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You can stick with a regular cup of drip coffee, but let’s be honest, getting the perfect shot of espresso at home is the ultimate goal. hunting? Espresso is high maintenance, and without the right technique, it’s easy to end up with something thin, bitter, or completely undrinkable.
You see the barista with Top of the line Equipment and years of training, but here’s the truth: you don’t need to spend thousands on equipment to prepare a quality shot.
We skipped the expensive coffee paraphernalia sites and went straight to a professional. Kalina Teoh, co-founder of New York Coffee Projectis here to share her expertise and show you how to master the process and brew espresso like a pro, no matter the machine on your counter.
Read more: I tried a $140 espresso machine that pulls out creamy shots and is slimmer than a blender
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Espresso basics
Espresso is a precise brewing method, not a drink.
“The word ‘espresso’ itself is not just a drink, it’s actually a brewing method that involves forcing hot water through a compact disc of coffee,” Teoh said, which can be accomplished through a machine with a boiler, or by hand, such as in an espresso pot on the stove. It requires specific calibration of pressure and temperature, but it is not necessary to use a sophisticated machine.
“The two most important things are the ability of the machine to maintain pressure and temperature while pulling the shot,” she said. On most models intended for home use, you may not be able to make any adjustments, but gauges or displays indicating pressure and temperature can be reassuring.
Make sure you closely follow the process outlined by the manufacturer, which may involve a step to heat the water before brewing. Ensuring your espresso machine is clean is also essential to quality control, as regularly cleaning the grounds from the portafilter loading point and periodically rinsing with hot water are crucial steps to maintaining optimal performance.
1. Pay attention to the grinding size
Finely ground coffee beans are essential for making the right espresso.
Since espresso is a processing process rather than a drink, there is really no such thing as espresso beans, and you can choose the source and roast of espresso that suits you best, even if it’s light. The grind of any grain you choose greatly affects the outcome of the shot you pull.
“The grind size should be in the fine sand range,” Teoh said, which is smaller than that used in drip, French press or pour-over coffee, but not as fine as the powder used in unfiltered beverages such as Turkish coffee. This element makes it even more important to have a grinder that allows you to adjust the grind size using a dial, rather than just a few preset settings, which may not provide the necessary nuance.
More than the coffee machine itself, Teoh recommends using another important piece of equipment to get the best home-brewed espresso. “If you have a basic machine that can maintain pressure and temperature, that’s good enough, but if I have an extra budget, I’ll spend it on mill“Having a good grinder, especially a good burr grinder, is very, very important for making espresso,” Teo said.
Of course, Teoh also recommends using fresh coffee beans to get the best espresso. Grinding to order is great, but you’re also looking for beans that have been roasted as recently as possible, preferably within weeks.
2. Determine the ratio of coffee to water
Just like drip coffee, espresso has its own golden ratio.
The “golden ratio” is different for espresso compared to Drip coffeeOr French press or pour over, as you generally have limited control over the amount of water that goes into the drink. Instead, you’re looking for a specific ratio between the amount of ground beans and the amount of liquid coffee that comes out at the end, and yes, professional baristas weigh the finished espresso to ensure quality.
“The coffee to water ratio is between 1 to 1.5 and 1 to 2.5, which means that for every 1 gram of ground coffee we put in there, we want to produce between 1 and a half and 2 and a half grams of liquid espresso in the cup,” Teo said. “This ratio usually gives you a very good value, which is what we call ‘strength’. It won’t be too intense. It won’t be too watery either.”
In order to make easy calculations while experimenting with these ratios, 1 to 2 is the average range to target. The smaller the ratio between ground coffee and liquid espresso, the stronger the coffee.
Despite the marketing language you might believe, there is no difference between coffee and espresso beans.
If your espresso machine has controls that allow you to adjust the strength of your coffee, try it. If not, other factors you can control, which can influence the result in terms of the ideal ratio, are grind size, consistency and disc pressure.
3. Prepare the disc correctly
Use your finger to gently level the grinding.
After measuring the grounds in the portafilter, according to its size and the manufacturer’s recommended measurement for a single or double dose, the next step is to level the filter before tamping it. “Use your fingers to make sure it’s evenly distributed before you press it,” Teoh said, so you don’t end up with an uneven disc.
She said water will always look for the path of least resistance between the reservoir and your cup, so if there’s an area in the portafilter that has a smaller or less-pressured volume of grounds because it wasn’t even to begin with, that’s where the water will go in the first place, resulting in improper extraction.
You should use a heavy, high-quality tamper that is the correct size for your portafilter. Portafilters come in different sizes, usually 51 or 54 mm in diameter for home espresso machines. You’ll need to upgrade if your machine doesn’t include a plunger or has a lightweight plastic plunger.
Your disc must be level and smooth before you hit the ball.
Tamping the disc does not involve applying extreme force, but “you will want to apply pressure to the point where you feel like the disc is retracting,” Teoh said. “You’re not using your full body weight on it, but it’s also not like stamping a card. You want to press down and create a dense, tightly packed disc.”
If you want to be precise with the pressure, some guidelines suggest applying between 20 and 30 pounds. Teoh notices that too Spring-loaded tamper Available, making it easier and more consistent to apply proper pressure.
How important is cream?
Crema is less about flavor and more about mouthfeel.
A layer of cream or foam on top of the shot may be desirable. However, this is not necessarily an indicator of the correct shot, nor does it significantly impact flavour.
Teoh said carbon dioxide is trapped in the coffee beans during roasting, which is released during brewing and results in a foamy cream. However, it is not the density of the tablet that determines whether or not it will appear during fermentation.
“Your crema is not just carbon dioxide, but also oils and insoluble substances in the coffee,” Teoh said. “There are a lot of aromatic compounds in there, but the actual flavor of your coffee is in the dark liquid at the bottom. The crema doesn’t carry a lot of flavor itself, but it helps with the mouthfeel.”
The absence of crema may have less to do with the mechanics of the shot and more to do with the roast itself. “The freshness of the coffee makes a difference, and some coffees, if they are lightly roasted, will also not have as much crema,” Teoh said.
To maximize your creaminess potential, you look for dark-roasted beans that have been recently roasted.
Taste and adjust
The golden ratio is a good place to start, but don’t be afraid to adjust if the flavor isn’t to your taste.
It’s your coffee, so your taste is what matters most to the result. Slight differences in coffee freshness and roast, grind size, ground coffee measurement, tamping pressure and consistency, and temperature – to the degree you can control it – will all affect different results.
Experiment with the above modifications to get a balanced drink with a pleasant taste and the right length of flavor, to suit you.
“You may not have experience making espresso, but you have experience as a consumer, so you know what you should taste in your cup, and if it’s not right for you, you know something needs to be adjusted,” Teo said.
Given all the potential variables mentioned above, hopefully it’s just a matter of tweaking the little things, rather than needing a whole new system.