If you are reading this, congratulations! You have likely been on your own personal coffee journey, and realized that there is another world of coffee available at your fingertips in the form of espresso. Brewing espresso is definitely an art, and requires a level of precision and attention to detail. With practice however, the coffees you make at home may cause you to think twice about buying coffee out next time, simply because they just don't taste quite as good as they do at home!
Because every espresso machine is different, we tailored this guide to the machine that we use at home, the Breville Barista Express. Let's get started!
Supplies You'll Need
- Fresh coffee beans (We recommend our Heritage Blend)
- Espresso machine (Breville Barista Express in our case!)
- Tamper (included with this machine)
- Portafilter
- Espresso cup or shot glass
- Scale (optional, but recommended)
- Filtered water
Step 1: Prepare the Machine
The first step will be to ensure that the water reservoir is filled with fresh, filtered water. Once that is done, we can turn on the machine and allow it to warm up. As a final step in preparing the machine, we like to run a blank shot (without coffee) in order to preheat the portafilter.
Step 2: Grind Your Coffee Beans
For a double shot of espresso, we use between 18-20 grams of coffee. We like to weigh our coffee for the sake of consistency, so if you have a gram scale available, you can weigh your portafilter while it is still empty, and zero out the scale.
Next, we can start to grind the coffee. On the Breville Barista Express, we have the built-in grinder set to a fine grind setting, which is usually between 4 and 6 on our machine. You can place the portafilter under the grinder and press the "Grind" button, which will grind the coffee directly into the portafilter. There should be a slight mound of coffee in the portafilter once the machine finishes grinding, but you can weigh it again to make sure you are within that 18-20 gram range of ground coffee.
Step 3: Prepare Your Espresso
Once you have finished grinding the coffee, lightly tap the portafilter to level the coffee grounds. We will then use the tamper to press the coffee grounds evenly and firmly, applying about 30 pounds of pressure to ensure the coffee bed is level and smooth.
Now it's time to start brewing! Insert the portafilter into the group head, and turn it to lock it in place. Select either a single or double shot by pressing the corresponding button on the machine, and watch as the espresso extraction begins. It should take about 25-30 seconds for full extraction, and the espresso should flow out in a steady, golden-brown stream, with a thick layer of crema on top.
We will stop here for now, and you can enjoy your perfect cup of fresh espresso. Stay tuned for more guides, where we will introduce you to some of our favorite espresso-based drinks!
Additional Tips for the Breville Barista Express
If your expresso didn't come out right the first time around, you're not alone! It can take a few tries to really dial in your machine and figure out the settings that work best for you.
If the espresso extracts too quickly and is more watery, try a finer grind setting. If the extraction is too slow and there is hardly any espresso produced, try a coarser grind.
