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How to Make Espresso with Your Coffee Maker

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Intro

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as having a fresh, hot cup of espresso in the morning. Expresso is a beverage that comes in a smaller serving but has a more concentrated amount of caffeine. For coffee lovers on the go, it can be a quick and easy way to start your day while experiencing an array of new flavors.

Espresso - A Quick Overview

Expresso is a beverage that is brewed differently from your standard coffee. Instead of working with heat it uses water that slowly runs through your beans, the expresso process is more forceful.

To make Espresso, you use pressurized hot water that is forced through specialty coffee beans. These beans are generally thicker and have more loose sediments than other types of coffee.

You will have to quite a bit of prep to ready your beans to become Espresso, but it is worth the work. Espresso is a stronger drink that is typically consumed in small shots. For fans of dark roasts, Espresso may be the best drink to go with. It can even be made into fun recipes like most other drinks.

Health Benefits of Espresso

There are a ton of benefits to drinking expresso that you would probably never associate with your daily cup of coffee. The best thing about expresso is that it is low on calories. No having to worry about packing on extra pounds with this healthy blend of coffee. 

Some experts even believe that drinking Espresso can help assist you in losing weight over time. Some people have even found that it can help improve your long-term memory.

Expresso has also been shown to help you digest your meals, making it perfect to drink alongside your breakfast. For people who have trouble with regular bowel movements, Espresso can help their system begin to move along early in the day. Drinking Espresso may even help prevent diabetes for regular drinkers.

Antioxidants can also be found in most Espresso shots. Cafestol can be found in Espresso and is commonly known as an anti-inflammatory. Drinking Espresso is cited to help some people have easier workouts or calm daily muscle aches.

 Hydrocinnamic acids are also present, which can help your body filter through pollution and UV rays during the day. Next, you can find polyphenols an antioxidant that helps reduce your chance of diseases.

Finally, any type of coffee, including Espresso, will actually give you energy. Drinking a bit of Espresso is much healthier than ingesting energy drinks that are filled with sugar cubes. 

Expresso naturally stimulates your brain to help you hone in on work or push through your morning workout. This boost can also help to put you in a better mood as you won’t feel worn down during the day.

Popular Types of Coffee Makers

If you’re a fan of coffee, then you’ve probably already noticed that there are several different types of coffee makers on the market. There are coffee makers for every taste, home, and budget. If you are looking for espresso though, some of these methods like a cold coffee maker may not be able to make you a great cup of Espresso.

Stove Top Maker

These makers are pretty simple. You simply use the heat of your stove to power the maker, and many even consider this superior to a drip machine. All you need to do is put in your favorite coffee blend and begin to heat up your stove.

Drip Coffee Maker

The drip coffee maker is likely something you or someone you know already has in their kitchen. This can be either a standard pot and filter model or a K-cup model. Some drip makers come with tons of bells and whistles like timers. 

Others are basic push to smart machines, while some more expensive models actually are smart devices. These machines drip hot water through the coffee to make your pot and can usually make large quantities of coffee.

Cold Brew Machine

These machines take longer to make your coffee but will do it entirely with cold water. These machines are simple to use; just mix the coffee and cold water and let it soak. If you have limited time, you can easily make enough cups for a few days and store them.

French Press

French Press makers are another interesting way to make coffee without having to plug anything in. These machines use coarse coffee with hot water to quickly make you a cup. All you need to do is grind up your coffee beans and give your mixture time to brew before moving the plunger down.

Espresso Machine

This is one of the most expensive coffee makers, but it makes a strong cup of joe. Espresso machines take extra care and generally only make one shot at a time. The process requires fine grounds and is one of the quickest ways to make a strong cup of coffee in the morning.

Easy Steps: How to Use Your Coffee Maker

Even some of the simplest processes can be a pain if you’ve never had to use them. If you have just got into coffee, then you may be wondering why your brew just isn’t that great. Try to follow these simple steps to make a great cup of joe.

First, prepare and measure out your coffee for the machine. Get your filter ready and place it in the machine. Some machines may use different shaped filters, so be sure to check the appliance’s instructions to choose the one that works best. After you have added in the right filter, pour the coffee inside.

Next, you will want to measure out how much water you need.  Read the coffee instructions carefully to ensure you don’t add too much or too little water. You can adjust the amount of water and grounds as needed if you make a mistake. Once this is done, turn your machine on or set your timer. You will be drinking a warm cup of coffee in no time.

