Making the Perfect Espresso

There was a time in the history of coffee when the secret to brewing Espresso was a closely guarded secret. Simply uttering the words "foamed milk" or "double shot" was enough to have you killed.

Ok, so maybe that's not true. But ask yourself, honestly, when you go to a coffee shop and see the millions of flavoured coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, and frothy hybrids, doesn't it seem like that's true?

I mean, where do they come up with this stuff? A double-mocha-latte with sprinkles and shavings? What was that? You'd like half and half with cream? It's enough to make your head hurt.

Luckily we've come up with this article to help you with your coffee problems. Oh, we're not going to tell you how to decipher the garbled coffee-speak you hear when you go to a coffee shop. Only God can help you with that.

Instead, we're going to show you how you can make the perfect Espresso in the comfort of your own home. Once you start with the basics, you'll be well on your way to becoming a specialty coffee master.

The Devil is in the Details

The secret to perfect coffee is in the details-in this case, the ingredients. There are literally hundreds of different home and commercial coffee makers available on the market, from tiny countertop personal Espresso machines to full size, industrial strength commercial Espresso and Coffee makers.

If you have at the proper tools to make your coffee drink then you're way ahead of the game. If you don't yet have an Espresso coffee maker, then you may want to first start with an article on how to buy the perfect Espresso Coffee machine.

For those of you who came to class prepared, let's begin.

Impeccable Ingredients = Excellent Espresso

All gourmet coffee drinks, no matter how mundane, start with one ingredient.
Coffee beans. So let's start there.

Fresh coffee beans are absolutely essential to making the perfect Espresso. In fact, they are so important, that some people even refuse to seal them and freeze them. Instead, they keep a bag of green coffee beans in their cupboard and roast the beans themselves.

In this way, only the freshest possible grounds are used. The longer beans sit exposed to air, heat, and moisture, the more they lose their flavour. If can't roast your own beans try to at least buy fresh beans and freeze them in an airtight sealed container. Never grind your beans ahead of time; they will surely be stale by the time you are ready to use them.

The second ingredient is the other side of any coffee equation-water. Without water, there is no coffee. Just as without coffee beans, you're left with a cup of scalding water. This is a paradox that could only occur in the Matrix.

Thankfully, you don't have to be a total Neo to figure it out. Fresh, distilled water is just as important as fresh coffee beans. Do yourself a favour. If you don't drink distilled water at home, go out and by a bottle or two of if for your coffee. Considering that coffee is really just flavoured water, it might surprise you to find out how much chemical additives or minerals really do flavour your drinks.

The Perfect Coffee Drink

Ok, so you've gone out and grabbed a few Espresso recipes, filled your bucket with fresh distilled water from the town well, and you've traded in your family cow for a jar of magically sealed freshly roasted coffee beans. You ask yourself, what's next?

Simple.

Pour your water into your espresso machines water reservoir. Remember to measure carefully how much you need. Too much water could mean a messy clean up later and too little water could cause the machine to boil dry and damage the pumps inside. As a general rule, it's ok to
have a little too much than too little. Obviously, you'd rather be cleaning your machine up rather than replacing it.

When that has been boiling for a while, it's time to prime your steam wand. Simply turn it on for a second or two and let some steam shoot through it. This is important because steam will collect inside the hose after it has been shut off, allowing water to condense inside it. This old, stale coffee water could add a funny flavour to your Espresso.

While this water is steaming, you can grind your coffee beans to the consistency you need them. Since every Espresso machine is a little different, you will have to grind the coffee according to the specifics of your machine. Some machines even want you to add the coffee grounds before you start boiling your water. Additionally, the amount of grounds needed for your espresso shots will vary according to the machine, but usually 5 to 10 grams of coffee grounds are used.

Next, it's time to steam your milk. After searching through many, many Espresso message boards on www.eGullet.com (You didn't think you were the only one with a coffee fetish, did you?) We discovered that most Espresso fanatics keep their milk around 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to note that milk will scald at 172 degrees Fahrenheit, so
it's important not to cross that boundary. Again, scalded milk will change the flavour of your coffee drink, which you don't want.

Now, add your coffee grounds and brew away! If you are brewing manually, you will have to experiment a bit with the timing for your espresso shots. Too little brewing time can leave your Espresso tasteless, while too much time can make it bitter.

Once you've mastered the fine art of brewing Espresso, you can branch out and find other flavours for your drinks. Try different flavoured coffee beans or mix them with other flavours to create new taste sensations. The sky is the limit. Espresso and coffee machines are only your your best friend when you know how to use them!

In no time at all you'll be creating your own double mochas with lattes and half and half's with cream.

Bill Schnarr is a successful freelance businesss writer, one of experience and diversity. His numerous articles offer valuable insight and cost-saving information to consumers on a variety of subjects.

This article was written for http://www.coffee-espresso-machines.com and may only be published with the webmasters permission. Gilkatho Pty Ltd has been given this permission.