How to Make Your Own Espresso Coffee at Home

Many people want to know how to make espresso at home. Although it’s a skill that requires a lot of practice, it’s not as difficult as it seems. In order to make espresso at home, follow these very simple steps and you’ll be enjoying a wonderful cup of espresso in no time. You have to understand that espresso is not just any type of coffee. It’s a genuine elixir that is addictive if you prepare it correctly. Being able to brew a perfect cup of espresso coffee time and again is an art, and you can be the artist!

Purity

To get the best tasting espresso, you have to start with fresh coffee and fresh water. Fresh ingredients are the best to use because they give the beverage a refreshing and crisp taste. Using ingredients that are not fresh could give an espresso a stale taste. As far as water is concerned, tap water is not the best to use, unless you have a filter on your faucet. If you don’t have a faucet, use bottled water. The product is only as good as its ingredients, so keep that in mind.

Aside from the coffee beans being fresh, they will also need to be medium roasted. Avoid using dark roasted beans.  Medium roasted beans have the ability to preserve the rich and bold flavor that you’re looking for from a caffeinated beverage.

What’s Your Grind?

Although using the correct ingredients is essential, employing the wrong grind could cause your beverage to take a turn for the worst. Make sure that you grind the beans very finely. The completed product in this process should be fine powder. This is the best way to expose the beans to an adequate amount of water. Getting the correct grind can be a tricky task – you want the beans to be fine so that more surface area is exposed to the boiling water to extract the taste from the coffee grounds. On the other hand, the beans should not be ground too finely because they’ll be packed too tightly and the water won’t be able to pass through.

Tamping

When you’re making an espresso, pay close attention to the tamping process. The water has to flow smoothly through the coffee that is in the basket. Tamping ensures that the water does not flow through only one or two areas, but through all areas. To tamp correctly, place the basket on a surface that is flat and smooth, then place the coffee grounds in the basket. The tamper should be used to apply 21 to 30 pounds of pressure onto the basket. This is roughly your body weight!

Getting the Perfect Temperature

The temperature is a little tricky for some people. If the water is too hot, your espresso could have a burnt taste or taste bitter. If your water is not hot enough, this beverage could taste very plain and lack flavor. The correct temperature range for the caffeinated beverage is 190° to 205°F.  You will need to complete the extraction process quickly.

Enjoying Your Beverage

Drink the coffee immediately after making your cup of espresso. Do not let it sit for too long as it will cause oxidation and the aroma of the coffee will be gone. That’s it, you’re done! Enjoy the smooth and rich flavor of a delicious espresso created perfectly.