Espresso: Bir Bilim ve SanatIf you’ve discovered your love for espresso and are looking for a detailed guide, you’re in the right place! Let’s start by saying that making a good espresso requires patience and practice. It’s not just about the techniques but also about understanding the reasons behind them. By following the steps in order and correctly, you’ll achieve that perfect balance between flow, sweetness, and depth. Espresso making is as much a science as it is an art. In this guide, we’ll delve into each stage in detail. If you’re ready, let’s start creating magic at home and impressing your friends!
Step 1: Dosing and Grinding
Our first step is coffee dosing. After grinding your coffee, you should tamp it into the metal basket using a tamper. Ensure the basket is dry and apply a balanced pressure of about 15 kg. It shouldn’t be too light or overly firm. After tamping, make sure the coffee bed is level. For this recipe, we’re using a 20 g dose in a 58 mm basket. The grind size should be between powdery and coarse sand. On a scale of 1 to 10, a setting of around 1.5 to 2 is ideal for this fineness.
Step 2: Brewing
In home machines, the water usually starts heating up the moment you press the button, which can negatively affect brewing. To prepare the machine, flush a little hot water through the group head before brewing. A 1:2 coffee-to-water ratio is ideal, so aim to extract about twice the amount of espresso as your coffee dose. To explore different flavors, you can try the following brews with 20 grams of coffee:
• 20 grams of coffee / 36 grams of espresso / 28 seconds: Intense, acidic taste
• 20 grams of coffee / 40 grams of espresso / 30 seconds: Balanced taste
• 20 grams of coffee / 44 grams of espresso / 32 seconds: Watery, bland taste
Choose the one that best suits your palate and move on to the third step.
Step 3: Fine-Tuning
If the result is good but needs a final touch, you can fine-tune by adjusting the grind size. Grinding finer will increase the brew time and bring out more bitter notes. Grinding coarser will speed up the flow and highlight acidic flavors. Here are a few examples to help you find the perfect balance:
• 20 grams of coffee / 40 grams of espresso / 28 seconds: Intense, acidic
• 20 grams of coffee / 40 grams of espresso / 30 seconds: Balanced
• 20 grams of coffee / 40 grams of espresso / 32 seconds: Bitter
Enjoy your espresso!
Tips and Tricks
• Keep Your Equipment Clean: Always clean your equipment with hot water after each brew. You don’t want any unpleasant flavors to mix into your coffee.
• Water Temperature: Maintain the water temperature between 94°C and 96°C. If you prefer a hotter coffee, you can warm your cup by letting it sit with hot water beforehand.
• Use a Precision Scale: Using a precise scale for more consistent brewing improves your results.
• Clean the Steam Wand: After making milk-based coffee, always wipe the steam wand with a damp cloth. Leaving milk on the wand is not only unhygienic but can also damage it.
• Grind Fresh Coffee: Grind your coffee just before each brew. Pre-ground coffee can go stale and result in a loss of flavor.
• Use Clean Water: Using clean drinking water will bring out the best flavor and aroma in your coffee.
