Espresso coffee is a drink obtained by passing hot water under pressure through a filter containing ground coffee powder. In the classic version, 7-9 grams of ground coffee compacted into a tablet is taken per 30 ml of water. This is a very strong drink.
Four M Rule
In Italy, the birthplace of coffee, there is a special rule – the “Rule of four M”. It is followed by all baristas, and here is how it stands for:
mishella is the name for the blend of coffee from which espresso is made. Don’t try to save money on coffee, because, as the old saying goes, a miser pays twice.
Maccinato – a properly adjusted grind, which is no less important factor for making good espresso.
Machine – coffee machine or coffee maker. Here you need to understand 2 “truths”: at the outlet, the water temperature should be 88-95 degrees, and the pressure should be about 9 atmospheres.
Bro – hand. You can talk a lot about this point, but the barista’s hands are the main thing in making the right espresso.
So, now you know what baristas throughout Italy are guided by. It’s time to understand in more detail how to make the right espresso.
coffee grind
All coffee lovers know that the right grind is very important for making espresso. To make the right espresso, the grind must always be fresh. What is it for? After the grind “waits” for a couple of minutes in the air, essential oils will begin to evaporate from it, and this will directly affect the taste of coffee.
It is also worth remembering that grinding affects the taste: too coarse – a sour taste will appear, and too fine – the taste will be bitter.
Formation of the coffee tablet
Holder – a device into which ground coffee is poured.
Temper – bar tool for pressing ground coffee.
The holder needs to be leaned against the desktop or the edge of the tabletop and with a little effort press the coffee with tamper. You can use the built-in tamper of the coffee grinder. It is advisable to avoid re-pressing, otherwise the coffee will give up its precious volatiles.
The correct coffee tablet should be perfectly even, there should be no coffee crumbs on the rim of the holder.
To make sure that the coffee is pressed correctly, the holder can be turned over: the coffee tablet should not fall out of it.
Coffee extraction
It is important to keep track of the time here, as it will show all your mistakes made earlier.
At this stage, all that is needed is to install the holder in the coffee machine and wait for the espresso to be ready. Main criteria: extraction of 1 cup of espresso (25-30 ml) – 20-25 seconds. The foam should be thick and not fall off within 1,5-2 minutes.
If the cup is filled too quickly, then it is necessary to reduce the coarseness of the grinding, and if vice versa – for a long time, then the grinding is not coarse enough.
That’s it, now you know how to make the right espresso. Stick to these rules and your espresso will always be popular with guests.
Relevance: 24.02.2015
Tags: Tips and life hacks
Manca la quinta M. La Manutenzione della macchina espresso. Se non si mantiene pulita ed efficente la macchina espresso le altre regole non bastano per un buon caffè. Controllare il sale, pulire i filtri, pulire i portafiltri. Sono cose essenziali per un buon caffè. Parola di una che ha fatto la barista per 19 anni. Cordiali saluti