FAQ: How to pull a shot of espresso?

Equipment, technique, or just drinking the stuff

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FAQ: How to pull a shot of espresso?

Postby Raf » Sun Nov 30, 2003 3:20 pm

Okay, I'll start. If everybody can add a bit of data, maybe Phil can assemble it into a readable, crystal clear FAQ to espresso for newbies!

1. What is espresso?
Espresso is commonly defined as 7g + 90°C + 9bar + 25s + 30ml. (with a 5% tolerance). This means:

7 grams of coffee
with water of 90 degrees Celsius
forced through the grinds at a pressure of 9 bar
in 25 seconds
to get a 30 ml. cup.

Note: a lot of coffee afficionados use a double filter basket and pull what is really a double ristretto: some 30 -40 ml. of espresso, made with 14 grams (or even more) of coffee, with the other variables unchanged (9 bar, 90 Celsius, 25 seconds).

2. What do I need to make a decent espresso?

An espresso machine that can deliver 9 bar of pressure on the grounds.

Ideally, a burr grinder (for these requirements, see "FAQ on machines").

Fresh coffee: roasted within a week of preparing the drink, freshly grounded.

3. How do I go about?
a. grind coffee
b. loosely overfill the filter basket
c. gently shake the filter basket to distribute the grounds evenly in the filter basket. If necessary, use your fingers or the back of a measuring spoon to distribute the grounds.
d. sweep off the excessive grounds (you can sweep them back into the doser if you will pull another shot soon)
e. knock the portafilter on your counter and tamp. Use some 20 pounds of pressure (practise with a bathroom scale if necessary).
f. remove any stray grounds from the portafilter: these will wear out your gaskets.
g. lock the portafilter.
h. press button / switch lever. The stream(s) from your portafilter should be thick and wobbly, and look like foamy honey. If your shot comes out too fast, grind finer. Do not try to compensate by tamping harder, as this is much harder to do.

Test your espresso by pouring a small spoon of sugar on the crema: it should stay on top of the crema for a while.

TO THE TMC MEMBERS:
If you have pictures of beautiful shots (or the steps of preparation) to accompany this FAQ, please send them to Phil. Additions and remarks are welcome.
Last edited by Raf on Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

La Spaziale S1, Vibiemme Domobar (retd), Mazzer Mini Electronic, Behmor 1600 230V
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Postby Sunnyfield » Mon Dec 01, 2003 2:50 pm

Slippery slope Neku, I think an espresso is 95.5C (like David Schomer) and the official espresso association in Italy says 88C! Let's pick a fight! ;)
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Postby Raf » Mon Dec 01, 2003 2:53 pm

Oh, boy, the charge of the PID brigade! Everybody find cover! ;)
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

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Postby Steve » Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:13 am

Sunnys got his thermometer in his hand again :) RUN :)
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Postby phil » Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:21 pm

Hand? :lol:
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Postby Raf » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:40 pm

So, Phil, you think you can add this one to the 'FAQ' section? And maybe we should think about the next one: how to PID my machine, by Sunnyfield! ;)
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

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Postby phil » Tue Dec 02, 2003 8:24 pm

Yeah that'll "PID" everyone off! :lol:(Sorry to the non-English speakers)
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Postby alans » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:39 am

Just reading through it again with a more pedantic frame of mind.
An espresso machine that can deliver 9 bar of pressure on the grounds.

Might be worth adding (for these requirements, see "FAQ on machines") where we can specify the differences between pump / lever / steam pressure and how they all relate to real measurements of pressure.

freshly grounded.

That should be freshly ground. I know, pedantic.

What about adding something to the effect that this should be used as a starting point, not a bible.

But then what do I know:
12 grams of coffee
lightly tamped with the help of Reg
with water of ~95 degrees Celsius depending on how long I've left Ms Pavoni waiting. Anyone ever PID a Pavoni?
forced through the grounds with variable, intelligently controlled, lever pressure
in 25 seconds, plus or minus 10 seconds depending on pressure above
to get a 25 ml. cup

;)
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Postby Raf » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:53 am

That should be freshly ground.


Yes, excuse my Frenglish :) - I count on Phil to sort these things out. It's very confusing to distinguish between grinding, grounds, grinder and ground. Enough to make the ground shift under your feet!
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

La Spaziale S1, Vibiemme Domobar (retd), Mazzer Mini Electronic, Behmor 1600 230V
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Postby phil » Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:39 pm

I do sort these things out but I also try and wield my editorial "pen" very lightly.

BTW there are only so many hours in the day and I'm currently editing and laying out two articles from Michel (good on you Michel, way to go!) and also trying to sort out the homepage so don't expect me to produce too much of my own (although I must finish my Hottop article soon).
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Postby Raf » Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:41 pm

I know, Phil, wasn't putting any pressure on you.
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

La Spaziale S1, Vibiemme Domobar (retd), Mazzer Mini Electronic, Behmor 1600 230V
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Postby phil » Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:58 pm

I know you weren't.

Also, if I'm making excuses, don't forget that this is the time of year when I also spend a fair bit of time indulging in my other major obsession. On that subject, anyone seen the new book of cartoons called "Rabbit Suicides"? Very sick but reasonably funny.
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Postby mnemonix » Thu Dec 04, 2003 2:36 am

I hope you'll forgive me tacking this on to the espresso thread but what about cappucinos ? ok, i'd had a beer or two, but i was outraged by a post by Jim Schulman (whose roast profile experiments I admire) on coffeegeek in which he declared the 'traditional' definition of cappucino (equal thirds espresso, milk and foam) redundant by virtue of contemprary microfoaming and latte art which are now prerequisites of any good cappucino.

I wouldn't argue that it doesn't produce a nice drink, or that the American speciality coffee market had maybe even invented a new drink (deserving of it's own newfangled name i'm sure, double-half latte or somesuch) but isn't it just slightly arrogant to declare the definition prescribed by the culture that invented it 'redundant'... coming back to espresso, isn't most American espresso, NOT by definition, due to the typically higher brew temps used ?

Reading back through this thread I realise I've just slipped down Sunnyfields slippery slope. :roll:
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Postby Raf » Thu Dec 04, 2003 8:32 am

You're right about cappucino. Maybe best open a new FAQ for it. (Poor Phil!)
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

La Spaziale S1, Vibiemme Domobar (retd), Mazzer Mini Electronic, Behmor 1600 230V
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Postby michel » Thu Dec 04, 2003 8:46 am

Chris,
I doubt if equal parts of espresso, milk and foam is the typical 'traditional' cappuccino. Friends of mine who visit Italy a lot while slurping cappuccino's wherever and whenever they can... prefer the micro-froth cappuccino's the way they are served in most paces in Italy.
The cappuccino's where there's 'sea-foam' on top has imho nothing to do with the classic cappuccino and is just a creation made by baristas less experienced.

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