The best ways to make espresso in your own kitchen
Expert barista Chi Sum Ngai gets into the nitty gritty of homemade espresso.
by Team AGNPPacked with flavor and caffeine, espresso is proof that big things come in small packages. Not only is it excellent on its own, but espresso is also the base for other delicious coffee drinks including lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and of course cortados.
And while there’s no replicating the full experience of sipping an espresso at your favorite coffee shop—or lounging against a cafe counter in Italy, for that matter—with the right tools and techniques, you can craft your daily shot (or two, or three) in the comfort of your own kitchen.
To get all the details exactly right, we consulted with coffee expert Chi Sum Ngai, cofounder of Coffee Project NY, a woman-owned operation that includes four coffee shops across New York City, a roastery, and a barista education program.
What is espresso?
Strictly speaking, an espresso is a one-ounce (30-milliliter) shot of robust and highly concentrated coffee. According to Sum, good espresso is about balance. “t starts with some acidity,” she says, “then you get the sweetness, and it tapers off with some dark chocolate—like bitterness. The body of the coffee should be medium to heavy, with a velvety mouthfeel.”
Espresso vs. other coffees
Unlike other styles of coffee such as drip or French press, espresso is created using an enormous amount of pressure. Hot water is pushed through finely ground and packed coffee beans with about 130 pounds of force per square inch. This process takes about 20-30 seconds and brings out the strong flavor while also creating espresso’s signature layer of amber-colored crema—a kind of very fine foam.
Do I have to use an espresso machine?
The short answer is, “yes.” The most authentic way to make true espresso is with a countertop espresso machine</a>, as it is the only method powerful enough to produce the necessary pressure. Sum has also gotten good results with the manual Flair Espresso Maker, a hand-operated press that’s capable of creating plenty of force.
You can approximate an espresso with a stovetop Moka pot, AeroPress coffee maker, or a French press; but since none of these three methods is powered by pressure, they don’t result in true espresso. Of the three, the stovetop coffee maker will get you closest to espresso, as it creates a more concentrated form of coffee.
Expert advice for pulling the perfect shot
There’s an art to making espresso, so we asked Sum for tips on how to pull the perfect shot at home.
”Baristas have been obsessed with getting the perfect espresso, also known as the “god shot,”” she says. “Pulling a good shot of espresso involves the understanding of coffee extraction.”
Extraction, a chemical process common to all brewing methods, happens when coffee comes into contact with water and the coffee compounds dissolve. Too much extraction tastes bitter, but too little makes for a sour cup.
Everything that goes into making espresso—the beans, the water temperature, grind size, and the amount of coffee—can affect the extraction. But in some ways, that’s part of the fun, because it means you can adjust things to fit your preference. “Taste every shot,” says Sum. “Sometimes the espresso will not come out the way you want it to be, but it might lead to a new discovery.”
How to make espresso with an espresso machine
The most reliable way to make great espresso at home is with an espresso machine, so that’s what we’re going to cover here. There’s a wide range of espresso machines out there, from those with built-in grinders and plenty of automatic features to fully manual models that your favorite barista probably uses at their coffee shop. Whatever you choose, the basics are the same.
Step 1: Buy good coffee
Sum recommends that you always start by buying good coffee in whole-bean form and grinding it right before you make your espresso. Don’t worry about buying “espresso beans”—espresso is a brewing method, not a type of bean or roast. Instead, opt for a dark roast or ask your favorite roaster what they recommend for espresso.
Step 2: Prep your machine
Start with clean equipment; residual moisture or old grinds can negatively affect your espresso’s flavor. Make sure your machine’s water reservoir is filled or the water line is connected. Finally, turn on the machine and let it heat up. You may even want to run the machine to rinse the group head (the part of the espresso machine that attaches to the component that holds the ground coffee), both to warm it up and to clear out any old water.
Step 3: Measure and grind your coffee
Sum recommends measuring your coffee with a kitchen scale so that you can experiment with the amount you use. Typically, you want a coffee-to-water ratio within the range of 1:1.5 to 1:2.5, using between 18 and 21 grams of coffee. And the best way to achieve the very fine grind—finer than table salt—is with a burr grinder.
Step 4: Add the coffee to the portafilter
Whether you grind your coffee directly into the portafilter (the attachable, spoon-like component of the machine that holds the ground coffee) or scoop it in, you’ll likely end up with a little mound. But for a truly balanced cup, you want to make sure your grounds are evenly distributed before you pack them down. You can use your finger, or give the portafilter a little shake, or tap it carefully but firmly on the table.
Step 5: Tamp
Tamping—or packing down your grounds with a special tool called a tamper—removes air pockets that interfere with the brewing. Sum stresses that it’s important to have a consistent and even tamp on your grounds, and she notes that it’s always a good idea to practice your tamping skills.
To tamp, make sure your portafilter is on a flat surface (like your kitchen counter). Then, with your forearm making a 180-degree line (straight up and down) from your elbow to the portafilter, firmly press the tamper down. This ensures even pressure applied to all the coffee in the portafilter.
Step 6: Brew
Attach the portafilter to the group head, position your cup below, and start brewing immediately. Some machines will have preset times; others require that you time your shot and stop the brewing manually. It should take around 25-30 seconds for the proper ratio of water (remember: 1:1.5 to 1:2.5) to pass through the grounds in the portafilter and into your cup.
Brewing is the step where extraction comes into play. The perfect extraction will yield a cup of espresso in the proper amount of time, with the coffee being dispensed in two, steady streams from the portafilter. If the brewing time takes too long or it dribbles out in single drops, it will be over-extracted, and the result will be an overly bitter cup. If the brewing time happens quickly or the coffee gushes out of the portafilter, it will be under-extracted and will taste salty. Freshness of beans, grind size, the amount of coffee placed in the portafilter, and the tamping pressure can all affect extraction. To really finesse your brew, play around with those variables until you’ve achieved the right balance: a rich, complex cup with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
Step 7: Add milk or enjoy
If you’re going a step further and making a cortado, cappuccino, or other espresso drink, now’s the time to froth your milk or milk alternative to a silky-smooth consistency.
And if you’re enjoying your shot straight, simply transfer it to a demitasse and sip!
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