Speeding up workflow with a Single Group Machine (La Marzocco GS3)
I've got a stand at a local farmers market doing espresso, americanos, caps, lattes, etc with my GS3/Super Jolly and am looking for a good way to speed up my workflow with this Singlegroup beast.
I'm already 8 weeks in and things have been going really well, but I get swamped early in the morning and would like suggestions for kicking out drinks faster. The doser on my SJ slows things down but the worst is pulling a shot and just standing around waiting to complete the extraction while I could be dosing the next.
Everyone always seems to talk about using multiple baskets but efficiently dosing into just a basket would result in quite the mess and then scraping out pucks since I can't knock them would be painful.
I know alternating 2 portafilters would result in cooler temp extractions since the portafilter would have some time away from the grouphead, but would that result in significant enough temps to be too concerned with the GS3?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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I'd suggest a faster grinder before anything else.
The second portafilter really only helps if you're serving multiple back-to-back straight espressos. Add in a pitcher of milk and the shot is no longer the long pole. Frankly, with all of the other little tasks associated with running even a tiny bar, you shouldn't ever have the opportunity to just stand there and just watch a shot pull.
I don't know, but strongly suspect that your group temp may drop when loaded with a cool portafilter. The GS/3 is a pretty great little machine, but it is still just an espresso machine, and a small one at that. The workflow you're suggesting likely has it pulling more than a shot per minute, which seems a bit much. Even if you didn't have issues due to the cool portafilter, I suspect you'd run into water temperature issues. (Though as I'm thinking, they may counteract each other... can't recall which direction the water temp goes on a LM under heavy use. Will dig around.)
At that rate, I suspect you'll run into temperature issues with your Super Jolly anyway.
Hope that helps.
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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on
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With a single group if multi-tasking properly the only time waiting for the actual shot pull should be an issue is a beverage with more than one double. (based on my personal event experience using a single group, hammered hard non-stop $1k day frakkin' solo.) There's no reason to just stand there watching the shot pull when you could be ringing up the sale etc....
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Permalink Reply by trimhound on
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My wife helps me out with the sale transaction, pitcher rinsing, cleaning, etc...I get a lot of couples ordering two drinks (mostly an americano and a latte)....I'd love to be dosing the next shot for the latte while the Americano is being pulled. But maybe that would put too much stress on the GS3?
Seems it may be best to start looking for a faster doserless grinder.....any suggestions? K10 seems to get good reviews but I haven't seen one in person and have grown to really love the build quality of Mazzers over the years....Robur price is insane tho and I don't really know anything about the Kony or Major.
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Oh and ditto to the grinder. I have multiple both SJs and Majors. Average double shot grind 4s for Major 8s for SJ. (mine all on timers so I know:) Doesn't sound like much. However 200 double shots would take over 13min longer to grind with SJ than Major. AND if you happen to have an old vintage SJ (one of mine is) for some reason it takes more like 11sec (and yes new burrs).
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Are you using DarkRoom timers? I purchased my SJ new 2 years ago, it is the dial-timer model....will the timer you are using over-ride and cut power to it? Think I need to start by adding one of these.
With it getting hot here now, I'm going to be bringing ice and without the milk steaming I think I'm gonna feel the grinder bottleneck a lot more!
Whats a good price for a doserless Major? After 5 hours of busy business I get really sick of slapping the doser.
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Currently yes using Gralab 450s with all our SJs and Majors. The timer simply provides a timed plug, the grinder is plugged into the timer and turned on at all times. With a dial timer model SJ you need to hotwire internally so grinder is always on or physically come up with a way to keep the dial switch 'on'. (I hotwire, no don't ask me how if you aren't electrically inclined enough to figure it out)
Plan to convert to internally mounted digital timers, have the parts for the first couple but haven't found the time to begin the switch over conversion work.
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They do sell straight On/Off switches for those grinders too. That might be worth considering.
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True, but if someone has the expertise to replace the switch they can likely figure out how to by-pass said switch entirely and not waste the money. I've been running 2 SJs hotwired controlled via Gralabs for around 5 years. :-)
Brady said:They do sell straight On/Off switches for those grinders too. That might be worth considering.
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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The doserless grinders will always be slower in production, however I doubt that's your bottleneck. Even an SJ w/doser is able to out run a single group. Sound's like you need a second group.
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I'd agree that going with a larger machine is the best way to increase thruput.
My suspicion was that after shelling out as much as he had for that GS/3 he probably wasn't interested in buying something else. That doesn't mean that isn't the real answer though.
I'm sure the OP has already ruled out adding a pourover station to convert those americanos into something that doesn't use the espresso machine?
Scott said:The doserless grinders will always be slower in production, however I doubt that's your bottleneck. Even an SJ w/doser is able to out run a single group. Sound's like you need a second group.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Hayward on
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Hi, You didn't say what your workflow is, or how long it takes you to make a latte or Americano. So, it is hard to know whether you could be working more efficiently with the equipment you have, or whether the equipment is the only limitation. Normally, you are steaming milk while the espresso is pulling, and finish just about the same time. I used a single group at farmers market last year. A second pf does help speed things up when faced with espressos, americanos, and Capps. For 2 Capps you can steam the milk together. A bottomless pf. It is a smaller heat sink. And your espresso will be plenty hot as long as you alternate uses.
I use a mahlkoenig k30 which bashes out doubles in 3.5 sec. That's as good as it gets for your scenario, short of a 2 group.
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Have you used a Macap M7D lately? Definitely MUCH faster (and cleaner) than using any dosered grinder. And after almost a year of hard research the winner in my book over Robur E or Compak K10 Fresh. Fast clean one hand operation, push big button with PF, 2.75sec later 16g ready to tamp. Period. Done. Virtually zero grains of grind anywhere but in PF where it belongs. In the cup the three virtually identical, usage including lowest grinds retention M7D winner IMO.
Oh if you're really talented (and daring) you can pour milk into the steaming pitcher with one hand WHILE dosing the PF with the other...it doesn't get faster prep than that! (Except if you miss the pitcher and have to wipe up the spill :-)
Scott said:The doserless grinders will always be slower in production, however I doubt that's your bottleneck. Even an SJ w/doser is able to out run a single group. Sound's like you need a second group.
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