10 mistakes in espresso preparation [for beginners]

Baristas don't fall from the sky (I haven't seen one fall yet). Little by little they learn to understand the laws of extraction and the technique of espresso preparation. When trying to master their machine and their espresso, home enthusiasts and new baristas alike make these ten basic mistakes:

1. How to prepare a Google espresso?

Getting excited about those sweetly fruity and flavorful espressos you regularly go for at your coffee shop. You're eager to make such espressos at home. You install your new coffee machine, open your internet browser and search for professional espresso recipes.

Even with the same recipe as a professional barista, your coffee may not be successful. Simply because the conditions for making coffee are just different in your country. You have adifferent coffee machine, coffee grinder and water composition affects the taste of the coffee. Thecoffee you use is also different( even though it would be the same type as the recipe you are looking for) and perhaps thetamping method is slightly different for each barista.

Forthe basic facts about proper espresso preparation, the best way to get is from resources that are directly dedicated to home coffee preparation education. This information will be the pillars of your understanding of the coffee extraction process and will guide you toyour individual recipe for the perfect extraction and divine tasting espresso.

2. Modern roast vs. dark roast

Thequality of the coffee technology - the coffee machine and grinder - matters, and it's just as important to pay attention to what you're pouring into these machines- the roasted coffee. You can't expect great results from your coffee machine if you use "dead" coffee. The ideal age of coffee for espresso is around 14 days after roasting.

In the first few days after roasting, the coffee can be more difficult to work with due to the amount of CO2 in the beans. Conversely ,after a month, what the coffee has to offer diminishes and the coffee ages. We'll stick with roasting for a while, because not only the date but also thedegree of roasting will affect the way the coffee is extracted. In general, darker roasted coffee will extract faster.

3. Do you weigh your coffee? Or just by eye?

Our range of barista equipment includes scales large, small and smart. Why do we offer so many? Because making coffee without a scale is like walking around with your eyes closed. This is especially true with espresso, where every gram can make the difference between a tasty drink and a bad one, so an accurate scale is a must.

Note that in good coffee shops, professional baristas usually use a scale (unless they have a scale integrated into the coffee equipment). Yet these pros work with coffee day in and day out, so theoretically they should have the right amount "in their eye" as they say. Nevertheless, always weighs the coffee dose. There's something to that, isn't there?

4. How to squeeze the coffee in the lever?

During a shift change at a coffee shop, my colleague came to the set grinder. He used the same coffee I was making that day and followed my espresso recipe. How come, working with thesame equipment as me, his coffee was extracted slightly differently than my espresso?

Thedistribution of the coffee in the lever and its tamping, or tamping, can do wonders for coffee extraction. Lumps in the ground coffee or uneven squeezing of the coffee on either side result in uneven extraction (some coffee will be extracted more than other coffee in the lever) or the problem of channeling of the espresso or channeling.

As far as the strength of the squeeze is concerned, consistency is important in this regard. Just squeeze the coffee the same way every time, every time. While changing the tamp strength can be used to control coffee extraction in certain cases, it also becomes another variable in the equation for calculating the perfect recipe for your espresso. Therefore ,try to automate the style in which you use the tamper and adjust the coarseness of the grind to fine-tune the proper flow of water through the coffee.

If you use a coffee maker at home, not only you, but maybe your significant other can unify your different tamper styles with an automatic tamper or a manual tamper that has an adjustable depth for squeezing the coffee.

5. Grinding as the basis of good coffee

When making espresso, abasic filter ratio of 1:2 generallycounts . Thus, the amount of ground coffee will be extracted into a drink of once that weight. An example would be as follows: 18 g of ground coffee will make 36 g of espresso. This ratio (brew ratio) is basic, your ideal espresso may taste better with a ratio of 1:2.25 or 1:2.5.

The right ratio is the definition of the ideal recipe for your perfect espresso. So the best way tostart with a basic 1:2 ratio and adjust the coarseness of the grind for extraction in the desired time of about 25 - 35 seconds. Remember the 2nd point of this article, therefore the time needed to extract darker roasted coffee may be as little as 24 seconds. The amount of ground coffee you use will depend on the size of the basket(or bowl or strainer) of the portafilter.

