Training

Fresh beans

Make sure to use fresh, whole beans.

You might have noticed that we do not offer pre ground coffee. That is because it is essential to grind the beans immediately before use. It is so important we refuse to sell it ground.

Measure/weigh

Make sure to weigh your dose.

The basic formula is 16 grams in 32 grams out in 25 to 30 seconds.

Use tare on the port-a filter to get only the coffee weight. Begin with the weight stated on your bag. If your using our 16g, start with 16 grams. If its 14g then use that. etc. Do not deviate from this dose. If it is too bitter or sour, grind the coffee finer or coarser. Bitter coffee is too fine and sour coffee is too coarse.

Grind

Use the best grinder you can afford. This investment is more valuable than money spent on the espresso machine. A great machine cannot make quality espresso without a quality grind. In fact, professional baristas use the grind to adjust their flavor. There are some minor adjustments that a machine can make but they are almost never used. Start by grinding your coffee until it is about the same consistency as salt. You don't want dust or chunks. This is where a quality grinder shines.

Dose/tamp

Dose out the correct amount of coffee into the port-a filter. Brace the filter against a table top or tamping pad and use a tamper to press the coffee grounds into a compact puck.

There are seemingly unlimited tools and opinions on how to do this. As well as a multitude of specialty tools. Here is what you need to know.

A quality basket in your port-a filter is important. Stir your ground coffee making it as even as possible. They sell lots of needle tools for this. I just smooth it even with my hand. You don't want clumps or mounds before tamping. Just smooth it and spread it evenly. Tamp firmly. You are just compressing the coffee to get the air out. Firm is fine. You don't need to over do it. Its not hard. If you are having trouble, your pressing too hard.

Extract

Attach the port-a filter to the group head on the machine.

There is a rubber gasket that seals the filter to the machine. Make sure the port-a filter is firmly attached. This does not take much pressure. Many people tend to over tighten this and the gasket gets damaged and requires replacing more often than it should. Keep the group head clean and don't over torque the filter and you may never need a new gasket.

Finish

Your shot is finished when the weight of the extracted liquid is double the input coffee weight. 25 to 30 seconds.

Make sure to use a gram scale. Note there are other recipes that use different ratios, ristrettos etc. 1 : 2 is the ratio for almost every drink.