Important to think about before your first espresso brewing!

Choice of coffee beans

Espresso is a type of brewing method by exposing finely ground coffee puck to high brewing pressure of up to 9 bars to extract a small concentrated coffee drink with complex flavors. To achieve such complex flavors, the choice of beans is the most important and is the decisive factor About your espresso will taste fantastic or completely undrinkable. 

• Start by choosing whole espresso beans that are as freshly roasted as possible. Old coffee is harder to brew and often gives a very bitter taste. The reason why you should choose whole beans is that pre-ground coffee will never yield as good results as whole beans. You also lose the ability to choose your own grind level, which is an important factor when it comes to making good espresso. 
• Always choose whole coffee beans that the roastery recommends for espresso brewing. It will usually be stated on the coffee bag. About the roastery recommends the coffee for espresso brewing usually means that the coffee has its highest potential through that specific type of brewing. 
• It is very important that the beans are ground just before brewing so that the coffee does not lose its good flavors and aromas. 

Grind your espresso beans

Grinding for espresso brewing means that the coffee must be ground much finer compared to brewed coffee. Therefore, it is important that the coffee grinder is made for espresso brewing. Many grinders used for brewed coffee are often not capable of grinding as fine as espresso requires. Therefore, think about having a grinder that can grind coffee for espresso brewing before you purchase an espresso machine. Many home espresso machines often have an integrated grinder, such as Sage Barista Express, Sage Barista Pro and Sage Barista Touch, which are among the most popular choices. In such cases, you do not need to worry. 

There are two different types of espresso grinders. The first is a grinder with conical grinding discs. The second has flat grinding discs and is often used in commercial espresso machines and expensive home-use espresso machines. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but both types yield very good results when it comes to the actual flavor of the coffee. 

Press the puck before brewing

The word "Tamp" means in espresso brewing to press ground coffee into a holder to form a compact puck. About if the ground coffee is not evenly distributed in the holder, it can lead to uneven brewing and leaves a mix of bitter and sour taste in the coffee. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the coffee is evenly distributed in the holder before pressing the puck. 

Brewing temperature

The temperature of the water you brew is an important part of the process. As a general rule, one usually starts with a brewing temperature of about 93 degrees. Typically, espresso machines are already set to the correct brewing temperature from the factory, but About if they are not after measurement, you can adjust the brewing temperature on most espresso machines. Dark roasts are often recommended to be brewed at lower temperatures closer to 90 degrees, while light roasts require a higher temperature of around 96 degrees. About If you want to know more About about how brewing temperature affects the taste of your coffee and how you can use it to your advantage, please read our article: Everything you need to know About espresso.