It seems that many of you still want to know more about the technical differences between Lelit’s PL053 an PL043 Coffee Grinder models.

Lelit Coffee grinder PL043

The newer model, the PL043, exhibits the graduated wheel for the world to see, which makes finding the best grinding setting a very easy thing to do. The PL043 is visually more contemporary. It would be a good choice for having something enjoyable to look at on the counter of the kitchen for years to come because it’s easy on the eyes. It could possibly be a long time before the PL043 begins to look dated.

Of course, I’m talking about aesthetics when I mention the PL043 model’s contemporary look. Aesthetics are vulnerable to personal and popular taste. Your preferences are your own.
The main difference between Lelit’s PL053 and PL043 Coffee Grinder models is that the PL043 model is easier to use and looks more contemporary. Lelit claims that both models are stepless but outside experts on coffee machines disagree since numbers
are still set by pressing down the switch on the PL043 model.

Lelit PL053 Coffee Grinder

I really appreciate the e-mail questions I’m getting, I really do, but I’m afraid that this will be the last time I answer questions about the differences between the two models on the blog. There’s a comprehensive section in the FAQ that covers today’s topic. There’s some new information in today’s blog post, which is why I’ve decided to post on the matter today.

In my next entry, I’ll be talking about the differences between the most commonly used coffea plants whose beans are used to make coffee. I can’t promise that it’ll be a thriller, but I can promise that’ll it’ll be informative.

For making great espresso you should consider the following variables:

1. Coarseness of the grind
1. Amount of the grounded coffee loaded to the portafilter
2. How hard you push the tamper.
3. Time of tamping (if you do it manually you can choose the length of the tamping)
4. Temperature of the extraction (92-96°C )

With these variables in mind, we can use them as a base for espresso we make later.

Coffee roasting is one of the most important factors for making good espresso; it effects not only the taste, but the color, smell, and level of caffeine.

There are several kinds of coffee roasting:

“Cinnamon”
Light with a brown shade, this kind of roasting isn’t used very often because it’s very light and therefore doesn’t have a high amount of caffeine. It does have an excellent smell, however (like fresh braked bread)!

“Light”
Beans used here have a light brown color, and have a slick, rather than an oily, surface. This kind of roasting is also known as “continental”.

“Medium”
The beans used for Medium roasting have a brown color similar to chestnuts. The surface for the Medium beans have almost no oil whatsoever; at most you’ll see a few single oily dots on them.

“City of Viennas”
This kind of bean has a small amount of oil on the surface.

“Full city or Seattles”
Beans used for this kind of roasting have a dark brown color (sometimes with a reddish shade), with only a moderate amount of oil.

“Dark”
Almost completely black, and very oily.

“Italian”
Very oily and black. This type of roasting is especially popular in Northern Italy.

“French”
Very dark with a reddish color and a lot of oil. It’s one of the darkest beans used for roasting.

Oily or burnt beans.

People think that darker beans have more caffeine, but in reality it’s the opposite. The darker the beans are roasted, the less caffeine they have.

Also, a lot of people think that the amount of oil depends on the grade of roasting, but this isn’t true. After roasting, coffee has to be cooled down. If this step is skipped, the beans will simply burn.
Sometimes you can make Italian beans slightly burnt. This is done by making the cooling last slightly longer after roasting (this is how it’s usually done in Southern Italy).

The amount of oil depends on how fast the beans are cooled; this controls how much oil accumalates on the surface of the beans. In order to get oil the cooling has to be done fast. Usually nobody cools down beans *too* fast because the oil and aroma can be near completely lost.

Espresso is a way of preparing coffee that uses high pressure hot water that goes through a filter then to the ground coffee. In this method of preparing coffee, the filter removes slightly harmful substances such as cafestol and kahweol.

Use the filter,and your stomach and heart will thank you if you’re older and have medical conditions that involve either organs. The filter also helps to keep the caffeine in the the coffee ground. The result is coffee that has a rich aroma and a pleasing taste. In my experience, only espresso coffee brings out the full smell and taste of the coffee beans used.

