Zee's POV: Making coffee daily until I am good at it. DAY 21.

[@error.418]

Strong agree on not worrying too much about retention (lost chaff, oh no! good.) and just aiming for your ratio, great attitude

[@thegroundedduo]

we've learnt to let it go~ cause there's already so much else that could go wrong😂 - zee

[@laneweaver3562]

I've been going through a similar journey making lattes every day for the last 2-3 weeks. I think I figured out something about milk steaming that I hope can help you out: I found that opening the steam wand at full blast is counterintuitively easier to control and makes better steamed milk. The trick to controlling the steam was to submerge the tip deeper. That got the vortex going very quickly and allowed me to move the jug ever so slightly down to get the paper ripping sound that I wanted for a few seconds before moving back up. I believe getting that vortex spinning quickly is the key to good steamed milk as it breaks up the big bubbles and distributes the air all throughout the milk. After I figured this out I haven't had a bad jug of steamed milk!

[@TheDudeGuyBroManPerson]

One thing that does really well is preventing too much air from being sucked in too quickly resulting in smaller bubbles/micro-foam. Those large bubbles also make it difficult to get microfoam since they'll need more steaming to integrate into the milk. Starting with smaller bubbles results smaller "silkier" microfoam since you'll need less time steaming to integrate small bubbles than large ones. Lance Hedrick has some top-tier videos on latte art and steaming techniques if you want a comprehensive tutorial/understanding.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey there👋🏻 many others have asked us to open our steamwand at full blast but idk if anyone's ever used a Rancilio Silvia but this little lady's steamwand is strong af. Like we did that the first few times cause videos told us to and man, the mess it made. It just made the milk go everywhere😭 It's hard to describe but trust me, we've tried. What works best for us is to go from low medium to medium high midway🙃 but yes, no vortex = no microfoam - zee

[@laneweaver3562]

@@thegroundedduo I get it, although I would say you're probably a lot better at controlling the milk jug now. Maybe try it with a jug of water!

[@DS-kq9eg]

Hey Zee, Since your grinder has pretty much no retention, I think you could skip weighting the powder cup before and after grinding. It is just wasting time. Also, I think you should tap on your bellow before stopping the grinding. No reason to remove the cup, weight it, put it back and use the bellow

[@mescellaneous]

actually, i think it's a good habit and very small time expense. you will never know if something changes... it happened to me. and they also do it in cafes.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey! We've actually been thinking that! Could hasten up the workflow process, altho I'll have to admit it's gonna be hard with the muscle memory hahaha. Ooh, good tip on the bellow step, never thought of that🥲 - zee

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey mescellaneous, yeah I completely get what you mean. But maybe sometimes we might just switch it up if we're in a rush hahaha but yes, it's definitely a good habit and muscle memory by now☺️ - zee

[@error.418]

4:58 Here's a weirdly niche take, crema is trash and it tasting salty is not that weird. Instead of stirring in circles, go gently front to back, making sure the spoon is fully at the bottom. The dense, sweet, early part of the shot is at the bottom, and you want to excite it to the top. The crema is mostly bitter and otherwise flavorless (rather, no positive flavors), you want it gone (you could skim it off, but that's more work). Also, smell as you stir! With a wine glass, when you swirl it, the shape of the glass traps the aromatics in the head space and it's nice when you go to sip it. Espresso doesn't have that special shaped glass, when you stir it the aromatics go off into the room and you don't get to enjoy them in the same way. Getting a good smell of the espresso when you stir is a delight, don't miss it, imo. Either way, really awesome video and work, appreciating y'all. Feel free to ignore the nerding out, heh

[@thegroundedduo]

oof crema is trash, is something we've never heard of😂 will do the front and back trick, thank you! and welcome to our small and humble community🤙🏻 - zee

[@error.418]

@@thegroundedduo Hah hah, well, the take is that when espresso was invented, the goal was just to make coffee faster to serve people in the train station who were in a rush, etc. To extract faster, you had to grind finer, and by grinding finer you needed to force the water through the coffee or it would brew too slowly. When you force water through coffee, and the fresher and darker it is, you get this effervescence of carbon dioxide and surfactants that create the crema. In the early days, that was a brand new thing, and showing people that cup of coffee with all the weird bubbles on it was a turn-off. So the brilliant stroke of marketing was to give it a name, crema, and tout all the positive things about it to better sell your fast cup of coffee. But as more people have started brewing espresso at home, and as more people have been involved in espresso competitions, and buying high quality coffee, and trying lighter roasts (which produce little to no crema)... we started studying what crema is, and turns out it's nothing "good." It's a fun aesthetic, and if it brings joy, that's great! But judging espresso quality by the crema? That's thankfully dying out as we realize lighter roasts just don't make it, and the flavors it produces aren't anything valuable. Thank you for the warm welcome! Love what y'all are doing.

