Coffee Tao

(This is Part 3 of a 4-part series called “The Four ‘M’s of Perfect Coffee”, in which we’ll talk about the four elements of making great espresso-based drinks at home: Machine, Mill, Mix (blend), and Method.)

The Fourth “M”: Method

So you’ve found an espresso machine with the right features, you’ve got a grinder that can smash rocks, and you’ve perfected your own signature blend. But you’ve got to put it together, right?

Many chain coffeeshops and home coffee connoisseurs will spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on the best equipment and beans but forget that it’s all meaningless if you can’t put it together successfully. I mentioned this in the espresso machine post and it bears repeating: at the time of this writing there is no machine that can successfully make an great espresso drink without human intervention. Despite all the brochure copy out there trying to convince you otherwise, you cannot press a button and get a better drink than you can make yourself in about the same amount of time with the right training.

Being properly trained as a barista takes a lot of time and practice, and this post won’t replace that. But assuming that you already have a basic idea of how your machine works and the general principles of how espresso is made, these tips will help you improve both your speed and the quality of the final drink.

Pulling Your Shot

The three important things to get right here are grind, tamp, and shot time.

You’ll have to experiment to find the right grind for your machine, but some indicators will give you hints. If the spent grounds in your portafilter are soupy sludge, you need a finer grind; if it’s a mostly dry puck that yielded very little actual espresso, you need a coarser grind. Likewise, during the pour, if the pour is too thick you’ll need a finer grind; if it just drips or doesn’t come out at all, you need a coarser grind.

The tamp is also important. You want a true metal tamp, not plastic. An ideal tamp will be about 50 psi, so the extra weight of the metal helps. After putting coffee into your portafilter, take your tamp and push evenly and firmly into the filter basket–and twist at the end. The twist will even out the grounds and further compact the “puck”.

Your shot time should be between 15 and 18 seconds for a single shot, and between 18 and 22 seconds for a double. You can “bar count” your shots as well–I often bar count to fifteen for a ristretto double shot. If your grind and tamp are right, the pour should be caramel-colored and about the width of a spaghetti noodle. This will result in good crema, which is the most important part of the shot. The finished shot should have no white streaks in it, as this represents bitter, overextracted espresso. A crema that’s all white means you’re in trouble!

Steaming Milk

I steam milk by pitch (i.e., listening until the sound of the milk hits a certain “tone” that means it’s been aerated to a certain degree), but you’ll probably want to get a thermometer for your pitcher. Many people like their drinks just as hot as they can get them, but one thing many people don’t realize is that beyond 165 degrees, milk sugars start to caramelize and proteins start to break down, resulting in an unpleasing, popcorn-like flavor.

When you steam, start with the wand about halfway submerged in the pitcher, and as you steam, gradually bring the wand up to where the head is just below the surface of the milk. Note that the milk expands as you steam, and that you’ll have to move the pitcher down to accommodate and keep the wand head at the right level (see why we were looking for clearance in the Machine post?).

Some people consider it iconic to hear that loud, harshly sibilant tone of milk being steamed, but unfortunately it’s the sound of milk being steamed improperly and unevenly, with the wand touching the bottom of the pitcher. Properly steamed milk should be quiet, almost silent at first, and work its way to a low-key hiss.

As you steam, be sure to account for “thermometer lag”–when trying to reach a certain temperature, remember that your thermometer will lag behind your actual temperature by a few seconds. So, for example, if you’re trying to reach 165 degrees, turn the steam wand off when your thermometer reads 145 or so.

Got Any Recommendations?

As I mentioned, nothing replaces actual training and practice with your specific machine. Many coffeeshops occasionally offer workshops on how to use an espresso machine, so if you’ve got a few extra bucks and the time, consider joining one. They can be a lot of fun and you can ask questions and get answers from professionals.