Espresso is invented in Italy where many famous artists come from. Making espresso is a complicated piece of work and requires tremendous skills and experience. Making a great tasting espresso of divine quality is an art and a science both at the same time.It is a piece of task which depends on so many different variables. Any mistake in any single variable could potentially ruin your espresso. It takes a combination of expert barista, quality ingredients, good espresso machine and process to make espresso of excellent quality.
Barista is the most important variable. He has to be knowledgeable in the process of making the perfect shot of espresso. Basically this guy must have a deep passion in espresso. Knowing what coffee beans to use is of great importance. He has to know the quality of coffee bean he is using. What is the roasting level. He has to control the various conditions for making the espresso. Knowledge is one part of the equation. The other part is his experience. He has to know how the different factors will react. Then he can decide how to adjust any other factors based on certain changes in any factors. Judgement from deep level of experience can help him to know when is the right time to stop the pull to have the best tasting espresso drink.
Ingredients is the next most important factor. The two main ingredients are the coffee beans and waters. The type of coffee beans affect the flavours of the coffee. The conditions during the growing of the coffee beans and the processing of the coffee beans creates different quality level in the coffee beans. Poor coffee beans can be easily identified by broken beans. The level of roasting can give the espresso different flavours.
Water is another important factor. The taste of espresso is greatly influenced by the quality of the water. The impurities in the water can give the espresso some very strange taste. Always make sure that the water used is cleaned. A water filter will ensure that the water is cleaned. Freshness of water affects the taste too. Make sure fresh water is used for making your espresso.
The quality of the espresso machine affects the delivery of the espresso. Espresso is best made at ideal high pressures and high brewing temperatures. These high pressures and high temperatures must almost remain constant throughout the process. Therefore, the espresso machine must be built to ensure these two factors. These espresso machines use a electric pump or spring lever to generate the high pressures required. Espresso machine equipped with guages for pressures and temperatures is highly recommended. This allows the barista to check and monitor the two variables in the entire brewing process.
Manual espresso makers are best for making great espresso. They allow the Barista to have complete control over the espresso extraction process from start to finish. You can control the duration of the pre-infusion process. This affects the saturation of water in the coffee inside the attachment holding your coffee. You can also control when to stop the extraction process so that you can stop just nice before you get a bitter tasting espresso.
The process of making espresso is very important. To start, ensure your espresso machine is clean and in good working condition. Clean all the part of the machine which the espresso will flow through. Make sure the interior of the brew group and the portafilters are clean. Run hot water through the machine to clean the coffee residues inside the machine. Inspect the water tank to ensure it is clean before pouring water into it. Clean the milk frothing nozzle to remove any milk residues inside it.
You would start with grinding of coffee beans.Grinding coffee bean is an important step. The coarseness of the grind affects the rate of extracting espresso and in turn affects the taste. The uniformity of the grind affects the completeness in the extraction and thus affects the taste. Once the coffee beans are ground, they must not be left for too long. It is best to use them right away.
Pouring them in the portafilter requires attention. They have to fill evenly in the portafilter. The coffee inside must be compact with a good tamper with an appropriate amount of pressure. The compactness of the coffee affects the duration of espresso extraction. The optimum amount is 30 pounds. A weight scale is required to determine the pressure is right. The rims of the portafilter must be cleaned before putting it into the brew head. This will avoid any leak of pressure.
Pay attention to the espresso flowing out of the underside of the portafilter. Watch out for the shade of the espresso that is turning out from the spout. Good espresso should have a crema of thick brown colour. Stop the extraction when the color starts to turn lighter.
Planning is very important. Flawless espresso takes 18 seconds to extract. The duration of extraction affects the taste. Sufficient amount of coffee should be placed in the portafilter. This will create the right amount of resistance to the water for the optimal extraction time.