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Espresso

Who says you have to pay $4.00 for a latte? Espresso isn't something that you can only enjoy at the local coffee shop and it doesn't have to become a habit that eats away at your wallet. Making it at home is an easy process with a little practice. It does require the initial investment of a machine, which can range from $50-$2000+ but if you already buy a latte just about every day, the machine will pay for itself!

Espresso is a popular form of enjoying dark roasted coffee that originated in Italy. In Italian, the word espresso means "fast coffee." It is brewed using a high amounts of steam pressure to force very hot water through fine grounds of coffee.
Servings of espresso are usually measured in "shots" which are typically about 1 oz. The term for brewing espresso is to "pull shots." This comes from lever pulling espresso machines in which a lever is pulled to manually force the hot water through the coffee.

The defining characteristic of espresso is the crema which is a caramel colored creamy foam that floats on the top of the espresso. It is the caramelizaition of the sugars in the espresso and it provides a slightly sweet flavor.
Espresso is different than regular drip coffee in that it has a higher concentration of coffee per ounce, resulting in a very strong, full-bodied flavor.

Since espresso is so strong in taste, it has become very popular to use shots of espresso as a base for many specialty drinks. Some commonly known espresso drinks include lattes, cappuccinos, macchiattos, and mochas.

To learn how you can make these drinks, please see the drink recipes page.

The Espresso Machine

It is important to know the parts of an espresso machine and what they do in order to pull perfect shots of espresso.

Portafilter- this is the handled metal insert that holds the grounds of espresso coffee
Group head- the head that the portafilter inserts into
Filter Basket- a metal basket that sits in the portafilter. It is usually held in with some sort of spring
Steam Wands- these area almost always found on any espresso maker and are used to steam milk for making espresso specialty drinks
Tamp- a metal tool that fits perfectly into the opening of the filter basket. It is used to pack in the grounds. This is called "tamping"
Shot Glasses or Carafe- Shots are usually pulled into small glass or metal cups holding up to 2 oz. of espresso. Some machines also come with a small carafe used to catch the brewed espresso

Important Points to Know

Shots should pull between 18-24 seconds. Any shorter and the shot will be weak, any longer and it will be too bitter. You can usually see what a good shot looks like when it is being pulled. If it is pouring out like a waterfall, it is pulling too fast. If it is dripping, it is pulling too slow. A good shot will have a stream of espresso that looks like a thin little mouse tail pouring out of the portafilter.

Pull your shots as soon as you place the filled portafilter into the group head. If the grounds sit in the portafilter and are not being pulled, the machine will begin to burn the grounds.
Also, remove the used grounds as soon as the espresso has been pulled and place the portafilter back into the group head for it to remain hot.

Tamping your grounds is important to make a level surface for the pressure brewing of espresso. Usually, the filter basket in the portafilter has a small indented line which indicates where the grinds should come to. Be sure to press straight down into the basket to make a level line.

Finally, NEVER use a shot that has been sitting for more than 30 seconds. The longer espresso sits after being brewed, the more bitter it becomes. Oxygen reacts with espresso turning it bitter.

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