Our new espresso machine has arrived. I ordered it online on Saturday and it arrived on Tuesday. It was a hefty delivery weighing in at 34 pounds. My first order was a caffè macchiato doppio which is a double (doppio) espresso (caffè) with a mark (macchiato) of steamed milk.
My first brew from the new machine.
Before any of that could happen we had to unpack the box and prime the machine. We purchased a Rancilio Silvia whose website has a great series of video tutorials on how to do all that and brew a perfect espresso (including steaming the milk for cappuccino). Lots of people are also brewing coffee on YouTube.
Charlie’s hands are moving soooo fast they’re just a blur.
Charlie had purchased some Free Trade Italian Roast which was on sale from Starbucks especially for the first brew of the new machine.
Starbucks Italian Roast
First he dosed (put finely ground coffee in) the brewing basket which is called a portafilter.
Aim for the portafilter and try not to get coffee all over the counter.
Everything’s set for our premiere brew in Miss Silvia.
No, no, too slow.
Try again.
Whoa! Too fast.
Once more, Goldilocks.
Ah, yes. Perfecto. You can stop it now.
You know how coffee is:
- short and black is espresso,
- a little taller with more water through the grinds is lungo,
- taller still with hot water added to the mix is Americano.
Discard the puck after each brew.
It is deliciosa.
Have you bought a new appliance? Did it make you happy?
Sidebar: No coffee was wasted in the making of this post. Every bit was imbibed.
