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Author:
Melissa Collins
Are you wondering how the baristas at coffee shops can make that perfect cup of espresso coffee? In this article, we will share 10 tips that will help you make that perfect espresso coffee.
Espresso is the base for many coffee drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes. Perfecting your espresso will also lead to the other drinks getting better. It can be easy or difficult to make the perfect cup of espresso coffee depending on how you follow the recipe and if you avoid making a few common mistakes.
Making espresso coffee is a skill which requires perfection to achieve good results. Below are 10 tips for making that perfect cup of espresso coffee.
A portafilter which is wet or has leftover coffee grounds on it will lead to a coffee that tastes bitter and over-extracted. The portafilter needs to be clean before adding the coffee.
Using a spoon or eyeballing your coffee dose is one of the biggest reasons for a ruined cup of coffee. A scale should be used for measurements for a better coffee yield. Just being off by a few grams can change the ratio by a huge margin.
Once the coffee beans are roasted they only have two to three weeks before they start losing their freshness and flavors. This is because during the roasting process the beans become porous which makes it easy for aromas to escape.
That’s why it is best to buy from roasters who do it on the spot or roast in small batches and only when needed. You can also buy the green beans and roast the beans yourself. This way you will be able to experience the coffee at peak freshness and your coffee will be flavorful.
Grinding is as important as the coffee beans that you buy. Having a consistent grind is very important for extracting the flavors properly. A burr grinder also doesn’t overheat the beans during the grinding process like a blade grinder. Overheating the beans may lead to reduction in freshness. The grinder is also as important as the coffee machine if not more.
Your tap water might contain impurities and minerals that will alter the taste of your coffee. It’s best to use filtered water to keep the taste of your coffee purer. You can store the filtered water in the refrigerator for your coffee brewing purposes. Also, tap water might be hard which can be bad for your coffee machine.
Tamping the grounds into your filter with consistent pressure is important. For a good cup of espresso coffee the grounds should be properly leveled. Inconsistent tamping may lead to water flowing more from areas with bigger gaps in between them. This will lead to improper extraction of flavors which will ruin your cup of coffee.
Rinsing the group head has two benefits; one it removes any previous coffee left in it and second it will help get the group head at proper temperature. A temperature difference in the machine components can lead to under extraction of coffee, which will make your coffee taste sour.
The water brew ratio is important and should be adjusted according to how strong you want your coffee to be. Generally a 1:3 ratio is recommended i.e., for every 1gm of coffee 3ml of espresso should be made. For stronger coffee use 1:2 ratio and try 1:4 ratio for lungo.
A good crema at the top of your coffee is an indication of a job well done. If you notice a thin or weak crema on top of your coffee then it could point towards many things such as the coffee beans being old or low pressure usage while brewing.
It is often best to steam your milk before making your espresso shots. This is because steaming milk takes longer than making espresso and your espresso shot might be ready before your milk is ready.
Depending on your taste you can adjust various variables such as grind size, coffee brew ratio or coffee beans quality. It will take some tries before you find the right combination of that perfect cup of coffee. Experimentation is the key here and you should not shy away from it.
Just one small mistake can ruin your cup of coffee. That’s why it is important to perfect every single variable. Making espresso is an art and with time you will reach perfection.