Be sure to clean your maker in between uses to keep your appliance in good health and coffee tasting great. Some coffee makers are more complicated than others and may use different types of filters than the standard ones found in most grocery stores.

Prep for Great Espresso

If you truly want great Espresso then it may be best to make your grounds from scratch, to do this you need to prep your beans. To begin prepping, you will want to roast your beans to prepare them for grinding until they are a dark color. This will also change the smell of the beans, and when roasted for the proper amount of time, makes your coffee taste so much better.

Next, you will want to begin to grind down the beans into fine dust-like power. This powder then needs to be tapped and made into the shape of a coffee puck. Now you will need to place the puck into its filter and ready the machine. Add in a cup of water and make sure everything is securely in place. Finally, just turn on your machine and let it do its job. 

If this is your first time making coffee then you may be a little surprised with how intricate the process is. Feel free to take your time and expect to make a few mistakes here and there.

Brew Espresso In a Coffee Maker

This is a bit tougher to use as the main component for making great Espresso is pressure. A standard coffee maker isn’t going to give you nearly enough pressure to make Espresso the normal way. It’s still possible though, just be prepared to do a bit more work on your end without relying entirely on your machine.

To begin, you’re going to want to measure out and grind up your coffee beans. The classic mix is two ounces of water for every two teaspoons of coffee. You will need to place the coffee in a filter and put the water on the stove. You will want to get the water right below the boiling point and immediately begin to pour it on your coffee ground

At first, only pour a bit of water and wait about half a minute for the beans to soak it up. At this point, proceed to pour the remainder of your water into the machine. Make sure you have a cup in place to catch the Espresso.

Strong, Dark, and Powerful: Espresso Coffee

Strong, dark, and powerful are the three things that you want your Espresso shot to be. When you perfectly balance these three aspects, you will have the perfect Espresso. This is a bit harder to do with a standard coffee maker, but you can get pretty close.

It can take quite a few tries to make the perfect cup of Espresso using a coffee maker. The most important things to work on are your roasting, grinding, and pour. By learning to perfectly roast your beans, you can have a more flavorful and dark coffee. Different beans will have different roasting times, so be patient when learning to roast a new variety.

You will also want to take your time when grinding up your Espresso. It takes a while to make sure the beans are all close to a consistent size. 

If you’re doing this completely by hand, it can turn into a tiring process. Finally, worry about your pour; you will need to achieve getting the water off the stove right before it boils.

Once you have mastered the heating time, you will need to control your pour. This is going to take quite a bit of practice and can greatly influence the taste of your Espresso. The less soaked you initially make the coffee, the more flavorful the final product will be.

Best Way to Clean Your Coffee Maker

Cleaning your coffee maker is an incredibly important part of consistently having great coffee. Just like with any appliance in your kitchen, it will become dirty the more you use it. 

Coffee is an acidic beverage and will slowly eat away at your coffee maker. It is also a health hazard to leave wet grounds in your maker. This will help hazardous mold and bacteria to grow, which will make you sick over time.

To ensure your maker stays in good condition, clean it after every use. Make sure to take out the filter and wipe out the extra coffee grounds. This will keep any build-up from happening. After you make a few cups of coffee, run some hot water through the maker.

By letting your coffee maker make a cup of hot water, you can flush out your system. From time to time, you will also want to give your make a deeper clean. To do this, you can mix a few cups of vinegar with cold water and let it cycle through. 

You may want to let this mixture brew a couple of times to ensure the machine is completely clean.

If you’re not a fan of vinegar, then there are several other recipes on the internet, including some that use lemon juice. Never use harsh chemicals in your coffee maker. If you don’t want to make your own solution, then you can buy a cleaner at your local store.

Conclusion

There are more ways to make an Espresso shot than buying an expensive appliance. With a bit of skill and practice, you can make a cup of Espresso. You can easily do this using your drip coffee maker and some well-roasted beans. As mentioned above, it will take some work to get your beverage perfect.

Making an Espresso using a normal machine is a manual process that will need you to learn control, pour, grinding, and roasting. Some baristas have taken years to perfect their pour and are still actively trying to make better cups of coffee. If you don’t make espresso for a living then take it easy, you will learn how to make great coffee in no time.

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