So coffee lovers the world over will have different ideas on how to make the perfect espresso, but the following method should produce a good quality cup.
The importance of good water should not be underestimated in making the ideal espresso. The water should be fresh, and should not have been left standing. It should be clean, so filter where necessary. The optimum temperature is just off the boil, at around two hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit.
Choose your coffee carefully. Pick an Arabica over the more common Robusta, which has more caffeine and less taste. An Arabica is a superior bean, and the best types are grown at an altitude of over three thousand feet. Unless you are going the whole hog and roasting the beans yourself, you should ensure you have fresh beans roasted in the past few days. You will be able to identify fresh beans from the smell.
When selecting your roast, it should be a dark, sweet one, such as French, Viennese or Italian. As you can see, the Europeans have the edge when it comes to good espresso roasts.
The beans should be ground in a burr grinder, which has cone shaped teeth on two plates, between which...