Waking up to a good cup of drip coffee is fine, but wouldn’t it be better if you could achieve the perfect espresso without leaving the house?
Espresso requires practice and care to brew properly. Without the right methods, it can come out thin or bitter.
Baristas have hours of daily practice and top-of-the-line equipment at their disposal, but we don’t think it takes an expensive device or training to make a decent cup.
Kaleena Teoh, co-founder and director of education for Coffee Project New York, shared her expertise to help you master the process and brew espresso like a professional, regardless of your setup.
Read more: I Tried a $140 Espresso Machine That Pulls Creamy Shots and Is Slimmer Than a Blender
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The basics of espresso
Finely ground coffee beans are essential for proper espresso.
Because espresso is a process, not a drink, there’s really no such thing as espresso beans, and you can choose a provenance and a roast that suits you for espresso, even a light one. The grind of any beans you choose significantly affects the outcome of the shot you pull.
“The grind size should be around the range of fine sand,” said Teoh, which is smaller than that used for drip coffee, French press or pour-over, but not as fine as the powder used for unfiltered brews such as Turkish coffee. This element makes it all the more important to have a grinder that allows you to fine-tune the grind size with a dial, rather than just a few predetermined settings, which may not provide the necessary nuance.
More so than the coffee machine itself, Teoh recommends another crucial piece of equipment for the best home-brewed espresso. “If you have a basic machine that can maintain pressure and temperature, that’s good enough, but if I have extra budget, I would spend it on a grinder,” Teoh said. “Having a good grinder, especially a good burr grinder, is very, very important for espresso.”
Teoh also naturally recommends the freshest coffee beans for the best espresso. Grinding to order is great, but you’re also looking for beans that have been as recently roasted as possible, ideally within a matter of weeks.
2. Nail the coffee-to-water ratio
Despite what marketing language would have you believe, there’s no difference between coffee and espresso beans.
If your espresso machine has controls that allow you to adjust the strength of your coffee, experiment with them. If not, other factors that you can control, which can affect the outcome in terms of the ideal ratio, are the grind size, consistency, and pressure of the puck.
3. Properly prepare the puck
Your puck should be level and smooth before pulling a shot.
Tamping the puck doesn’t involve applying extreme force, but “you will want to push down to a point where you feel like it’s pushing back,” Teoh said. “You’re not using your whole body weight on it, but it’s also not like stamping a card. You want to push down and create a dense, tightly packed puck.”
If you want to be precise about pressure, some guidance suggests applying between 20 and 30 pounds. Teoh also notes that spring-loaded tampers are available, making it easier and more consistent to apply adequate pressure.
How important is crema?
The golden ratio is a good place to start, but don’t be afraid to adjust if the flavor doesn’t suit your taste.
It’s your espresso, so it’s your palate that matters most for the outcome. Slight variations in the freshness and roast of the coffee, grind size, measurement of the grounds, tamping pressure and consistency, and temperature — to the degree that you can control it — will all affect different outcomes.
Experiment with the above adjustments to achieve a balanced brew with a nice mouthfeel and length to its flavor, until it suits you.
“You might not be experienced making espresso, but you’re experienced as a consumer,” Teoh said, “so you know what you should be tasting in your cup, and if it’s not right for you, then you know that something needs adjustment.”
Given all of the possible variables above, hopefully it’s just a matter of tweaking small things, rather than needing a whole new system.
