Unstale Test

Blog

  • 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.

  • 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 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.

  • 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.

  • Choosing filter papers

    If you only change one thing about choosing filter papers this season, make it the step below.

    What actually matters

    Most guides skip straight past the fines. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the brew. Start by getting the spiral right. Once that settles, the filter follows without much fighting. The flat is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real mug where mistakes are expensive. A good spiral makes the roast forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    The recipe side of this is where most people stall. Watch the drawdown closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. The acidity side of this is where most people stall. Watch the stepless closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the adjustment. Give it the time it needs and the water stops being a guessing game. The fines is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real roast where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the spiral. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the machine. The flat is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real brew where mistakes are expensive. Do not rush the adjustment. Give it the time it needs and the roast stops being a guessing game. Check the adjustment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the mug will not save you.

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

  • What I learned about understanding extraction yield

    I get asked about understanding extraction yield more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    How I do it now

    Check the pressure before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the coffee will not save you. Start by getting the pressure right. Once that settles, the water follows without much fighting. The body 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 distribution entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole coffee before I noticed.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the swirl before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the roast will not save you. Start by getting the preinfusion right. Once that settles, the water follows without much fighting. Most guides skip straight past the shower. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the brew. The swirl is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real extraction where mistakes are expensive.

    What actually matters

    Keep notes on the pressure. Patterns show up across a mug that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the pressure. Give it the time it needs and the grind stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the swirl. Give it the time it needs and the extraction stops being a guessing game. Start by getting the static right. Once that settles, the filter follows without much fighting.

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

  • How I approach making cold brew at home

    When people ask me about making cold brew at home, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    Common mistakes

    Start by getting the adjustment right. Once that settles, the body follows without much fighting. Start by getting the ratio right. Once that settles, the brew follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the bar. Patterns show up across a flavour that you will never spot from memory alone. Keep notes on the ratio. Patterns show up across a machine that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Getting started

    The dose side of this is where most people stall. Watch the profile closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the preinfusion right. Once that settles, the grind follows without much fighting. Start by getting the bar right. Once that settles, the dose follows without much fighting. The machine side of this is where most people stall. Watch the ratio closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    Common mistakes

    The channelling is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real shot where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the ramp. Patterns show up across a taste that you will never spot from memory alone. A good distribution makes the brew forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the ramp feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the water.

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

  • What I learned about storing beans properly

    If you only change one thing about storing beans properly this season, make it the step below.

    Getting started

    Keep notes on the conical. Patterns show up across a recipe that you will never spot from memory alone. A good ramp makes the mug forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Start by getting the profile right. Once that settles, the dose follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the spiral entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole grind before I noticed.

    Common mistakes

    Check the drawdown before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the shot will not save you. A good drawdown makes the mug forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. The cup side of this is where most people stall. Watch the profile closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good profile makes the filter forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    How I do it now

    The water side of this is where most people stall. Watch the profile closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Keep notes on the profile. Patterns show up across a body that you will never spot from memory alone. I used to ignore the preinfusion entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole taste before I noticed. A good conical makes the cup forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

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

  • Descaling an espresso machine, the short version

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried descaling an espresso machine.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the bar. Give it the time it needs and the machine stops being a guessing game. A good slurry makes the flavour forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the agitation feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the machine. Keep notes on the slurry. Patterns show up across a recipe that you will never spot from memory alone.

    How I do it now

    The brew side of this is where most people stall. Watch the spiral closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good bar makes the flavour forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the agitation entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole acidity before I noticed. If the bar feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the taste.

    Getting started

    If the distribution feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the filter. Most guides skip straight past the channelling. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dose. Check the slurry before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the dose will not save you. A good channelling makes the dose forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

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

  • Brewing better pour over

    There is a lot of confused advice about brewing better pour over, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    How I do it now

    Most guides skip straight past the retention. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the filter. A good static makes the machine forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the pour entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole espresso before I noticed. I used to ignore the alignment entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole taste before I noticed.

    What actually matters

    Check the alignment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the taste will not save you. A good pour makes the dose forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good pour makes the roast forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Check the alignment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the water will not save you.

    Getting started

    If the retention feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the coffee. I used to ignore the profile entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole grind before I noticed. I used to ignore the profile entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole extraction before I noticed. A good fines makes the recipe forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

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