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How to make Coffee, Lattes and Cappucinos with the Envy Labs Espresso Machine
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Espresso-Howto.md

Coffee

  • Check appropriate water level (ensure not empty)
  • Check for coffee beans (fill hopper if not full, close to lid not completely though, beans are in cabinet above)
  • Remove porta-filter from espresso machine (this is the thing which holds the coffee grounds / cakes)
  • Press Espresso on grinder to select espresso mode (its timing should be preconfigured for you)
  • Hold porta-filter under grinder and press start (angle porta-filter up to hold mess in)
  • Tap and level off coffee grindings a bit manually
  • Remove tamper from espresso machine and push it down on top of the porta-filter so the line between the black and metal is right at the top and make it level
  • Tap off flattener and return to espresso machine
  • Secure porta-filter back into machine, turn counter clockwise to lock
  • Select two cup button all the way on right of grinder
  • Pressure needle show go to 9 or 8 for the coffee to taste the best (if it never gets above 5 or 7 your coffee will be disgusting and you should add some flavoring to cover up this travesty)
  • If cake (of used coffee grounds) gets stuck knock it out and put in used grindings bin

Steamed Milk

  • Fill the metal cup up. Filling it means fill to bottom of spout for 2 lattes. For one fill to half way to that level
  • Wet a napkin ahead of time so you can clean the spout afterwards otherwise it quickly gets sticky and is hard to clean
  • Open the spout by moving handle on the right of the machine up all the way to let some steam out for a few seconds
  • Put just the tip of the spout submerged into the metal cup with milk and open the handle again
  • Steam it to between 140 and 160 on the pressure guage, (it rises as it goes)
  • Wipe spout down and clean it off with the wet napkin, let some steam through it once cup is removed to ensure internals are clear
  • Swirl the milk around and tap any bubbles out by shaking cup manually
  • Put milk into coffee

Foamed Milk

  • If you want foam keep as little of the tip of the steam spout as possible into the milk as it goes through the steaming process
  • Keep pulling the spout out as it foams up

Miscellaneous

  • Some people may prefer the term "pestle" to "tamper", feel free to substitute as desired
@olivierlacan
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At Downtown Credo I witnessed Nicole using an interesting trick with the tamping process. She tamps the tamper lightly on the side of the porta-filter after pressing a first time and then presses gently a second time. Honestly not sure what it benefits but I'll ask her next time I'm there.

@mcansky
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mcansky commented Jun 3, 2013

great ! thanks for sharing

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