If you are interested in making a perfect shot of espresso at home, you have to follow some important steps. If you are a beginner, pay attention to each step and practice well to reach your goal, which is an excellent shot of espresso.
I am sharing 5 things you have to remember while making espresso in this article, so read it carefully.
Things You Must Remember While Making Espresso
1. Use Fresh Coffee Beans
Anything you choose, the freshness of that thing matters. If you use fresh beans, it takes the taste of your espresso to the next level. Freshness is not like using beans directly after roasting. The ideal time of bean use is 14-15 days after the roast and adequately stored. To keep your beans fresh, often people advise you to put them in the refrigerator. But this is wrong; it just adds moisture and odor to your beans and changes their taste.
To get a fresh shot of espresso every time, buy coffee beans in small amounts.
2. Use a Scale
If you want a perfect espresso shot, then the use of scale is essential. As a beginner, it is best to use a scale until you become sure that you are doing it correctly. There is a fixed ratio to get a taste on point. The ratio for an espresso shot is 1:1.5 to 1:2.5. If you want a less concentrated shot, you can add more water and decrease it for a stronger one.
For a single espresso shot, use 12g of coffee to make 18g of espresso, and for a double dose, 21g coffee to make 32g of espresso.
3. Pre-heat the Coffee Machine
Pre-heat your super-automatic espresso machine before grinding the coffee beans because if the water is cold, there is a chance of sitting beans. Difference of a few degrees of temperature results in under extraction and sour taste. So always heat the coffee machine early to get perfect extraction.
4. Correct Grinding and Consistent Tamper
The right grind size of coffee beans is essential to make your espresso shots taste perfect. If your grind size is big, water can’t get saturated enough, and your coffee becomes under-extracted, which means sour. On the other hand, an extremely fine grounded coffee bean means an over-extracted coffee with a bitter taste.
The perfect grinding size is coarser than sand and not fine like a powder. If you are making mistakes, then don’t worry because everything needs practice and time.
After grinding comes tampering; it is vital to press consistently to get the right espresso shot.
5. Filtered Water
Low mineral water makes a good espresso because it gives a cleaner taste and resists limescale build-up on the coffee machine. Check the water hardness to avoid scaling; otherwise, it can damage the machine. The hardness from 35-85 ppm is acceptable.
Each point of this article is what you have to follow if you want a perfect cup of espresso. If you neglect a single step, you will regret it in the end. So, remember these steps while making espresso to get a tasty shot daily.
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