Make The Perfect Shot Of Espresso

Make The Perfect Shot Of Espresso

In the process of making a good espresso, there are many variables that need to be taken into consideration to ensure you end up with a good coffee.

Water

Ensure your property water is suitable for your machine. Every area has a different water type, and this has a different impact on your machine and choice of coffee, depending on the water hardness/softness.

Grind

We’ve covered this in our ‘Find your perfect grind’ tips, so you can refer to this if you’re not sure of how to set your grinder. The grind setting is very important in the process of making a good espresso, if you’ve ground your beans too coarse, then the water will travel through your grind much too easily, leaving a quick extraction, and not a great coffee.

Dose

The average double dose size is between 18 and 21 grams of ground coffee. A dose too big or too small leads to a fast or slower extraction time, and we all know this doesn’t lead to a great tasting espresso. This can be adjusted to suit your taste, and you should check the recommended dose size for your portafilter basket, as often these have been rated to a certain weight per dose; overfilling this will just make for an inefficient extraction.

Tamp

Ensure your tamp technique is working well for your finished espresso shot, an uneven tamp will lead to a poor extraction as the water searches for the path of least resistance. An even tamp will make for an even extraction, and a great shot of espresso!