[@thegroundedduo]

@@error.418 it's all marketing! love the little history anecdotes, very interesting🧐 we had a few people commenting on how little crema we had and whatnot so I guess it's kind of a relief to hear that from you. Afterall, taste comes first!😁 - zee

[@Paveu]

What's the wdt brand you're using?

[@thegroundedduo]

hello! there's no brand unfortunately. we got it online, you could probably find something similar on amazon. just take note of the thickness (or thinness for this case) and how spread out the needles are :) - zee

[@martingk2523]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😃keep trying and practicing 👍🏻👍🏻

[@thegroundedduo]

definitely! we're definitely improving but so much more to learn! 🤗 - zee

[@ThePilot_USA]

Your machine gives a really nice flow, however it seems to me you are using a light to medium roast beans which are hard to extract. For that type of roasting profile you would need to increase the water temperature and work the beans a whole lot harder compared to darker beans. I am not sure your machine has the capability to control the water temp but if you could, bring it to 95C or 96C when using light roasted beans. Remember, if temperature is fixed, then you can control grind level and ratio in the pursue of a balanced cup.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hahah yeah, we found that out the hard way. It's taken us a while but I think we're getting the hang of handling medium roasts now. Not everyday's a hit but it's definitely much better than when we first started hahahah - zee

[@mescellaneous]

i leave my wdt sideways, in a box of sip straws. quite fiddly to keep it vertical, but i also don't have a stand/placeholder for it.

[@thegroundedduo]

ohh cool! I've seen some people place a small magnetic strip on both their espresso machines and WDT. That way it kinda hangs out on the side of the machine. But idk if we want that aesthetic lol - zee

[@antiwoosh4302]

If its lil bit salty, I just pull a bit longer in my experience and it'll be more balanced and maybe bring out more flavors! Honestly though, I doubt you could improve a whole lot here on a conical grinder. You could try getting wacky and experiment with turbo shots (not sure if it could work without pressure control in your silvia though), or alternating between coffee beans! Oh, I recently replaced my wdt to a spinny one, and its so satisfying to use! You should consider it, not sure your wallet will appreciate my idea though LOL

[@TheDudeGuyBroManPerson]

Conical grinders can produce extremely good shots of espresso. While flat ones do have their benefits, it's unnecessary to change grinder type for the sake of overall improvement since conical grinders can produce their own unique profile. Although the difference between a cost-cut conical grinder (like the one on a breville smart grinder) and one engineered with particle consistency in mind is massive and worthy of upgrading for the sake of overall improvement. Most flat grinders are made with the intention of improving the grind, while a lot of conical grinders are designed for speed and cutting manufacturing costs. But the difference between a good conical and a good flat grinder is more down to taste preference than objectively better/worse.

[@antiwoosh4302]

@TheDudeGuyBroManPerson Well I have the same grinder as in the video as well as df 64v, maybe not better /worse but if flavor clarity is what you're after then conical is the way to go.

[@thegroundedduo]

First off, thanks for acknowledging that a salty tasting espresso is actual taste and that I'm not trippin hahahah. I guess for our case, we'll be experimenting more with different beans and their flavour profiles. Turbo shots sound very cool but yes, our little Silvia probably isn't able to do that. But all good tho hahah we're not planning on going full-on pro, more so home barista/enthusiasts (for now, cause who knows what rabbit hole we might fall into😂). The spinning ones look so sleek, but yeah, our wallets won't be looking sleek bahaha - zee

[@thegroundedduo]

That's a really great explanation of the different types of grinders. I'm no technical person nor am I great at mechanics, but the reason we got a conical grinder was because it seemed the most straightforward type of grinder without sacrificing too much on flavour or quality. I'd say a pro would be able to taste the difference but we wouldn't😂 - zee

[@jherometuraray776]

Im also new in doing espresso, love your content!

