Learning to Make Espresso
Posted on November 30, 2007
Filed Under Personal |
I bought an espresso maker last weekend and, while I’m loving my little Moka Pot, it’s proving to be a bit of a learning experience. While I have made a few pots of damn good espresso, I’m still trying to find the perfect method.
Some things I’m still experimenting with include:
- The ideal temperature that will brew a pot quickly, but won’t cause the coffee in the top chamber to boil and burn.
- The perfect amount of coffee grinds (I think I’ve more or less got this part down, although I’ve made a couple pots that were much too strong for my liking, and a few that weren’t strong enough; the real question, I suppose, is: to tamp or not to tamp?).
- The best type of beans to use (my favourite so far is Cliff Hanger Espresso from Kicking Horse Coffee; contrary to what the website shows, it’s a dark roast, not a medium roast).
If anyone has suggestions about the points I’ve listed above, please leave a comment with your advice.
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3 Responses to “Learning to Make Espresso”
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Ah, the joys of coffee! I’m jealous of your Moka Pot!
I really want a Moka Pot, but have never gotten around to purchasing one. It makes the best espresso for sure! I don’t think it can be matched with other home devices. Although, the first one I ever used was at a friend’s house in Paris. So it is slightly possible that my excitement and enthusiasm with this thing is wrapped up in the romanticism of the environment where I was first introduced to it.
My major source of coffee is the milder brew created by the generic drip-brew process and the french press. Both of which I love. However, I do occasionally want a rich, strong, and delightful “espresso” with a hefty punch. But all I have is one of those heat/pressure “true” espresso maker thing-a-ma-jiggy appliances which never really yields perfection, but is satisfactory.
My suggestion on your heating temperature and time….your ideal temperature has been reached when the water starts perking up from the boiler. Once that begins, take that thing off the heat source! It shouldn’t matter what temperature the heat source is set to, the water will temper itself and heat consistently. The hotter the heat source the quicker the boil, but as long as you get it off the heat when the water starts to move up the valve, the coffee should be safe from burning. (Similar to when you use a french press. Pouring boiling water over the coffee can ruin it, but pouring it a few seconds after the boiling subsides seems to be the ideal temperature.) Maybe that will help you out? If not, trial and error always works eventually. I’m sure you will perfect your technique!
Good luck with your espresso endeavors!
Oops, that was really long. Sleep deprivation leads to ramblings. Sorry ’bout that.
**off to nap now**
Ah! Remove it from the heat as soon as it start perking…so obvious! That will likely solve the burning problem. Thanks Seleena.
I’m also a big fan of the French press. It has been, until I bought the Moka Pot, my primary method of brewing coffee at home.
I do have a drip machine, as well, but it’s one of those ones that drips directly into a travel mug, rather than a carafe, so I generally only use it when I want to make myself a cup of coffee “to go.”