Espresso is a rich and flavourful coffee that can be enjoyed in many different ways. Whether you prefer it with milk, hot water, or on its own, a well-brewed espresso is a delicious and satisfying beverage. In this guide, we'll take you through the steps to brew the perfect espresso.
What you'll need
- An espresso machine
- A portafilter
- A grinder
- A digital scale
- A timer
- A tamper
- A cup
- High-quality coffee beans
Steps
- Start by removing the portafilter from your espresso machine's grouphead and ensuring its clean and dry. Place the portafilter on a scale and tare the weight to zero. Next, purge the grouphead thoroughly with hot water, and grind enough coffee for your basket. For a double basket, you'll need to fit between 16-22g of coffee. The grind size should be quite fine, but it may take some experimentation to get the right fineness for your desired brew time.
- Distribute the coffee evenly in the basket to make the surface relatively flat. Place the portafilter on a clean, flat surface and position the tamper level on top of the grounds. Apply pressure downward, keeping the tamper flat. You don't need to tamp too hard, just enough to seal in the puck evenly. Give the tamper a little spin to ensure that any loose grinds on the surface are moved into the rest of the puck.
- Insert the portafilter into the grouphead and place your cup on the scale, then on the drip tray, and tare the weight to zero.
- Start your brew, and if your machine doesn't have a shot timer, use your timer to keep track. The shot should start with a slow drip and gradually flow into a steady and even stream.
- When the espresso reaches a 1:2 ratio (around 25–30 seconds), stop the brew. If you started with 20g of ground coffee, aim for around 40g of espresso. If your espresso flows too quickly, you'll need to fine up your grind, and if it's too slow, coarsen up the grind a bit.
- Enjoy your espresso! Add milk, sugar, or nothing at all and enjoy your delicious and well-brewed espresso!