Espresso tips, or, how to pull a decent shot.

Dry_bean

Always use freshly roasted beans from a quality roaster.

These are generalized basic snippets of accepted wisdom designed to help those new to espresso.

If you want more detail or explanation of the point jump in.

Dry_bean

Allow your machine, portafilter and cups time to warm up before pulling a shot. Approx half an hour is usually around the mark, if in doubt check your owners manual.

Brett_H

The ubiquitous rule of 3's (to be taken with a grain of salt): Green coffee stales after 3 years Roasted coffee stales after 3 weeks Ground coffee stales after 3 minutes Know your roast dates!

Dry_bean

Brett H wrote:

The ubiquitous rule of 3's (to be taken with a grain of salt):

Perhaps so, however it does convey the message that unlike wine coffee does not improve with age.

Brett_H

Cleanliness is close to God-shotliness 🙂

Dry_bean

Dry the inside of the filter basket thoroughly before dosing, a clean microfibre cloth is good for this.

Brett_H

Learn and embrace the idiosyncracies of your equipment... From temperature surfing to sweeping the chute today's learning curve is tomorrow's consistency of quality.

Dry_bean

Grind and dose are closely related, many use the 5 cent test to get into the ball park then fine tune from there. "Correct depth of the coffee puck is a whisker away from the shower screen at lock in" suggest you try the 5 cent piece test, fill the porta filter, tamp and place 5 cent piece in the centre top then lock PF in, if the coin is pushed into the coffee reduce the dose a little, the object is to have a gap between the tamped coffee and shower screen approx the thickness of the 5 cent piece. 🙂"

Brett_H

Never heat your milk above 70degC and the optimum temperature range is between 60 and 65 degC!

Dry_bean

Don't expect to fill the grinder hopper with beans and have them remain fresh over a couple of weeks, it won't happen.

Brett_H

Learn how your grinder works so that you can effectively grind single doses into your apparatus. This helps with freshness and repeatability.

Dry_bean

Brett H wrote:

Learn how your grinder works so that you can effectively grind single doses into your apparatus. This helps with freshness and repeatability.

If there was a like button I would certainly like this tip.

Dry_bean

Brett's tip is worth repeating. "grind single doses into your apparatus. This helps with freshness and repeatability."

Brett_H

Always start your journey with the double basket for your portafilter. It's less finicky and most requested. But I want a glorious single shot only: remove/skim the Crema with a spoon... Trust me 😉

Dry_bean

Brett H wrote:

Always start your journey with the double basket for your portafilter. It's less finicky and most requested. But I want a glorious single shot only: remove/skim the Crema with a spoon... Trust me 😉

Noooooo, sacrilege, our paths don't simply diverge here Brett they turn 180

Brett_H

Oh I absolutely agree with you in my own practice however my wife was a non-coffee drinker who didn't even like a single shot. Enter an article by coffee guru Luca and after skimming the Crema, she was a convert. Fast-forward a few years and she's a double shot latte girl!! Sure you can simply halve the shot and sink the second half but where is where it's the art, the manipulation of science and the fun in that... 😉

Koffee_Kosmo

There is a direct and closely coupled correlation with the roast depth and the set brew water temperature band of espresso machines A roast to second crack is coupled to 89-92 Deg C temp band KK

Dry_bean

When it comes to espresso repeatability is the key. So when establishing a grind and dose only change one variable at a time and take notes. Don't change both grind level and dose at the same time, when your reasonably happy with the dose weight (use scales if you desire, it certainly helps in the early stages) start to vary the grind, coarser or finer until you reach a point where you are only fine tuning.

Dry_bean

Espresso shot timing should be between 25 and 30 seconds from the time the pump is activated.

Brett_H

The art of making true espresso is more of a craft!