To make a delicious and creamy espresso, you need high-quality coffee beans, the right grind size, and the perfect brew ratio. You can quickly do it at home.
If you want a tasty cup of coffee, sometimes espresso is the way to go. Not all espressos have the same taste; some can be sour and bitter, while others can be watery and thin. Making sure your espresso tastes the same every time you brew it is possible.
It’s not as simple as it might sound to make a strong espresso. Here are a few tips to make your best shot yet:
Thick Espresso
I will be focusing on the method of making espresso that produces the thickest and creamiest shot. Here’s some advice on how to make the perfect espresso, just like the Italians dreamed it!
Such a thick espresso has specific characteristics:
- The crema, that’s the layer of foam on top of your espresso.
- The full-body refers to how heavy and rich the coffee tastes in your mouth, typically giving it a bold taste.
- The thickness refers to how much crema you get out of an espresso shot (the more crema, the thicker/heavier it will be).
Making a good espresso is not as simple as it seems. The flavor and texture of your coffee depend on many factors that all need to work together to provide the perfect balance.
These factors are:
- The quality of the coffee beans
- The grind size
- The brew ratio
- Tamping and distribution
- The espresso machine
Let’s analyze each of these factors one by one to understand how they affect the final result and what you can do to ensure a successful outcome every time.
Brewing variables
Preparation is key when making espresso, but there are also some important variables to keep in mind.
The overall quality of the espresso will be determined by the amount of strength and extraction achieved in the final cup. Some of these variables are shared directly with drip coffee, but a couple of them will be specific to espresso preparation.
First, let’s analyze the different parts of the issue, and then we can discuss ways to implement solutions.
1. The quality of the coffee beans
Coffee beans are the most important part of making a good cup of coffee. You can’t make a good tomato sauce with unripe tomatoes.
When making a good cup of coffee, there are many factors to consider, such as the roast level, freshness, and grind method. The most important part of making a good cup of coffee is using good beans.
If you want to make a good cup of coffee, you need to start with good quality coffee beans. Make sure the beans are well roasted and fresh for the best results. If you use low quality seeds, you may not get the desired outcome. You can tell if beans are fresh if they have a roast date on the packaging.
Typically, espresso drinks are made with Brazilian coffee beans. However, it is ultimately up to the individual to decide which beans to use.
To make the best tasting espresso, the grind size should be fine without being powdery. You need to know the machine’s water pressure to decide what size to use. The beans should offer enough resistance to create a good espresso.
Espresso is made with pressurized water, which extracts the flavorful oils from the beans, producing a drink with a strong, syrupy taste. The ideal grind size for espresso is a consistency somewhere between powdery and chunky wet sand.
If the grind is too course or too fine, espresso extraction will be difficult. The espresso may not have a desirable crema layer, or the grind may be too fine, producing a brew more akin to coffee than espresso.
Try grinding your coffee beans at different sizes to find theespresso grind size that works best for your machine.
3. Water
The quality of your espresso depends on the quality of the water you use. Sediment, scale, hard or soft water, and water with its own flavors or odors will all seriously affect your ability to make delicious coffee.
If you want to ensure that the coffee you are making is of the highest quality, we recommend testing the water you are using. Compare the results of your test with the water standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association.
If your water does not meet the standards, there are many water treatment options. Sometimes all you need is a simple carbon filter, but in other cases you might need to make your own water or look at more complete filtration systems. We’re always happy to talk about water quality with anyone who has questions.
4. Dose
A double shot of espresso would be considered average, producing around 2 fl oz of liquid espresso.
The recommended amount of coffee to use for a double espresso is 18-21 grams. The size of the dose should be determined by the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Printed on the sides of the basket is a measurement of mass. Try to stay within 1 gram of that number for the best results. If your basket only has the options “single” and “double”, pick your favorite number between 18 and 21 for a double, and we’ll start there.
5. Temperature
The range of water temperature for coffee brewing according to the SCA standard is 195–205° F (90.5–96° C). Some espresso machines have controls that let you change the brewing temperature. This lets you experiment with how different temperatures affect your espresso’s flavor.
If you’re not sure how to adjust a particular setting on your machine, don’t worry too much about it. We can adjust other things to compensate.
6. Yield
We refer to the brewing ratio as the amount of coffee to water, but for espresso, we measure the amount of coffee to the amount of beverage output.
In general, most people brew espresso with a 1:2 ratio, meaning that if you start with 20g of ground coffee, you should end up with around 40g of brewed espresso.
There is some flexibility in that ratio, but if you go outside of the range of 1:1.5 to 1:2.5 (20 grams to 30 grams or 20 grams to 50 grams), you’ll be in uncharted territory when it comes to flavor.
