Espresso machine owners - latte art?

[blunttech]

This is stimulating conversation.

go drink your gatorade or whatever the fuck it is you litter my garage with consistently and let the men discuss real beverages

[thectrlguy]

This is what happens when you stop drinking liquor.......

[Mtriple]

This is stimulating conversation.

[blunttech]

i actually think you can make a decent shot of espresso on an inexpensive machine. the thing the big dollar machines can do is consistency and volume. if you have 4-6 people over and they want a cappucino after dinner you will be at it all night with a little cheap machine.. the machines with a pump in them can churn out steam non stop. i have a 15 dollar campstove espresso maker that makes excellent shots.

[rThor432]

I'll pretend you are being serious. That machine is crap. The best starter machine is to take the time & find a used Starbucks machine, the one that they sell for ~$350 & comes in every color under the sun.

Yeah good call on the Starbucks machine. Just dont use Starbucks espresso beans. They are roasted and sit on shelves long before they reach the consumers. So they arent fresh, and not being fresh kills the flavor.

And I have never heard of CoffeeGeeks.com. Thats interesting.

[Maluco]

I'll pretend you are being serious. That machine is crap. The best starter machine is to take the time & find a used Starbucks machine, the one that they sell for ~$350 & comes in every color under the sun.
You find those used all the time for under $200, and if you spend some time on Coffeegeek.com learning, you will make great drinks. Get a good burr grinder, and you'll have the potential to make shots at least 80% as good as what my setup will do.

sad thing is I was serious. I haven't looked into it at all actually but I am actually glad you guys started this thread as I have been wanting to buy a machine for a while now. Any particulars to look for when buying a used one?

[LINUS]

should I even ask if the below machine at Walmart can do the trick? I don't really have alot of money to put towards a maker but would love to be able to make some cappuccino at home...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2676624

I'll pretend you are being serious. That machine is crap. The best starter machine is to take the time & find a used Starbucks machine, the one that they sell for ~$350 & comes in every color under the sun.
You find those used all the time for under $200, and if you spend some time on Coffeegeek.com learning, you will make great drinks. Get a good burr grinder, and you'll have the potential to make shots at least 80% as good as what my setup will do.

[Maluco]

should I even ask if the below machine at Walmart can do the trick? I don't really have alot of money to put towards a maker but would love to be able to make some cappuccino at home...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2676624

[rThor432]

you use 4-6 shots in a cappucino??? i think that would make me sick. your socks must roll up and down like in the cartoons

Ha yeah I make good espresso, what can I say?

[blunttech]

Skim is really easy to froth, but the froth seems to "die out" as the drink cools. I use whole milk in my cappuccinos.

Try frothing with the tip of the steamer barely in the milk and hold the pitcher at an angle so that the milk spirals into a sort of whirlpool. That circulates the milk and gets everything frothed evenly.

My cappuccinos are extremely dry. About 5/8's cup of dry froth with 4-6 shots depending on the time of day.

you use 4-6 shots in a cappucino??? i think that would make me sick. your socks must roll up and down like in the cartoons

[rThor432]

You're getting some killer looking dry froth, what % milk do you use?

Skim is really easy to froth, but the froth seems to "die out" as the drink cools. I use whole milk in my cappuccinos.

Try frothing with the tip of the steamer barely in the milk and hold the pitcher at an angle so that the milk spirals into a sort of whirlpool. That circulates the milk and gets everything frothed evenly.

My cappuccinos are extremely dry. About 5/8's cup of dry froth with 4-6 shots depending on the time of day.

[LINUS]

PS "I've played with a couple tips,"
lets keep that to yourself

Hahahaha........It only got better there too, the part about finding one I like, blah blah. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, I swear I don't swing like that, despite the gayness of what you see me type.

[delatlanta1281]

Oh god you guys are killing me.
Cuban coffee
little cream, little sugar. No foaming device.

[blunttech]

i have a stainless pitcher and i keep the tip right on the surface of the milk so its just barely submerged. you know the sound..... and i lower the pitcher as the foam accumulates. i never submerge it. i heat to 155 and stop.
ive read all kinds of methods but this works for me. i can get tons of foam that just keeps growing. if i fill the pitcher half full the foam is just coming over the top when i hit 155

PS "I've played with a couple tips,"
lets keep that to yourself

[LINUS]

Dry out the steam wand so I don't shoot condensate into the milk, I hear that matters over on CG.c --

Then I airiate until I hit ~100*, then leave the tip submerged until I hit ~160*. I use a taper bottom pitcher, the spout is almost too narrow, as the milk tries to slide out from underneath the foam - I might try another pitcher at some point, but I know I need to get my methodology down more before I bother - changing now would just be a crutch.

Then 2 decent 'thunks' of the pitcher on the counter to drop out the larger bubbles, then onto pouring over the espresso already in the bottom of the cup.

I've played with a couple tips, and I finally found one I like (makes a bigger diff than most people realize) - I'll get a pic up, worth a 1000 words.