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey there👋🏻 Aww thank you! I hope you're enjoying the journey so far! We have a small but awesome community who gives some really great advice, so definitely check out the comments section in our videos if you're interested heheh☺️ - zee

[@sotirisdiamantopoulos231]

This looks like a well-prepared shot! Not many things to comment on. I also use a puck screen to keep my group clean(er). I remove it by hitting with my open palm (inner side) the open part of the basket/portafilter. A vacuum is created as I strike and lift my palm, and this unsettles the puck screen. Then, it falls down as soon as I rotate the portafilter.

[@thegroundedduo]

Naww thank you! I've tried wacking it onto my palm but maybe I'm too gentle and it just refuses to pop out for me🥲 - zee

[@error.418]

I just use a magnet on a handle, pops it right out, heh

[@RajNotTelling]

Great shot Zee! Without adding or changing anything else in this particular routine, can you repeat the shot? I think we've all been ignoring consistency over giving tips and advice. Now that you have a shot you really enjoy, try to repeat it again without changing anything....😀👏👍 P.S. If the grind size is correct, there is usually a 1.8g - 2.5g lag from when you turn the shot off to the last drop in the cup.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey Raj! Funny that you say it, Jon and I are very particular about being consistent cause that's essentially the whole point of dialling in and what not. We do get rather frustrated when the extraction time starts to change but I'd say overall we're pretty consistent (or rather we really try to). But we're also now aware that we have to follow the beans i.e as they 'age' and weather conditions🔆 ooh now that you mentioned it, that does happen! So sometimes we stop a little earlier than what our actual yield is to compensate for the dripping🤗 - zee

[@NeverMind353]

"Miss clum-zee" 🙊 The stand for the WDT is way too light, I had the same one. I would heat up a disc-shaped magnet, melt it into the PLA that the tool is printed with and stick it to your espresso machine. If it's not too permanent of a solution

[@TheDudeGuyBroManPerson]

You could also use some double sided foam tape to attatch the magnet if melting isn't preferred.

[@thegroundedduo]

given my track record on and off camera, clumzee should be my middle name😂 it is! props to you for being so creative and crafty (in a good way hahah). we were actually thinking of using blu tack to attach it to the table hahaha, we'll see if that method works first before going on to more advanced mechanisms😂 - zee

[@PavelPavlov1]

​@@thegroundedduoI've got my wdt stabbed in a small cup full of sugar. Just take it out, use it, then stick it back in, needles down. Don't know if that'd work for you and your wdt, but you could give it a thought

[@NeverMind353]

@@thegroundedduo Also a solid idea and far less destructive than mine lol 😂

[@thegroundedduo]

@@PavelPavlov1 does it attract ants tho? Humidity's an issue in Singapore so I reckon the sugar would clump together or stick on the WDT :( - zee

[@PositivelyNice]

I am not surprise that this is a good cup! Amount of water spritzed just right, leading to zero retention. WDT was done until no clumps, pressing down was level. Time for shot was also within range (don’t need to worry too much about +/- 2 g). It looks like only the workflow could be adjusted to take less time. And for milk, perhaps the texturizing angle could be tweaked a tiny bit until the sound is silent? You only need 2-3 s of the chicken shrieking sound to aerate (volume). After that, it should be silent was creating texture. This might make it easier for you to pour the latte art with consistency. Have confidence! You guys are doing well. 🎉

[@thegroundedduo]

Hello there! Aww thank you! Love the analytical observations hehehe Most definitely, we're thinking of trying to skip weighing the dose cup before and after grinding the beans. Also I guess we're slowly getting the hang of steaming the milk (altho we do have our bad days as well). So hopefully everything would be a little quicker so our shot would be as fresh as possible. Thanks again for the encouragement! Means a lot to us☺️🤎 - zee

[@error.418]

Well, and ditch the distributor, it's doing no favors and is a waste of time to an otherwise excellent workflow. The use of a WDT vs just a blind shaker and tapping is contentious, could go either way, but I prefer the latter after going through the research from Lance Hedrick and those who repeated his research, but some people love the WDT and other needle distribution methods and that's great. Either way, everything I've been reading and experimenting with for modern espresso is basically ditch the distributor.

