Mastering coffee from your kitchen-top
or, modding the De’Longhi EC 680 M to pull a better espresso shot and froth & steam better milk.
Coffee, the new wine (so I’ve heard...). Comes in a hundred different flavours, consistencies, shapes and it is served in a multitude of forms. From Turkish coffee to Cappuccino. Each with its own method perfected through the years; Italian Moka, French Press, Turkish Cezve, Chemex, Presso… Coffee was present in many great moments in history; sitting on a table between people discussing and debating how they were going to change the world, for good or bad. Instant coffee brought coffee to the masses for cheap in the late 1800. The late technological advances brought us countless numbers of machines which automate the process of extraction, improving, one step at a time. Which brings us to the Espresso Machine.
The traditional Espresso Machine consists of two boilers, one for brewing & extracting the coffee and one for steaming & frothing the milk. Hot water is pumped at a pre-set pressure and heat onto a filter which holds a dose of coffee. The steam wand is used to make the creamy frothed milk by pumping steam & air. They vary in size, shape and quality — some are made ‘cheap’ for household use and others are ‘expensive’ machines made to withstand an earthquake of commuters lining up for their coffee before they start work.
De’Longhi has made various ‘cheap’ espresso machines for the past decade, mostly for household/personal use. Some are automatic, some manual and other semi. Currently (2017) one of their top manual espresso machines on a budget is the Dedica EC 680 M. At its price point ($180/€160), I believe you won’t find anything better (Please, do correct me). The Dedica makes good coffee and looks nice!
Some Pros
- Programmability of espresso temperature and length
- 15bar Pump
- Cup warmer
- Looks Great, stainless steel finish
Some Cons
- Pressurized basket filters
- Single boiler
- Panarello
- Weight (too light, you have to hold it when attaching the porta-filter)
I’m not going to review this machine (there are great honest reviews of this machine on the web), but instead we are going to address some of the cons, specifically, the Panarello & the pressurized basket filter and multiple contact points in the portafilter which reduce the coffee crema as the coffee runs down to the holes.
Some might argue about the single boiler, that you have to wait for the boiler to heat up or cool down when you switch modes.. a limitation which one can live with (unless you have 10 guests in the house and all ask for a cappuccino and you’re trying to impress but the boiler takes too much time to heat up and the espresso you just pulled cools to quickly because you forgot to warm the cup before-doh).
With some modifications, this good espresso machine can become a great espresso machine. The result will be a better espresso shot (bypass the pressurizing filter, reduce contact points and travel time for extracted coffee) with better crema & aroma and also a better frothed milk for Cappuccinos and Lattes (replace the panarello with a steam wand).
You’ll require some hand tools and power tools. You’ll also need time and patience. You’ll need to buy the following; new Steam Wand ($25~), new porta-filter ($20~) and a filter basket ($10~). Goes with out saying, this will void the machine’s warranty and responsibility lies with you, the owner of the machine.
First, let’s justify the changes we’re attempting to achieve by understanding the shortcomings of this machine, the science behind the process and explore the benefits of such changes. And yes, you might say that these “shortcomings” are the result of buying a “cheap” coffee machine. But if such “simple” modifications can make a difference, than I’d surely call them shortcomings.
The Porta-filter
Levers. Our brains are hardwired with a subconscious urge to push and pull levers. Pulling a lever is a holy liturgy were one finds self fulfilment, nirvana. And handling the porta-filter is the second most satisfying part of making the coffee (after drinking it). It’s also the crux for a perfect extraction.
In a nutshell, the porta-filter holds the ground coffee prior & during the coffee brewing. It’s formed by two major components:
The Porta
Porta, (in italian) when used in conjunction with a noun, loosely translates to Holder/Bearer of. And that is its use. At the end of the holder, directly beneath where it locks firmly with the group head ( were water comes out ), it has space for a filter basket. There the handle holds safely the filter in place. Beneath the filter holder there is also sprout from where the coffee drips into the cup.
The Filter
The filter basket attaches to the handle and holds the ground coffee. At the bottom of the filter there are many tiny holes which lets water flow down.
There are three different types of filters: non-pressurized, pressurized, and pod filters.
Here is where it gets a bit complicated and you’ll wish you paid attention in physics class.
Pressurized vs Non-Pressurized Filter Baskets
For a good coffee extraction, the ground filter must be filled with around 7 grams of consistent fine ground coffee (7g for a single shot). Then, the ground coffee must be tamped, a process where roughly 30lbs/14kg of pressure is applied with a hand tool, called a Tamper. This is to ensure an even extract from the brew. Hot water passes through the coffee at a pressure of around 9 bars for around 30 seconds.
Since the hot water will be pushed down onto the filter, pressure will build up. Thus it is important that the tamp creates an even & flat bed for the water to come in contact with. Water coming from the boiler will look for the path of least resistance. Thus, if the hot water finds a weak spot, it will pass only from there and not all coffee will come in contact with the water and not all coffee will be extracted, while other parts will be over extracted.
A good even extraction will emulsify coffee oils with the hot water which will result in a golden crema sitting on top of the coffee.
This is where the different basket come in play. While for the classic non-pressurized basket you have to do the tamping process, the pressurized basket does this for you without the need to pressurize the ground coffee. This is done by emulation. The pressurized basket, apart from the bottom holes has another ‘wall’ which has only one small hole from which the extraction is forced through. This creates a greater level of pressure within the basket when brewing occurs and emulates the emulsification of oils from the coffee, resulting in a lesser quality crema on top of the coffee.
