What began as a casual interest during the COVID lockdown has now evolved into a cherished daily ritual that kicks off and wraps up my day.
Here's how I achieve that perfect shot.
Here's how I achieve that perfect shot.
Making the perfect cup of espresso is a bit of an art form, and it starts with a series of carefully orchestrated steps.
1.Measure the Beans
I start by measuring out 16 grams of coffee beans. Precision at this stage sets the foundation for a balanced shot.
2.Spritz the beans
Water reduces static electricity - ensuring you have all the grounded coffee come out of the grinder
3.Grind the beans
Depending on the type of bean - grind settings must be adjusted to the right size. Beans are ground between two 83mm burrs. Grinding beans is such an art.
4.Load grinds into the PF
Portafilter (PF) is the tool that we use to hold the grounded beans for extracting our beautiful shot of coffee. The aroma of freshly ground coffee in the AMs is unbeatable.
5.Distribute (WDT) & Tamp
We evenly distribute the grinds in the PF to reduce the likelihood of channelling and in doing so, have a predictable and consistent shot. We then tamp 30 lbs of pressure.
6.Pull the shot!
There is a recipe to this (SCIENCE). The ratio is a 2:1 yield. So one gram of coffee is equivalent to 2 ml of liquid gold! I have a bottomless PF to see the extraction take place. I also time the shot to be between 20-30s.
7.Froth milk & latte art.
The final step is arguably the most enjoyable part - at this stage we are definitely anticipating that first sip from all the hard work. I'm still getting the hang of drawing my canvas.
