The holy grail, the Mount Everest, the nirvana of coffee—achieving espresso perfection is the goal of every true coffee devotee. In truth it is probably unattainable, and therein lies the fun; the next shot you pull may always be better.
TOOLS
- Espresso Machine
- Coffee
- Grinder
- Scale
- Double Basket, Bottomless Portafilter
- Tamper
- Timer
- Demitasse
- Measure out 910g of water.
DIRECTIONS
- Remove the portafilter from the espresso machine’s grouphead and set it on a tared scale.
- Purge the grouphead with water to ensure it is thoroughly clean and clear.
- Grind 18-22g coffee into the basket.
- Adjust your grind to fine powder.
- Sweep your finger across the coffee to distribute it evenly, left to right then front to back.
- Tamp your coffee using the tamper with the portafilter on a clean flat surface. Not too hard—just enough to seal the coffee evenly. Then spin the tamper to smooth grounds. This aids extraction.
- Set the portafilter into the grouphead and commence pulling the shot. It will start with a slow drip that becomes an even stream. At approximately 30 seconds extraction will start to come to an end, and the stream will “blonde,” or turn yellow. Stop the shot at this point.
Contemplate the beauty of what you have just created, and enjoy your coffee!