You are a man after my own heart. I would like that recipe too.
I actually started making espresso to get away from the milk (half and half) due to the calories. I found that I really liked exploring just the coffee itself. But I understand that some roasts just beg for milk. There is a soothing aspect to the milk side of espresso cuisine.
I’ve been really enjoying the new grinder and machine these last couple of weeks. Single origin beans, light roasts, Costa Rican and Ethiopian mostly. I like the brightness and the flavor bursts. I haven’t experimented so much in 12 or 13 years. The newness will wear off and I’ll settle into a new routine, probably within a few months. But I’m rediscovering many impressions and enjoying them on a new level.
The new machine is a Quick Mill Alexia Evo. Out of the box, the pressure relief valve was sticky from sitting in a warehouse for nearly two years according to the factory inspection certificate. At first it was stuck closed and every pull was at 13+ bar. It did not respond to adjustments. Then it was erratic for a few pulls. Then it stuck open and wouldn’t build pressure at all. At the end of the third day, I figured it out (it was not tightly secured and the valve body was turning with the adjuster). I tightened it up, made a final sequence of adjustments, and from the fourth day it has been reliably perfect for 9 bar pulls. I’ve been able to get 25 to 30 second extractions at 203 F, and 45 grams of espresso for 18 grams of beans. Changing beans requires minor grind adjustments, but they are reliably repeatable.
This machine has all the features needed for straight shots, and while it can steam milk too, I have not used this capability. The E61 brew group is very temperature stable. I can pull successive shots with no delay for recovery other than the delay associated with prepping the next puck. The boiler holds .75 liters which is enough for my use, but could be over taxed if serving several people.
I put it on an appliance timer so it has warmed up for an hour when I get up. The timer turns it off after my third doppio at lunch. The boiler heater cycles on and off, but minimally. The boiler is well insulated, and the brew group is a 9 pound chunk of stainless steel, it it is using very little electricity after the first 20 minutes. The temperature controller is a PID that also displays shot times.
The drip tray holds 46 ounces, and the reservoir holds 3 liters, so it doesn’t require daily water maintenance. Except for the brew group, it is cool to the touch. Even the steam/water wand is a double pipe, so it’s cool to the touch. I highly recommend this machine if the goal is to pull straight espresso shots.
