The Expobar is "Go! Go! Go!" (Roger That)

Finding Teflon tubing isn't as easy as one might think.

I found a company called Zeus (www.zeusinc.com) who actually specializes in different types of tubing for different industries, including medical, so I figured I'd have no trouble with the food-safe factor.

I sent out an email with the information of what I needed, and if it were possible to only buy 2' (way more than I needed, but extra is good... just in case).

The response I received asked for the measurements of the tubing. I replied, and received a response telling me that they were sending some samples.

"Cool", I thought. Their site describes that Teflon isn't always comprised of PTFE, and that there are actually OTHER non-stick formulas that were developed for the same use in different applications. Little did I know.

Moving on.

I received a box about a week later. Inside the box was a plastic bag containing a length of tubing arranged in a coil. The label said 5'. No charge. Amazing.

That evening, I got it all together. It has been operable ever since. Eureka!

Jason now has a heat exchanger equipped with the thermal stability of the E61 grouphead. It is now possible to crank out the espressos at will, and froth while I brew. This makes preparation a whole lot faster, which means that when I suggest to my beautiful girlfriend that we head over to my place for coffee, she is more likely to agree. Fussing with two drinks on the Gaggia isn't much fun, though it is quite capable of producing some great espresso.

I had actually gotten ahold of Bill at espressowrench.com (www.espressowrench.com) in Tucson to see if they could get ahold of some Teflon tubing for me. It came back positive... just after I was informed of being sent "samples". I didn't think the sample would be enough to work with, so I said, "great! let me know how much."

So here's the dilemma. Do I pay for the tubing and shipping, or do I just pay for the tubing to make up for their cost? I have more than enough tubing to last me for at least 5 years on this thing.

Some of you might be wondering, "What's the E61 group head all about? Why is it special?" Well, it was introduced by Faema in 1961 for optimal thermal stability while producing espresso, which was apparently a big problem at the time. So, yeah.. it's used in espresso preparation.. introduced in 61, and called E61. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Anyway, this is what you see.

(the back side)

And here is a thread on Home-Barista.com with illustrations of how it works.
E61 Diagrams thread

It should be noted that the Pulser is only equipped with the head.. not the entire brew group. (no lever.. there is a solenoid and a switch.. that is all)

BTW.. the espresso rocks, but I'm sick of flushing 10 ounces of water beforehand.