First let me begin by explaining the three main variables of preparing great espresso.. Chris Coffee Service Vetrano

Vetrano

Brewing Espresso

First let me begin by explaining the three main variables of preparing great espresso.

1. Quantity of ground coffee

2. Tamp firmness

3. The grind

The quantity of ground coffee.

Loosely fill the basket slightly mounding over the top. Then lightly run your finger arched across the basket from left to right, right to left, front to back, and then lay your finger flat on the basket and go from back to front to remove any excess coffee. This technique helps fill any voids in the basket to help achieve an even extraction.

Tamp firmness.

After filling the basket with coffee then use your tamper to apply 30lbs of pressure evenly on the coffee bed. Then without applying any pressure lightly twist the tamper on the bed of coffee to “polish” the loose grounds on top. Then lock the portafilter firmly in the espresso machine and then raise the brew lever to start the extraction. When it has reached the desired level, lower the brew lever to stop the shot. It is very important to tamp consistently with the same pressure or your shot timing will vary.

The last variable, the grind.

Adjust your grind so that when you activate the pump, the flow of coffee coming out of the portafilter spout looks like the tapered tail of a mouse. It should take approximately 25 seconds for a 2 oz. double shot. If it is coming out quicker then the grind needs to be adjusted finer, if it is coming out slower or not at all then the grind should be adjusted coarser. The grind particle size should look in between powder and salt. Not as fine as powder, but not as coarse as salt.

Tip: Get into the habit of disposing of the spent grounds immediately after brewing espresso.

After disposing of the grounds, return the portafilter to the group and activate the brew button for a few seconds to rinse away excess oils and loose grounds. By regularly following this procedure, you will greatly reduce the tar-like buildup on the dispersion screen that occurs if you allow coffee oils to dry and bake on the hot group. A cleaning brush has also been included to clean the group screen and gasket.

Note: If the machine has been sitting for awhile then it may be necessary to do a “cooling flush”

This is done to bring the water temperature down to the proper brew temperature or the shots may come out bitter and over extracted. To do a cooling flush with no portafilter in place raise the brew lever and observe the water coming out of the grouphead. When the water stops spitting and sputtering and comes out in a steady stream then you can lower the brew lever and the cooling flush is complete. If you are doing multiple shots in a row then you should not need to do a cooling flush.

Chris’ Coffee Service Inc.

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