Espresso Recipe

Warm and flush group

Turn on the espresso machine and allow it to reach stable brew temperature (usually 15–30 minutes for many machines). Run a short water flush through the group head and portafilter to stabilize temperature and clean any residue. Use approximately 50–100 ml of boiler water for flushing; discard.

Warm cup

Place the demitasse cup or shot glass on the cup warmer or rinse it with hot water to keep the shot temperature stable after extraction.

Prepare equipment

Ensure the portafilter is clean and dry, the tamper is at hand, the knock box is empty, and the scale and timer are ready.

Weigh beans

Weigh 18 g of fresh espresso coffee beans (adjust 16–20 g to taste or basket size).

Grind

Grind the beans on a fine espresso setting. Target a grind that yields a 36 ml extraction in about 25–30 seconds. Grind directly into the portafilter basket or into a dosing cup to avoid losing aroma.

Distribute

Evenly distribute the ground coffee in the portafilter basket. Use finger(s) or a distribution tool to level the bed and avoid large clumps or channels.

Tamp

Lock the portafilter on a flat surface and apply a firm, level tamp of about 15–20 kg of pressure to create a smooth, even coffee puck. Polish the tamp with a slight twist so the surface is smooth and level.

Purge and lock-in

Purge a small amount of hot water through the group head to remove residual grounds and stabilize pressure. Immediately lock the portafilter into the group head.

Begin extraction

Place the warmed cup or shot glass under the spout(s). Start the shot and simultaneously start a timer/scale. Target a brew ratio of 1:2 (18 g dose to ~36 ml liquid) with an extraction time of 25–30 seconds. Adjust grind finer if extraction is too fast (<20 s) or coarser if too slow (>35 s).

Watch the crema

Observe the flow: it should start as a steady, syrupy stream that looks like warm honey and end with a lighter, blonding color. Stop the extraction when the yield reaches 36 ml or when the stream becomes pale and watery.

Serve

Wipe the spouts, remove the portafilter, knock out the spent puck into the knock box, and immediately serve the espresso in the warmed cup. Serve as-is or use as the base for milk drinks.

Dialing in

If the shot tastes sour and under-extracted, grind finer or increase extraction time slightly. If it tastes bitter and over-extracted, grind coarser or reduce extraction time. Small changes in dose (±0.5 g) and yield (±2–4 ml) also affect balance.

Clean-up

Purge and wipe the group head after extraction, backflush the machine per manufacturer’s instructions at the end of the day, and empty the knock box. Regularly clean the grinder, portafilters, and shower screen for consistent results.