Espresso is a single dose of coffee made at the famous machine. Knowing how to make a good espresso is an art that requires a lot of preparation and practice to get the best results. This is just a starting point.
Ingrediants
- Coffee beans
- Purified water
Steps
Step 1. Try the different toasts to find the one you like best
Espresso can be made with different types of roasted beans. The types depend on the regions. In northern Italy, for example, a medium roast is preferred while in the south one goes for something stronger. In the United States, espresso is always thought to have a dark roast as major companies that have imported espresso culture (such as Starbucks) have been influenced by what is drunk in the south of the beautiful country.
Step 2. Get fresh beans
They are getting better and better. Freshness is very important. Make sure the roasting date is as close as possible to the date you buy the product. At best, no more than three weeks.
Step 3. Grinding the beans at home is the best choice
But not with just any electric grinder because you could risk burning the coffee without reaching the right consistency. Either use a good espresso grinder or buy your ground beans from a supplier who can ensure quality. Find out about the freshness of the product and have it grind in front of you. To be clear, ground coffee should have the same consistency as sugar. Too big would let the water pass quickly without really taking on flavor. Too fine (as a powder) would tend to thicken making the coffee much more bitter. A good espresso, well prepared, shouldn't be bitter.
Step 4. Use purified water, without minerals or pollutants, heated to around 89 ° C
Never use boiling water as it would stop the process that leads to good coffee. Conversely, insufficient heat prevents important components from being pulled out of the grind.
Step 5. Use the right amount of coffee
About 7 grams for one serving, or 14 grams for a double coffee.
Step 6. The trick is in the grinder and the pressure performed on the ground coffee once added to the machine (assuming that the temperature is good) (the water part is the easy one)
In the case of a lightly ground coffee you can compensate with pressure, if the grinder is too fine with less pressure.
Step 7. Insert everything into the filter holder or group (handle) of the espresso machine using the tool to apply pressure
It is a flat object, as large as the portafilter, used to press the grinder to reach a density that will create the right resistance to the water that will have to pass through it. As anticipated, too little pressure will not allow the water to collect the key components. Too much and the infusion will take a long time resulting in bitter and creamless.
Step 8. If you can stick to the above steps, after 4-6 seconds the first reluctant drop will appear and 25 seconds later you will have your nice cup of coffee
Remember: grind and press to get these results. Place the cup under the group (making sure it is well placed). Turn on the machine. The hazelnut cream should appear on the surface of the coffee once everything is gone.
Advice
- Serve the coffee quickly, as it spoils quickly. Otherwise mix it with milk or some other flavor to prevent this from happening.
- Serve it immediately.
- Use fresh grains.
- Each machine is different from the others. Learning to use your machine is very important. Always keep it in excellent condition.
- Always start with cold water.
- Patience and exercise are essential to obtain this wonder we call espresso. Learning has to be a pleasure, not a burden to get rid of quickly. Through learning we can come to master the practice.
- Grind the coffee until it is the consistency of sugar, depending on the machine you use. Some types of home appliances seem to need an even finer texture.
- If you have a machine with a pressurized portafilter, to get a creamier coffee, applying pressure could block the machine. Check the instructions when in doubt.
- The filters and filter holders must be very hot. The ideal would be to make a normal espresso and let it run for a few minutes; but also heating them with boiling water is effective, always remembering to dry the filter thoroughly.
- For a good espresso, the cup must also be hot (around 60 °) and with a classic shape that allows the cream to emerge.
- The pump pressure must be 9 atmospheres (bar).
- Remember that between one coffee and another you need to "bleed" the filter holder from the group and let the water run (which will contain traces of coffee causing an unpleasant aftertaste to the following coffee) for a couple of seconds or at least until to become transparent.
