Use only clean steel or glass equipment to brew. Start with good clean water (preferably not tap water or distilled).
Invest in a quality automatic coffee grinder. Use quality roasted and freshly ground espresso beans out of a sealed container like a glass rubber-sealed container or a mason jar. Beans stay fresh longer if not stored in the original packaging.
Start with recently cleaned equipment. Grind your beans equal to or finer than grains of table salt. Boil water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for the best result.
Using a scale measure out water and grounds. 55 grams of water to 17 grams of grounds. (This is 3.24 grams of water to 1 gram of grounds). Doing this helps with consistency. Adjust according to your tastes. Espresso is usually made by using high-pressure about nine bars or 130 lbs. per square inch.
Ingredients:
55 grams – Quality spring water
17 grams – Fresh ground espresso
Directions:
Three ways you can make espresso at home or in the field. Using these three non-machine methods most likely will not taste the same.
- French press – weakest method. Add 2 tbsp of grounds or more if desired, check that the water is at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, cover the grounds with water, and let sit for 30 seconds, fill the press to the full mark, stir gently, place the lid on with press up, wait 4 minutes or for stronger brew add 2 minutes, push the press down and serve.
- AeroPress – slightly more pressure than the French press method. Add 1 ½ tbsp of grounds, add 200-degree water slowly, gently swirl the AeroPress for 5 seconds mixing the water and grounds, attach the filter cap, invert over a cup, and push the plunger down quickly.
- Moka pot – strongest method. Fill lower pot with water to just below the valve, place funnel into moka pot, and fill the pot filter with grounds, wipe excess grounds away from edge of funnel, carefully screw the upper pot onto the lower pot, place on the burner (if using gas burner do not let the flames go up the sides of the pot), bring to a boil, when you hear the percolating sound check for foam at the funnel spout by lifting lid slightly (don’t burn yourself with the steam), when upper pot is full and foam comes out the spout it is done, remove from heat immediately and enjoy.
By, John Noll