Joey,
As far as my sources reach there seems to be no book, while educational video's/DVD's are way out of my field of expertise... (sorry.
)
Gruff.
Seems I don't know much about geography... I thought (as I'm going on a whisky-trip with my father-in-law in a couple of month's, and were going to Islay (lagavulin...) Jura (Talisker) Campeltown (springbank) I'd bring you the basket's in person as they are easy available here in the Netherlands... But damn... I looked it up... and you really live in the middle of nowhere...
Give the UK importer of La Marzocco a try (as these baskets really - especially the single-basket - make a different/better cup):
U.K. | Mulmar U. K.
Address Lismirrane Industrial Park, Elstree Road,
Elstree WD63EE, Herts, U.K.
Phone (44) 20 8905 1060
Fax (44) 20 8207 5795
Email
mulmar@mulmar.com
Web
www.mulmar.com
Contact Agostino Luggeri, Enzo Frangiamore
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One thing about the Tea is that for it to work at it's best I seem to have to overfill the baskets which is OK, but produces an espresso a bit too strong for my taste.
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Too strong or to bitter?
A too strong cup doesn't exist in my universe... I like the flavours to be rolling over my tongue... while a bitter cup is awfull, and in most cases caused by an uneven extraction...
About the LM baskets: the single basket holds over 8gram of coffee... but I've never had a bitter beverage from it, while the standard Giotto single-basket holds 'only' 6 gram and gave me lots of bitter-brews...
So I think it's not the amount of coffee (the more the better) that makes the LM baskets superior... it's the design... The single basket design of the LM ensures an even extraction of all coffee in the basket (something which can't be said of most other baskets).
And thanks for your pressure settings... (mine are a tiny/little bit higher...)
Michel
(wanting the liquid to hang from the spouts like honey and sirup, with just a little twist near the end...)