To sift or not to sift :)

#1

Hey fellow geeks, anyone using Kruve sifter or some other alternative way to separate different fractions?

I have gone back to testing my “narrow band” espresso today (and found out I also did not remember correctly the band - its NOT 400 to 600 microns … more like 200 - 500 … above 400 it does not make a puck actually ) to reassure me its worth all the work related with it … I had a smallamount of Salvador to test, and after regular espresso extraction yesterday I wanted to see what does it look when done this way . Its just to amazingly clean! (Also -even though I did not find the correct weight and band because I only had one shot, it was like 1.5 minute shot … but extremely smooth and clear, only a little bit overextracted but because I cut away fines its like, a completely different thinking about correct shot length :smiley: )

#2

Yep! I have one with all the sieves except the recently released XL pack. It’s pretty sweet, but it’s a luxury. It’s definitely secondary to a good roast and grinder and good water. Though, you could use a crappy grinder and the kruve and waste lots of coffee. It makes a difference, it gives you a lot to play with. If you like a metal filter pour over or siphon or anything that requires cake filtration, it’s probably not for you. It’s a lot more straightforward to use with paper filters; it takes a long time to sift for espresso, although my metal aero press filter from kohi labs works okay with sifted coffee. It really does allow you to chase down perfection for any type of brewing except the aforementioned metal types (which you can do sifted, but which require a broad spectrum of sizes anyway to work properly, or at least enough fines). You can find various kitchen sieves with different sized openings that are comparable to the kruve sieves. I’ve found ones at the 400 and 700 levels which are the most useful. Just one sieve around the 400 level would do 75% of what you’d ever want in sifting - getting rid of fines for pour over and boulders for espresso in one sieve. I sometimes just use the 500 or so and make a pour over pot with the big stuff and a shot with the the fines which I throw in the pour over! It comes out so much better than just brewing all the particle sizes together one way! Fun product, but hardly necessary even for sifting! The best part is probably the sizing info. If we both have one and the ikawa, and the same coffee, we can really start to share “golden cups.”

#3

:slight_smile: yeeaaah . … seems like we are buying simillar producst (Also have kohi labs mesh filters, they are awesome) - and i expanded to full set just a few days ago from that initial 11 .
Sure its not necessary step, but I have to say, even though I have a very expensive hand grinder for espresso, its a completely different story when I sift. Its not something one could do every day for every espresso shot, but for those special moment its very interesting.
I do not like to throw away anything, so I usually did a 4 tier separation, grinding that topmost coarse one again and again untill all was bellow the threshold … so I could get 500 - 800microns (amazing filter) 200or250or300 - 500 microns (otherworldly espresso) bellow 200-300 microns(perfect turkish) :smiley: and no wasting … though … you have to be rather dedicated to drink it all in rapid fire mode :smiley:

(and if you spend a bit more time you can also regrind all above 500 untill you get only espresso and turkish fractions … but … the filter is so good when sifted I rarely resist to make it when I have the sifter working allready)

#4

Hahaha ohh I didn’t realize you already had one, I guess I assumed you had used a friends or something! That’s awesome! Yea, it really changes things, like adding time. Sounds like your grinder is getting some really small particles, what are you using?

#5

For espresso I use mainly Mahlgut MG1 … its a big burr manual grinder, and though it does not have extremely thight distribution it has very nice taste profile (commandate looks a bit tighter)
but any conical burr will make fines, it is just a matter of how much. (I think of anything bellow 200microns as fines, just because thats the smallest I can sift anyway)

mg1 should be 68mm … though I cant find the specs page to check if I remember well