PinnedMy LinksA Compilation of Key Links — New Book: Advanced Espresso My Espresso Book: Engineering Better Espresso YouTube Affiliate Links: Trade Coffee Latest Turning a Lever Espresso Machine Full Manual Book Updates on Advanced Espresso Great American Coffee Taste Test Breakdown Cheaper Espresso Machines == Bad Water Input The Duality of Best/Worst Coffee Frig vs Freeze for Espresso Beans Maybe Moriondo had the optimal espresso machine designData Science15 min readData Science15 min read
PinnedRobert’s Collection of StoriesA directory of my articles by topic — This is a collection of collections of stories. I have stories on espresso, work, school, myself, my family, LEGO’s, and Photography. I hope this page helps navigating my list of stories. A Collection of Espresso Articles A Collection of Work and School Stories Personal Stories and Concerns LEGO Story Splash Page Photography Splash PageCoffee2 min readCoffee2 min read
PinnedA Collection of Espresso ArticlesA grouping of sub-groups of coffee related writings — This is a collection of collections of my articles on different topics, each with their own splash page. Improving Espresso A Summary of the Staccato Lifestyle Measuring Coffee Grind Distribution Fines Migration in Espresso Coffee Extraction Coffee Roasting Coffee Beans Paper Filters for Espresso Espresso Baskets and Related Topics Espresso OpinionsCoffee2 min readCoffee2 min read
1 day agoTurning a Lever Espresso Machine Full ManualFor the love of levers — I absolutely love my lever machine, the Kim Express. I love all lever machines for espresso, but they are not all equal. The Kim is a cut above. However, I have been doing some tests more recently that suggest a lever design unique in the field levers: Full Manual!Coffee4 min readCoffee4 min read
5 days agoBook Updates on Advanced EspressoA quick update on my new book — I’m writing a new book called Advanced Espresso, and I thought I would update anyone interested in its progress. Given that this is my second book, the process seems to be going a bit smoother than before. I’m half way through the first round of edits. It will go back…Coffee2 min readCoffee2 min read
Nov 28Great American Coffee Taste Test BreakdownLooking at the rich dataset as the result of James Hoffmann’s taste test — In October 2023, James Hoffmann did a livestream taste test with around 4,000 people in the USA. A month later, he released the survey data! I love data, so I went through the data and pulled what I thought were interesting statistics. This article is heavy in data and charts…Coffee Data Science6 min readCoffee Data Science6 min read
Nov 24Cheaper Espresso Machines == Bad Water InputThis includes your favorites for sure — I have previously tested the Gaggia Classic and Decent groupheads, and the problem with these machines is that for water input, the water comes into the water diffuser from the side. There is a ring for the water to fill up, and in theory, at steady state when the system…Coffee3 min readCoffee3 min read
Nov 21The Duality of Best/Worst CoffeeA thought experiment on coffee extraction — Espresso is hard to master. Most beginners are able to achieve some level of consistency after some practice, learnings, and talking with others. However, to go from beginner to master is a long road. …Coffee2 min readCoffee2 min read
Nov 17Frig vs Freeze for Espresso BeansAnother experiment but sometimes it doesn’t work out — I have found adding moisture to coffee after roasting speeds up degassing and improves flavor. Furthermore, I looked at putting these moisturized beans into a vacuum chamber, which improved flavor and extraction as well. …Coffee3 min readCoffee3 min read
Nov 14Maybe Moriondo had the optimal espresso machine designA thought experiment — Many don’t consider any machine before the Gaggia lever to produce espresso because the pressure was much lower, not anywhere close to 9 bars. However, my recent experiments seem to suggest Moriondo was a few modifications away from great extraction. Moriondo is credited with making the first espresso type machine…Coffee2 min readCoffee2 min read