Every morning millions of coffee drinkers wake up wondering one question in their mind – how refreshing their cup of tea will be today? Will it be smooth as silk or coarse as sand. Although a lot of it is taken care modern home espresso machine.
Espresso is not a mysterious drink. It is not a type of coffee bean or a type of roast but it is actually the process which involves the perfect combination of the Machine, Grinder and Blend which together contribute to the final product. To be rather simple it is actually a method to brew coffee.
The Recipe
The final drink which we end up receiving depends on water temperature, heat and pressure, amount of dry coffee, amount of espresso that we are making, the time taken by the machine to produce the shot and grind consistency. While preparing a small set of digital scales and a timer is required to record the recipe.
The Espresso Process
Hot water is forced through finely ground coffee approximately at a pressure of 9 atmospheric pressurewhich yields a beverage with great aroma and taste. The extraction is carried out at a temperature of 90-94 degree Celsius using deionized water. The contact time between water and coffee varies between 20-30 seconds.
The amount of roasted coffee that is required per cup is approximately 8 grams. A single espresso shot contains 40ml approximately.
The ultimate secret in making a perfect espresso shot is to maintain a proper even resistance for the pressurized water which is required to flow through the finely ground coffee.
Since water being lazy in nature always have a tendency to take the path of least resistance. If the resistance is high water will not be able to flow smoothly through the coffee powder, and on the other hand if the pressure is too low water will run down through the coffee cake at a faster rate and will yield a thin, tasteless shot.
In order to prepare a delicious shot with a great aroma, the main factor to be considered is to maintain a perfect resistance for the water to flow.
The perfect resistance depends on the following factors:
I.Perfect Grind
II.Perfect Dose
III.Perfect Tamp
Heat and Pressure
Every espresso machine uses a boiler that brings the water to a proper temperature. The pressure required to pull a shot is generated either by a piston or a motor-driven pump. The main factor in making a god espresso is stability.
Any fluctuation in heat even a few change in Fahrenheit would drastically change the taste of the shot prepared.
The first must-have is a double boiler where in one boiler heats water for the brew and the other one heats water for the steam wand. The temperature for the two processes is different and is maintained as 212 F for steam, 200 F for espresso.
Humidity
Humidity place a crucial role in making good espresso shot. If the humidity increases the roasted coffee absorbs water and becomes heavier which in turn exerts pressure to the pressurized water to flow through it. To compensate for the above scenario the coffee need to be grinded coarsely. If the humidity decreases the coffee needs to be grounded bit finely to collect a good espresso shot.
Timing
While preparing good espresso coffee the timing plays a very crucial role. In general the rule to get perfect extraction is to have one 40ml shot of espresso should pass through the ground coffee in approximately 20 to 30 seconds.
Steaming Milk
The next step after preparing the coffee shot is to make the milk ready for a refreshing cup of coffee by steaming the milk properly. The main effort is steaming milk is to heat the milk at a temperature between 68 – 70 degree Celsius, creating a creamy foam with almost no bubbles.
Milk should not be heated above 75 degree Celsius which results in burning the milk and alter the taste of coffee. While preparing the coffee, the thick creamy milk blends evenly with the coffee shot resulting in a perfect cup of espresso.
Next time you are in a journey of making a cup of perfect espresso the above factors are to be considered and followed.
Espresso is not a mysterious drink. It is not a type of coffee bean or a type of roast but it is actually the process which involves the perfect combination of the Machine, Grinder and Blend which together contribute to the final product. To be rather simple it is actually a method to brew coffee.
The Recipe
The final drink which we end up receiving depends on water temperature, heat and pressure, amount of dry coffee, amount of espresso that we are making, the time taken by the machine to produce the shot and grind consistency. While preparing a small set of digital scales and a timer is required to record the recipe.
The Espresso Process
Hot water is forced through finely ground coffee approximately at a pressure of 9 atmospheric pressurewhich yields a beverage with great aroma and taste. The extraction is carried out at a temperature of 90-94 degree Celsius using deionized water. The contact time between water and coffee varies between 20-30 seconds.
The amount of roasted coffee that is required per cup is approximately 8 grams. A single espresso shot contains 40ml approximately.
The ultimate secret in making a perfect espresso shot is to maintain a proper even resistance for the pressurized water which is required to flow through the finely ground coffee.
Since water being lazy in nature always have a tendency to take the path of least resistance. If the resistance is high water will not be able to flow smoothly through the coffee powder, and on the other hand if the pressure is too low water will run down through the coffee cake at a faster rate and will yield a thin, tasteless shot.
In order to prepare a delicious shot with a great aroma, the main factor to be considered is to maintain a perfect resistance for the water to flow.
The perfect resistance depends on the following factors:
I.Perfect Grind
II.Perfect Dose
III.Perfect Tamp
- Grind
- Dose
- Tamp
Heat and Pressure
Every espresso machine uses a boiler that brings the water to a proper temperature. The pressure required to pull a shot is generated either by a piston or a motor-driven pump. The main factor in making a god espresso is stability.
Any fluctuation in heat even a few change in Fahrenheit would drastically change the taste of the shot prepared.
The first must-have is a double boiler where in one boiler heats water for the brew and the other one heats water for the steam wand. The temperature for the two processes is different and is maintained as 212 F for steam, 200 F for espresso.
Humidity
Humidity place a crucial role in making good espresso shot. If the humidity increases the roasted coffee absorbs water and becomes heavier which in turn exerts pressure to the pressurized water to flow through it. To compensate for the above scenario the coffee need to be grinded coarsely. If the humidity decreases the coffee needs to be grounded bit finely to collect a good espresso shot.
Timing
While preparing good espresso coffee the timing plays a very crucial role. In general the rule to get perfect extraction is to have one 40ml shot of espresso should pass through the ground coffee in approximately 20 to 30 seconds.
Steaming Milk
The next step after preparing the coffee shot is to make the milk ready for a refreshing cup of coffee by steaming the milk properly. The main effort is steaming milk is to heat the milk at a temperature between 68 – 70 degree Celsius, creating a creamy foam with almost no bubbles.
Milk should not be heated above 75 degree Celsius which results in burning the milk and alter the taste of coffee. While preparing the coffee, the thick creamy milk blends evenly with the coffee shot resulting in a perfect cup of espresso.
Next time you are in a journey of making a cup of perfect espresso the above factors are to be considered and followed.