The Imbible

What Is An Espresso Coffee Machine?

What Is An Espresso Coffee Machine?

It is a device to prepare coffee with increased pressure.

What Is Espresso?

Espresso is a method of quickly brewing coffee, in which hot water at a constant temperature is pressed under the appropriate pressure through the compacted coffee disc.
Pressure approx. 9 bar

What Are The 3 Basic Flavours In Coffee?

Acidic, Sweet & Bitter

In a perfectly brewed espresso, we should find all three flavours that perfectly balance each other, giving a balanced coffee.

What Are The Most Popular Coffee Drinks?

What Are The Most Popular Coffee Drinks?

What Factors Do We Consider When Brewing Espresso?

DOSE – number of grams in a basket: 18g
YIELD – the amount of liquid in the cup: 36/38g
GRIND – grinding degree: coarse/ fine
TIME – 25-30s

How Do We Brew Espresso?

1. Make sure your portafilter is dry and clean.
Coffee residue from the previous brew and a wet portafilter affect the taste of your freshly brewed espresso.

HOW DO WE BREW ESPRESSO?

2. Apply the ground coffee into the portafilter.
Check the coffee dose using the scale: 18g

3. Level the coffee in the portafilter
by gently tapping with your hand (never with the tamper!), on the side of the portafilter.

4. The ground coffee should then be tamped.
Put yourself in a side position to the bar. Take the tamper as if you were grabbing a flashlight, with your thumb pointing straight down. When you start tamping, the elbow should be just above the tamper and your wrist should be straight.
The index finger, middle finger and thumb should rest on the bottom of the tamper, making it easy to control. The first tamp is not strong, this way we can even the coffee surfaces. Then, firmly tamp the coffee.

7. How do we set the grinder?
When setting up an espresso recipe, we need to pay attention to the following factors:
Dose in the basket: around 18g
Yield of the drink: around 36/38g
Brewing time: Around 25-30s Grind size: fine/coarse

If the espresso is brewing too quickly, then the ground coffee is too coarse, you must adjust the setting to a finer grind- on the grinder “finer”

Example 1

dose- 18g
yield- 36g
time- 19s (too fast!)

In this case, the coffee will be under extracted, that is, it will have a very agressive, sour and sharp taste which

If the espresso is brewing for too long, then the ground coffee is too fine, you need to change the setting to a coarser grind.

Example 2

dose- 18g
yield- 36g
time- 35s (too slow!)

In this case, the coffee will be over extracted,
i.e. it will have a very bitter, dry and tart

How Do We Steam The Milk?

What is the right temperature for steamed milk?
60-65°C

1. The end of the frothing nozzle should be placed about 1cm below the surface of the milk.

2. We then turn on the steam wand.
When you hear a “hiss” this means that air is being introduced into the milk.
Try to keep the jug very still.

  • the milk will splash if the nozzle tip is too high and introduce too much.
  • introducing air into the milk is most beneficial when milk is cold. When the temperature of the milk reaches 37°C, the aeration stage ends.

3. Another stage of frothing the milk, known as the spin/polishing phase, begins.

  • after exceeding the temperature of 37 °C, make the milk rotate by setting the jug at a right angle in relation to the submerged nozzle.
  • if the nozzle area is pulled out of the milk too quickly, the structure
    of the bubbles will be broken and large bubbles will appear, disturbing the proper texturing of the milk.
  • when the milk temperature exceeds 60°C, turn off the steam.
    We finish frothing the milk. The nozzle should still be immersed in the milk at this point. If there are large air bubbles on the surface, you can gently tap the jug on the worktop and then swirl the milk. Spinning the milk after frothing makes is silky and smooth, and prevents the milk from splitting.

4. What to avoid?

  • -constant movement when steaming the milk.
  • overheating of milk (milk over 60/65°C loses its taste qualities)