How To Brew: Espresso At Home
Brew Guides
Espressos are the heart of Australian coffee. Syrupy and mouth-coating with a long-lasting aftertaste. Great espresso has a rich, reddy brown crema on top.
Method
- Remove handle (portafilter) from machine.
- Fill with coffee ground for your espresso machine.
- Press coffee tamper firmly and evenly down on the coffee.
- Lock handle back into your espresso machine and start a shot.
- As coffee pours it will change from a rich reddy-brown colour to a pale blonde colour before finishing.
- This pour should take between 34 and 40 seconds and produce 40-46ml of espresso (if using less than 22g of coffee aim for a slightly shorter shot time and produce a little less espresso).
- Admire the rich crema and sip your fresh coffee. Always serve with cold water or, even better, sparkling water (and maybe a piece of chocolate!).
Pro tips
- Every coffee is different. If you change blends, it is likely you will have to adjust your grinder setting to achieve the best result from your new coffee.
- Level out the coffee in your filter basket before tamping, making sure the coffee is distributed very evenly.
- Your coffee tamper needs to be a snug fit into your filter basket.
- Espresso should pour slowly, like honey. Starting as a drip and turning into a fine pour.
- Change to a finer grind setting if the shot runs too quickly
- Change to a coarser grind setting if the shot runs too slowly
- Always use heated cups to preserve the temperature and quality of the espresso
- Use the largest filter basket available to get the best results from your machine
Want to learn how to texture and pour milk at home? Read this helpful guide.
