Why the Picopresso Pressure Gauge can save your coffee!
Wacaco, the inventor of the Picopresso Espresso Maker also makes a very nifty accessory called the Wacaco Picopresso Pressure Gauge.
This pressure gauge connects directly to the Picopresso and accurately measures the pressure in 'Bars' that your applying when extracting your espresso.
Why Pressure is so important:
When making espresso the pressure will impact how quickly your shot will flow, this is in conjunction with many other variables such as the solubility of your coffee, the roast, origin and most impactful, the grind size you use.
One major problem with extracting espresso on pressure that is too high is that you can damage your Picopresso Espresso Maker, installing a pressure gauge allows you not only to control the pressure profile of your espresso extracting but to also avoid excessive pressure that can damage your Picopresso.
Pre-Infusion and Pressure Profiling for Espresso
Pre-infusion is growing in popularity and we are starting to see more adaptions of pressure profiling in commercial and domestic espresso machines. Moving from a low 4 bars of pressure to a full 9 bars after a couple of seconds can improve your extraction and result in a decrease of channelling.
But this isn't a new technology, most lever espresso machines will allow you to control the pressure and the principles apply to all espresso makers.
While pre-infusion of espresso is the most common form of pressure profiling it isn't the only technique used, some baristas like to start with low pressure and then slowly increase to a higher pressure while other pressure profiling techniques start low, go reach a higher pressure and then come back down to a medium pressure.
How many Bars of Pressure Should you use for Espresso?
When making espresso the ideal number of pressure is 9 bars, this is commonly agreed upon as being the ideal range for most espresso machines but while 9 bars is a great starting point it certainly isn't the same for each coffee.
To identify how much pressure your coffee extracts best at you want to start by adjusting all of your variables first, start with your grind size, then your water temperature, your ratio and then finally your pressure.
When extracting espresso over 9 bars of pressure your coffee bed starts to compress, this makes the water flow more challenging and actually starts to decrease the flow rate so usually under most circumstances you want to start off at 9 bars of pressure and back down till you find the sweet spot. Too much pressure can result in a slow thick and strong tasting espresso or a ridiculously fast espresso shot that channels excessively.
How to install the Wacaco Picopresso Pressure Gauge:
- Disassemble the Picopresso and remove the shower screen from the bottom chamber directly above the basket.
- Screw the Pressure Gauge into the body of the Picopresso and ensure that it is a tight fit.
- Fill the basket with ground coffee, place the shower screen on top and then proceed to use the Picopresso as normal but this time screw the basket holder into the bottom of the Pressure gauge.
- Rotate the pressure gauge display to face upwards and start to extract your shot as normal, watch to see the bar move as pressure builds and you're set!
Wacaco Picopresso vs budget Espresso Machine
The Wacaco Picopresso Espresso Maker sits just under the $200 mark. Included in this is a whole set of accessories needed for puck prep such as a coffee funnel, metal base tamper, WDT tool and drip collector.
All you're missing is hot water, coffee and a grinder, the rest is covered.
Because both an Espresso Machine and the Picopresso require a coffee grinder we can set this element aside and just focus on the differences between these two products. When looking for a machine with a PID temperature control as well as a pressure control you are going to find that espresso machine with these features alone are available from around $1,500 - $2,000 mark.
Espresso machines are fairly simple yet have a boiler, wiring and technology that increases their prices significantly.
Because the Wacaco Picopresso relies on you to pump creating the pressure and presuming you have access to boiling water you remove these expenses and can make great tasting espresso at a fraction of the price of a coffee machine, espresso machines are also significantly more expensive to run compared to a kettle as they have a lot more components to heat up.
While the Picopresso may be significantly cheaper it is noteworthy that it is much more difficult to make more than two coffees at a time, the 20g basket can make a double shot of espresso which can be divided into two cups but disassembling everything and making another coffee can be more time consuming.
Another important factor to consider is portability, the Wacaco Picopresso is the best portable espresso maker available. You can literally take it anywhere in the world with you and it can fit in the palm of your hand, try doing that with your Breville.
