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Inheriting Hopey's Espresso Machine
My close friend Hopey from church and I often visit coffee shops together. Since she knows how much I love coffee, she gifted me her used espresso machine and coffee grinder because she plans to upgrade to a better machine. The timing is perfect because I had recently been researching espresso making and was considering buying an espresso machine. However, the machine is pretty old, and it seems like the milk steam wand is a bit broken. I may also need to buy additional tools for latte making, such as a WDT tool, an espresso puck, and coffee beans.
Double Shot Affogato Attempt
My roommate requested that I make her an affogato dessert at night using espresso shots pulled from my espresso machine. So, I pulled a double shot and poured it over a bowl of ice cream. I didn't realize making an affogato could be so simple.
First Bag of Coffee Beans: Starbucks Blonde
Hopey gave me a small bag of coffee beans to start practicing making espresso shots, but it wasn't enough to practice much. So, I asked a friend who works at Starbucks if I could buy a bag of beans using his employee discount. I ended up buying a bag of blonde beans for $12. I chose the blonde beans because I think, for now, I prefer lighter roasts of coffee.
Converting from Cold to Hot Lattes
This whole time, I thought my steam wand was broken. It turns out the tip was just misaligned. However, it still doesn't angle properly for spinning the milk in the cup, so I don't think I'll be able to steam milk effectively. I can, however, still use it to heat up the milk.
Creating my own Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
With Halloween coming up, I wanted to get into the festive spirit of the season by making pumpkin spice lattes. Over the past week, I’ve tried pumpkin spice lattes from three different cafes and wanted to recreate the flavors at home—reducing the sugar and intensifying the pumpkin spice flavor. Overall, it turned out pretty well, though I could definitely use more cinnamon next time.
Hot Latte with Side of Cinnamon Milk Bread
Today, I had a random craving to bake milk bread. So, in the evening, I made Japanese Hokkaido milk bread with cinnamon sugar rolled into it. The bread turned out amazing, and dipping it into a hot latte was the perfect combination.
3D Printing a New Tamper and Funnel
The tamper and funnel that came with the machine Hopey gave me didn’t fit the 51mm portafilter properly. This often led to uneven distribution of coffee grounds in the filter and an inconsistent tamping process, ultimately resulting in poor espresso shots. However, I recently discovered that students can use the makerspace at UCSD for free, so I 3D-printed these two parts and tried them out for the first time while making lattes. The pucks turned out perfectly, and I think it will now be easier to consistently prepare good pucks.
50% Off Aspen Beans from Three Legs Roastery
I finally used up the old beans I got from Starbucks before I left for Japan. Those beans made it really difficult to achieve a good coffee extraction. Most of the time, there was very little crema, and the espressos turned out extremely acidic. However, with these new beans, my first extraction produced a generous amount of crema. The coffee was also well-balanced, with just the right amount of acidity, a nutty, chocolatey body, and it tasted amazing as a latte.
Pumpkin Party: Breadge x Swag x Man
I wanted to recreate the pumpkin spice latte I made for a couple of friends, but this time with more cinnamon and pumpkin puree, while adjusting the sugar to their taste. They all really enjoyed it, and the espresso shots turned out consistently well. We all agreed it was very smooth, with the perfect balance of sweetness, roasted bean bitterness, and milk.
Full Week of Latte Art Experimentation
This week, I focused on making the best of my janky steam wand and attempting to create some form of latte art to make my lattes more appetizing and visually appealing. I saved a few drops of espresso, and after mixing most of the milk with the espresso shot, I poured the milk foam on top, followed by the leftover espresso drops. Then, using a spoon or toothpick, I swirled the espresso drops to create a simple yet tasteful design. However, this is still very much a work in progress.
Branching out to Mochas
My housemate brought home some Starbucks chocolate powder, perfect for making hot chocolate or mocha syrup. With the rainy weather, I decided to make mochas for everyone. The first attempt was too sweet, likely because Starbucks' mocha ratios suit their sharper, more bitter coffee beans. For the second and third attempts, I reduced the milk and chocolate syrup to highlight the coffee flavor. The espresso shots were smooth and balanced, and overall, we all enjoyed this new drink.
Opening New Bag of Three Legs Roastery's Pink Cloud Espresso Beans
I quickly finished the Aspen beans and returned to Three Leg’s Roastery for more. The owner recommended espresso beans, let me sample some shots, and even expedited the roasting so I could get the Pink Cloud beans that same day. The service was excellent. As shown in the photos, the crema was the thickest I’ve had, and the espresso was smooth and rich. Compared to the Aspen beans’ chocolatey notes, the Pink Cloud beans are sweeter and fruitier, ideal for espresso lattes.
