Comments on: Common Cues for Recognizing Good and Bad Espresso

By: TheShot

TheShot — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:53:34 +0000

I’ve had some great shots made with La Spaziale machines in Italy. But for some reason, the La Spaziale machines in the Bay Area seem to be the machine of choice for cafés looking to save a few bucks on their espresso service. These places are simultaneously using half-price coffee supplies, lower-paid and more temporary employees, don’t afford regular machine maintenance, etc., etc.

So unfortunately I think the La Spaziale machine gets maligned a little here simply by association.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:22:16 +0000

I’m not familiar with the west coast scene but I owned a coffee shop on the east coast. We removed our two group La Spaziale 3000 and replaced it with a three group Brasillia Gradisca. We only swapped for the extra group head but I’m curious about negative comments on the La Spaziale. I found it to be able pull very nice shoots with our espresso we were using One Village. Is the problem so much with the machine or the espresso used? Have you had great shots out of these machines? As of December I sold my shop and I’m going back to school but I am rebuilding the La Spaziale for my home, are there any suggestions on how to improve this machine? Thanks for suggestions if you have any.

By: Yerbouti Issasheikin

Yerbouti Issasheikin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:25:20 +0000

I think the bad list is more informative than the good. This is informed by my interest in epistemology: it is easier to know what doesn’t work than to know what does.

I also have to second my doubts about cafes that roast their own. It is not bad for an establishment to know their limits. As the Delphic Oracle used to say: Know thyself!

My big criteria is that the establishment displays what I would call love. If it is obviously just a business or if they are part of the latest coffee cult (there have been so many!), than consider yourself warned. But if they seem to have a sort of mother-child relationship to their product, then go for it! I do NOT count obsessive timers or measurements as signs of that relationship! Look for sensitivity, knowledge, attention, and if not outright smiles, at least serious contentment at their situation.

By: cracklebox

cracklebox — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:55:26 +0000

I’ve been compiling a list in my mind as well so it’s nice to compare. I agree with espressophile about the sizes of their drinks or in general, the simplicity of the menu. I also look for signs of time saving and bulk preparation such as the grinder’s dosing chamber being filled with pre-ground coffee. I don’t know why they make the chambers big enough for this, it just encourages baristas to let the coffee stale. Extra-large milk frothing pitchers? Why, to steam a quart of milk in advance so you can let the milk sit and lose its foam? I’ve also seen pitchers of pre-made espresso. I feel pretty awful paying for a drink made with espresso and milk that have been sitting in a pitcher for the last few orders.

One thing I like (not a good or bad sign necessarily) is to have a view of the espresso machine. When my drink is being made with the machine’s back to me, I feel like the barista might be hiding something and in some cases they are. It’s nice to be able to watch the barista, and they should take some pride in their performance.

By: Pressing Questions with Nick Cho | Coffee Hero

Pressing Questions with Nick Cho | Coffee Hero — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:42:03 +0000

[...] that render that list irrelevant. This is the latest, and probably the best list I’ve seen: TheShot’s Common Cues for Recognizing Good and Bad Espresso, but same thing — I disagree with a bunch of them. Actually, come to think of it, maybe there [...]

By: Friction Jack

Friction Jack — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:51:39 +0000

“Served with a lemon rind on the side: why?” Your instincts proved accurate. If you have a shot of espresso that makes you gag, throw a twist of lemon peel in it. Lemon and espresso taste great together, but there’s no point if your espresso is delicious to start with. Think of it as cream to coffee. It can be quite delicious, but in a completely different and incomparable category than black coffee.

By: TheShot

TheShot — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:59:14 +0000

...And preferably with a rational milk-to-espresso ratio that makes it something your sip, not something you nurse.

By: espressophile

espressophile — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:10 +0000

One additional positive sign: they serve one size of cappuccino.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:34:41 +0000

Most cafes producing decent espresso literally hang a sign outside or inside to indicate to drivers or passers-by their product.

It is the SIGN of the Rosetta. If a cafe is aware of the rosetta, and so has signage, they are also aware of the “Encouraging signs” and implement many of them.

This is by far the simplest and most accurate method that I have found.

By: Six ways you can avoid bad espresso | Espresso Machine News

Six ways you can avoid bad espresso | Espresso Machine News — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:52:37 +0000

[...] If you want to continue indulging your inner espresso geek, read the rest of the slightly snarky list here. [...]