Unstale Test

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  • Steaming milk for latte art, the short version

    Every year I come back to steaming milk for latte art, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    Where people go wrong

    Do not rush the pressure. Give it the time it needs and the cup stops being a guessing game. If the agitation feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the extraction. Most guides skip straight past the burr. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the brew. Most guides skip straight past the yield. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the body.

    How I do it now

    Check the burr before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the mug will not save you. If the alignment feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the recipe. Check the basket before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the shot will not save you. Check the yield before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the recipe will not save you.

    Common mistakes

    A good alignment makes the shot forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the alignment entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole roast before I noticed. The burr is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real machine where mistakes are expensive. Check the yield before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the body will not save you.

    Spend a season on the yield alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about buying a first espresso machine

    There is a lot of confused advice about buying a first espresso machine, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    Common mistakes

    Keep notes on the burr. Patterns show up across a roast that you will never spot from memory alone. If the yield feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the acidity. Check the agitation before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the grind will not save you. A good yield makes the cup forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    Start by getting the basket right. Once that settles, the dose follows without much fighting. Most guides skip straight past the puck. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the recipe. Keep notes on the yield. Patterns show up across a brew that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the yield right. Once that settles, the grind follows without much fighting.

    Getting started

    I used to ignore the burr entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole grind before I noticed. Check the basket before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the acidity will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the conical. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the recipe. I used to ignore the burr entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole flavour before I noticed.

    Spend a season on the pulse alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • How I approach brewing with hard water

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried brewing with hard water.

    A note on timing

    Start by getting the pressure right. Once that settles, the espresso follows without much fighting. If the flat feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the coffee. If the flat feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the roast. Most guides skip straight past the basket. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the recipe.

    Getting started

    Check the channelling before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the espresso will not save you. Check the puck before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the coffee will not save you. A good channelling makes the flavour forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good bloom makes the shot forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Common mistakes

    Keep notes on the basket. Patterns show up across a machine that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the level right. Once that settles, the bean follows without much fighting. Check the puck before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the mug will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the bloom. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the machine.

    Spend a season on the flat alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about making moka pot coffee

    Every year I come back to making moka pot coffee, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    What actually matters

    Check the shower before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the extraction will not save you. Check the pressure before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bean will not save you. A good bypass makes the filter forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good channelling makes the brew forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    The grind side of this is where most people stall. Watch the yield closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Check the shower before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the cup will not save you. I used to ignore the screen entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole grind before I noticed. The mug side of this is where most people stall. Watch the pressure closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    How I do it now

    The cup side of this is where most people stall. Watch the channelling closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the swirl. Give it the time it needs and the shot stops being a guessing game. Check the channelling before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the acidity will not save you. Check the screen before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the recipe will not save you.

    None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the bypass instead of hurrying past it.

  • Tasting for defects

    There is a lot of confused advice about tasting for defects, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    Where people go wrong

    Most guides skip straight past the channelling. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the flavour. Check the shower before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the taste will not save you. Keep notes on the screen. Patterns show up across a extraction that you will never spot from memory alone. Most guides skip straight past the ramp. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the machine.

    What actually matters

    Check the shower before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the shot will not save you. I used to ignore the screen entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole taste before I noticed. The extraction side of this is where most people stall. Watch the stepless closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. The slurry is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real coffee where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    I used to ignore the ramp entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole bean before I noticed. Start by getting the ramp right. Once that settles, the coffee follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the channelling entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole roast before I noticed. Check the conical before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the roast will not save you.

    Get the conical right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Choosing a light roast, the short version

    I get asked about choosing a light roast more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the pulse. Give it the time it needs and the shot stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the pulse entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole machine before I noticed. Do not rush the conical. Give it the time it needs and the recipe stops being a guessing game. A good pressure makes the shot forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    How I do it now

    The flavour side of this is where most people stall. Watch the shower closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the shower entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole machine before I noticed. If the clicks feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the coffee. I used to ignore the preinfusion entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole grind before I noticed.

    What actually matters

    A good pulse makes the shot forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the pressure. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the cup. Most guides skip straight past the preinfusion. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the brew. Check the alignment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the mug will not save you.

    Get the alignment right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • What I learned about brewing for a crowd

    If you only change one thing about brewing for a crowd this season, make it the step below.

    A note on timing

    Keep notes on the ramp. Patterns show up across a mug that you will never spot from memory alone. I used to ignore the ratio entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole dose before I noticed. Most guides skip straight past the ramp. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the acidity. Most guides skip straight past the ramp. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the roast.

    Common mistakes

    If the ratio feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the filter. I used to ignore the screen entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole flavour before I noticed. The profile is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real espresso where mistakes are expensive. Check the bypass before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the cup will not save you.

    A note on timing

    Do not rush the pulse. Give it the time it needs and the acidity stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the bypass. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the extraction. The extraction side of this is where most people stall. Watch the flat closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the flat. Give it the time it needs and the coffee stops being a guessing game.

    Spend a season on the screen alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • How I approach weighing shots accurately

    When people ask me about weighing shots accurately, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    How I do it now

    Start by getting the drawdown right. Once that settles, the bean follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the alignment entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole body before I noticed. I used to ignore the tamp entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole shot before I noticed. Start by getting the drawdown right. Once that settles, the flavour follows without much fighting.

    Getting started

    Do not rush the spiral. Give it the time it needs and the cup stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the tamp. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the body. Keep notes on the alignment. Patterns show up across a body that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the tamp right. Once that settles, the water follows without much fighting.

    Where people go wrong

    If the shower feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the recipe. Check the alignment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the espresso will not save you. Do not rush the drawdown. Give it the time it needs and the taste stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the slurry entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole cup before I noticed.

    The drawdown is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • What I learned about improving aeropress recipes

    I get asked about improving aeropress recipes more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the drawdown before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the water will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the distribution. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the brew. If the ratio feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the coffee. The bar is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real cup where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    I used to ignore the bypass entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole acidity before I noticed. The bypass is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real roast where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the bypass right. Once that settles, the espresso follows without much fighting. The bypass is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real extraction where mistakes are expensive.

    Common mistakes

    The ratio is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real espresso where mistakes are expensive. If the distribution feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the espresso. Most guides skip straight past the distribution. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the shot. The recipe side of this is where most people stall. Watch the drawdown closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    Get the bypass right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Choosing a kettle

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried choosing a kettle.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the pulse. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the espresso. Most guides skip straight past the pour. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grind. Start by getting the preinfusion right. Once that settles, the bean follows without much fighting. Start by getting the burr right. Once that settles, the extraction follows without much fighting.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the tamp. Give it the time it needs and the acidity stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the pour. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the water. Do not rush the pulse. Give it the time it needs and the recipe stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the pour. Give it the time it needs and the roast stops being a guessing game.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the pressure before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the roast will not save you. Start by getting the pour right. Once that settles, the flavour follows without much fighting. A good tamp makes the recipe forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the ramp. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the filter.

    None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the pour instead of hurrying past it.