Making Perfect Espresso

Making the perfect espresso takes practice. Time and patience are the two key words associated with making this cup of coffee. It is a process that cannot be rushed. Although once you learn the art of doing it, it won’t take you long to have a cup of your favorite brew.

Your have to start with a good blend of coffee grinds. This is essential so that you have aromatic flavor and the sweet taste in the coffee and the blend must be fresh. Experts recommend that for the best espresso, the blend should be no older than four days. If you roast your own coffee beans, light roasting is best. This is something you should look for when you buy the grinds. Dark roasted beans have a bitter taste.

The grinding process is especially important to achieve the best espresso. Most people that make espressos also have a burr machine for grinding so that they can grind their own beans to achieve the proper consistency. It only takes 25 – 30 seconds to do this, but you do have to monitor the grinding process. You must maintain consistent pressure in grinding. You do need to have a high quality burr machine to get the perfect espresso. A conical burr is best because the size of each grind is the same and they do not heat the coffee in the grinding. When coffee gets heated in this process, it does mar the taste of the final product.

When you place the grinds in the filter, make sure they are distributed evenly. The basket you use should have straight walls and be able to hold 16 – 18 grams. The water temperature should range between 92ºC and 96ºC and the pressure should be 9 to 10 atm. It is the pressure that produces the crema or the froth on the top. Before you pour out the espresso, heat the cup.

Once you have all these features down pat, you will have the best tasting espresso ever.