Taking a trip to Starbucks every morning before work can really impact your beauty sleep time, not to mention your wallet. However, giving up your morning caffeine ritual wouldn't help anything. This is why many Americans have chosen to bring the coffee shop experience into their own kitchens by purchasing home espresso machines. These machines are available at high-end retail coffee shops as well as through several online merchants. Adding one of these machines to your household can really save time and money, but the beverages produced from them usually do not even come close to tasting like what you'd buy at a real coffeehouse. There are, however, some tricks of the trade that you can use to get the most bang for your home brewing buck; learning the secrets of great foam can really help your finished beverage, but at the base of the drink is the espresso shot. Getting that right can really take your drink in a whole other direction.
Before you get started
It's important to understand what exactly espresso is as well as what makes a good shot and what makes a not-so-good shot.
A common misconception that many people have is that espresso is a specific type of coffee bean. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, espresso can be made from any type of coffee you choose; the thing that makes it different from other types of coffee is the way that it is brewed. Finely ground coffee beans are packed together in what is referred to as a brew basket, after which time small amounts of extremely hot water are poured through it and into a cup. That's it. That's the only thing that separates espresso from regular old coffee.
Next, since you know that the water coming through your grounds is going to be really hot, you might imagine that it's pretty easy to burn your espresso. That's why a good single shot for most home espresso machines should run for 15-20 seconds. Much longer and you run the risk of burning your drink, much shorter and you'll run the risk of indigestion.
What you'll need
In order to create a great shot of espresso, you'll first need to choose a coffee that is to your liking. Many home espresso machines now use "espresso pods," which are little tea-bag-like things with coffee inside. Unfortunately, if you have this kind of machine, your coffee options will be pretty limited as many manufacturers make their machines in such a way that other brands' espresso pods do not fit. Another drawback to the espresso pod machines is that it's generally pretty hard to pull good crema (a slightly sweet, golden layer that sits on top of a fresh shot of espresso). If you have the luxury of being able to choose your coffee, dark roasts tend to work best in my experience, and you'll want to look for something that is robust and bold, but not overpowering. Experiment until you find something you like. When you do, you should grind the beans very finely. You can have them ground at a coffee shop, or go to your local grocery store and use their grinder if you don't have one at home. The grind settings are usually labeled on the machine.
Next, you'll need porta-filters for your machine. Porta-filters are the handles that your brew baskets sit in. Most home machines come with these already, but you can usually find those online as well. In addition, you'll need an espresso tamp that fits your brew basket, a timer, and a shot glass.
The pulling
When espresso is brewed, it's referred to as "pulling a shot." This is probably the easiest and most painless step of the process. Simply pour some of your fresh espresso grounds into the brew basket until you have a mound. It should be approximately 1/4 of an inch above the rim of the brew basket. Take your finger and run it over the top of the brew basket to level your grounds out. Then, take your espresso tamp and use it to smash your grounds into a tightly packed stump. It'll take about 40 pounds of pressure to do this correctly. Gently tap the side of your porta-filter, then tamp your espresso once again applying about 20 pounds of pressure this time.
After you have your porta-filter ready, put it into the grooves in your machine, and make sure it's on tight because the water coming out of there will be pretty hot. Put your shot glass under the porta-filter, press the button on your machine to start pouring your shot, and start your timer. It should take about 15-20 seconds for your shot to pull and you should start to see a layer of golden crema on top. When your timer goes off, your espresso is ready! Make sure you wipe down the grooves of your machine with a damp cloth in order to avoid any nasty espresso buildup.
Please note: espresso will oxidize after about 20 seconds, so for optimal flavor, be sure to drink it or mix it with milk within this time period. If you're making a milk-based beverage, you might want to consider steaming your milk before you pull your shot.
Simple espresso recipes and ratios
*Ratios are based on an 8oz beverage
- Latte - 1 shot of espresso, 5 ounces steamed milk, dollop of foam
- Cappuccino - 1 shot of espresso, 3 ounces of steamed milk, fill with foam
- Espresso con pana - 1 shot of espresso, whipped cream on top
- Americano - 2 shots of espresso, fill with hot water
Adjust these ratios to your liking and enjoy!
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