Discovering Flow Control: The Art of Espresso

We’ve been buzzing about flow control lately! We’ve been testing it out on our ECM Synchronika and Profitec Pro 700 espresso machines, and we’ve discovered how incredibly useful it is for both home and professional baristas. This tool helps you unlock more flavors and aromas from your coffee, allowing you to create cafe-style shots right in your kitchen or cafe.

Flow control opens up exciting new possibilities for both pre-infusion and extraction, whether you’re using a machine connected to a water line or one with a reservoir.

We’ll dive into the details of flow control, how it works, and why it’s such an exciting development for coffee enthusiasts. Let’s start with why flow control is gaining popularity among coffee lovers and how it can benefit you.

What is Flow Control?

Flow control is all about adjusting how fast the water flows during pre-infusion and extraction as it moves through the coffee grounds. By controlling this flow rate, you can highlight different flavors and aromas in your coffee. For instance, if you’re working with very fresh coffee, you can use a slower flow to allow it to bloom and release its best flavors. You can even save your preferred settings in the Dalla Corte Mina app for future use.

With machines like the ECM Synchronika and Profitec Pro 700, you can adjust the flow rate based on the timing of your shot, so you can consistently replicate the same profile each time. Check out our blog post on setting up the flow control device for more information!

The Equipment

ECM and Profitec have developed unique devices to integrate flow control with their machines. Using flow control also lets you mimic the results of a lever machine, like the Profitec Pro 800. When you pull the lever on this machine, it fills the group with water to moisten the coffee. Releasing the lever applies pressure to the coffee puck and starts extraction, a technique that many espresso lovers seek. Now, with a flow control device, baristas can easily incorporate this method into their routine.

Flow control is an innovative way for coffee lovers and professional baristas to experiment with different flavor profiles, whether you’re trying to enhance a rich chocolatey taste or reduce the acidity of your coffee.

The Benefits of Flow Control

As you can see, flow control can significantly enhance the coffee-making experience for both home and professional baristas. It allows you to create barista-style shots in your own kitchen and experiment with your preferred whole beans to bring out or tone down specific flavors and aromas. It’s not just about managing water flow; you can also brew filter-style coffee, sometimes referred to as a “coffee shot,” for those who may not enjoy espresso.

For example, if you want to make filter coffee, you can grind your coffee coarsely and set a low flow to create a full cup. If you’re excited to learn more about flow control, let’s dig into how it works!

How Flow Control Works

Achieving the right flavors is as simple as following a few steps. Set the flow to 9 grams per second and adjust your shot accordingly. Use the flow control knob to increase or decrease the water flow while keeping an eye on your shot time and pressure gauge, which indicates how much pressure is being applied to the coffee puck.

By monitoring time and pressure, and adjusting the flow, you can influence the acidity, sweetness, and body of your coffee. For example, here’s how Danilo Lodi, an experienced coffee professional, experimented with different roasts using flow control:

• Light Roast: Light roasts have high acidity and original sweetness. To soften these traits, start with a slow flow (2-3 g/s) for 5-8 seconds of pre-infusion. Then, increase the flow for 5-8 seconds until you reach 5-7 g/s.
• Medium Roast: This is often a good starting point for those new to coffee. To highlight its flavor, start with a gentle 5-second pre-infusion at 5-6 g/s, then increase the flow by 30% to around 6.5 to 8 g/s for maximum flavor.
• Dark Roast: Known for strong, bold flavors, dark roasts can sometimes taste bitter. With flow control, you can extract between 10-12 grams per second for 4 seconds, then lower the flow rate to 4 grams per second to enhance the rich flavors without the bitterness.

You can access all of your flow profiles through the MINA app, allowing you to customize and save your extraction settings.

Flow control is transforming the coffee brewing landscape, offering an exciting way to create filter-style coffee and simulate barista-style shots right at home. By having the ability to control various aspects of your coffee-making process, you can brew coffee exactly how you enjoy it – something hard to replicate at local coffee shops.