Home Espresso
Brew Guides

Home Espresso

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Here we provide a detailed walkthrough for making quality espresso at home, focusing on precision and technique. Here’s an overview of the process:

1. Preparation 

  • Portafilter Heating: Begin by running hot water through the portafilter. This helps stabilise the brew water temperature and warms up the metal components.
  • Drying: After heating, quickly dry wipe the portafilter.

2. Grinding & Tamping

  • Grind: Aim for a fine grind with a texture resembling flour.
  • Dose: Measure 18g of ground coffee for the single-wall double basket. 
  • Distribute & Tamp: Evenly distribute the coffee grounds in the portafilter and tamp with consistent pressure.

3. Brewing

  • Lock-In: Secure the portafilter into the machine.
  • Brew: Press the double shot button.

4. Evaluating the Shot

  • Taste profile: Taste governs all. Try not to get caught up in brew pressures and the perfect looking shot. If it tastes good, don't mess with it! Shot visuals do help you with a starting point to good espresso
  • Shot visuals: The shot should start slightly constricted and then flow freely in the middle. Avoid a drippy or overly slow shot or shots that look like someone just turned on the garden tap!

Some actionables on espresso flavour 

  • Under extracted: If the shot is too fast, it may taste hollow, thin, and sour. Your grind needs to be finer or your coffee prep and tamping in basket needs work to avoid channelling
  • Over extracted: If the shot is too slow or drippy, it may taste salty, bitter, or astringent. Coarse up the grind a notch at a time.
  • Adjustments: keep it simple here and only modify the grind. Keep dose and yield constant. The rule of 3 applies here. If you make a grind adjustment, pull 3 shots before making another 

5. Texturing Milk

  • Clean Steam Wand: Purge the steam wand until dry steam flows, which may take up to 30 seconds.
  • Milk Preparation: Fill the jug to the spout seam.
  • Texturing: Create a spinning vortex with the steam wand in your milk jug. Introduce air at the start, and avoid adding air during the latter half of texturing. Maintain the vortex throughout the process. The vortex is what allows your milk to become silky. 
  • Clean-Up: After texturing, clean and purge the steam wand thoroughly.

6. Pouring

  • Flow Control: Pour with a steady hand. Start with a high, thin stream to maintain the crema. Once the cup is ¾ full, lower the milk jug and pour more fully, wiggling it to mix the textured milk.
  • Final Touch: Reduce pour flow as you finish, lifting the jug to pour through the centre.

7. Cleaning

  • Portafilter: Knock out used grounds and wipe the portafilter dry.
  • Machine: Wipe the coffee machine with a clean cloth.
  • Flush: Run water through the brew group with a blind filter to clear any residual coffee oils.
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