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How much ground coffee to make espresso

We all start with whole beans, right? I always make my espresso-based drinks with a "double shot". The other day I heard an expression I'm not familiar with, what was it now? Oh yeah, something that sounded like "single shot". If you know what that is, please let me know. So for my double shot of espresso, 2 x 2 tablespoons of whole beans works out perfectly. The scoop that comes with your machine will be calibrated to fit your portafilter, so after grinding I get two scoops of ground coffee. That's perfect for the perfect cup of espresso coffee. You'll find that your portafilter will have a sweet spot: too little or too much and you end up with an inferior extraction. Just experiment to find your machines sweet spot but essentially, it's close to 2 tablespoons per shot.

Correct Temperature when Steaming Milk for Espresso Drinks

The correct temperature when steaming your milk is between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit (60 and 70 degrees Celsius). Once you get above the upper limit the milk will be scalded and the flavor of the drink will be ruined. Everyone of course has a personal preference; some like it not so hot, some like it very hot, but be careful with the very hot end; the flavor of your drink will be ruined by going above 160F.

If you are someone who likes to use soy milk in your espresso-based drinks, then the upper limit is 120F degrees (50C).

Most experienced baristas can judge when the milk is at the right temperature by the feeling the sides of the pitcher, but if you want to learn where your "sweet spot" is, get a milk thermometer.

What to do if espresso coffee extraction is too fast

If when you are extracting espresso, the water is passing through the ground coffee too quickly, you will not achieve good crema and the coffee will not pick as much flavor from the beans. There are essentially two things you can adjust: the fineness of the grind, or the pressure used for tamping. Either of these steps will create greater resistance to the water passing through. Tamping should ideally be around 30lbs of pressure (practice using some scales to find out how much weight you need to put behind your tamper). The grind for espresso is fairly fine, but you should use a grinder that has multiple grind settings so that you can adjust it till you find the right grind. The extraction should take about 20 or so seconds. If it's happening faster than 20 seconds and you aren't getting good crema production, then vary either or both of these things.
Hint: Did you know that once you open your coffee beans, unless you are storing them in a vacuum container, they will quickly start to dry. As they dry, you should adjust the setting on your grinder to be more fine as the beans dry - that way you will still be able to produce crema. The other thing is to use your beans up quickly!

Correct Water Temperature for Making Coffee

According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the optimal water temperature for coffee is 92 - 96C (197.6 - 204.8F) for 90% of the contact time.

Making Stove Top Espresso

Making espresso without an espresso machine using a stove-top espresso maker like this "Moka pot"  available from stores and online at Amazon.com.

The name for these stove top espresso makers is "moka" which comes from Italian. The pot is divided into a lower and upper chamber which screws apart at the center. You put water in the lower chamber and then place the piece that holds the ground coffee with the stem down into the water. Finally screw the top chamber in place securely. When the pot is put on the stove and the water reaches the correct temperature, it is forced up through the coffee grounds into the upper chamber. It is best to place the pot on medium heat and on the smallest burner you have. You need to keep an eye on it and remove it from the heat as soon as you hear the last of the water coming into the top chamber. You'll soon know when this is happening by the sound that the moka pot is making. Consider the size before you buy. You don't want to buy one that is any bigger than the number of cups you are typically going to make. Use good beans and grind them to a medium grind, not the fine grind you use in an espresso machine. As always, use high quality espresso beans. Unfortunately, you won't be able to make crema like you do in an espresso machine when using a moka pot, but if you are using good beans, you will still have delicious coffee to enjoy.

Espresso Vivace Coffee Roasters


Espresso Vivace Rosteria Cafe Seattle

Here are reviews of Espresso Vivace Rosteria Cafe in Seattle from Yelp. This is the place from which I currently buy my espresso coffee beans online from their website. Next time I'm in Seattle I've got to check them out. I was turned on to their coffee beans when a friend in Seattle gave me a bag of their beans as a gift. Anyone out there been to the cafe? And has anyone started buying their beans on my recommendation? How are you finding them? I highly recommend their Vita espresso roast.

Brew better coffee at home

At a price, that is! The fully-automatic espresso makers are quite a hit these days for those with cash to spare. As this article says, these kinds of machines are best considered when you're doing a kitchen upgrade (Ah! This is where the home equity loan comes in!) as one of these stainless-steel babies, along with installation costs, could set you back up to four thousand buckaroos! OMG! My recommendation to you is to spend a little time rather than a lot of money and read up on my easy-to-follow steps on how to make a perfect cup of espresso coffee, latte, cappuccino, flat white, or macchiato, at home with a machine that will cost you a whole lot less and over which you will have a lot more control, such as the Gaggia 16100 Evolution Home Espresso Machine I have a review of this espresso machine at ECS.


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