By far the most questions I get about coffee are about making the perfect shot of espresso at home. Nothing can be more frustrating for a coffee enthusiast than being excited about a new home espresso machine only to have inconsistent shots time and time again. While there are a lot of variations with home espresso machines, there are some general guidelines which will help practically any home espresso set up pull the best shots that it can.
For this guide I used:
- Expobar espresso machine
- La San Marco espresso grinder
Other highly recommended items:
- Measured shot glass
- A tamp you enjoy using
- Timer
- Scale
To grind or not to grind:
Often times when helping someone trouble shoot their home espresso set up the most common problem has nothing to do with their espresso machine. It's the beans. I cannot stress enough how important it is to invest in a grinder (ideally conical burr) so that you are freshly grinding your beans for each and every shot. Pre-ground coffee is simply not going to produce much (or any) crema, the trademark of a well pulled shot of espresso. The reason for this is that coffee loses more than fifty percent of it's CO2 within five minutes of being ground. And that crema is essentially the CO2 gases being released through the espresso extraction. Many coffee enthusiasts will recommend to spend a little less on your espresso machine if it means you are able to purchase a better grinder. The grinder is that important.
How much do I have to spend?
The espresso machine I use in this guide is what is considered a "prosumer" espresso machine and the coffee grinder is borrowed from my work and is technically a commercial espresso grinder. While these items are not your usual home espresso set up and include some features which are very nice, it is not necessary to immediately go right to the most expensive espresso machines.
If you are doing research to invest in an espresso machine, you will quickly learn you can spend as much or as little as you want. As with many things, spending more usually does mean more options. But which ones are the most important?
The most important option you will find on home espresso machines is for the option of a PID. PID stands for Proportional Integral Derivative. Essentially, this is cruise control for your espresso machine temperature control. This device controls the temperature inside the espresso machine boiler by closely monitoring the temperature and turning the heating element on and off in order to keep the water temperature as stable as possible.
Can I still use my cheap home espresso machine?
Essentially, many lower end espresso machines which do not have any sort of temperature control are just simply too hot and scorching your espresso. How do you fix this is if you already have an espresso machine you believe is too hot? Well there are a few ways. First check to see if your espresso machine has an adjustable thermostat either on the boiler or the water intake line. Using a thermometer, get the water temperature to around 200 degrees, or as close as you can without losing steam pressure. This is where it becomes tricky. If you don't care about steam wand pressure, simply lowering the temperature may get you to an ideal espresso temperature.
If you are trying to steam milk and pull a shot, you may have some work ahead of you. First, you will probably need some form of "temperature surfing". This is where you bleed the group head for a few seconds until the hotter water which has been sitting heating up is purged and the temperature normalizes. After the water from the group head is running clear (no bubbles or steam), you have a window to pull your shot. This is also where you run into some inherent problems with home espresso machines. If you are using too much water from the boiler for normalizing the temperature, you may start to run out of hot water for steaming your milk. Essentially, this comes down to a case by case scenario, but be wary. Chances are if you spent enough on an espresso machine with a double boiler, you won't have these problems. A double boiler machine simply means you have a boiler holding water at one temperature for the espresso group head and another for the steam boiler. Now, onto the espresso!
Step-by-Step Guide:
1) Make sure your espresso machine is full warmed up and your cup is preheated. I know my Expobar is ready when the temperature is at 94 degrees Celsius, or around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Make sure you have a dry towel to wipe out your portafilter. Any water remaining will cause channeling which causes uneven extraction of the espresso.
3) Dose your espresso. Depending on taste, roast, and preferred strength I would recommend 16 to 20 grams (this is where a scale comes in handy) of espresso for a double shot. The grind should be very fine and adjusted if the espresso is pouring too fast or too slowly.
4) With your finger, distribute the coffee evenly inside the portafilter so that there are no noticeable gaps.
The goal when distributing the espresso is to have an even surface for tamping. Especially take careful attention that there are no gaps along the edges, as water will find the path of least resistance and travel down the sides of your puck, causing uneven extraction.
5) Tamp evenly. The goal is to make a level bed so that when the water hits the espresso, it is moving down evenly and saturating the puck symmetrically. Use no more than 30 pounds of force so that you don't injure yourself. Tamping harder will not affect how fast the water is going through the espresso. Grind and dose will change that (finer/coarser grind and more/less coffee). In this photo you can see I have three fingers touching the portafilter as I tamp. This is in order to feel multiple points on the portafilter and tamper to know how even I am. By slowly turning the tamper at the same time you can instantly feel if one side is raised above the other.
6) Bleed (or purge) the group head for a few seconds.
7) Insert the portafilter, start the timer and start the espresso extraction. Typically for a 1.5 oz (ristretto) or 2 oz double shot, you should be aiming between 20 and 30 seconds depending on how you like your espresso to taste. Again, changing dose and grind will slow down or speed up your shot. Experiment until you get the results you like. And I always recommend pulling your shot directly into your cup or demitasse.
The espresso should look like "warm honey coming off a spoon". It should never be very blonde, nor should it be a dark brown or black. And voila! You have a delicious tasting shot of espresso.
Enjoy some additional pictures from our shoot and please feel free to send me an email with any questions regarding your specific home espresso set up!
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