An excellent espresso follows these four rules.

According to the National Institute of the Italian Espresso, excellent coffee, in addition, should also:

Have a taste that isn’t sour or bitter. This is a good indication that the correct proportion of arabica and robusta ground coffee were used in preparation of the espresso. A taste that is neither bitter or sour also indicates that the beans used were of a high quality.

Adding “flavoring” to espresso is completely unnecessary. The true taste of espresso doesn’t require masking. Additives are present if there is a smell or taste that is similar to caramel, Irish cream, or almonds coming from what appears to be hot espresso. Additives are a cover-up for improperly brewed espresso and therefore should be avoided.

The container for espresso is also important to consider. Espresso like all coffee is hot so the best material for serving it has to insulate the heat from the hands that will handle the container. The white porcelain cup is the best container for espresso. Its thick ‘walls’ insulate the majority of the heat given off by the hot espresso. Porcelain cups are usually covered with a layer proof enamel. This ensures that the porcelain cup is not weathered or stained by the various organic acids that it’s exposed to in the coffee.

I know some people will appreciate the…creativity that goes into something like a square porcelain cup and will succumb to using one, I will still advise that you don’t since the shape will make it more difficult to stir. The elliptical shape of the traditional porcelain coffee allows the coffee to cool more quickly so a square cup will be hot longer. Besides, square cups are just odd looking! Don’t they remind you of a bad Bauhaus experimental piece?

Although the typical porcelain cup can hold 65-70 ml of espresso, the maximum amount that a cup should be filled with espresso is 30 ml. This allows to coffee to cool more quickly and reduces instances of spilling.

These specifications on espresso preparation come from the National Institute of the Italian Espresso, which is based in Italy. In Italy, coffee brewing is considered a serious profession. Preparing of special blends of espresso is an art that has been polished for centuries, by the Italians.

If you are looking for an expert on espresso, he or she will most likely be Italian. The National Institute of Italian Espresso gives rigid guidelines to manufactures of coffee and coffee equipment to ensure that a certain standard is kept across the board. The manufacturers generally adhere to these standards because they know it’s not just the National Institute of the Italian Espresso that holds those standards, it’s the Italian people. The National Institute of the Italian Espresso also provides training to people who wish to learn how to prepare the legendary drink.

Well, folks, we’ve come to the end of today’s journey. It’s been a long one but one I hope has been educational as you continue on your journey on becoming coffee connoisseurs.

Thank you for reading.

I know budgets are tight these days. I know everyone is trying to rein in their spending but please–please don’t settle for the first espresso machine you come across nor the cheapest! As we all know all things are NOT made equal, espresso machines included.

Go for quality. Make yourself familiar with the manuals of espresso machines. Pay attention to maintenance and pay attention to specifications, such as what kind of blend that the manufacturer recommends for a specific machine model. If the documentation gets too technical, ask an expert or an acquaintance who may know about espresso machines. Not all manufacturers have warranties. For example, BOSCH, has a “non-recoverable” component that cannot be replaced if it gets damaged under any conditions. BOSCH’s espresso machine could arrive at your doorstep damaged and the only thing that could be done with it is toss it in the dustbin.

You’ll do well to buy from reputable espresso machine manufacturers include Lelit and Ransilio. They’re first rate machines. They aren’t the most expensive ones out there but they’re not the cheapest. Both manufacturers have their own unique charm. Second rate espresso machines from manufacturers such as BOSCH, SIEMENS, ROTEL, KRUP and AEG aren’t such good investments. They may be temptingly cheap or expensive lures for the avaricious amongst us who must simply have the most expensive appliance, but the fact is, they’re all very generic. It’s suspected that these machines are assembled in the same factory but the different locations of production discourage this suspicion. The manufacturing of these espresso machines are similar right down to the uninspired logos. That said, the coffee produced with these espresso machines is acceptable–and by acceptable I mean it can be swallowed with a minimum amount of discomfort.

Now with this knowledge I blessed thee, go forth and make great coffee