Franke Evolution to the Test

the barista and the
automatic machine

Scottie callaghan puts his inhibitions aside and road tests the franke evolution plus, discovering why automatic coffee machines have a good place in the market.

I must admit, I was a little apprehensive when i was first approached to road test an automatic coffee machine. It seemed to me not appropriate for a Barista champion to be testing a machine designed specifically for users with minimal coffee making skills. the item in questions was the evolution plus AutoSteam pro (ASp), franke coffee Systems’ (franke cS) latest automatic coffee machine option to hit the market. I’m usually pretty open and excited about new technology, so my negative attitude caught me off guard and got me thinking: what was it about automatic coffee machines that made me so apprehensive?
the reason, i believe, was fear, and I don’t think I’m the only barista to shun away from automatic machines.

But where does this fear of automatic espresso machines come from?

For me, I believe it probably comes from the negative experiences I’ve had with some automatic coffee machines in the past. Having had more than one bad coffee from very average automatic espresso machines, then naturally it’s harder for me to believe these machines can produce something decent.

But I think there is an even deeper fear: that automatic espresso machines are trying to take the place of a traditional espresso machines, grinders and eventually baristas.

Confronting my fears, I found my way to coffee Works express to review the franke cS evolution plus ASp. the first thing I did was ask David Downing, oceania Sales Manager for franke cS, about the position of these coffee machines on the market.

His response helped put me immediately at ease, as it addressed those attitudes I think many baristas have when it comes to automatic machines. He said that he believed there is a place in the market for thes machines, but that he does not want these machines to take the place of baristas in espresso bars and cafés – and he knows that in Australia they never will. But, he believes the quality of coffee this machine can produce is far better than the average quality you would get from someone with minimal coffee skills using a traditional machine.

Anyone who’s had a bad coffee from unskilled staff at a hotel, food chain, club, and so on, would know this all too well.

You get average coffee from an untrained barista trying to operate a traditional machine. And the management of these establishments cannot afford to constantly train them because of the high staff turnover or geographic location of at these establishments.

So this brings us to the purpose of our road test. does the franke evolution plus ASp make a better cup of coffee than those with minimal coffee skills on a traditional machine?

Talking to peter Viler, franke cS oceania technical Manager, I learn that there’s a lot more to an automatic coffee machine than pushing a button. You can program it to do a cornucopia of things. the machine has the ability to handle up to 64 different settings, including making hot chocolate, adding syrups, and heating milk to different temperatures and different amounts of froth.

But, as a barista, all I am really interested in is: can it make a good espresso? to achieve this there are a lot of variables you can program on the evolution plus. Shot length, dose, grind, brew temperature, pre-infusion volume, pre-infusion time, and so on. We set about playing around with these parameters to see how they would effect cup quality.

We made our first espresso with the following settings: a 50-millilitre shot with a 10 millilitres pre-infusion, setting the boiler at 92 degrees and using a 12 gram dose. We then made a second espresso using the same settings, except we shortened the shot volume to 30 millilitres. For our third coffee we increased the tamp time from half a second to 1 second. We then increased the dose from 12 grams to 14 grams and then to 16 grams. As we played around and worked through the variables, the shots got consistently shorter, tighter and richer in colour, to the point where the extractions started looking really good. Scottie Callaghan

The end result was a 30-millilitre espresso using 16 grams of coffee that poured in approximately 25 seconds and tasted good. We then textured and heated milk using the automatic steaming arm. To be perfectly honest, putting all my preconceptions about automatic coffee machines aside, the flat white and latte were really very nice.

For me to come around on automatic coffee machines has been a huge personal step, and I think many others would have a similar experience. I think what made another big difference was using quality coffee. chances are, if others have had similar negative experiences with automatic coffee machines in the past, it’s likely because the coffee used in those machines was dark roasted, and probably of poor quality using too much low-grade robusta or arabica in the blend. The machine was possibly dirty, the dose set wrong and the shot length too long. If any barista failed to set correct parametres on a traditional machine the coffee would be just as horrible.

After this test, my opinion is that a franke evolution plus ASp can produce a cup of coffee that is definitely better than what you get from an unskilled person on a traditional machine. using light roasted, good quality, specialty coffee with the right parametres, this machine produces a cup of coffee that is 100 per cent better than anything I have ever tasted from an automatic espresso machine before. I think we achieved this result by putting in decent coffee and playing around with the settings to achieve the result we wanted.

