Espresso Guide: How to Make Espresso at Home

Espresso is an Italian technique for making coffee that involves forcing water through coffee grounds quickly and under high pressure. This process extracts coffee bean oil that emulsifies with the water to create a smooth, creamy texture.

The Italian name “caffè espresso” can be translated to "express coffee," and implies three different meanings of express: the oils and coffee solids are expressed through the water, the coffee is made expressly for you (one at a time), and the coffee is made very quickly.

Crema ("cream") is a foam that results from carbon dioxide gas trapped in ground coffee. When water is forced through ground coffee at high pressure, this carbon dioxide mixes with other compounds in the coffee beans to create a light brown foam that floats on the surface of the espresso.

The espresso we drink today is the result of the espresso machine improving over the course of two centuries.

• Early iterations: A precursor to the modern espresso machine called a hydrostatic percolator was developed in France in 1822 by Bernard Rabaut. It was improved upon in 1843 by Edward Loysel de Santais, who showed the machine at the Paris Exhibition in 1855. Operating under one-and-a-half atmospheres of pressure (or one-and-a-half times the pressure produced by the earth’s atmosphere), this machine produced coffee much faster than other coffee makers at the time. It could allegedly produce 2,000 demitasse cups in one hour but under much less pressure than the best espresso machines of today (and not nearly enough to produce crema).
• An improved design: In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, was granted the first patent for a steam-powered espresso machine, but he never marketed his coffee maker commercially. Luigi Bezzera improved upon Moriondo's espresso machine in 1902 by inventing the portafilter (filter holder), which allowed for in-cup espresso brewing.
• The Ideale: In 1903, Desiderio Pavoni bought Bezzera's patents and made some changes, including adding a pressure release valve to minimize splashing and a steam wand that could collect built-up steam from the broiler. Pavoni's machine was called the Ideale, and the drinks it produced were known as "caffè espresso." Although this machine looks closer to what we use today, it still only produced up to two atmospheres of pressure and was entirely steam-powered.
• Mid-century breakthrough: Around 1948, Achille Gaggia of Milan introduced the Gaggia Classica, which used a spring-piston operated by a lever to generate the nine atmospheres of pressure needed to produce the now-signature crema. This lever is why making a cup of espresso is sometimes called "pulling a shot.”
• Electric innovation: Ernesto Valente invented the first electric-pump espresso machine in 1961. Called the Faema E61, his innovation meant that baristas no longer had to manually pull shots.

Espresso coffee is a unique style of beverage that differs from brewed coffee in several ways.

• Coffee concentration: Compared to filter coffee, percolator coffee, boiled coffee, pour-over coffee, and French press coffee, espresso contains more coffee solids—more than five percent, compared to the other methods' one to two percent. This gives espresso a stronger flavor.
• Beans-to-water ratio: A cup of drip coffee is made with a coffee to water ratio of 1:15, while Italian espresso is made with a coffee to water ratio of 1:5.
• Size of the cup: Espresso is traditionally served in a tiny cup called a demitasse or espresso cup.
• Caffeine content: Although espresso is more concentrated than brewed coffee, it is served in a smaller cup, so it often contains less caffeine. Brewed coffee contains 65 to 175 milligrams of caffeine per serving. A cup of espresso should contain less than 100 milligrams of caffeine.
• Grind size: Because the coffee comes into contact with water under high pressure for a very short amount of time, coffee ground for espresso should be very fine. This allows for maximum surface area contact during a short period of time. For other coffee brewing methods that keep the coffee in contact with water for a longer amount of time, a coarser grind is better.

While some bags of coffee may be labeled as espresso beans, you can use any coffee beans to make espresso.

Within the world of espresso, there are a few ways to pull a shot.

• Solo vs. doppio: Most cafés make espresso in a double portafilter that has two spouts spaced close together. This allows the barista to easily make two shots of espresso at the same time, or one double shot of espresso—depending on where they place the cup or cups. When the two spouts pour into one cup, it's called doppio. A single shot is known as a solo.
• Ristretto vs. normale vs. lungo: Espresso shots can also be categorized by volume. Baristas can increase or decrease the length of time the coffee is extracted to achieve the preferred volume. To avoid under- or over-extracting the beans, baristas change the grind of the beans; use a finer grind for a shorter shot and a coarser grind for a longer shot. Ristretto ("reduced") shots are half the volume of a normale ("normal") shot, while lungo ("long") shots are triple the volume of a normale.

Espresso is frequently used as a base for other drinks made with milk to cut the acidity of the coffee.

1. 1. Cappuccino: A cappuccino is made by brewing espresso in a slightly larger cup and adding steam-foamed milk. A cappuccino has roughly equal parts espresso, milk, and milk foam.
2. 2. Latte: The Italian name “caffè latte” means "coffee milk." Traditionally, a latte is made by adding a small cup of espresso to a glass of hot steamed milk. Lattes feature more milk than cappuccinos and less foam.
3. 3. Americano: An Americano is an espresso diluted with hot water and sometimes served with milk.
4. 4. Macchiato: The Italian term caffè macchiato means "stained coffee," and refers to espresso topped with a small amount of steamed milk.
5. 5. Flat white: This Australian style of espresso drink developed in the 1970s features a small amount of steamed milk and little to no foam.
6. 6. Mocha: Not to be confused with a Moka pot, which is a stovetop method for brewing espresso, a mocha is any coffee drink flavored with chocolate. A latte flavored with cacao powder, for example, is considered a mocha.

Making espresso at home is doable, but be aware it may not taste exactly the same as your local coffee shop’s brew. Producing nine atmospheres of pressure to force water through coffee grounds for 30 seconds is an impressive feat requiring heavy-duty machinery. Commercial espresso machines involve electric pumps to create that much pressure but typically cost thousands of dollars.

To be affordable for the average user, many home espresso makers use an entirely different method to produce an espresso-like beverage. These machines create a smaller amount of pressure (about one-fifth of the pressure of a pump machine) by boiling water to generate steam. The water is filtered through the coffee at a higher temperature and does not produce crema.

If you have access to an espresso machine, making the perfect cup of coffee involves a few simple steps.

1. 1. Grind the coffee beans. The best espresso comes from freshly ground coffee beans—preferably ground with a burr grinder, which produces more uniform particles than a blade grinder. Grind the beans just before you’re ready to brew for the freshest coffee possible.
2. 2. Tamp the beans. The next step is tamping. A tamper is a small, flat round weight with a handle—kind of like a stamp. You use the tamper to press the coffee grounds into an even disc. This will ensure that the portafilter can go into and come out of the machine properly and maximize the water's contact with the coffee. Don't press too hard, or the disc will become compacted. Apply light pressure and release with a slight twist.
3. 3. Brew the coffee. Gently slide the filter basket into the machine and turn the handle to lock it into place. Have an espresso cup ready underneath the portafilter. Depending on the design of your espresso machine, you'll need to flick a switch or press a button, and the coffee will stream out into the cup. Enjoy immediately.

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