Question about dialing in espresso after a kitchen reno in St. Louis

So we redid our kitchen last month (new counters, new layout, the whole deal) and I had to pack up my Gaggia Classic for 3 weeks. Got it all set back up yesterday and now I cannot get a decent shot to save my life. The grind seems off, the pressure feels different, or maybe my taste buds are just rusty? I've gone through a whole bag of beans trying to dial it back in and spent like 2 hours this morning pulling sink shots. Has anyone else dealt with this after moving their setup around? Any tips on resetting your routine without wasting a ton of coffee?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyw9927d ago

h man, are you sure it's not just in your head? I mean, you moved the machine across the room, not across the country. Same water, same beans, same grinder. Sounds like overthinking it to me. Probably just need to pull a few shots and get your feel back instead of chasing some perfect ghost shot from a month ago.

sullivan.finley27d ago

Man, it's coffee not rocket science. Pretty sure your taste buds are just overthinking a two foot move across the kitchen.

anna_fox719d ago

Haven't you ever noticed how small changes in your kitchen can mess with your routine? Moving the machine even a few feet changes the lighting, the angle you're working at, the whole muscle memory of making coffee. I used to have my setup on one counter and when I swapped it to the other side of the sink, my shots ran totally different for a week. It's not about the water or the beans, it's about your hands and eyes needing to relearn the space. Temperature and humidity can vary just a few feet away too, especially near a window or a fridge. So no, I don't think he's overthinking it at all.