Espresso
Espresso has been finding its way into the homes of coffee lovers more and more over the last 5 years, specifically semi-automatic machines (those that control pressure instead of a manual pull of a lever). There are many variables to consider when pulling a shot, and these can vary widely depending on the type of coffee you’re using. The following instructions are for a medium roast coffee; we recommend steering clear of dark roast coffee.
Method
- Freshly grind your coffee fine on your burr grinder. Fine enough to lightly clump when you pinch it between your fingers.
- Fill your filter basket, 17-19g depending on the size of your basket.
- Level the grinds with your finger and tamp level and firm with a quality tamper (not Hulk-like!)
- Flush your group head with hot water, this cleans and heats the head ready for extraction.
- Place the group arm back into the machine, and make sure it is tight!
- Press the button and start extraction, you are looking for small streams of espresso with a golden colour.
- Extraction should take 25-35 seconds according to the coffee and your own taste. Here at Lost Sheep, we start with a 2:1 ratio, meaning if we dose 18g of coffee, we are looking to finish with a 36g espresso! 19g would yield 38g, etc.
- If the espresso is running too quickly, fine up your grinder to slow coarsen it. Always adjust your grinder by the smallest possible settings it has!
- Enjoy a great espresso as it is or use it as the 1st step in making that perfect drink you prefer, whether that is a long black, flat white or latte.* Grinder Settings; coarse = faster / fine = slower.
* Different coffees will need different extraction times. A lighter roast will need longer than a medium, but ultimately it’s all about your personal taste, so play around a bit.