Espresso
A double shot: 18 g of finely ground coffee in, 36 g of espresso out in 25 to 30 seconds, with a layer of crema on top.
Italy · Espresso machine · Hot · Very strong
- Coffee
- 18 g
- Ratio
- 1 : 2
- Temperature
- 92–94 °C
- Time
- 3 min
- Caffeine
- About 125 mg
- Espresso and crema 36 ml
Ingredients
- 18 gGround coffeefine, for espresso
Method
Flush the group head for 2 seconds and warm the cup.
Dose 18 g of coffee into a double basket, level it, and tamp it flat and firm.
Lock in the portafilter and start the shot straight away, with the cup on a scale.
Stop the shot at 36 g in the cup, 25 to 30 seconds after starting.
Shot0:28Stir the crema into the coffee, or drink it as it is, while it is hot.
Tips
- If the shot runs faster than 25 seconds, grind finer; if slower than 30, grind coarser. Change one thing at a time.
- Weigh the shot rather than reading the volume; fresh crema makes 36 g look like 40 ml or more.
About this drink
Espresso was developed in Italy in the early twentieth century, and the lever machines of the late 1940s gave it its crema. Water at about 9 bar is forced through a tight bed of fine coffee, which gives a short, syrupy drink with a layer of foam on top. A good shot is sweet and full-bodied, with its acidity and bitterness in balance.
