Brewing The Best Espresso!

GRIND IS CRITICAL

The ideal grind will result in a slow, steady flow of espresso into the cup. If it’s too coarse, the espresso will gush out, thin, and underextracted. Too fine, it will drip out, one bitter drop at a time.

For lower-pressure units, an extra-fine grind with some granularity will worl well. A capresso coffee grinder can provide the appropriate texture.

High-pressure, commercial-quality units require a finer, more powdery grind. This is most easily obtained from a specialized capresso coffee grinder.

Small variations in grid make a big difference in performance, and finely ground coffee quickly becomes stale. For the best results, grind beans at home, just before brewing. If you buy ground coffee, buy only what you will use in a few day’s time.

                                                                                                              
DETERMINING THE CORRECT DOSE

The right dose nearly fills your filter insert, allowing just a small gap for the grounds to expand as they become saturated. Too small a dose can cause the espresso to gush out rather than brew slowly and evenly.

TAMPING

Tamping refers to the amount of pressure with which ground coffee is packed into the filter. If the ground coffee is packed firmly, water flows through the grounds more slowly, assuring full extraction of flavor.

If the water seems to filter through too quickly, even with firm tamping, you need to use a finer grind to slow the rate of water flowing through the grounds. Conversely, if your coffee machine is not providing a good flow (even with little to no tamping), try using a coarser grind.

RATE-OF-POUR

Ideally, a single shot of espresso should result in 30 mL of liquid in about 20 seconds, a double shot should result in 60 mL of liquid in the same time, using twice as much ground espresso.

By experimenting with the grind, dose and tamping pressure, you can achieve the best flow rate and the best flavor.

LESS IS MORE

The most common mistake made in brewing espresso is brewing too much espresso from the grounds. As you leave the coffee brewers machine on, brewing 60 or 90 mL from a single dose, the brew gets thin and bitter, resulting in a beverage that resembles strong drip coffee, not authentic caffe espresso.

HOME COFFEE MACHINE

If your passion is for straight espresso or cappuccino most days of the week, investment in a professional-quality coffee machine and capresso coffee grinder will be amply rewarded, however if what you enjoy is an occasional caffe latte, the less costly coffee machine may well meet your needs.

Stove-top makers and relatively inexpensive espresso coffee machine will make a strong coffee, but these machines do not produce enough pressure to brew true espresso, and have limited milk-steaming capabilities.