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Step by step to the perfect espresso
There are many myths surrounding espresso, the most concentrated coffee drink. In order for the preparation to be successful, it is worth being instructed by an experienced barista, as there are a number of pitfalls on the way to the perfect result in the cup. To give you a brief overview, we have created a series of videos as a guide.
What taste type are you?
Espresso is a highly concentrated drink that potentiates all the aromas in the coffee and from the roasting. So acidity or bitterness can dominate. You can control a large part of it through extraction.
This explains the success of capsule coffee - the brewing process is taken out of the hands of the consumer - so the coffee always turns out the same.
Southern Italian roasts usually emphasize bitterness, Northern Italian roasts are balanced, Third Wave Coffee emphasizes the enzymatic fruit aromas with distinctive acidity.
In our article “Which coffee tastes best?” We'll shed light on the topic and help you find your type of coffee and choose the beans that are right for you.
The broth recipe
Various variables influence espresso preparation. You should set a constant with the amount of coffee you use. Sieves usually indicate the optimal filling quantity - you should deviate from this by +/- 1g. If there is no information on the sieve, proceed as follows: Clamp the portafilter with espresso-finely ground coffee. This should happen without resistance and no imprint should be visible in the coffee bed before the start of extraction (e.g. E61 brewing lumps often 17g, DeLonghi Dedica 14-15g).
We use the double spout portafilter because we produce better sensory results this way.
Ground coffee and extracted coffee in the cup should be in proportion to each other. To do 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 the ratio 1 to 2 (e.g. 17g coffee “in” and 34g coffee “out”) - more balanced would be 1 to 2.5, for a result close to your current full or capsule machine, a ratio of 1 also works to 3.
The preparation
Unclamp the portafilter preheated through the brewing group - weigh the portafilter or use a measuring cup for weighing - add the ground coffee and distribute it evenly and tamp it straight.
Video instructions - how to tame correctly
Based on your observations, you can adjust the running time of the grinder, but be careful - every change in the grinding level also changes the amount of coffee!
If the coffee bed is not perfectly prepared, the water will seek the path of least resistance. This results in channeling and sour/thin espresso.
Clamp 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 short (make the grinding finer), it becomes sour, if it runs too long (make the grinding coarser) it becomes bitter.
The right grind level
The degree of grinding determines the resistance during the extraction. The right degree of grinding in relation to our brewing recipe results in a delicious extraction.
Fast extraction -> set the mill finer
Grind in small steps and always out of the grinder, because there is already ground coffee sitting between the grinding disks.
Caution: Home grinders should only be set finer when the discs are running
Slow extraction -> make the mill coarser
Follow the same procedure as for finer adjustment.
The fine tuning
If your result is acceptable, it's time to tune.
Every coffee has a different grind and an optimal extraction time - there are no hard and fast rules, but there are a few guidelines. What matters is the result in the cup.
- Dark Roasts – 20-25 seconds
- Medium Roasts – 25-30 seconds
- Shorter extractions emphasize acidity
- Longer extractions emphasize bitterness/body
- Too watery -> adjust the brewing recipe, e.g. from 1 to 3 to 1 to 2.5
- Too concentrated -> adjust the brewing recipe e.g. from 1 to 2 to 1 to 2.5
Once you have achieved the perfect result for yourself, quickly program the mill and check your recipe every few extractions. Especially in the morning, the coffee behaves differently due to the weather conditions. Small corrections usually help here.
If things still don't go smoothly for you, take another look at the video here:
