Espresso Articles

Creating the perfect espresso at home can be challenging, but well worth it. Brewing espresso properly takes a little more care and knowledge than just brewing a cup of coffee.

First, make sure you have the proper machine for espresso. There are many home machines on the market, from small inexpensive models for around $30, to ultra fancy $2000 models. They type you get will of course depend on your budget and what you are looking for, but keep in mind that getting quality espresso will usually result in paying at least several hundred dollars for a machine. The functions to look for in a quality machine include: - a hot water tank that will heat the water to around 190F. - It should have an adjustable pressure meter on it. Good espresso is pulled when the pressure gauge reads around 9 atmospheres. - If you are going to be making milk based drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, you will want a milk steamer wand. Separate hot water tanks for the espresso and steamer are best, as the pressure won’t be depleted for the espresso when you steam the milk.

The next most important item is the coffee itself. You want the freshest coffee you can find. And it should be whole bean. If you are going to take the time to brew your own espresso, really make it worthwhile and grind it yourself! You can either purchase your coffee at a local coffee house, or through mail order. Try to only order as much coffee as you will be using in a week or two. Contrary to popular belief, espresso does not have to be extremely dark roasted coffee. The best espresso can come from a more medium to dark roast than a very oily bean. Too dark and your espresso may come out bitter. Also, if you are drinking milk-based beverages, don’t buy a light roast, as you need the espresso to be able to cut through the milk.

And speaking of grinding, you will want a particular type of grinder - a burr grinder. The common grinder available (and the cheapest) is a blade grinder. While these certainly do the job of grinding coffee beans, the resulting grounds are uneven in texture. Espresso really requires a fine consistent grind, since pressure is used to brew the espresso, rather than just seeping through the grounds. Burr grinders grind the coffee through rotating discs, which create an even grind. The burr grinders are also adjustable, so you can play with the grind that works best with your espresso machine. And don’t run flavored coffee through your burr grinder, it can gum up on the parts and cause the grinder not to work properly. Save the flavored coffee for your blade grinder.

The perfect amount of espresso for a shot is 7 grams exactly. This much espresso will should give you a shot pull of around 20 seconds, which is just about the ideal amount of time to create the best shot.

Sound a little complicated? It’s not - once you start making the espresso properly for yourself, you will never go back to your old way of brewing! A little knowledge and preparation will result in espresso that will rival any local coffee shop!

The home espresso maker was invented at the beginning of this century. Home espresso makers are much simpler to use and cheaper than commercial and semi-commercial espresso makers. There are two kinds of machines which are used as home espresso makers: the pump driven types and the steam driven types.

The earliest machine used hot water driven by steam to force through the coffee grounds. The machines later used mechanical advantages like a spring and lever.

Over time, the lever and spring were let go and replaced with electronic mechanical pumps. Its action produces a vacuum and draws water from a reservoir. A head of pressure develops as the water is forced from the other end of the vacuum. This pressure later dumps the water either through a boiler or a thermo-block.

The final product is then forced through a mound of tightly packed grounds. Espresso is the oil, flavor and aromas of the beans.

The stove top espresso machine is perfect for home use. Relatively cheap and easier to use than the other automatic and semi-automatic espresso machines, it forms the perfect option for the ones who have just stepped into the aromatic world of espresso.

Another machine used widely for making espresso is the steam-driven-espresso machine. In the steam driven espresso machine, a boiling chamber is used to heat the water. The steam created forces the water into the bed of the coffee beans.

The stove top espresso machine consists of a basket, a base, a basket screen and a collection chamber. Though it takes a comparatively longer time than automatic espresso makers to prepare espresso in the stove top espresso, the quality and consistency is one of the best.

Other than the stove top espresso machine, the automatic espresso machine is becoming more and more common in households. The espresso they produce is more consistent and the machines do not require as much fine tuning as the other versions of espresso making machines. The automatic espresso machines have a flow meter installed, which cuts the ‘shot’ automatically when the pre-programmed level of water is reached.

There are various kinds of automatic espresso machines available in the market.