Making the perfect espresso coffee

Espresso coffee is seen as the very essence of coffee – an intense hit of pure coffee indulgence using around 25-30ml of water.

Having said that, it’s often been the case that some of the world’s very finest coffees become distorted when using this method – in particular, it intensifies acidity and can make a pleasantly acidic coffee unbearably tart. For this reason, blends have historically been developed for espresso to combine the finest elements from each of a number of coffees.

However, things are changing and through experimentation with the different coffees available, roast styles and set up, we’re seeing single farm or estate coffees being used on their own as espresso coffees.

Step 1

For the very best results, please also follow the manufacturer’s guidelines as each machine varies.

Step 2

Key Tips

It is preferable to grind your own espresso beans for this method, but otherwise use “espresso grind” pre-ground coffee.
Ensure that your coffee is very fresh for this method – a lack of freshness will impact on the quality of the espresso coffee from extraction to crema, and from aroma to taste.
However, coffee can be too fresh for espresso! Within the first week after roasting, the extraction can be bubbling and foamy and the taste of the espresso skewed and “hard”. Espresso coffee blends often need a week or two to settle.
This coffee requires a very fine grind-size because the contact time between coffee and water is so relatively short. It will vary slightly based upon the equipment being used and other factors such as the freshness of the coffee.
Ideally, a high water pressure (around 9 bars) is required for the best extraction of espresso coffee as we’re trying to extract all of the very best elements from the coffee and avoid extracting any of the negative characteristics.
Ensure that the machine is fully heated before use and that cups to be used are warmed through.

Crema

The rich, creamy “crema” of an espresso coffee is a combination of emulsified coffee oils and tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide, trapping the all important Volatile Organic Compounds that are the key to the exquisite aromas unleashed when you taste the espresso coffee. You need the pressure to achieve this extraction and without it you a merely brewing the coffee.

Step 3

At least 7g of finely ground coffee is required for a single espresso coffee and a minimum of 14g for a double (depending upon what your portafilter will allow).

Step 4

Fill the portafilter with the coffee and tamp the coffee down, applying enough pressure to ensure that the coffee has been compressed evenly. The espresso coffee needs to be compacted evenly so that the water flows through evenly – otherwise at pressure, water will find the route of least resistance and lead to a very inconsistently extracted espresso coffee.

Step 5

Press the correct button (see manufacturer guidelines) to begin extraction. If every factor is working in tandem, a rich espresso coffee with a thick crema should have been delivered in around 25 seconds.

Step 6

If the crema is lacking or the espresso coffee is extracting too quickly – and assuming that the espresso coffee is fresh enough – you could try either: adjusting the coffee grind size finer; using a little more espresso coffee; applying a little more pressure in the tamp. If problems still exist, it could be that the machine is operating at an incorrect water temperature or pressure.

Espresso coffee can be used as the base for the following drinks:

Cappuccino – adding steamed and foamed milk to the espresso coffee.
Café latte – adding steamed milk and a touch of foamed milk to the espresso coffee.
Macchiato – adding a touch of foamed milk to an espresso coffee
Americano – adding an espresso coffee to hot water to make a black espresso coffee

See also “Cappuccino and latte coffee” in this section.