Espresso

Double Shot Espresso
What you need
- Espresso Machine
- Tamper
- Digital Scale
- Timer
- Grinder (if you have whole beans)
- 18g of good coffee

Step 1
Remove your portafilter from the espresso machine’s grouphead. Place it on a scale and zero the weight.

Step 2
Purge your grouphead thoroughly with hot water.

Step 3
Grind 18g of coffee (best) or take the same amount of pre-ground coffee from your bag. The beans should be ground at a fine level, finer than sea salt.

Step 4
Distribute the grounds with your fingers on the portafilter until you have a leveled bed of coffee. Don’t pressure it down.

Step 5
Place the portafilter on a flat surface and position your tamper on top of the grounds. Make sure the tamper is levelled and apply pressure on the coffee bed. It doesn’t need to be very strong (around 10 to 15Kg), just enough to seal the coffee evenly. 
Obs. At the coffee shop we use the OCD which is a device to help correctly level the coffee bed. We need to make lots of coffee so it helps a lot. 


Step 6
Clean the borders of the portafilter so it will perfectly adjust to the grouphead.


Step 7
Position the portafilter in the grouphead and start your shot, ideally into a pre-heated cup.

Step 8
The shot will start with a slow stream of a dark color flow. As the seconds pass the dark and thick stream will give place to a thin, lighter and blond color stream. For a double shot you should expect a 45ml drink in around 30 seconds.

Step 9
If you need more time to get the 45ml you probably need a coarser grind, if your shot is flowing too fast you will need a finer grind.

What you get
Espresso is the king of coffees. One can spend years in search of the perfect shot. But the journey sometimes is even better than the end goal itself. You will try a rich, layered, strong, concentrated beverage that only a good espresso can offer. Once the water passes in full 9 bar pressure through the puck of sealed coffee grounds, the magic happens and you can drink a coffee that will enlighten your day. You can also use this espresso with steamed milk to make a delicious cappuccino. The sweetness of the foamed milk contrasts with the power of the coffee to create a balanced and super tasty drink.
To learn how you can make a great cappuccino at home without a espresso machine, check our cappuccino tutorial.