Am I saying that you will get a nice cup of coffee from any automatic espresso machine? definitely not. Just the same as with traditional espresso machines, it is up to the operator to buy decent coffee and ensure the settings are right, and that it is a quality automatic machine. I believe many operators setting up automatic machines buy cheap coffee and set the machines to dose as little coffee as possible and run as much water through it as possible to minimise their costs. And as a result, most of the coffee we try from automatic machines is terrible. But it doesn’t have to be that way. And today David Downing from franke and the team at CWE proved that to me.

As for machines ever taking the place of baristas, the reality is that this will never be the case because the craftsmanship, personal touch and passion of a great barista is essential to our industry and thankfully always will be. At the same time, there are many occasions where a traditional machine has been installed in chains, hotels and the like where an automatic machine could have been the better option.

Written by Scottie Callaghan

Performance and Hydration

If you exercise before work, or commute to work by bike or foot, exercise after work or generally spend a great deal of time during your working day being active then the relationship between your level of hydration and your performance can not be overstated.

The two factors are intertwined.

There is probably not a person on the planet who has not seen their performance suffer from dehydration at some stage. Perhaps you did not have enough fluid in the body or by the time you realised you were dehydrated there was little you could do to salvage the situation.

Unfortunately, we can not perform at our best when fluid levels are low or decreasing – we must have a drinking schedule.

The other challenge is to get the fluid mix right with essential ingredients. The sports drinks do provide a replacement vehicle for electrolytes and carbohydrates – best done in dilute solution.

Sweat rate during any physical performance has to be considered. Sweat rate can be calculated, it is directly influenced by the ambient temperature and humidity level in which the performance will occur. Acclimatization to a hot and humid environment does play a part in the content of your sweat – particularly salt loss. So we will all respond differently depending on our circumstances and level of acclimatization.

Please consider …

Schedule
Drink before, during and after the event.
As a guide drink 300-500ml – ideally in the 15 minutes before activity, 150-250ml every 15 minutes whilst active and then drink 500ml plus after activity.

Sweat Rates
Sweating is a cooling device of the body. It is easy to lose 1 litre each hour of activity and the maximum sweat rate can be around 2 litres per hour. Your sweat rate will determine you minimum fluid requirements.

Temperature and Humidity
Both these factors have an impact on regulation of body temperature and fluid requirement.
Example – at 22C and 45% humidity sweat rate is around 0.4 litres per hour.
At 35C and 90% humidity sweat rate is 1.6 litres per hour, while at 35C and 50% humidity the sweat rate is 1.0 litre per hour.

Performance impairment
Rule of thumb suggests that there will be a 5% drop in performance for every 1% drop in body weight – due to dehydration. If fluid replacement is not managed well then this can lead to heat illnesses ranging from heat cramps, to heat exhaustion and finally heat stroke. In all these conditions the biggest single factor, from a clinical point of view, is loss of body water.

How much fluid do I need?
Use your body weight as a guide. In some codes a 1% decrease in body weight when presenting for the next training session or work bout – means no activity because of performance impairment. The body is a finely balanced machine and it needs to be treated accordingly.

All these factors need to be considered when you are active. If you match your fluid requirements, sweat rate, environmental impact and performance then you will be in a comfortable position to complete any physical task and you will be well prepared for tomorrow’s work load. Ignoring the guidelines means not only will your work suffer but it will be very difficult to work effectively the following days as recovery does take some time and it depends upon hydration levels.

Remember to always consume fluid while you are active over the winter months. Just because you are not sweating does not mean you are not using fluids…you are!

Another simple test is that when you are thirsty…you are still dehydrated…thirst is NOT a good indicator of balanced hydration levels. It generally means that you are in need of a lot more fluid that you have consumed…some keep at it!

People who have jobs where they are required to talk a lot through the day also need to be aware of the need for regular fluid replacement. Fluid for these people is vital for consistent and sustainable performance. The trick is to see performance as everything we do – not just the high energy end stuff.

More information: Gold Medal Nutrition by Glenn Cardwell published by Human Kinetics.

by Graeme Wright
Clinical Exercise Physiologist

Optimum
Health and Management Services
www.optimumhms.com.au