Tips on Making the Perfect Espresso at Home
Welcome to the Espresso Idiot's tips for making the perfect espresso at home. There are a wide number of variables that cannot possibly all be taken into account in giving advice in this area (such as the huge variety in the types of machine that you may be using), however there are some central points that may help you on your quest to make the perfect espresso at home.
"Technology is necessary, you have to have the right equipment to make espresso, but this is an art and your own performance in making espresso will contribute to the quality of the shot that you make at home. It is important that you take the time to learn this art to enjoy fine espresso at home."
Espresso Idiot, 25 October 2006.
General Points
1. Get to know your equipment. As with all machines, there are some peculiarities to all individual machines, no matter how standardised they claim the product is. You should spend some time reading the manual for your particular machine as it will have some helpful tips on what to look out for with your machine. These may include such things as water temperature, and features that your machine may have to assist in the forthing of milk. Be careful of such 'enhancements' as milk frothers as they may increase the froth that you have on your milk at the expense of the texture of the majority of the milk in the jug. Also, ensure that you take the time to read about the water temperature in your machine and if there is a variation between heating from the steam wand, and heating for the water used to extract the coffee. This is important and you may need to use the steam wand before making your coffee, or ensure that you have an empty jug to catch any excess water that is not yet steam that may come out of the steam wand while your machine is heating up. Nothing worse than watery milk in your espresso.
2. Take notes - Yes, really! What you will begin to see (or will already know if you have been at this for a while) is that espresso emerges differently as you change the way that you make it. You can experiment with the time that you allow the water to run through the coffee, the amount of coffee that you put in the group head, and such like. All of these things (as well as many others) have an effect on the finished product and it is worth keeping a record of what that is to help you settle on a method for producing what you consider is the optimum espresso for you. You should also note the grind and beans that you are using as well as the duration of the shot, amount of ground coffee placed in the group head, and it may be useful to keep a record of the amount of espresso produced for each shot. Don't worry, as you get better you will learn what suits you best and wont have to spend so much time writing everything down.
3. Procedure You should settle on a standard procedure that will suit you best for making your espresso. Remember that timing is key so preparing as much as you can in advance is a good idea. This extends to having your grinder ready, but the beans should not be ground until as close as possible to the making of the shot. Once you develop a routine you should notice an imporvement in your ability to prepare consistant good espresso shots. There are also plenty of tips about how best to use your machine to extract coffee, and once settle on the one that works for you, stick to it until you have it down pat.
4. Coffee Storage. Air is your enemy, as is light. Coffee is a perishable commodity and you need to make sure that you take the proper steps to preserve it as much as you can against the elements. Never, but never, keep coffee in ground form. This is pointless as it will be exposed to air and the taste will be affected as a result. If you are going to spend money on good coffee beans, you best be set up to protect them. You should ensure that your beans are kept no longer than a week, and if you really must keep them longer than this, keep them in the fridge. However, you should be aware that this will affect the beans, particualrly if you store them in a non airtight container - coffee is exceptionally good at absorbing odours from the fridge which will adversely affect the taste. There are also some people who consider that storing coffee in the fridge ruings the perforance of the bean in releasing oils, however there is nothing other than anecdotal subjective evidence to support this. If you avoid flavour tainting odours, you should be okay. Remember, keep your consumption of espresso at levels that allow you to stick to the one week rule for keeping coffee beans.
Professional Help
There are a number of professional barista courses out there that you can undertake if you want to get some help in preparing your espresso shots. When checking these out, make sure that you are going to get what you want from the course. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the qualifications of the people running the course, what sorts of espresso you will be working with, the machines that you will be working on, and whether or not you will have anything to show for it at the end of the course (some sort of official recognition award that you can take away with you). You may also want to know how many people will be doing the course with you so you can gague the level of individual attention that you are likely to receive on your course - this is important as you want hands on help with learning.
Generally the best courses are run by people in the industry but this is not always the case, some educational facilities do run good courses also. As with anything, do your research and choose a course that you think will work best for you. A lot can be gained from these courses and usually they are not that expensive to do. This can be a great way to meet other espresso aficionados in your area and compare notes on great coffees that you have tried and tested. Also, this can help you determine what sort of machine you should be looking for depending on the quality of shot that you desire to have access to at your home. Good luck!