The moment you find a position where your espresso is sweet, not astringent or bitter, you can fine-tune it by adjusting the brew ratio (more or less coffee in the lever or less or more volume in the drink).

6. You can't make coffee in a cold brew machine

Espresso is a drink made by extracting finely ground coffee with hot water using pressure. This definition makes it clear thatyou need really hot water of 92 - 96°C. As avid coffee enthusiasts, you will know that boiling water is not the right thing for coffee. On the other hand, when you lower the water temperature, the espresso extraction yield decreases rapidly.

In practice, it seems that if you want to make espresso in your home coffee machine, you also need to allow enough time for the water to heat up. Also think about the fact that water that reaches the lever is cooled by the cold head of the coffee maker. How to avoid this problem? Run some hot water through the head of the machine. This preheats and prepares themachine.

7. Water quality matters

Anespressorecipe consists ofonly two ingredients: coffee and water. We're sure you love to choose quality coffee, rejoice with us with every exciting new addition to ourespresso selections and look forward to tasting it. Great! We're glad you care about good coffee, but what about the other part of espresso - the water?

How do you make sure you have good water for your coffee? That's whatwater filter kettles or straight filter cartridges that connect to the water supply are for . Good quality filtered water means that the flavour of the coffee is not impaired by unwanted water components, the chances of limescale damage to your machine are minimised (which is why providing filtered water for your machine is literally worth it) and the right water composition promotes coffee extraction.

8. Time for cleaning

Taking care of the coffee maker and grinder is a daily routine for all baristas, no matter if they're pros or home coffee drinkers. Today, the same water travels through the coffee machine to the lever - the same lever you used last time. You grind the coffee in the grinder you use every day, and the same steam nozzle you used today to whip the milk is the same one you used yesterday.

Coffee and milk are products that change over time. Old coffee goes rancid or catches mould, and milk is a haven for bacteria. To avoid bringing "memories of coffees past" into your freshly brewed cup of espresso, which can damage not only your coffee today but also your health, remember to clean your coffee machine and grinder regularly. Use appropriate cleaning chemicals and remember to descale the machine from time to time.

A clean coffee machine lasts on average 2-3 times longer. You'll pay a few crowns per cleaning.

9. Mistakes with milk

Espresso itself is a staple, but the high popularity of milk-based coffee drinks makes it impossible for me not to mention them as well. I assume a number of you also like to indulge in a cappuccino, latte or Flat White. You make an espresso and then a mistake happens when you whisk the milk that just won't whisk.

Minimising mistakes in the technique of whisking the milk and pouring it into the coffee to create latte art - the images in the coffee - is a long story, see our articles on latte art, and it takes sufficient training. A common mistake made by novice baristas is in the choice of milk. An experienced and skilled barista will create a silky creamy microfoam from just about any milk, and can draw swans in cappuccinos from vegetable "milks" as well . For you, if you are new to whipping milk, it is essential to use a clean milk jug and chilled whole milk.

8. Time to clean up

Taking care of the coffee machine and grinder is a daily routine for all baristas, no matter if they are professionals or home coffee drinkers. Today, the same water travels through the coffee machine to the lever - the same lever you used last time. You grind the coffee in the grinder you use every day, and the same steam nozzle you used today to whip the milk is the same one you used yesterday.

CLEANING AND DESCALING THE COFFEE MACHINE

A clean coffee machine lasts on average 2-3 times longer. You will pay a few crowns for one cleaning.

Cleaning chemicals for coffee machines

Cafetto Tevo Maxi 150 tablets

793,0 Kč
In stock now

Cafetto Spectra Descaler 600 g

715,0 Kč
In stock now

Cafetto EC2 Espresso Clean 1,2 kg

620,0 Kč
In stock now

9. Mistakes with milk

Espresso itself is a staple, but the high popularity of milk-based coffee drinks makes it impossible for me not to mention them as well. I assume that many of you also like to indulge in a cappuccino, latte or Flat White. You make an espresso and then a mistake happens when you whisk the milk that just won't whisk.