7. Note
To make the most consistent espresso, it is best to measure the amount of liquid in grams, using a accurate scale. This is much more reliable than estimating the amount using volume measurements.
It is difficult to get an accurate reading of the amount of liquid when there is such a small amount, especially when the density of the liquid varies.
The classic indicator of fresh and properly brewed espresso is crema, which is an emulsion of gasses trapped in coffee oils. As roasted coffee ages, it off-gasses (releasing CO2 trapped in the bean fibers), which decreases the amount of gas available to become crema.
The less crema there is, the more stable the coffee becomes. As the crema volume decreases, your beverage will become more dense.
If you measure your coffee extraction by volume, it will be inconsistent from day to day. This is because if you brew 2 fluid ounces of coffee each time, you will actually be extracting more coffee each time.
8. The brew ratio
The recipe, or brew ratio, for making a great cup of espresso is essential. Before making an espresso, baristas often weigh the grounds to ensure they are using the correct amount and avoid a shot that is too watery.
In this way, they can weigh how much water was used for every gram of coffee to calculate their brewing ratio. The weight of an espresso shot will vary depending on the temperature, pressure, and grind size.
In general, you want a ratio of 35-40 grams of coffee per 100 grams of water.
9. Tamping and distribution
After you have weighed the ground coffee you need for your shot, it is time to distribute the grounds evenly inside the portafilter. Once the grounds are evenly distributed, use a tamper to compact the coffee. Evenly distributing and compacting the coffee bed will improve extraction.
That’s why all baristas are using distributors and tampers. Tamping the coffee grounds ensures that the right amount of pressure is applied, which allows for even extraction. The tamper should be flat, without grooves or dimples, to ensure an even layer of coffee grounds.
If you tamp the coffee too hard, the espresso will be badly extracted and taste bitter. If you do not compact the coffee beans enough, your espresso shot will be underdeveloped and weak. This will result in espresso with sour and watery notes.
10. The Espresso machine
What you can do to improve your espresso machine’s performance. A few things! First off, get it nice and hot. The time it takes your sauna to heat up will depend on the model, but it should only take a few minutes to reach a comfortable temperature.
Also, cleaning and maintenance are essential. Clean the group head and portafilter after use to avoid having used grounds in your espresso shot. Keeping it clean will also help it last longer.
11. Filter
The portafilter basket will be the filter for espresso in many ways. The espresso machine you purchased came with different basket options. The “double” basket is recommended for 18-21 grams of coffee.
If you want to be even more consistent with the quality of your coffee, you can invest in a precision basket. These baskets are designed to ensure that the holes are always in the same place and that the total open area is the right size for the recommended coffee dose.
12. Scale
A scale should be used to measure both coffee input and beverage output to make consistent espresso.
We prefer scales that are very precise (0.1g resolution is ideal, but 1g resolution is also acceptable) and have a quick refresh rate. We also prefer scales that are resistant to water since you will be brewing directly onto it.
13. Vessel
You’ll need something to brew into of course! A coffee cup, shot glass, or Gibraltar glass that is large enough to hold your full coffee extraction is all you need.
14. Grinder
Quality espresso starts with an exceedingly consistent grind. To make espresso, you need a burr grinder, not a blade grinder. Your grinder should be able to grind at a fine setting.
For the best results, use a grinder that allows you to make small, incremental changes or one with a stepless design for more precise control over your extraction. There are now some hand grinders on the market that are relatively affordable and will allow you to make espresso at home, as long as you’re willing to put in some hard work.
As you upgrade your coffee grinder at home, you’ll find models with increased grinding speeds, programmable operation, and larger burr sets that are designed to handle espresso beans more easily than some of the smaller models.
The reality is that having a quality grinder will make your life in the kitchen a lot easier You shouldn’t try to save money by skimping on your grinder—it’ll make your life in the kitchen a lot easier.
While temperature and pressure are important for extraction, grind quality and consistency are more important for delicious espresso.
This means that high-quality burrs AND high-quality construction are an absolute requirement for good espresso, so it can be difficult to find a workable espresso grinder (manual or electric) for much under $200—this might seem outlandish, but I promise that if you take my advice on this now you’ll thank me later.
Over-extraction vs under-extraction: The enemies of Espresso
A common problem with coffee is that people tend to either over-extract or under-extract the coffee beans. If you extract too much water from the grounds, it will make the coffee taste bitter. If you extract too little water, the coffee will taste sour and thin.
The ideal ratio of coffee to water is unique to each individual. To make a great cup of coffee, you’ll need to experiment to find the perfect ratio for you. A quick way to remember the difference between the two is this:
process, the coffee will be over-extracted. If too much water is used during the coffee extraction process, the coffee will be over-extracted.
process This results in coffee that tastes sour and weak.