1:1 Barista Course: Espresso Making

Centuries ago, humankind discovered that when pouring hot water over roasted ground coffee, it turns into a tasty brew – our coffee. Since then, we have been perfecting how to get the tasty bits from our roasted coffee. This process is called coffee extraction. By understanding how extraction works, we can control what ends up in our cup. 

What you’ll learn:

• What happens throughout extraction?
• The soluble components that make up the taste of coffee.
• Parameters that control a good extraction: dose, yield, temperature, grind size, tamp and time.

We decipher an espresso recipe. Recipes are guides that help you extract the best from your coffee beans. In order to follow recipes, you need to understand what these parameters actually mean, how you follow them and what impact changes in these parameters have on the flavour profile of your tasty cup of coffee. 

What you’ll learn:

• How to follow an espresso recipe.
• How to measure dose, yield and extraction ratio.
• Extraction ratios of ristretto, espresso and lungo.

The filter basket size you are using determines the correct dose. Most baskets come with reference guides +1 or -1g. Starting with the correct dose for your basket sets you up on the right path.

What you’ll learn:

• Types and sizes of filter baskets
• How to determine the correct dose for your filter basket.

Finding the right grind size is the holy grail of coffee extraction. Once you've developed consistent dosing and tamping technique, you can control the extraction by adjusting the grind setting.

What you’ll learn:

• How to manipulate the taste that ends up in your cup by grind size.
• How grind size is used to put your espresso recipe into action.
• How different grinders dose: grind and weigh out, grind by time, grind by weight.

Tamping is applying firm and even pressure on the dose using a tamper. It gives you control of your extraction process.

What you’ll learn:

• How to correctly tamp.
• Techniques to avoid.
• What is channelling, and how to spot and avoid it.

Some machines have the ability to adjust the water temperature and the temperature you chose is reflected in your cup profile.

What you’ll learn:

• The impact of different water temperatures on the flavour profile.
• Water temperatures that are favourible for extracting a bright cup.
• Water temperatures that are favourible for extracting a rich (strong) cup?

Now with all that amazing knowledge, it is time to bring it all together and extract your tasty espresso. This is your hands-on time.

What you’ll DO:

• Espresso extraction: Grinding the coffee, measuring the dose, filling the basket and tamping, extracting, timing the extraction and measuring the yield, determining the extraction ratio
• Espresso tasting
• Analysis of taste and data. We’ll discuss under-extraction and over-extraction.
• Adjustments: Adjusting the grind size to move closer to the espresso recipe
• Repeat: Extract, taste, analyse, adjust
• Repeat and repeat until you hit the recipe.

The most desirable milk for coffee beverages is smooth and creamy with barely visible bubbles. It should look silky and velvety, like gloss paint.

What you’ll learn:

• What jug to use?
• How much to fill the jug.
• What temperature to heat the milk.
• What’s happening throughout texturing? We’ll discuss the stretching and texturing phases.
• What makes microfoam stable?
• How protein is denatured?

What you’ll DO:

• Lining up the steam wand
• Texturing silky and velvety milk and creating a wonderful latte.