DIY ESPRESSO
Preparing Espresso
1. Clean and Dry basket.
2. Flush group head.(Up to 5 secs. This cleans the water in the head and increases the temperature.)
3. Dose coffee consistently into basket. (aim for 18-21g of ground coffee)
4. Collapse coffee so it is level in the basket.
5. Firmly tamp coffee evenly in basket.
6. Clean basket rim and edges.
7. Insert and immediate start.
8. Ensure extraction starts even a dark, stays vertical in pour and doesn’t blonde. Extraction should last 25-30 secs.
9. Knock coffee into waste box and flush group head.
You can adjust your flavour profile by changing your grind and with water temperature variations.
Methodically Dialling in Espresso
1. Prepare an initial shot of espresso to test the parameters. Repeat the process to ensure your grinder and machine are at an operational temperature.
2. If your espresso initially pours fast, fine the grind. If it initially drips, coarsen the grind.
3. If the shot begins to gush at mid pour and becomes blonde too soon, increase the dose of coffee.
4. Taste the espresso. Too sour, fine grind and/or increase temperature. Too intense, coarsen grind and/or lower temperature.
5. More coffee can create more sweetness but also more bitterness so aim for balance.
6. Continue until coffee tastes delicious!
Milk Steaming
1. Fill Milk Jug with milk until the spout starts within the jug.
2. Purge steam wand for approx. 3 secs.
3. Position the steam wand one centimetre into the milk in the centre slightly to the right of the jug.
4. Turn steam to full power and spin the milk clockwise.
5. Allow a couple of initial short “chsshh chsshh” occurrences.
6. Slightly raise jug about half a centimetre so the milk is now quietly spinning.
7. Touch jug with your hand. (Too hot to touch, too hot to drink)
8. Take jug from steam wand, wipe the wand clean and purge again.
9. Tap on bench to remove any air bubbles.
Milk should be smooth, glossy and ready to drink.
Pouring Latte Art
1. Pour milk slowly into the middle of the crema and raise a dark brown colour.
2. Once the milk has filled the cup two thirds start pouring a thin stream as close as you can to the milk surface.
3. Once the white starts to sit on the crema you can dot to make hearts or tulips or wriggle the jug and slightly pull back and higher to create a rosetta.
4. In either case finish the pour higher so when you pull through it cuts the image in half neatly.
Make sure the coffee has at least a one centimetre ring of crema around the outside of the image. This will ensure the drinker tastes great coffee and not just warm milk!
Cleaning Equipment
A dirty machine means that no matter how great your coffee beans or skills are, your espresso is going to be tainted. This step by step instruction guide will make sure your espresso coffee tastes smooth, sweet and balanced.
1. Pop the metal basket from the group handle, soak in hot water (with a little chemical if there is build up), then wipe with a clean cloth.
2. Using a damp clean cloth, insert in the group head where the seal is and firmly wipe out any coffee grinds.
3. If it is possible, unscrew the mesh screen in the group and remove. Soak in hot water and then wipe with a clean cloth. Then screw back in place.
4. With the “blind” (basket with no holes), insert and run water for a few seconds, discard dirty water and repeat till clean.
5. Repeat step 3 with espresso cleaner chemical.
6. Run a few espresso shots through each group before use to ensure the machine is at the right temperature and there is no residual chemical taint in flavour.
1. Clean and Dry basket.
2. Flush group head.(Up to 5 secs. This cleans the water in the head and increases the temperature.)
3. Dose coffee consistently into basket. (aim for 18-21g of ground coffee)
4. Collapse coffee so it is level in the basket.
5. Firmly tamp coffee evenly in basket.
6. Clean basket rim and edges.
7. Insert and immediate start.
8. Ensure extraction starts even a dark, stays vertical in pour and doesn’t blonde. Extraction should last 25-30 secs.
9. Knock coffee into waste box and flush group head.
You can adjust your flavour profile by changing your grind and with water temperature variations.
Methodically Dialling in Espresso
1. Prepare an initial shot of espresso to test the parameters. Repeat the process to ensure your grinder and machine are at an operational temperature.
2. If your espresso initially pours fast, fine the grind. If it initially drips, coarsen the grind.
3. If the shot begins to gush at mid pour and becomes blonde too soon, increase the dose of coffee.
4. Taste the espresso. Too sour, fine grind and/or increase temperature. Too intense, coarsen grind and/or lower temperature.
5. More coffee can create more sweetness but also more bitterness so aim for balance.
6. Continue until coffee tastes delicious!
Milk Steaming
1. Fill Milk Jug with milk until the spout starts within the jug.
2. Purge steam wand for approx. 3 secs.
3. Position the steam wand one centimetre into the milk in the centre slightly to the right of the jug.
4. Turn steam to full power and spin the milk clockwise.
5. Allow a couple of initial short “chsshh chsshh” occurrences.
6. Slightly raise jug about half a centimetre so the milk is now quietly spinning.
7. Touch jug with your hand. (Too hot to touch, too hot to drink)
8. Take jug from steam wand, wipe the wand clean and purge again.
9. Tap on bench to remove any air bubbles.
Milk should be smooth, glossy and ready to drink.
Pouring Latte Art
1. Pour milk slowly into the middle of the crema and raise a dark brown colour.
2. Once the milk has filled the cup two thirds start pouring a thin stream as close as you can to the milk surface.
3. Once the white starts to sit on the crema you can dot to make hearts or tulips or wriggle the jug and slightly pull back and higher to create a rosetta.
4. In either case finish the pour higher so when you pull through it cuts the image in half neatly.
Make sure the coffee has at least a one centimetre ring of crema around the outside of the image. This will ensure the drinker tastes great coffee and not just warm milk!
Cleaning Equipment
A dirty machine means that no matter how great your coffee beans or skills are, your espresso is going to be tainted. This step by step instruction guide will make sure your espresso coffee tastes smooth, sweet and balanced.
1. Pop the metal basket from the group handle, soak in hot water (with a little chemical if there is build up), then wipe with a clean cloth.
2. Using a damp clean cloth, insert in the group head where the seal is and firmly wipe out any coffee grinds.
3. If it is possible, unscrew the mesh screen in the group and remove. Soak in hot water and then wipe with a clean cloth. Then screw back in place.
4. With the “blind” (basket with no holes), insert and run water for a few seconds, discard dirty water and repeat till clean.
5. Repeat step 3 with espresso cleaner chemical.
6. Run a few espresso shots through each group before use to ensure the machine is at the right temperature and there is no residual chemical taint in flavour.