Preparing espresso – the quick guide

Reading time: 4 minutes. This article is a short blog post. You can find the detailed blog article here.

Step by step to the perfect espresso

There are many myths surrounding espresso, the most concentrated of all coffee beverages. To ensure a successful preparation, it is worth getting instructions from an experienced barista, as there are several pitfalls on the way to the perfect result in the cup. To provide you with a quick overview, we have created a series of videos as a guide.

Which taste type are you?

The espresso is a highly concentrated drink that intensifies all the flavors in the coffee and from the roast. This means acidity or bitterness can dominate. You can control a large part of this through extraction.

This explains the success of capsule coffee – the brewing process is taken out of the consumer's hands, so the coffee always turns out the same.

Southern Italian roasts usually emphasize bitterness, Northern Italian roasts are balanced, and Third Wave coffee emphasizes enzymatic fruit flavors with distinct acidity.

In our article "Which coffee tastes best?" we shed light on the topic and help you find your coffee type and select the right beans for you.

The brewing recipe

Different variables influence espresso preparation. You should establish one constant with the amount of coffee used. Filter baskets usually indicate the optimal fill quantity – you should deviate from this by +/- 1g. If there is no indication on the filter basket, proceed as follows: Insert the portafilter with espresso-fine ground coffee. This should happen without resistance, and there should be no imprint visible in the coffee bed before the start of extraction (e.g., E61 brew groups often 17g, DeLonghi Dedica 14-15g).

We use the portafilter with a double spout because it produces better sensory results.

Ground coffee and extracted coffee in the cup should have a relationship to each other. For this, we weigh the coffee grounds and the extracted result. A scale that reacts quickly to weight changes is essential.

For a strong result, use a ratio of 1 to 2 (e.g., 17g of coffee "in" and 34g of coffee "out") – a ratio of 1 to 2.5 would be more balanced, and for a result close to your previous automatic or capsule machine, a ratio of 1 to 3 also works.

Preparation

Remove the portafilter preheated by the brew group, weigh the portafilter, or use a measuring cup for weighing – add the coffee grounds, distribute them evenly, and tamp straight.

Video tutorial - tamping correctly

Based on your observations, you can adjust the grinder's runtime, but be careful – any change in the grind size also changes the amount of coffee!

If the coffee bed is not perfectly prepared, the water will take the path of least resistance. This leads to channeling and sour/thin espresso.

Insert the portafilter, place the scale with the cup underneath, and extract. A scale with a timer is helpful so that you can measure the extraction time. Depending on the bean used, the extraction should take a certain amount of time – if it runs too quickly (set the grind finer), it will be sour; if it runs too long (set the grind coarser), it will be bitter.

The right grind size

The grind size determines the resistance during extraction. The right grind size in relation to our brewing recipe results in a delicious extraction.

Fast extraction -> set the grinder finer

Make adjustments in small steps and always grind out the grinder, as there is still already ground coffee sitting between the burrs.

Caution: Home grinders should only be adjusted finer while the burrs are running

Slow extraction -> set the grinder coarser

Follow the same procedure as when setting it finer.

Fine-tuning

If your result is acceptable, it's time for tuning.

Every coffee has a different grind size and an optimal extraction time – there are no fixed rules, but a few starting points. The result in the cup is what counts.

• Dark roasts – 20-25 seconds
• Medium roasts – 25-30 seconds
• Shorter extractions emphasize acidity
• Longer extractions emphasize bitterness/body
• Too watery -> adjust brewing recipe, e.g., from 1 to 3 to 1 to 2.5
• Too concentrated -> adjust brewing recipe, e.g., from 1 to 2 to 1 to 2.5

Once you have achieved a perfect result for yourself, quickly program the grinder and check your recipe every few extractions. Especially in the morning, coffee behaves differently due to weather conditions. Small corrections usually help here.

If things are still not running smoothly for you, take another look at the video here:

20 mistakes when preparing espresso