Make your own espresso – 5 helpful tips and tricks
Do you love your small, intense stimulant from Italy and still need useful tips and tricks for preparing your espresso? No problem with my 5 tips. In addition to the basics, you will also learn about possible sources of error when preparing espresso with a portafilter machine.
You will soon be able to prepare a perfect espresso and surprise your loved ones with various coffee classics. Because espresso often provides the basis for other coffee specialties such as latte macchiato or a classic café Americano. But let’s start with my step-by-step tips on how to make a real barista espresso.
1) Quality of the coffee beans
The price should not be the deciding factor when choosing coffee beans. Pay attention to the origin of the beans, the roasting method and, of course, the purity of the variety. Because even an expensive coffee machine cannot conjure up gold from bad coffee.
My tip: find out if there is a local coffee roastery near you and get expert advice on the spot. The experts know their beans, can cater to your preferences and select the right coffee beans for you. And one more thing: choose whole coffee beans and grind the beans directly before brewing. This is because coffee loses around 60 percent of its aroma within 20 minutes of being ground.
Even if your coffee costs a euro more, your taste buds will be rewarded and the coffee experience will be a complete pleasure.
2) How much coffee powder is needed?
The first step is to fill your freshly ground coffee powder into the portafilter. But how much powder is put into the portafilter? Basically, the amount of coffee depends on the size of the portafilter insert – 1 cup or 2 cups.
As standard, 7 g of espresso powder is required for a single espresso and 14 g for a double espresso. However, you should leave yourself a little room for experimentation, because at the end of the day it is a question of taste which amount is ideal for preparation.
My tip: For beginners, I recommend weighing the amount of ground coffee with a scale. It sounds strange, but it is a great help in preparing the perfect espresso. After a short time, you will get a feel for the quantity and can put the scales back in the cupboard.
3) Let’s start tamping
And now we come to the next step and an important tip for preparing your espresso.
Once you have filled your portafilter with ground coffee, it’s time to tamp. Spread the grounds evenly in the portafilter with your finger and press firmly with a tamper until a homogeneous surface is created. This tip is particularly important to prevent “channeling”.
Channeling describes the phenomenon that water always seeks the path of least resistance. If the coffee powder is unevenly distributed, the water first makes its way through a few channels. Accordingly, more channels are added, but extraction is uncontrolled. As a result, the espresso is not extracted evenly and cannot fully develop its aroma. Channeling can be seen in the form of cracks in the coffee powder.
Tamping is also important, as the coffee powder compacts into a solid cake in the portafilter. This creates a counter-pressure surface on the coffee powder, which is needed to withstand the water at a certain pressure.
My tip: Place the espresso tamper vertically above the portafilter and build up pressure on the coffee powder. The result should be a firm, smooth and horizontal surface.
4) The right brewing pressure for espresso extraction
Before you insert the portafilter and start extracting the espresso, I have two tips for you: 1) Run hot water through the brewing head for around three seconds to clean off any coffee residue. 2) Pour hot water into your espresso cup to preheat it.
Your portafilter machine and espresso cups are preheated, the coffee powder is freshly ground, filled in the portafilter insert, tamped and ready for use in the portafilter? Then the espresso extraction can follow after all this preparatory work. Start the brewing process and watch as the first crema flows out.
Ideally, you should achieve a pressure of 9-11 bar. Some portafilter machines are equipped with a pressure gauge that can be used to control and optimize the brewing pressure. All you need is enough back pressure on the coffee powder and the right amount of powder.
If the pressure is too low, not all the aromas are released from the powder and the espresso tastes like nothing. On top of that, the familiar golden crema will also be missing. But brewing pressure that is too high also affects the taste of the espresso: as soon as the water is forced through the powder too quickly, the oils and aromas of the coffee cannot be released. As a result, your espresso will not be a full-bodied pleasure.
5) Enjoy!
Now that you can prepare your perfect espresso, you can also try our coffee classics – Latte Macchiato, Flat White and Café Americano. You’ve already got the espresso base down pat!
