14 bar' is because big numbers sound impressive.

The machine I can adjust is set at 9.25 bar (it produced bitter, filthy, thin, undrinkable gak at its 12 bar factory setting. And - thankfully - has an embedded manometer display so's adjusting it with a fair degree of precision is fairly easy); my lever machine - apparently - runs on a gradient between 6-8 bar.

e2a: this rage has been brought to you by Mrs Quoad Rage At OPV Abuse Enterprises

 

[Chz]

Ah, but the cheaper ones that are trying to be sold on some random pressure rating produce nothing near the 12-15 that most of them claim. It's a good thing it's a lie, for the reasons you say.

I just say 12+ bar because the low-end decent machines are advertised as such. I could also say get a damned pump and not a steam-driven one, but that's harder to tell from looking at the box - at least it's a given that a steam unit won't claim anything over 3.5 bar.

 

[pogofish]

Espresso machine plus a stovetop for camping/power cuts etc. Caffitierre & cup filter in the back of a cupboard for when all else fails.

 

[mrs quoad]

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