The Secret To Making The Perfect Espresso Drink

Making an espresso drink is an art that only some of us can master. By definition, an espresso drink is a strong black coffee that is made when steam is passed at high pressure through ground coffee beans. To be honest, there are a few secrets to make the perfect espresso drink. Read on to find them out. 

Of course, the espresso-making process requires a special espresso machine. These machines can be quite expensive, but these days, an affordable espresso machine is not a rarity at all. Espresso machines exist in two types: steam-based and pump-based. Thankfully, technology has advanced so much that you can find an affordable espresso machine of any type. Each type of machine accepts a different size of coffee bean grain. 

Keep Your Portafilter Dry And Clean

This brings us to the first secret to making the perfect espresso drink. If you want to make a great cup of espresso, keep your portafilter dry and clean during the process. This is important because moisture affects extraction, whereas old coffee grains affect the taste. 

Aerate Your Milk While Steaming It

Steaming the milk is not just the first step but the most important as well. If you aerate your milk while steaming it, the final product will be soft and creamy as your favorite espresso drink. Make sure you fill your milk pitcher only half-full because the milk will expand when it gets steamed. Then, turn on your steam wand and let it run for a few seconds. This will remove any leftover substance stuck in it and heat up the wand a bit. 

Immerse the wand shallowly into the milk and keep it at an angle of about 15 degrees. When the milk has obtained half of its volume, lower the wand further into the pitcher until the popping sounds stop and a whirlpool is created. Make sure there is no more rise in the volume. 

When the milk reaches the desired temperature, turn off the steam valve. There are various ways of checking the temperature, for example, using a thermometer. A great temperature range is 145 to 165 degrees F. 

Use Cold Milk

While steaming and aerating, make sure that the milk you are using is cold. Steaming milk that is at a lower and steady temperature results in an overall sweeter taste profile. In contrast, if you overheat the milk, the final taste will have a burnt taste. This is because the heat denatures the milk proteins and prevents it from scalding and foaming.

Using An Espresso Machine

If used properly, we believe that an affordable espresso machine can make the same kind of espresso that a high-end machine makes. There are some things that you must remember. First, use filtered water in your affordable espresso machine for a great end product. 

Also, for two one-ounce shots, put four tablespoons of ground coffee in your portafilter. Additionally, tamp so hard that no air remains in the coffee puck at all. Generally, two one-ounce shots pour in about 12 to 18 seconds. If they pour too fast, try tamping harder. If too slow, tamp lighter.

Conclusion

Espresso is a whole another world of coffee. Now that you know the most important considerations of espresso-making, you should try some different kinds of espresso drinks. These include latte, cappuccino, americano, cortado, macchiato, red eye, and mocha.

Category: Food.Fun.Stuff.