Espresso is the shortest and strongest drink on the coffee horizon. As small as the cup is, the myths, traditions, and expectations surrounding the perfect espresso are just as diverse.
This article is about making espresso. We'll leave the history aside and focus entirely on how to brew good espresso using simple methods.
The best way to learn how to make espresso is to stand with someone in front of the espresso machine, experiment with the technique, and then taste the coffee. For this, we recommend our barista courses . Since not everyone wants to come to Basel, we've recorded some videos that also help you prepare good espresso. You'll find them embedded in this article.
What type of espresso drinker are you?
The experience of a good espresso is very, very subjective. This is primarily due to its pronounced strength. Between 7 and 10% of dissolved coffee particles are in a small cup, turning the drink into a concentrated explosion of flavors. If the espresso were ten times less strong, it would be less challenging. But at this concentration, the bitterness will knock your socks off if you're sensitive to bitterness. If acidity bothers you, then an espresso with pronounced acidity is a no-go.
Without going into this any further, as this brings us back to the context and history of espresso: the success of capsule coffee can be explained not only by its convenience but also by the fact that the “espresso” from the capsule is less concentrated and therefore more easily appealing to many people.
The classic, traditional espresso from (southern) Italian coffee culture tends to showcase the bitter facets of coffee. Central European and northern Italian coffee is more balanced between sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. The third-wave movement and more modern espresso bars, which focus on lighter roasts, use roasts that convey more pronounced acidity and rich notes of origin.
The preparation principle is similar. Our article "Which coffee tastes best?" can help you classify your own coffee type.
The distinction is very important. If your prepared espresso is too acidic or bitter for you, it may not be due to your preparation. The reason often lies in the choice of roasted coffee.
Want to make a cappuccino with latte art using espresso? Here's a step-by-step guide on how you can do it at home.
The starting point is the sieve – the espresso-coffee ratio
There are several variables that can cause a lot of confusion when you start setting up espresso. Therefore, I recommend you first determine one: the amount of ground coffee.
Your portafilter—this article assumes you're using an espresso machine —is designed for a specific amount of coffee. Sometimes the coffee quantity is specified, for example, with a 17mm VST portafilter. If it's not specified, you can find it out. With a proper grind, the portafilter should slide easily into place without the coffee grounds touching the sieve. There should be about 2-5 ml of space between the coffee bed and the sieve to allow the grounds to expand when moistened. If the grind is significantly too coarse, the coffee will have a larger volume, which is why I use "proper grind."
In this guide, we always brew with the double sieve for two espresso servings. We generally recommend using the double sieve because the flavor is always better. The geometry of the single sieve simply doesn't fit well with the espresso machine and prevents even extraction of all the coffee grounds.
If you don't have any information and are unsure about your sieve size, start with a coffee quantity of 17 grams for an espresso machine with a Faema E61 brewing group. However, for machines like the Delonghi Dedica EC 685, this would be at least 2-3 grams too much, which you'll notice immediately when you try to add the 17 grams.
We'll fix this 17 grams until further notice. Based on this, we're aiming for a beverage volume that's proportional to the amount of ground coffee used . You'll definitely need a scale to make the following adjustments. A postal scale will also work. It's good if the scale responds relatively quickly to weight changes. Because in the next steps, we'll also measure the amount of espresso, which naturally changes over the extraction time.
Next, you need to decide whether you prefer thick, strong espressos or slightly weaker, but easier-to-balance shots. If you choose the strong option #1, we'll brew at a ratio of 1:2, so, following the example above, 17 grams of ground coffee in the filter and a target amount of 34 grams of espresso in the cup. The weaker balance would be a ratio of 1:2.5, so 17 grams of ground coffee in use and 42.5 grams in the espresso cups.
If you're used to espresso from capsule machines or fully automatic coffee machines, you can also work with a 1:3 ratio. The result will still be strong compared to the espressos you're used to.
Weighing coffee and espresso process
You unclamp the portafilter, which is already well preheated by the machine. It's best to leave the portafilter in place during use to prevent it from cooling down. Cold portafilters lower the temperature of the brewing water.
Use a measuring cup to grind 17 grams of coffee or your chosen amount of ground coffee into the measuring cup. This amount should be precisely adjusted, for example, by adjusting the weight with a spoon.
You can adjust your grinder's grind size later. However, it doesn't make sense to do this now, as adjusting the grind size will inevitably change the grind size. Therefore, the easiest way is to weigh the coffee. If you're using a grinder like the Sette 270 Wi or an Etzinger, this is easy. The scales are already built in.
We usually recommend starting with the current grind size. Just use whatever your grinder currently provides. If you know for sure that your grind is much too fine or much too coarse, you can of course adjust the grind size now. Otherwise, more on that further down.
Then, pour the coffee into your portafilter. Make sure the ground coffee is evenly distributed before tamping it down. Otherwise, there's a risk that the brewing water will seek the path of least resistance. This channeling will result in the coffee not being extracted evenly. We've recorded a detailed video on " channeling " and also covered the topic in an article . It's important!
By pressing firmly and evenly, you compact the coffee. It doesn't matter whether you press 8, 12, or 15 kg. What's more important is that you always press roughly the same amount. And if you're roughly within that range, then it's fine.
