How to Make Espresso Like a Pro
So you want to be a barista (expert maker of coffee drinks) and learn how to make espresso like a pro? Well, don't quit your day job! I'll show you the 5 easy steps essential to great espresso.
Water
It all starts with water! Don't ruin good espresso coffee grounds with bad water. Start by making sure the water is fresh.
How to make espresso quality water? Use your own water if you are lucky enough to have great tasting tap. I was not that fortunate. Pink rings in my sink convinced me I needed a water filter.
I bought an inexpensive hook on water filter that I absolutely love. It feels good knowing my body is not longer doing the filtering of subpar water. Plus, I no longer buy bottled water. So the savings were huge.
Coffee
How could we make espresso without coffee? We can't. The definition of espresso is coffee brewed by forcing steam or hot water through finely ground darkly roasted coffee beans.
There are generally 2 types of beans:
- Arabica
Be sure to select aribica for your beans or ground coffee. It doesn't matter so much what country the beans come from. As long as they are arabica.
- Robusta
The other choice would be robusta beans. These beans are easier to grow than arabica. They have twice as much caffeine but definitely less flavor. Of course you could use robusta for a quick jolt but use aribica as a rule.
Roasting
How to make espresso better? Roasting your own beans, of course! All sorts of methods are used for home roasting. From frying pans to ovens to hot air popcorn poppers.
I'm too chicken to use anything other than a coffee roaster so I can't vouch for other methods. But if you are adventurous see our section on
How to Roast Coffee
for more information.
Whatever you choose, NEVER leave your roasting coffee beans unattended.
Grinding
If you can use a blender you have the skills required to use a coffee grinder! This is an important step in how to make espresso great.
For the best espresso, the ground coffee should not be exposed to air any longer than necessary. A grinder will allow you to grind immediately before use.
Some espresso machines now come with built in grinders. If yours does not, invest in a stand alone grinder. I actually prefer the grinder separate from the espresso unit. For more information on grinders, see our page:
How to grind coffee beans
Maybe grinding your own beans is not for you...not yet. That's ok. For now, pre-ground beans will suffice and can be found locally or on the internet. Just keep in mind grinding your own beans is probably the most important part of making the perfect espresso!
Espresso Machines
Last but not least, the best tip on "how to make a great espresso" comes down to the machine. A clean machine of good quality. Avoid cheapo machines that rely on steam to create pressure. The best machines heat by boiler or a thermoblock. Here is an overview of the different types of automatic espresso machines.
Now you have the 5 basic steps on how to make an espresso...and a great espresso at that! But what about actually using the machine?
In the next section,
I'll show you the basic steps to operating an espresso machine.
And don't miss the videos for using a machine and frothing milk!
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