Two Little Delights of Making Espresso on Kilo

A soft hiss, a dry puck, and two things I never designed.

I'll be honest: I didn't plan either of these.

When I designed Kilo, I spent my time on gears, seals and how the handle feels in your hand. What happens after the shot wasn't on the list. It turned out to be one of my favourite parts of using it.

The hiss

Every shot leaves a little water behind in the chamber. How much depends on your ratio. After the long shot in the video, there was still some.

So when the shot is done, I lift the plunger a little, just enough, and push it back down. That sends the leftover water out. Once the water is gone, the air follows, and you can hear it escape as a soft hiss. The pressure inside is still higher than the pressure outside, so if you unmount the portafilter at that moment, you get the same small sound as opening a can of soda.

It changes nothing about the espresso. It's a small thing. It's also the sound that makes me want to pull one more shot.

The dry puck

The second one does change your day.

With the water purged, the portafilter comes out with a dry, used coffee puck. Knock it out, wipe the basket, and you're ready for the next shot without a wet mess to deal with. In the video the puck broke apart, which is what happens when you're filming. Most of the time it comes out in one piece.

If you make espresso every day, that's the kind of detail that adds up.

Two small things, both happy accidents. Watch the video above to see and hear them for yourself.

Mika