Coffee connoisseurs consider espresso as the the quintessential form of coffee – the purest way to enjoy its aroma and flavor at their maximum intensity; a tiny miracle of chemistry and physics that is as much art as it is science. It is a cup of coffee that can be prepared on the spot and should be consumed immediately. Some say that preparing an espresso can be really messy why others would disagree and claim that it is quite easy given the proper ingredients as well as the right espresso maker. So how we do go about creating that perfect cup of espresso? If you want to prepare an absolutely perfect shot of espresso, what you need to do is follow very specific directions every step of the way.

The requirements to the preparation of a cup of espresso are an espresso maker, espresso beans, coffee grinder, a demitasse, and a timer. The first step in preparation of espresso is to prepare the demitasse. A demitasse is a small cup with matching saucers used to serve coffee or espresso. Also referred to as incan, fildan, filxhan, flidzni, or pocillo, a demitasse is often made from pottery or porcelain, yet other colorful metals are also being used today in the manufacture of demitasses. These cups usually have a capacity of 60-90 ml-a size half of a full cup of coffee.

After preparing the demitasse, it is now time to start preparing your espresso maker. Add fresh water to the water tank. Fill your machine’s water reservoir with cold clear water and prepare a blank shot to release steam which will ensure that the machine will be properly warmed up. The quality of water to be used in the preparation of espresso is critical as this will affect the taste of the final product. Mineral deposits are usually found in hard water which affect the taste of the espresso and in the long run may cause damage to your espresso maker. The use of soft water like filtered or bottled water is greatly advised to prevent damage to your machine.

Preparing the coffee is the next step in making an espresso after the espresso maker is aptly warmed up and the water is prepared. It is advised to use high quality coffee that has been processed and roasted properly. Though roasting coffee is a whole other topic, coffee aficionados claim that this is the way to ensuring a truly fresh coffee. A grinder will be necessary if one is to use coffee beans. Many coffee connoisseurs prefer using freshly ground coffee beans as they ensure the freshness of coffee. Nonetheless, depending on one’s preference, using pre-ground coffee beans that can be purchased in the market is also alright.

After preparing the coffee, place approximately 7 grams of coffee for each 1 to 1 shot of espresso in the coffee grinder’s built in doser. After dosing the coffee, the coffee needs to be firmly and evenly packed or tamped. Place the coffee in the filter holder of your espresso maker and tamp the ground coffee firmly, making sure it is evenly distributed and compact. Be sure to brush off any loose grounds before placing the filter holder in the machine. Brew for 25-30 seconds using a timer. This is then followed by extraction which generally runs about 25 second in order to yield 1 shots of espresso. The main thing to avoid is extracting too much bitterness from the ground coffee while at the same time making sure to fully extract the coffee’s aromatic oils and its fine tastes. The final espresso cup should fill half of the demitasse and have a lovely caramel-colored crema forming perfectly on top.

As was said, preparing a demitasse of espresso is a simple task given the right ingredients as well as an appropriate espresso maker. Also, following the above mentioned steps would help you prepare your own cup of espresso.

Donald Mitchell is a barista from Louisiana who works in a local coffee shop in their town. Being in front of coffee and espresso makers the whole day makes Donald enjoy preparing his espresso the traditional way every now and then.