If you’re just starting out on your home barista journey or looking for tips and tricks to elevate your espresso game, you’ve come to the right place. While every espresso machine is different and every person has their own preference when it comes to desired taste, these simple steps will help you on your way to becoming an at-home barista pro.
When you visit a Pachamama Café, you’ll find our Five Sisters blend as our espresso staple for its perfectly balanced profile, delivering a creamy, sweet espresso with just the right roundness of fruit-forward flavors. However, we have many other organic Espresso options to suit your roast and flavor profile preferences.
SHOP FIVE SISTERS
Our standard recipe for espresso, and what we recommend for a starting point for home espresso, is an 18.5g dose and a 37g yield. This is a 1:2 brew ratio, which means you’ll weigh out 18.5 grams of ground coffee to extract 37g of liquid espresso.
Important parameters for pulling Espresso at home:
- Brew Ratio: Maintain a brew ratio of approximately 1:2 (dose to yield) for a balanced flavor profile. Whether you use 18.5 grams of coffee or adjust the amount, keep in mind that your final weight should be double your dry weight.
- Water Temperature: Use water at around 200-203°F (93-95°C) for optimal extraction.
- Grind Size: Use a medium-fine grind to achieve balanced extraction. You’ll have to find just the right grind size for your machine, so the water moves through the grounds neither too quickly nor too slowly.
- Tamping Pressure: Apply consistent and firm tamping pressure to ensure even extraction.
- Brew Time: Aim for 25-30 seconds for a well-extracted shot. Note that this is ultimately impacted by both grind size and tamping pressure.
Step-by-step Espresso guide:
- Begin by weighing out 18.5 grams of coffee into your portafilter.
- Level the grounds and tamp evenly to remove air pockets throughout.
- You want to only apply enough pressure to fill in the gaps and not press too hard where no water can run through and saturate the grounds.
- Lock the portafilter into the group head, get your espresso cup and scale ready.
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Start the preinfusion stage for about 5 seconds to evenly saturate the grounds
- Begin to pull your shot until you have ~37 grams of espresso
- Note: Aim for a brew time between 25 and 30 seconds. If it is outside that parameter, it may be too sour or too bitter.
- Once you have your shot pulled, enjoy plain or add in your choice of steamed milk, sweetener and enjoy!
Other tips for the best Espresso at home:
- Espresso Cup: Serve the shot in a preheated espresso cup to maintain temperature.
- Taste: Adjust grind size and extraction time to achieve a balanced shot with desirable sweetness, acidity, and body. If too bitter, grind coarser, and if too sour, grind finer.
Keep in mind that individual preferences may vary, so feel free to experiment with different parameters to find the perfect balance that suits your taste preferences and the specific coffee beans you are using. Enjoy playing with your espresso!
