PODcast Newsletter, Issue 13

Under / Over Extraction
For how long should you extract coffee from an espresso pod, and what are the signs of doing it too long or too short? Which is to say, what is under extraction and over extraction?

Let's start with this graph from "The Complexity of Coffee", by Ernesto Illy. The chart graphs various compounds (some desirable and some undesirable) vs. brewing time. You can see that at 30 seconds the a rancid aroma compound really takes off. As well, the smokey aroma compound is also rising rapidly. illy thus recommends 30 seconds as the optimal extraction time. We observe that a slightly shorter extraction of about 25 seconds would make little difference but going over 30 seconds would definitely affect the flavor adversely.



What we find is that as the extraction continues, the taste becomes more bitter or burnt tasting. We also know that in this case the crema becomes thin and dark — often with a hole in the center. Under extraction is less destructive to the flavor of the espresso — the main problem is that you are leaving desirable flavors behind in the bean that you'd like in your cup. The crema of underextracted espresso tends to be whitish or light tan rather than the ideal cinnamon color.

With pods, the coffee is pre-ground and pre-dosed. Therefore, there are less variables to go wrong, and correspondingly less changes we can make. This leaves the brewing time as the primary variable for extraction. In machines that have a regular portafilter (as opposed to pod-only machines) the tightness of the portafilter can affect the flow rate and therefore the extraction of the coffee.

Take-away message: 25 to 30 seconds brewing time.
 

Shelves restocked! Our big shipment from Italy finally hit shore and we've got products back on our shelves that had been out. Back in stock are Amigos Blue, Caffe Mako Arabica, Lucaffe Mr. Exclusive, Blucaffe, Lucaffe Doppio pods, and many others. We also have the Lucaffe demitasse cups back in stock.

The FrancisFrancis! X6 espresso machine is now available in black, and we have them in stock. If you are in the market for an espresso machine, you should consider the X6. To learn more about the X6, please read our X6 Product Report.. As with the other colors of X6, you get a coupon for 3 Months of illy — a 12 tins (216 pods) of illy Caffe medium roast, free UPS Ground shipping and a coupon for $25 of pods, and of course the PODcast 10% discount.
 
Gioia is known for their "Office Kit", which we are now stocking. The Office Kit contains 150 pods of Gioia espresso, just like a regular case of Gioia, but it also comes with 150 disposable espresso cups, stir sticks, and sugar packets.
 

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