10 Rules For A Perfect Cup of Espresso

Everyone can make Espresso, but the perfect one must follow some rules. Some people say the barista can make the perfect Espresso. No, it is not always like that. You can also pull the Espresso perfectly by yourself if you follow our 10 rules for a perfect Espresso. However, everything can be learned through practice.

Rule #1: Have a Fundamental Knowledge for Coffee

Of course, you must have a very basic foundation of coffee. Initially, you have to know which machine is used for. The type of coffee beans you choose can also affect the quality of the Espresso. Then, some primary barista techniques are important to know before you can make the perfect cup of Espresso.  

Rule #2: Coffee Related Equipment

Before you can start pulling an Espresso, you need to have a top-grade Espresso machine. It would be best if you also had a coffee grinder to grind the coffee beans. Additional equipment goes along during the process, such as scale, portafilter, cups, tamper, filtered water, and timer.

Rule #3: Know the Coffee Beans

There are 4 four types of coffee beans, such as Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa. The coffee bean for a perfect Espresso has to be at its finest quality because it offers an exquisite aroma and flavor to the coffee.

Rule #4: The Preparation

During making Espresso, you do not want to run back and forth to pick the equipment or ingredient up. Therefore, preparation is an essential stage where you need to put every ingredient and related equipment together in hand reach.

Rule #5: Grinding

Grinding is easy and quick to do because you have the grinder machine already. The perfect Espresso requires a fine grind. Therefore, you have to make sure that your coffee beans are coarse. It should not look like table salt.

Rule #6: The Doses

You can put 18 grams of coffee beans in a scale for a double basket, which will produce 27 grams of liquid Espresso. In addition, if you add 20 grams of coffee beans, it will result in 30 grams of Espresso that is equivalent to 1.5 oz. However, it is important to note that the excessive coffee quantity will block the water from passing through the coffee layers, resulting in a burnt taste. 

Rule #7: Channeling

We often see the barista tapping the portafilter. The reason for tapping is to make sure that the filtered water will be flown through every area in the portafilter. By doing this, the coffee and water are distributed evenly, resulting in the perfect shot of Espresso extraction.

Rule #8: Tamping

Use the tamper handle to tamp the coffee bean. Then, you can patiently put the pressure on the coffee bean consistently and gently to level all the spots.

Rule #9: Temperature

The temperature to make a perfect Espresso must be between 195 to 205 °F (90.5°C - 96°C). If the temperature is higher than the recommended one, the coffee will be over-extracted, resulting in a bad aroma and a bitter flavor.

Rule #10: It's Brewing Time!

Set a timer on the coffee machine! Before you insert the portafilter, you can flush water on it for a few seconds. Then, start brewing for 25 seconds for 30g of liquid Espresso! Then, stop it once you get enough Espresso!

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