- Coffee prep
Portafilter – (not) a male preserve?
Home office – I am sitting at my desk in the bay window, looking over the grey-brown, foggy backyard, and listen to the seething hissing noise in the background. The best man of all puts down my afternoon espresso right beside my keyboard and says “look at that crema” . Oh yes, the crema: Golden, striped (yes, the famous tiger stripe crema). And it just smells and tastes fantastically.
Kristin Oldenburg
I have been living like this for half a year – meaning together with my loved one – so that I regularly get to enjoy delicious espressos and cappuccinos. A great luxury, even though I am more of a Caffinetta coffee type, but I do not want to complain.
Although, the enormous attention that this shiny chrome machine with its demandingly hissing sounds gets is remarkable. Apparently, this is not unique for our (good) relationship. All of my friends are experiencing the same with their coffee-drinking partners. So, are these portafilter machines really a male preserve?
The field study says so. And “the man” even has the explanation ready: Every boy wants a steam engine. The woman” asks herself: Why? Because it is so archaic? Like a gas stove or a grill? Welcome to the clichés.
Personally, I believe that it is more about a ritual. Because in the meantime I have also started to experiment with grading degrees, filter sizes, brewing temperatures, and different espressos – since I am close to the source. And I must admit, it is fun to figure out how to highlight acidity, fruitiness, or chocolate notes in a cup of coffee. It’s wonderful to freshly grind the beans, especially when you are as crazy as me and do it with a manual grinder. The smell of the coffee is simply amazing. And when “la macchina” starts its boiler early in the morning with a gurgling and mumbling sound, forcing me to be patient (since the heating takes a while), and then produces my life elixir with its humming sound (I am waking up) – spectacular.
Meanwhile, I have also found myself talking to the “old lady”, polishing her, and getting her a new knock box. And an extra nice tamper. And a little brush for the left-over coffee grounds. Cliché…?
PS: Our portafilter model is a “double circuit”-espresso machine. That means, it has one boiler and two water circuits to brew and produce steam – in order to reach the different levels of water temperature without having to wait to froth the milk. A model that is almost 20 years old now – thanks to the good care. Speaking of sustainability and such.
If you are thinking about getting a machine like this, you should consider your individual needs to find the right fit for you:
You “just” want to make an espresso?
In this case, the “single circuit” might be the way to go. It has only one water circuit – meaning: Espresso and steam use the same source. So, if you occasionally want a cappuccino or flat white, you must adjust the temperature of the steam.
Cappuccino, flat white & co. are your favorites?
If you go for the “double circuit” you won’t have that problem. But, if you leave the machine turned on for too long, the temperatures might adjust to the same level. This again, is not a problem when you have a “dual-boiler”. This one has a boiler for steam and a boiler for water and is an allrounder. Not necessarily for beginners, but for the experts among the home-baristas.
And then there is the “thermoblock”.
It basically works like a flow heater, meaning, it does not have a boiler and reaches the operating temperature almost immediately. And there is no risk of calcification. The disadvantage: If the flow velocity is instable due to the ground coffee in the puck, the water can get too cold or even too hot (which tastes terrible). An the steam might be more diluted.
So much for the machine types.
If you want to know more about grinding levels, water temperature, tiger stripe crema, and such: Check out the section “Coffee know-how” on our blog.
Finally, the most important part: The coffee or espresso.
For us the basis for all of them: It must be organic. And fair trade certified. And it must have the perfect balance between complex aromas and refined acidity. Which is not only achieved by the harmonic composition of beans and coffee types. The slow (11-16 minutes) and gentle refinement in the drum roaster is at least as important.
Our classic espresso is a blend of Arabicas from Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Ethiopia – very smooth and opulent with elegant chocolate notes. Our barista espresso is a bit more complex: A blend of Arabica and Robusta and sophisticated nut and cocoa notes. And if you experiment with a finely adjusted grinding level and brewing temperature, then you will definitely have a lot of fun with it.
Enough with the shop talk. We would love to hear what you think about the portafilter hype (male preserve – yes or no?) and what method you prefer to prepare you coffee.
