Espresso brewing can be very misleading as many coffee lovers may just think they are brewing the finest espresso shot. In reality, many of us could use a few brewing tips to take our espresso shots to the next level. In this post, we’ll share some best practices and pro tips to teach you how to make a perfect espresso shot.

The perfect espresso is a complicated, and sometimes intuitive mix of coffee quality, extraction pressure and duration, water temperature, coffee grind, and roast.  If even one of these variables is inaccurate, your espresso shot will be average at best.

The Background of the Espresso

Espresso is an Italian method of preparing coffee in intense shots. A single espresso shot is around one ounce, and a double shot is 2. Espresso can be drunk as is or used as the base for common espresso beverages such as the Americano, latte, cappuccino, and others.

It is an Italian coffee-brewing method in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (approx. 90 °C or 190 °F) is pressed through finely-ground coffee beans under 9-10 bars of pressure. Espresso is the common coffee around Italy, France, and Spain but its popularity already reached all corners of the world.

The Perfect Espresso Shot

To begin with, the term “perfect shot” is a relative one since it all comes down to personal taste. Some coffee enthusiasts love ristretto, while others prefer a lungo.

However, there are some ground rules or characteristics, if you like, that may indicate a good espresso shot:

Crema – A good espresso shot should have a consistent surface of crema, a type of brown foam. Much of the unique flavor of espresso is found in its crema, which accompanies the dark extracted drink until the end, providing a unique blend of flavors.

Aroma – The aroma of an espresso shot is so distinct that it resembles drip coffee or Turkish coffee. The scent of the espresso is unique, and you can quickly distinguish espresso from other brew types just by its aroma.

Extraction time – This is a highly debated topic in the industry. Furthermore, it really is determined by the coffee beans used in your machine. Usually, a duration of 25 to 30 seconds for extraction will be ideal. This means that when you press the button on your espresso machine to begin the extraction process, you should observe liquid pouring out of the portafilter into the cup within 5 seconds. From then, your shot should take no more than 25 seconds to complete.

How to Make a Perfect Espresso – Step by Step

Like with every cup of coffee you make, it all starts with high-quality coffee beans. When it comes to espresso there are some rules you better follow in order to reach the perfect shot. We have already covered the main factors to consider when picking coffee beans for espresso. In addition, we collected some of our personal favorites in a list here.

Grind the coffee – For a single espresso shot, use roughly 9 grams of espresso roast coffee and 18 grams for a double shot. Grind the coffee until it is very finely ground. Different bean roasts and brands will need a different grind for your machine so you might have to perform a few test runs to get it just right.

Fill and tamp the coffee grounds – Fill the espresso basket (portafilter) completely with coffee grounds till it’s slightly over the top. Tamper the grinds evenly into the portafilter, pushing hard until they are fully pressed. To achieve the ideal espresso shot, the coffee grinds should be as even and straight as possible.

Water Temperature – The water temperature should be approximately 94 degrees Celsius or 201 degrees Fahrenheit. A difference of 2 or 3 degrees in any way will not impact the flavor, so it does not have to be right on the spot.

Grinding – Grind consistency and tamping are both important components of superb espresso that interact somewhat. Fine-tune your grinder depending on extraction time and tamping to guarantee you have the optimal grind for extracting excellent espresso shots. To put it another way, once you’ve perfected your tamping, you’ll want to change your grinding, finer to slow down the flow of water, or rougher to enable the water to flow quicker. This is your “throttle” for getting the right extraction time of about 30 sec.

Tamping – It is recommended that at first, you add around 5lbs. of tamp pressure and then reach 30lbs. of even tamp pressure after wiping the grounds from the edge of the portafilter back into the basket for perfect espresso shots. If it takes more than 5 sec. for the espresso to pour out, you have likely applied too much pressure, and vice versa.

The Barista Tip

Not reaching the perfect crema? You most likely have the wrong coffee beans to water ratio.