Brewing coffee should be simple: just add water, right? Although you only need two ingredients–ground coffee and water–to make a cup of coffee, there are countless ways to brew. You can go pour-over style with a Chemex, Hario V60 or Kalita Wave, to name just a few of the most popular pour-over brewers. You can press coffee with an Aeropress, a French press, or if you’re feeling particularly patriotic, an American press. You could go old school with a stovetop Moka pot, or give Turkish coffee a try by using a cezve ibrik. You can even brew coffee in a sock!
But today, we are talking specifically about espresso. There can be a lot of factors to keep track of when pulling a shot, so we’ll go over the essentials in this blog: what constitutes an espresso, a few important considerations when brewing, how to choose the right coffee.
Espresso brewing dates back to early 20th century Italy, where the first steam-powered coffee makers were invented; these machines were the precursors to modern-day espresso machines. The word “espresso” comes from the Italian phrase “caffe espresso” meaning “pressed-out coffee” which refers to the way that espresso machines push water through a bed of coffee.
This is an important distinction to note: an espresso is solely defined by the method of brewing and not by a type of coffee bean or how the beverage appears. For example, if you brewed a really strong, 2oz cup of coffee using a Chemex and a bag of coffee labeled “espresso beans,” it would not be considered an espresso. Pressure is the crucial differentiator when it comes to making an espresso. In other words, an espresso is simply any coffee brewed by using an espresso machine.
Even though not every coffee shop brews espresso the same way, there are a few common traits that are hallmarks of a good shot of espresso.
Espresso brewing can be complicated. The pursuit of the elusive “god shot” continues to be a hot topic on many coffee Reddit boards, and these days, it seems like everyone is blowing up on Tik Tok with their “ASMR 20-step morning espresso routine” videos.
In truth, making espresso doesn’t need to be so intricate. You can make excellent espressos by keeping a few key things in mind:
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, use the right kind of coffee.
You’ve likely seen bags of coffee at the grocery store labeled “espresso blend” or “espresso roast.” This doesn’t mean, however, that you can only use “espresso beans” to brew espresso. Like we said earlier, espresso is defined by its brewing method, so any coffee beans can be brewed as espresso. However, there are some coffees that tend to be more suited for espresso brewing than others, depending on the flavor profiles you prefer.
In general, the more developed a roast, the easier it is to extract. Light roasted coffees can be delicious as espresso, but can be tricky to extract. The flavor profile of a light roast leans towards being brighter and more aromatic, but also tends to lack body and mouthfeel.
On the other hand, dark roasted coffees make for an espresso with a rich, luscious texture. Because of their dark roast, however, these espressos can taste exceptionally bitter and be unpleasant to drink without the addition of milk.
We recommend a solid medium roasted coffee as the best option for a great, reliable espresso. You get the best of both worlds: a balanced espresso that is sweet, expressive and complex, with a pleasant, silky mouthfeel, and minimal bitterness.
The Downtown Blend is our most popular option, and our go-to in-house choice for excellent espresso every time.
Some origins such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Ecuador and Panama are known for producing exceptionally delicate, complex and fruit-forward coffees. While delicious as a filter brew, sometimes these flavors don’t translate well or get lost when brewed as espresso.
For beginners, we recommend starting with coffees from South America, like our Peru Las Damas, or from Indonesia, like our Indonesia Sumatra.
Contrary to popular belief, fresher isn’t always better, at least when it comes to espresso. Brewing an espresso just after it’s been roasted often leads to a shot that tastes unbalanced, bitter and astringent. Coffee destined for espresso needs time to rest and mellow out, at least 5 days off roast, but ideally 10.
Of course, coffee that’s too old won’t taste good either. Aim to use up your coffee within a month and you’ll be set.
Our last piece of advice: taste a bunch of different coffees! Ultimately, it all comes down to the flavors that you enjoy in your ideal shot of espresso, therefore, the best coffee beans to use are whatever you like. Perhaps you’ll find a floral, light-roasted Ethiopian espresso is exactly the sort of style that you prefer–but you won’t know without trying!
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