1. Heat the cups
The amount of espresso in one cup is so little that it cools down quickly in a cold container.
2. Fill the portafilter with freshly ground coffee
Fill the straight-walled portafilter with coffee powder. Wipe off excess coffee powder, avoid pressing it too tightly. If too much espresso is dispensed into the portafilter, the espresso will be extracted too slowly and the coffee will become bitter and too strong. If there is too little coffee in the portafilter, the espresso will run out too quickly and the coffee will become diluted. The correct dose for one espresso is about 7-9 grams and for a double espresso about 14-18 grams.
If the grind is too coarse, the espresso will be extracted too quickly. In this case, the aromas do not have time to be extracted into the water, and the espresso remains too diluted. If the grind is too fine, the espresso will run too slowly and the hot water will burn the coffee. The taste will be burnt, bitter and too strong.
3. Pack the coffee grounds evenly and tightly
Press with a tamper with a force of about 20 kilos. The tamping must be done carefully so that the water extracts the aromas of the coffee evenly. Tamp the coffee powder into a dense cake, so that the water is squeezed as evenly as possible through the coffee, extracting each morsel of the coffee grounds. Tap the loose powder from the edges of the portafilter and polish the surface of the coffee by rotating the tamper.
5. Press the espresso machine pump on
Attach the portafilter to the espresso machine firmly enough and press the pump on. Keep an eye on the draining espresso and push the pump off when the dose is the right size. Programmable espresso machines make correct dosing easier.
7. Serve immediately
Always serve the espresso immediately as it is, or use it to make a coffee drink.
8. Cleaning
Remove the portafilter and tap it firmly to empty the coffee. Wipe the strainer clean of coffee grounds with a damp cloth. Do not rinse with water. Drain a little water to clear the attachment point of the portafilter.