S1 "Triple" Basket Reviews
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:10 pm
As the other VernaBasket thread is getting so long, I thought it might be best to start a new thread for actual reviews now that they're arriving.
I received my final basket (my others were prototypes) and it's a nice one. I measured the capacity with a couple of different coffees and it varies quite a bit, depending on the age of the coffee, grind fineness and, I suspect, the blend and the degree of oilyness.
Using an older (stale by most of our standards) Panamanian home roast I had laying around I measured 19 grams. This was using the Thor flat bottomed S1 tamper that Chris' Coffee sells, tamping to the bottom of the retaining spring groove. A flat bottomed tamper will account for slightly more capacity if you tamp to the same level as visualized at the basket wall.
I'm sure this reflects the dryness of this older coffee. While I've run no tests, it stands to reason that an oilyer coffee will weigh more for any given volume than dried out coffee, as a cup of oil weighs more than a cup of dry grounds.
Using my fresh (received 4 days ago) Stumptown Hairbender blend, and filling to the same level with the same tamper, I measured 22 grams. I inadvertently overfilled the basket once and it tamped just above the top of the spring groove. That weighed a whopping 26 grams. I suspect some people actually fill to this level, although I wouldn't recommend it.
These measurements were made with a grind resulting in a pour between 25-28 seconds. A finer grind will allow you to fit more coffee, while a coarser grind will allow less. dsherman was packing 19 grams into the stock double basket, but since he was getting 45 second pours, that must have been a finer grind than what is normally used.
The Hairbender is roasted on the lighter end of the spectrum for espresso roasts. The silverskin still remaining in the center groove of each bean is still tan. There are occasonal oil spots on some of the beans. I suspect some darker roasts would allow slightly more coffee to be fitted.
I poured 1-1/2 oz. shots from the 22 grams of Hairbender. There were copious amounts of crema after the first few seconds, making it hard to tell what degree of blonding, if any, occured. However, the finished shot was textbook, ie. the crema was dark and thick with nice oily flecking. There was no sign of any white remnants of blonding crema that pouring longer or with less coffee might produce. The taste was slightly fruity, with cinnamon and allspice. The body was very full, and the finish long and without flaws. I'd used a naked portafilter for these and saw no sign of any squirting which might indicate channeling.
I'll have to post some photos of the final product later.
I received my final basket (my others were prototypes) and it's a nice one. I measured the capacity with a couple of different coffees and it varies quite a bit, depending on the age of the coffee, grind fineness and, I suspect, the blend and the degree of oilyness.
Using an older (stale by most of our standards) Panamanian home roast I had laying around I measured 19 grams. This was using the Thor flat bottomed S1 tamper that Chris' Coffee sells, tamping to the bottom of the retaining spring groove. A flat bottomed tamper will account for slightly more capacity if you tamp to the same level as visualized at the basket wall.
I'm sure this reflects the dryness of this older coffee. While I've run no tests, it stands to reason that an oilyer coffee will weigh more for any given volume than dried out coffee, as a cup of oil weighs more than a cup of dry grounds.
Using my fresh (received 4 days ago) Stumptown Hairbender blend, and filling to the same level with the same tamper, I measured 22 grams. I inadvertently overfilled the basket once and it tamped just above the top of the spring groove. That weighed a whopping 26 grams. I suspect some people actually fill to this level, although I wouldn't recommend it.
These measurements were made with a grind resulting in a pour between 25-28 seconds. A finer grind will allow you to fit more coffee, while a coarser grind will allow less. dsherman was packing 19 grams into the stock double basket, but since he was getting 45 second pours, that must have been a finer grind than what is normally used.
The Hairbender is roasted on the lighter end of the spectrum for espresso roasts. The silverskin still remaining in the center groove of each bean is still tan. There are occasonal oil spots on some of the beans. I suspect some darker roasts would allow slightly more coffee to be fitted.
I poured 1-1/2 oz. shots from the 22 grams of Hairbender. There were copious amounts of crema after the first few seconds, making it hard to tell what degree of blonding, if any, occured. However, the finished shot was textbook, ie. the crema was dark and thick with nice oily flecking. There was no sign of any white remnants of blonding crema that pouring longer or with less coffee might produce. The taste was slightly fruity, with cinnamon and allspice. The body was very full, and the finish long and without flaws. I'd used a naked portafilter for these and saw no sign of any squirting which might indicate channeling.
I'll have to post some photos of the final product later.