Preparing an espresso correctly
To make a good espresso, it's all about the right balance of espresso quantity and extraction time. If we assume that you have a good, freshly roasted espresso, the grind is well adjusted with the right brewing temperature and you are really good at ramping.First of all, you should be clear about what flavour characteristics of the espresso you want to bring out. A short extraction time emphasises the acid lines, a medium one brings out the sweetness, a long one emphasises flavour notes please. An espresso roast usually runs between 20 and 40 seconds.
Because not only is every setup different (which is why it's hard to pin down exactly ONE recipe), every espresso we make is adjusted ("dialed in") in the morning. Because not only does the espresso change over time, we have made the experience that the water is different every day.
Every recipe we work out for a coffee (espresso) - only gives you an idea at home of how the coffee can work. Because your setup, your water, your grinder - everything is slightly different.
Our machine has 9 bars and we set a brewing temperature of 92 degrees. A brewing temperature above 96°C makes the coffee bitter, and water below 92°C cannot extract the flavours optimally.
We therefore recommend starting each coffee from your own tried and tested recipe. This will give you good results for your taste. From here, you can make adjustments: your grind has the greatest effect.
If you are still looking for some really good espresso roasts, then browse through these roasts a bit.
By the way: "Espresso is also coffee" - actually just a way of preparing coffee.