[@jmpatawaran]

You may wanna try using a bottomless portafilter :)

[@thegroundedduo]

it's definitely something we'd get in the future but maybe not now cause the decent ones do cost quite a bit :) - zee

[@syafiqurrahman418]

Ummm, whats the watch?

[@thegroundedduo]

Good eye! It's a Tag Heuer Aquaracer☺️ one of my favourite watches - zee

[@syafiqurrahman418]

@thegroundedduo thats a nice watch Z

[@wtho]

Wow, comparing today's video with just one or two weeks back, there's so many small improvements to your workflow, keep rocking!

[@thegroundedduo]

heheh thank you! That means a lot and thank you for following our journey🤎🥹 - zee

[@CH-yp5by]

You should not run such long shots on a basic Rachillio Silva, the brew temp would have plummeted and ruined the last 10ml of your shot. Just get a PID added to your machine to keep that temperature consistent and you will know a would of difference! Moreover, if your using a standard factory basket replace it witha precison basket. it doe snot have to be a super expensive high extraction, Webber, Pasado or Waccaca basket a VST or Pullman would suit just fine and again you will notice a huge improvement in taste.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey there! Out of curiosity, us purging the grouphead and waiting for it to reboil, is that not enough to let the temperature stabilize? PID would definitely help in that aspect but, given the budget constraints that we, and I'd say most beginners, have, I reckon temp surfing's our best bet for now🥹 We are looking into getting a better basket, but probably nowhere near the brands you've mentioned hahaha - zee

[@alexanderdavidson7837]

As ridiculous as my question might sound. Are you seeing an improvement in your coffee making ? It appears to me you guys are very critical of your abilities. The workflow and coffees look great. You can tell a lot of thought goes into each part of the process…

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey Alexander! Hahahah, that's actually a very valid question, not ridiculous at all! We do feel like we're improving, maybe not as much as some people hope we are, but at our own pace. Things that felt awkward and messy when we first started, feels almost natural now☺️ (Un)fortunately, we're perfectionists. So we can be a little hard on ourselves hahaha. Also, the community has been like a Pandora's box. We're learning things we've never even heard of😂 So thank you, for the encouragement and kind words! - zee

[@notahuman5520]

20g dose damn

[@thegroundedduo]

yup! we like our coffee strong hahaha - zee

[@michaellok8852]

heyyo, since u guys quite familiar end to end of making espresso. i would like to suggest on ur next deep clean session, u can move ur espresso machine to the right side of table, and all the tool to left side of the table. its easier for u prep ur coffee and move around the table. and always hold the portafilter with ur left hand. then its easier for u to navigate around and prep ur coffee puck.

[@RajNotTelling]

@michaellok8852 You have a right handed AND left handed person here, it'll be very difficult to truly optimise this coffee station for both.... But they'll find their happy medium...

[@mescellaneous]

if anything, i would actually prefer just shift the espresso machine slightly over to the right. it makes sense to put the knockbox to the left of the machine. likewise, it would make sense to put the milk jug on the right of the machine next to the steam wand and have some space for the mug and doing latte art and stuff. and i would store the scale on the left below the knock box when you're done. to consolidate the free space, i would probably still keep the grinder and stuff on the right. so same setup, but move the knock box to the left instead.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey Michael! Ideally we'd prefer our machine to be in the centre so we have more space on either side. That way both Jon (right handed) and I (lefty) can work on either side. But! The table that we're using now isn't the sturdiest in the middle hahaha. I do agree that having the knockbox on the left of the machine makes sense, but maybe when we upgrade to a bigger coffee counter/table. This table is rather small and we're trying to fully utilise the space😂 thanks for the suggestion tho! - zee

[@andreapaiola]

Sorry, but those cups have the wrong shape for latte art.

[@Intentional_soundscapes13]

That’s not 100% accurate. If you know the latte Art techniques and have experience, you can literally pour latte Art in any type of coffee cup cuz I have done it. It’s only a matter of practice and changing the technique.

[@thegroundedduo]

Hey Andrea, they're probably not the most ideal for latte art as it's not rounded bottom. But it's hard to look for small and rounded bottom cups that don't look boring🫣 it's a struggle😮‍💨 - zee

[@thegroundedduo]

Which one day hopefully Jon and I would master hehehe🤗 - zee