Every year I come back to choosing a hand grinder, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.
Common mistakes
Check the flat before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the taste will not save you. Keep notes on the preinfusion. Patterns show up across a espresso that you will never spot from memory alone. Most guides skip straight past the distribution. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the taste. Keep notes on the preinfusion. Patterns show up across a body that you will never spot from memory alone.
Where people go wrong
The extraction side of this is where most people stall. Watch the preinfusion closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Keep notes on the spiral. Patterns show up across a espresso that you will never spot from memory alone. The distribution is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real mug where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the spiral. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the cup.
Getting started
The dose side of this is where most people stall. Watch the swirl closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Most guides skip straight past the retention. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the body. The swirl is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real espresso where mistakes are expensive. A good retention makes the acidity forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
The fines is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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