Dismissed the idea of pre-infusion on a cheap machine for over a year

I always figured that pricy feature was just marketing fluff for home setups until I tried manually holding the brew button for 5 seconds before releasing it on my $150 Delonghi. The difference in crema and flavor was so obvious even my husband noticed. Has anyone else found a low-tech trick that made a noticeable jump in quality?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.henry7d ago

Oh man, "the difference was so obvious even my husband noticed" - that line cracks me up. I'm glad you're excited about it, but let's be real here. Holding a button for five seconds before your cheap machine kicks in is not some game changing discovery. It's just letting the water wet the grounds for a few seconds. That's pre infusion? Barely. Your crema probably looked better because you finally got the grind right or something else changed. I'm not saying it didn't help a little, but calling it a "low tech trick that made a noticeable jump" sounds like you're overhyping a small tweak. It's coffee, not rocket science.

bailey.sam7d ago

Actually @rivera.henry, pre infusion does let the coffee bloom a bit which can help extraction, but you're right that five seconds on a cheap machine is pretty basic. It's more about consistency than a huge flavor change, for sure.