The Complete Beginners Guide To Making Espresso At Home
Equipment
Espresso Machine
Boiler
The boiler heats the water to a specific temperature, usually between 195°F and 205°F (90°C to 96°C). There are typically two types of boilers:
Single Boiler: These machines have a single boiler for brewing and steaming milk, which means you'll have to wait for the machine to switch from brewing to steaming (or vice versa).
Dual Boiler: These machines have two boilers, one for brewing and another for steaming milk.
Higher end models tend to have a dual boiler which allows you to steam milk and brew at the same time. This is great for making multiple drinks in quick succession however for most people brewing 1 or 2 drinks a day, a single boiler will be fine.
Filter Basket Size
This is the part which you put your ground coffee in for making espresso. The filter basket size is mainly down to personal preference. Most commercial espresso machines have 58mm basket however home espresso machines tend to range between 51mm and 58. The only difference is that a larger basket will use more coffee grounds and therefore you may extract a fuller flavour.
Manual vs Semi-Automatic vs Automatic Espresso Machines - What’s the difference?
Coffee Grinder
Barista Tools
Barista tools play a significant role in ensuring that coffee beverages are brewed accurately, consistently, and efficiently, contributing to the quality and enjoyment of the final product. They are crucial for both professionals in commercial settings and home enthusiasts looking to elevate their coffee-making skills.
Here are a range of tools you can purchase for your setup which make brewing café quality espresso a lot easier. We’ve separated them into Essential Tools (what you need to get started) and Nice to Have Tools (great if you want to take your espresso to the next level).
Timer (Essential)
Timing the extraction process is crucial for achieving a balanced espresso shot. A timer helps keep track of the extraction time, which typically ranges from 20 to 30 seconds. We recommend either using your phone stopwatch or buying a pair of scales with a built in timer.
Beans
What type of beans to buy
Where to purchase them from
Generally, the fresher the coffee bean, the better it will taste and the thicker crema you will get on your espresso.
It's important to look at the roast date on a packet of beans to check how old they are. It's recommended to buy beans no older than 2 weeks a past the roast date for best flavour.
Supermarket beans don't tend to have the roast date on and can often be sat on the shelves months after the roast date. For the freshest beans, it's always best to purchase from a local coffee roaster.
How to store and keep fresh
Once you've bought your beans, keeping them fresh by storing correctly is crucial for making great espresso and preventing the beans from going stale.
Always store them in an airtight container out of direct sunlight. Never leave beans exposed to fresh air for too long as this can make them go stale quicker and therefore loose their flavour.
Brewing Espresso: Step by Step Instructions to Brew Espresso at Home
Making espresso is a straight forward process however there are certain aspects that determine the quality of your espresso shot.
The process of making espresso consists of grinding your coffee beans, tamping the beans in your portafilter basket, placing your portafilter into your machine’s group head and then brewing a 20 second single or 25-30 second double shot.
The steps below explain how to develop your technique for the perfect shot of espresso.
Try to create an even tamp to avoid channelling. Channelling is when water passes through to quickly in a certain area due to gaps or an uneven coffee puck. Using a distributor tool can be really useful for a consistent, even tamp.
What To Look For When Brewing the Perfect Espresso
Remember that making espresso is both an art and a science, and it may take some practice to perfect your technique. Experiment with different coffee beans, grind sizes, and extraction times to find the flavour profile that suits your taste preferences.
Steaming Milk
Not everyone drinks espresso neat, most of us enjoy a milky latte or frothy cappuccino. Being able to create well textured, foamy milk is the perfect way to make coffee shop quality drinks at home. When using your milk steamer, it's recommended to follow these steps:
Purge your steam wand to remove any stagnant water
Put the tip of your wand below the surface of the milk (at a slight angle) in the milk pitcher and turn the steam on. This will aerate the milk to create the froth.
Keep one hand on the bottom of the milk pitcher. When you feel the pitcher start to warm up, submerge the steam wand further into the pitcher
3a. If you want more froth, keep your steam want just below the surface for longer. For less froth, submerge the steam wand sooner.
When the steam wand is submerged you should try and create a swirl movement in the milk from the steam power. This will give you a well textured foam. If you are struggling to get that swirl, try adjusting the angle of your steam wand or try different sized milk pitchers.
Once the pitcher feels too hot to touch (60 to 70 degrees Celsius), the milk will be the right temperature to serve. You can use a thermometer to check.
After steaming, make sure you purge your steam wand and clean it with a damp cloth.
To get a good foam and texture in your milk, bang the bottom of the milk pitcher against the counter top to remove any large bubbles and swirl the milk around in a circular motion. This prevents the foam and milk from separating and helps create a consistent micro-foam texture.
Now it's time to pour your milk. It's good practice to pour from above your mug until you've filled it half way, then more the pitcher spout closer for the remainder of the pour. This helps make a well mixed drink and perhaps even some latte art.
Machine Maintenance
It's important to regularly clean and maintain your equipment to keep it in the very best condition. Old coffee residue and general grime can lead to bad tasting coffee and reduced performance. It's recommended to follow the advice stated in your instruction manual as every machine is different, however here are a few basic machine cleaning routines.
Backflushing
Back flushing is a great way to remove old coffee residue that could effect the taste of your espresso. It's recommended to do this daily if you make lots of drinks every day, or once a week if you only make one or two.
To back flush, you will need a blanking plate and some espresso machine cleaner such as Puly Caff (view on Amazon).
Descaling
Every few months it's important to descale your espresso machine to prevent water damage to your internal machine components. You can use a descaling agent such as WoldoClean (view on Amazon).
Dissolve the recommended amount (as stated on the bottle) of descaler into the espresso machine water reservoir
Put glass containers underneath the group head and the steam wand
Turn the steam wand on until about 1 cup of water has been dispensed, then turn off
Turn the machine off for 20 minutes to let the descaling solution work
Then dispense 1/4 of the water reservoir out of the steam wand and 1/4 out of the group head
Turn the machine off for another 20 minutes
Dispense the remaining solution out of the group head and steam wand
Now you should rinse the water reservoir and fill with plain water
Dispense the full water reservoir through the group head and steam wand to flush out the descaling agent
Refill the reservoir with fresh water and you'll be ready to brew again
Please note, the descaling and backflush methods above are general and may not be specific to your machine/cleaning solution. Always check the manufacturers instruction.
Making espresso at home is a fun and rewarding hobby to get in to. By following the tips above, you should be able to create your own espresso setup and start making coffee shop quality drinks at home. It may take some time to master the technique, particularly when dialling in your shot, but it’ll be worth it when you can enjoy a delicious and full-bodied espresso shot.