Depressurizing the Filters
The De’Longhi EC680 comes with three pressurized filters, 1x one cup, 1x two cups & 1x for pods.
First we need to change the filter basket. There’s two ways to go about this; either buy new non-pressurized filters, like the Mr Coffee Filter 4101 or modify the stock filter basket by removing the bottom wall.
The Mr Coffee replacement filter fits the De’Longhi porta-filter and comes with out the fore-mentioned pressurizing wall at the bottom. At the around 10$ this was my preferred option. But if you feel like getting your hands dirty, you can follow this video — you’ll need a Dremel and a file.
Next we need to modify the porta-filter. We’ll cut off the bottom part of the porta-filter, mainly for two reasons. First, we’ll reduce travel and contact points which reduces the crema & temperature of the coffee being extracted. Also the porta-filter will not heat up. Secondly, now we can observe the hot water making it’s way down from the filter to the cup. This can help troubleshoot a bad extraction. In a perfect extraction ( with proper tamping ) the coffee will gather and flow down from the centre of the filter. If the coffee starts to flow from the side, this is probably the result of bad tamping. You can read more about bottomless naked porta-filters here. Also read more information on the coffee crema here.
I suggest you buy a replacement porta-filter before doing any modification on the stock porta-filter. Mr Coffee 4101 filter will need a 49mm Tamper.
The differences are immediately noticed. A nice thick consistent crema coming out of the coffee.
One must be careful about this change though. A pressurized filter basket is more forgiving and does not require the end user to master dosing and tamping. A non-pressurized one, will require more time to master, and also more time to pull each shot. Thus I recommend this change on a replacment porta-filter.
The Panarello
The Panarello which the Dedica EC680M comes with, is designed to (supposedly) simplify the milk frothing process. Frothing is the process of heating the milk by injecting hot air which create tiny bubbles which then becomes foamy milk. A cappuccino is 1 part espresso & 2 part milk, of which 1 part is steamed milk and 1 part is frothed milk. It’s crucial to get the milk right for a perfect cappuccino. Some more information:
Steaming vs Frothing
“Steamed milk is produced by heating the milk with the steam wand. Steamed milk is less dense than frothed milk, although it may still have a bit of foam on top. To steam milk, you need to place the tip of the steam wand just under the surface, positioning it in such a way that creates vortex, causing the milk to spin in the pitcher. This will result in the milk being heated evenly. Using a frothing thermometer, you will be able to tell when your milk has reached the ideal temperature, so that you know when to stop steaming. Steamed milk is the cornerstone of the traditional latte.
Frothed milk is produced not only by heating the milk with the steam wand, but by using it to inject air into the milk, creating small bubbles that will become the foam on your cappuccino. To froth milk, you should also place the tip of your steam wand just above the surface of your milk. However, you will need to continually lower your frothing pitcher as the milk expands in volume. As with steaming the milk, you will want to position the wand so that it creates a vortex in the milk. A traditional cappuccino is made with the ratio of 1/3 espresso — 1/3 steamed milk — and 1/3 frothed milk.”
Source: http://www.gaggia-usa.com/skills/steaming-vs-frothing/nav/60
Getting the good Froth
The Panarello supplied does not get the job done. Too much air is supplied and the foam is too thick. This result in part steamed milk (a good 80%) and the foam which sits on top. When pouring on to the espresso, the hot steamed milk travels underneath the foam first and in the end the foam falls in big sticky lumps while slowly settles down and the big bubbles start to slowly pop. The you sprinkle some cocoa and the big bubbles pop like crazy as if you sprayed some deodorant. Another issue is that the panarello is too short for standard 0.6l milk jugs. Also it’s much more difficult to clean rather than a traditional steam wand. This is not only my view, but a shared experience which was echoed on multiple forums & reviews online.
Achieving a good milk froth is not an easy skill to master, and the tools play an important part in it. The change here is replacing the De’Longhi Panarello with a Steam Wand. It happens that the Rancilio Silvia (V1/V2) Steam Wand fits the bill and the actual machine fittings! The Rancilio Silvia steam wand can be found on ebay and amazon for $25~.
The process requires a certain level of technical skill and some hand tools, but nothing out of this world. I was going to write and document the whole process myself, but then I stumbled upon this great write up: http://www.cfdesign.work/derancilio/ which is impressively detailed and well explained. I suggest you follow this detailed guide. Well done Christopher.
Once you test the new steam wand the results are immediately noticeable. The big bubbles are a thing of the past and the milks feels like a whole-foamy-creamy substance throughout, not only on the top.
As you pour the milk, you’ll notice most the difference. The milk flows as a whole on the coffee, not in lumps but as creamy river of microfoam flowing in full glory — and just like that, you’re dreaming that you are a barista doing latter art just like the video you just watched. Your hand starts doing its work.. art.. and than BAM! Reality hits you in the face with when you realise what was supposed to be a shape of a hearth came out turning like a …
Cocoa to the rescue! As you sprinkle the cocoa on the milk, no bubbles pop from the microfoam!! Success.
If you want to read more on milk frothing here.
Conclusion
The changes carried out did improve the machine with a better coffee extract and better frothed milk. But the results won’t come on their own and require more attention when extracting and frothing. Having said that, If you are intrigued and want to improve your skills and your coffee, these modifications are worth doing.
Also, further improvements can be achieved with the following:
- Freshly grinded coffee — an Electric Burr Grinder
- A custom wooden base holding the machine firmly in place
- A good Tamper and Tamping base
- Dosing scale
