How to make good Espresso?

If a barista make a cup of ideal espresso coffee, and tells me that he cannot make Brewing Coffee.It is not a big deal.Becasue there are specialties within them，and the taste has layers.

However, if a barista tells you that he cannot make an Espresso……

But，the price of Espresso in a coffee shop is the lowest，it has the lowest rate of production，or it can only be hidden in the menu; for some coffee shops that do not pursue the quality of coffee，it will even refuse to make Espresso.

An Espresso is not only a test to a barista, but a kind of skill，a lot of it is about the passion in coffee.

Coffee shops that do not sell Espresso is not a good coffee shop；
A barista that do not know how to make Espresso is not a good barista.
                                                                                       —— Worthord

Espresso represents half of the coffee industry.

An ideal cup of Espresso is the balance of all the elements including clear taste, a sweet flavor, not bitter, after drink.  Specifically，it means a balance taste in between sour, bitter and sweet taste; the taste should be rich, consistent and everlasting; the fresh taste will be like a rhythm that makes people feel memorable ～　　

So, enough talk for now. Allow me to explain 5 points for good espresso：

1. the standard of （Espresso）

2. How to enjoy tasting Italian（Espresso）

3. Factors affecting the quality of Espresso

4. How to adjust the Espresso formula

5. Different concentrated Espresso recipes around the world

The Standard of Italian（Espresso）

In WBC (World Barista Championship)，concentrated （Espresso）needs to meet the following conditions：
　　
　　A. The capacity of an espresso coffee is 1 ounce (ounce) (including fat (crema) 25-35ml)
　　
　　B. An espresso coffee is extracted from a few grams of coffee (depending on the amount of coffee and grinding)
　　
　　C. The water temperature used for the extraction is between 90.5 and 96 degrees Celsius (between 195 and 25 degrees Fahrenheit)
　　
　　D. The extraction pressure of the espresso machine is between 8.5 and 9.5 atmospheres

　　
       E.Coffee extraction time is best between 20-30 seconds, but this is not mandatory.

　　F. With the same Espresso drink，the difference between the extraction time must be controlled within 3.0 seconds

　   G. Italian espresso must be placed in a coffee cup with a capacity of 60-90ml (2-3 ounces ounce),

　　H. Tasting Espresso must be accompanied by coffee spoon, paper towels and water.

 

How to enjoy tasting Italian（Espresso）

Color：Observe the （crema）color、the uniformity of color、the thickness、and the degree of extension etc；

Odor：Caramel incense, nuts, chocolate and so on;

Taste：The sweet, sour, pureness and the finish etc., you must be aware about the （bittersweet）taste of the Espresso, the level and the balance.

Memorable：After drink, feel the coffee that remains in the mouth, which respresents the remaining rhythm like the scent, the taste etc.

 

Factors affecting the quality of Espresso

• Coffee Beans

　　You cannot make a good cup of Espresso without choosing good coffee beans. Choosing the right coffee beans must equip with what Espresso needs in terms of sweetness, fragrance and smoothness. Coffee beans must be fresh.

• Baking　　

　　Deep baked coffee beans will have bitter taste，excessive baking will even make coffee lose most of the flavor. Experienced baker will use deep baking to keep Espresso sweet. Different baking levels will result in different flavors and is required to combine different extraction parameters.

• Grinding

　　High quality grinder must be used.，Try to avoid the heat of the disc to avoid the coffee flavor. The size of the grinded product must be related to factors like the weather 、the degree of baking of coffee beans、the freshness、the humidity level、the age of grinding machine as well as other factors.

There is a saying in the industry：“the precision of grinding is ever changing, it is only the wrong grinding habit that will never be changed ”.

• Retrieve powder Distribute Powder

　　After grinding, and prior to applying pressure, the coffee powder must be distributed evenly in the powder bowl handle.and better have a good coffee funnel to make sure can keep the coffee powder come out correctly.

 

• Degree of Tamping Pressure

　　There are a variety of styles in pressure filling，and there are no two pressure filling that are the same in this world.

In general, if it is pressure filling, the demanded pressure is 25kg/m2，but pressure filling is actually the most flexible parameter. The key point is to apply pressure to make it flat, and uniform. So we need more better coffee tampers and tamping station to make the tamping easily and quickly.

That is the most important part for the Espresso.

1. Have to check the good tampers and distribution tools, please click to see Which espresso tamper Better.

And need a tamping station to support the portafilter and the tamper, sometimes baristas need more better coffee tools like these:

 

• Water Pressure

　Modern coffee machines today are much more advance than the old LAVA machines，the water pressure can be controlled by a pump. Espresso’s ideal pressure is at 9 BAR in general，this is the best extraction pressure recognized by everyone.

• Water Temperature

　　The water temperature needs to be based on the needs of different varieties of coffee beans，some of it will be subjected to the boiler pressure，others will be subjected the flexibility and the precise setting. According to the experience of most barista，the water temperature is between 90 and 92 degrees Celsius，each barista can make flexible adjustment based on his understanding and needs. Of course, in reality, you will not adjust it.

• Powder Content

　　The powder content of single Espresso is around 7~10grams of coffee powder，a double requires 14~20grams，which is based on the maximum capacity of the powder bowl and the formula in the coffee shop. Have to got better Scale for barista Espresso job.

 

•  Extraction Time

　　The extraction time of Espresso Gold Cup extraction is between 20 and 30 seconds. But, during the extraction time, the performance depends on a couple of factors including  filling, the content of powder and degree of grinding ，which requires the barista to have a good understanding of Espresso to make adjustment.

•  Extraction Quantity

　　There is an old saying that a single Espresso weights 30ml，two of them will require 60ml of extraction. But, by using an electronic scale, it will produce a more accurate measurement because the status of the coffee beans will affect the volume of grease. The specific value depends on the formula.

        But How to adjust the Espresso formula to make good espresso and what Different from concentrated Espresso recipes around the world, we will talk next artical.