Fresh Cup

FEB 2013

Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.

Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/105573

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 37 of 70

get is a softer mouthfeel from the espresso and a little bit longer life on the crema," says Evans. Unlike PID control, pressure profiling isn't a widely available feature at this point, though La Marzocco, Slayer and Synesso have all released pressure-profiling models in recent years. Gallagher says the pressure-profiling concept came from an unlikely source. "A lot of home-barista nerds built pressure-profiling machines a decade ago," he says. "If you look at home-barista forums, all those dudes were doing that stuff before any commercial equipment manufacturers were doing it." While the "geek" crowd has embraced pressure profiling, others in the industry have been slower to adapt. Bresciani of Nuova Simonelli says the company considered adding pressure profiling to the Aurelia T3, and in the process did extensive research and generated data on pressure's effect on taste. "We tested all the different compounds that you extract from coffee—protein, fat, caffeine, vitamins, positive odorants, negative odorants—we have a whole gamut that we put it through," he says. "The amazing thing we found is that nine bars of pressure was far superior to anything else. For us, there is no scientific evidence that pressure profiling increases the yield of extraction." Also noteworthy in the pressure-profiling-conversation is the fact that lever machines—an older style of espresso machine in which the user pulls down on a handle (or lever) to extract a shot—create a form of pressure profiling, as the handle allows the user to control pressure. However, those in the espressomachine world say lever machines don't "pressure profile" in the way the new machines do. "The amount of force on the piston does change as the spring is extending," says Piccinich of 1st-line Equipment. "But the spring produces the highest level of pressure at the beginning of the shot," while the new pressure-profiling machines have low-pressure pre-infusion at a shot's onset. SHOTS IN THE DARK It remains to be seen how these technologies will play out in the coming years. Will temperature control continue to be viewed as an important espresso-machine feature for third-wave café owners? Will pressure profiling catch on with more owners and baristas? Gallagher says temperature control may be more present at this point because it has a more direct positive effect for a barista than pressure profiling. "Temperature stability is the solution to a problem," he says. "As a person who makes coffee, I realize that controlling the water temperature affects my ability to make things taste good. Pressure profiling isn't necessarily an answer to a problem; it's more like: 'Hey what if I did this?' And that's cool too." To read about other espresso-machine advancements that Evans and Gallagher find useful behind the bar, head to freshcup.com for a Webexclusive article. freshcup.com February 2013 35

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Fresh Cup - FEB 2013