How to Make the Best Espresso Shot

As you are expanding your espresso tasting palate and coffee repertoire, it is incredibly important that you become a connoisseur and a snob so that you can create the perfect brew every time. This is also completely helpful if you are ordering espresso from a local coffee shop or café, which we all have to do from time to time, so that you can judge their product and know if it is up to par. Firstly, I hope that you are using a high quality espresso machine for your home use so that you can focus on creating a premium brew products with advanced technology. The good news for all of you Java lovers out there is that there are many affordable machines, many of them under $1000, that have incredibly long life spans and are worth it once you do the math on all of these $3 lattes that you have been purchasing every day. It will also save you money to look for a high quality machine that also includes a grinder, like the La Pavoni Napolitana, which is only $600, and has a built-in grinder and coffee press.

Now let's get down to business on making the perfect shot. You will definitely want to freshly grind your beans to a fine consistency, and then tamper them down into your filter. Make sure that you do not tamp too tightly so that the water can still infuse the espresso properly, otherwise this will result in a weak shot. The ideal brewing time for your shot should be around 10 seconds so that you can make sure that your grounds are properly extracted. If you experience any issues with the brew being too fast or too slow, this may mean that you need to check your grind consistency because it could be to coarse or too fine. After that, you can take a look at your product, and ideally, there should be a brown, rich crema on top to signify quality. The color of the brew should be a dark hazelnut with a deep scent of chocolate and fruit undertones. It is important to drink your brew right away because the aromas and flavors will begin to compromise if you let it sit for a period of time, and the texture and consistency of your shot should be smooth like velvet, with a balance that is not overly bitter.

A few last things to note for the best brew possible is to use filtered water and not tap water because the chlorine content in tap water can affect the taste, not to mention create lime scale in your fine machine. Focus on a thick crema because this is really what reflects the quality of the brewing process, the beans, and the grind. When all of these elements come together, it is like a beautiful espresso symphony that means that you have made the perfect shot! Practice makes perfect, so don't give up, and use this time to keep striving for the best of the best.

See Also : Nespresso C100 Espresso Machine Cuisinart DCC-1200 coffee maker