Operation Manual

62
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
You might have found that the owner’s manuals of some other machines have a special section filled with
little tweaks, tricks, and adjustments aimed at teaching the owner to enhance or modify the way their espresso
machine operates to make it work they way they want, or sometimes just to force it to make a drinkable
espresso. The Vibiemme Double Domobar has been designed in a way that the home barista can be successful
virtually from the start with little further effort. Virtually all of the things you can do to get the DD to perform
to your liking have been covered in other parts of this manual. These include:
Using the DD
• Adjusting the PID setpoint
• Using pre-infusion
• Adjusting the PID offset
• Using a cooling flush
For Extraction Difficulties
• Change the grind
• Change the coffee
• Change the amount of coffee you use each time
• Switch to the double basket for a while if you have been using the single.
• Allow sufficient warm-up time
• If you are having difficulties producing good espresso, change something you are doing. It may be the
amount of coffee you are using or the grind setting. If you cannot figure out a grind, set the grinder to a finer
setting until it “chokes” the machine (no espresso comes out even after fifteen seconds of extraction time) .
Now adjust the grinder towards a more coarse setting a little at a time until you find a setting that produces
good results.
• The best advice is to try another coffee. Did the coffee you are using work on your last machine? That does
not mean it will work with the DD. Different machines can extract different flavor profiles from the same
coffee. How fresh is it? Stale coffee can cause all sort of problems including fast extractions to bad taste.
• If you know someone more experienced in making espresso at home, invite them over to “play” with your
new machine. They may be able to spot some mistake you are making or may have a small change in your
preparation technique that can make a big difference.
• There are coffee shops that offer classes in making espresso. Call around and see if one is offered in your
community.
• Finally, we can’t stress enough that the grinder is extremely important. It could be that it needs new burrs,
or just is not up to the task of supplying the quality of grind that the DD deserves. If you are unsure whether
your grinder is of a suitable quality for the DD, contact your reseller.