Making a truly great espresso is most definitley a a skill as practised by a barista (the World Chamionships are next to be held in London in June 2010). However the ease of household espresso machines means that there is no reason why any of us should not be able to brew a really decent espresso. Here are some pointers to help you achive the best espresso you can:
Step1
For the best quality home espresso coffee, it is preferable that the espresso machine is a pump-driven one rather than a steam driven one, as pump-driven machines provide consistent pressure and flow rate, which makes for better shot quality.
Step 2
It is best to use filtered water in the machine. Tap water can introduce outside flavors such as minerals and chemicals, that can affect the quality and taste of the espresso shots.
Step 3
Espresso coffee powder should be finely ground and used freshly. Beans that are older than a week or powders that have been stored in the fridge will have a weaker flavour.
Step 4
Use a tamper to press the espresso powder into the filter firmly, you don’t need to pack it down with a lot of force, just compact the powder.
Step 5
You have the filtered water in the machine, and the powder in the filter, you are now ready to brew.
Step 6
Once the shot is pulled, use it immediately! You’ll notice 3 separate layers to the shot, and a cascading action taking place as these layers begin to blend with each other after about 10-15 seconds. Unfortunately some flavor will have been lost
Step 7
Undoubtedly, you will need to experiment with your machine until you find just the right grind, the correct amount of coffee to use, and the firmness of the tamp until the coffee is just how you like it. You know what they say – practice makes perfect.