Now, clamp the portafilter, place one espresso cup on the scale under the spout and the other next to it, and start the extraction. Keep an eye on the scale's clock or mentally count the seconds.
You stop the extraction just before the desired brew ratio is reached, meaning the desired 34 or 42.5 grams have landed in the cup. The speed at which the water flows through the coffee gives you a reference for your grind size and the next steps.
If your espresso was in your cup in less than 15 seconds, then the coffee was definitely brewing too fast. If the extraction took longer than 40 seconds, then it's most likely too slow. In these cases, we need to make adjustments to the grind size. If you're in a narrower range, then the fine-tuning begins.
Find the right grind for espresso
Coffee grounds in a sieve create a natural resistance to the water flowing through them. The finer the grind, the greater the resistance and the harder it is for the water to flow through the coffee grounds. A good example of a very fine grind is flour. If we form a hollow in a pile of flour while baking, we can even pour water into the hollow without it finding a way out. Unless we pour it too hard, and a channel forms—which brings us back to channeling.
The coarser the coffee is ground, the easier it is for the water to flow through it. If we repeat the heap example with millet or rice, the water will burst right out and flood the countertop. No matter how hard we press, the grounds are too coarse.
The right grind for espresso creates a suitable level of resistance so that the brewing water is held back neither too little nor too much. This is the grind we'll be looking for in the next steps.
The espresso grinder used also plays an important role, of course, although we won't go into detail here. However, it's important to note that not every coffee grinder is suitable for grinding coffee to "espresso-fine" standards.
Did your espresso come out too quickly?
If your espresso was brewing significantly too quickly, we'll fine-tune the grinder. Depending on the grinder, adjusting just one or two digits can make a big difference. Start slowly to get a feel for your grinder.
Important: When fine-tuning the grinder, never fine-tune too many settings at once without grinding in between. Otherwise, there's a risk of your grinding discs becoming jammed.
Now that you've finer-tuned the grind (with many grinders, finer means the number on the grinder decreases, for example, from grind size 5 to 4), grind at least a small amount into your measuring cup and discard it. This coffee doesn't yet correspond to your "new grind," but rather somewhere between the old and new grind size.
Now grind the 17 grams of coffee into the portafilter again and follow the same procedure as above. If everything went correctly, your espresso should now run more slowly. Did it work?
Did your espresso run too slowly?
If your espresso brewed noticeably too slowly, then the grind was too fine. We need to set the grinder to a coarser setting. For most grinders, coarser means that the numbers on the grind setting become larger, for example, from grind setting 5 to 6.
Grind at least one cup of coffee that you won't use. This amount of coffee isn't your new target grind, but rather a mix of the old and new grinds.
Grind another 17 grams of coffee and brew an espresso following the procedure above. The coffee should now brew faster.
Of course, brewing temperature also plays an important role. However, since this is fixed for most portafilter machines under 2000 CHF/Euro, we haven't discussed it further in this article. A good brewing temperature is around 94 degrees Celsius and can be adjusted depending on the roast. Does your espresso taste sour? Here we explain the possible reasons for this!
Fine-tuning the espresso
Changing the grind size changes the resistance in the sieve and the water flow rate. Now that you've mastered this adjustment, we can move on to fine-tuning.
Your espresso may already have an extraction time of 20-30 seconds. Most coffees taste good in this range. Espresso tastes good when it's balanced. When balanced, an espresso tastes sweet on its own.
With darker roasts, you'll often find the balance of the espresso with shorter extraction times of 20–25 seconds. For lighter roasts, a good target range is closer to 25–30 seconds. I'm leaning out on a limb with these numbers, because coffee can taste so different. It's impossible to diagnose this from a distance down to the second or gram. Ultimately, you'll find the truth in the cup.
You have several options for fine-tuning. Here are some guidelines:
- Shorter extractions tend to emphasize the coffee's acidity. Therefore, this is often not the right approach for coffees that already have a lot of fruit acid (light roasts, coffees from Ethiopia or Kenya).
- Longer extractions accentuate the bitterness and heaviness of the mouthfeel (body). Therefore, a long extraction is often not well-suited for achieving balance in coffees that are inherently bitter.
- If your coffee is too watery, you can change the coffee-to-drink ratio. If you've been brewing at a 1:2.5 ratio, you can gradually reduce the amount in the cup. Please note: To achieve a suitable brewing time, you'll also need to adjust the grind (finer).
- If your coffee is too strong (concentrated), you can increase the coffee-to-drink ratio, for example, to 1:3. The grinder should then be set to a coarser setting so that the larger amount of water still flows through the coffee cake in a reasonable amount of time.
Once you've brewed your "perfect espresso," you can program the grind size on your grinder. Then no further adjustments are required.
Then have fun trying espresso and experimenting. In almost all cases, you'll have to adjust the grinder when changing your coffee, and there may also be fluctuations from day to day. Don't be surprised—this is normal!
If you haven't reached your goal yet or you notice fluctuations, be sure to watch the video below about the 20 reasons why an espresso doesn't taste good.
If you're stuck, write to us or subscribe to our coffee newsletter. We regularly send out tips, tricks, and instructions, and we'll also be offering courses at various locations in the future.
Making espresso isn't actually that difficult. It's actually quite easy to learn. But of course, mistakes can happen. We've compiled a list of the 20 most common mistakes when making espresso.
