S2: Episode 12: Top Tips For The Home Espresso Machine Novice
For someone who loves their daily espresso, flat white or latte from a cafe on the way to work the idea of buying a home espresso machine is very tempting. But there are some things to think about before splashing your hard earned cash on such an expensive purchase, so this week's episode has some tips for anyone who has ever thought ‘hmmm…home espresso: how hard can it be?’ In this week’s FACQ we answer the question of how to go about getting a good shot and in doing so reveal what your daily brewing regime is likely to be if you do take the plunge on a home espresso machine.
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Hello and welcome to The Coffee Drinker’s Guide, a podcast for the coffee curious where I explore and explain the world of specialty coffee to make your daily coffee better and more satisfying.
I’m Angela Holder a coffee roaster and writer on a mission to fight back against bad coffee by giving you the knowledge you need to help you get good coffee and a happier (coffee) life in coffee-break sized episodes. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair and take a break…
This week's episode is for anyone who has ever thought ‘hmmm…home espresso: how hard can it be?’ …and later I’ll be answering a question about what you will need to do to brew a good shot of espresso - and giving you an insight into your new daily brewing regime if you have already taken the plunge and are the proud owner of a shiny new espresso machine so stay tuned for that…
The first thing you will need to brew espresso coffee at home is an actual espresso machine. This is perhaps obvious but I’ve heard people refer to a coffee being an ‘espresso’ when it is simply a short, strong coffee, brewed using another method. No, my friend: that is not an espresso. There are two types of espresso brewers you can use at home - the stovetop espresso brewer - also called a moka pot - and the classic espresso machine, similar to the one you would find in a cafe. Both use high pressure and finely ground coffee to brew a short, intense and mouth filling drink. But the big difference between them, aside from the price, is the speed with which they brew your coffee. While a stovetop espresso brewer can take minutes to brew your coffee, an espresso machine will deliver your shot within 30 seconds. I think the speed of the brewing process is one of the things that people find so beguiling about the idea of getting a cafe style espresso machine for home use. However, there are some things to think about before committing to such an expensive investment which I am going to get into now - and don’t worry I will cover stovetop espresso brewers in a future episode…
So firstly the home espresso machine and the brew
There are a wide range of domestic espresso machines on the market offering differing levels of intervention required by the operator to achieve the ‘perfect’ espresso. It's a good idea to determine just how much work you want to put into brewing your coffee before taking the plunge on one of these - frankly expensive - machines. Fully automatic machines require no skill or knowledge - you put beans or a capsule in the machine, push a button and voila, coffee! Though it has to be said, not necessarily a good one… Semi automatic machines need some skill and ideally a grinder to prepare the ground coffee for extraction. Fully manual machines require, in addition to the grinder, a commitment to acquiring high geek levels of coffee knowledge to both prepare the grinds and literally physically push water at the right pressure through said grinds using a lever. Owning a home espresso machine also comes with the responsibility of taking care of it. Given the price of these machines and the care needed to look after them, it might be worth doing some maths and taking a hard look at your coffee habits before buying a new shiny espresso machine. Remember an espresso machine is for life not just for Christmas!
Next the home espresso machine and the taste
A good espresso will taste pleasingly intense and strong. There will be sweetness balanced with a touch of bitterness from the crema which is the foam that floats on the top of the drink. It will also feel mouthfillingly heavy on the tongue and the flavour will linger in a pleasant way. If the extraction has gone wrong, which can happen really, really easily - sadly - the flavour is likely to go one of two ways: either by under extracting or over extracting the coffee. An under extracted espresso is one that is brewed too quickly and it will taste thin, sour and lack sweetness as a result. The crema is likely to be thin, patchy and disappear quickly too. An over extracted espresso is one that is brewed too slowly resulting in excessive bitterness, an unpleasant astringency and a hollow empty flavour. The difference between these experiences and your perfect shot can be down to a careless tamp of the grounds - by which I mean using a little too much or not enough pressure to press down the coffee grinds to create an even flat surface in the portafilter. Yup, its that sensitive. You have been warned!
Finally the home espresso machine and the bean
It has to be said that the high pressure and fast brewing aspects of the espresso brewing method means that getting the best brew out of the beans is a challenge. Aside from having to get the grind just right the coffee itself also plays a part. Fast brewing tends to magnify sourness so light roasts, which tend towards sourness, can become mouth puckering as an espresso. Roasting longer reduces sourness and increases sweetness so the best tasting coffee for espresso tends to be darker roasts. Single origin coffee brewed as an espresso can often taste like a caricature of itself - its main features grossly and unpleasantly exaggerated. To get a fully rounded, pleasing espresso usually requires a blend of different coffees with complementary characteristics to achieve espresso nirvana. If you are new to home espresso brewing start by buying beans that have been blended especially for the espresso method. This is more likely to set you up for a successful extraction than that light roast single origin coffee you love as a pour over would. Once you hone your skills you can then move onto more challenging single origin beans!
And now its time for a Frequently Asked Coffee Question…
And this episode’s question is…
What do I do to get a good espresso shot with my semi automatic or manual home machine?
With these machines you will need to correctly prepare the bed of coffee in the portafilter. This means both getting the grind right and pressing or tamping down the grounds with the right amount of pressure to get a good extraction of the coffee. So some skill will need to be acquired via the process of trial and error. Unfortunately the first espresso shot of the day is rarely a good one so if you really care about getting a good extraction - or shot as it is called - you have to accept that you will waste some coffee. As you make the first shot, observe the coffee flow and time how long it takes to pour. If the shot finishes in under 20 seconds and spurts out of the portafilter sideways it will be under extracted and sour. To correct this, make the grind a little finer and/or tamp the coffee down in the portafilter a little harder for the next attempt. If the shot finishes after 35 seconds and drips slowly it will be over extracted, harsh and bitter. In this case coarsen up the grind and/or press more lightly on the grinds with the tamp and try again. There is no real shortcut to getting it right - if it helps, even skilled cafe baristas have to spend a little time and sometimes use a lot of coffee to get the shot right at the start of each day. Only practice makes espresso perfect!
Thank you for listening to this episode of The Coffee Drinker’s Guide and that was all about home espresso brewing. Has this helped you to decide if you should get an espresso machine? Let me know by using the ‘send me a text message’ link in the show notes. Unfortunately, I am unable to reply to text messages but you can also get in touch via Instagram @thecoffeedrinkersguide or email me at thecoffeedrinkersguide@gmail.com if you have a question about coffee. The next episode is the last in this season and I will be taking a moment to consider where coffee may be headed in the future both as a drink and an industry. It really makes you think - so be sure to hit follow so that you don’t miss it. If you have a coffee loving friend who you know would find this interesting please tell them about the show and rate and review this podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts to help other coffee curious people find the show too. Thanks to my executive producer Viel Richardson at Lusona Publishing and Media Limited. You can find him at lusonapub.co.uk. Until next time I’m Angela Holder thanks for taking your coffee break with me - the best way to tackle life is one coffee at a time and here’s to better coffee!
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