Caffe Espresso Recipe
Make Caffe Espresso Recipe in just 10m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Espresso
Equipment (optional items counted as ingredients for prep)
Method
Espresso
Warm and rinse
Turn on the espresso machine and let it reach full operating temperature (usually 10–20 minutes). Run about 50–100 ml of filtered water through the group head and portafilter to preheat and clean the system and to warm the cup. Discard the rinse water.
Grind
Weigh 18 g of freshly roasted beans. Grind to a fine consistency appropriate for espresso — the grind should feel slightly gritty and compact when tamped. Adjust grind size to achieve extraction time described below.
Dose and distribute
Place the portafilter on a scale, tare it, and dose the 18 g of ground coffee into a 18–20 g double basket (or use a single basket if specified). Use a distribution tool or gentle taps to level the coffee bed for even extraction.
Tamp
Using a flat tamper, apply firm, even pressure to compress the grounds to a smooth, level puck. Aim for about 30 pounds (13–15 kg) of pressure. Wipe the portafilter rim to remove stray grounds.
Brew
Lock the portafilter into the machine’s group head. Start the shot and begin timing. Target yield is roughly 36 ml of espresso (liquid) from 18 g dose — a 1:2 brew ratio. The total extraction time should be about 25–30 seconds from the moment the pump engages. Stop the shot when yield and time are within range.
Serve
Give the cup a quick swirl to integrate crema and body, then serve immediately in the preheated demitasse. Taste and adjust grind or dose for future shots if extraction is too fast (grind finer) or too slow (grind coarser).
Clean
Purge the group head briefly, knock out the used puck, and wipe and rinse the portafilter. Backflush the machine per manufacturer recommendations at the end of service.