Baskets ain't baskets...

We've been having a lot of fun (and satisfaction) settling into our new place. We now have a phone; we've had people around for dinner and coffee; right now, we even have our first guest staying with us! More on that stuff later.

So Dave Jolly says to me, "The thing you need to do, to get better coffee from your machine, is this: ditch your crema-enhancing baskets." So I did.

On the left is my old filter. On the right is the new one that Coffee Snobs told me would fit my machine. The difference is that the new one has holes straight through; the old one has many holes in the top but only one hole in the bottom (and a very small chamber in-between).It was a bit of work to track down a supplier (both by phone, and then by car - to pick it up). But it was also good fun: my quest for better coffee continues.

My verdict on the basket (so far): The basket isn't a perfect seal (if the tamp/grind is too tight), but I am impressed with the extraction that I'm getting - much more work to be done here.

On a related note, I still have my little helper whenever I make coffee. Noah sits beside me on the bench and helps with grinding, especially. (His toes are visible in the above shot). The other day he even grabbed the handle, popped a basket in it, and shoved it toward the machine as if he were locking it in place - Barista Baby!