BREW GUIDES: Espresso Brew Guide

Australians adore espresso coffee. From brawny short blacks to frothy cappuccinos, we’ve been enjoying espresso since the first machine landed on our shores changing our understanding of coffee forever.

Great espresso has a rich syrupy flavour and heavy body feel, with a deep but delicious bitterness that brings sophistication and roundedness. Its inherent sweetness means it can be enjoyed with or without milk and the varied styles means there’s something perfect no matter the time of day.

BREW GUIDES: Espresso Brewing Guide

We’ve been making espresso coffee in our shop and at home for years. Our Espresso Brewing Guide is designed to help you use your espresso machine to make incredible espresso at home consistently.

 The Basics

You’ll need:

 Your ratio of coffee to water:

  • 1:2 or 1:2.5. So, 21 grams ground coffee to between 42 and 52.5 grams of water.

 Steps to Brewing Espresso with a Machine

  1. Remove portafilter from the machine.

  2. Briefly run the machine to clear the ground head.

  3. Fill the portafilter with carefully weighed finely ground coffee and level it out with your finger or a knife edge.

  4. Using the coffee tamper, firmly compact the ground coffee.

  5. Lock the portafilter back into the espresso machine and place a demitasse or other cup underneath (tip: warm the cup for a more professional finish).

  6. Pull your shot.

  7. The espresso will take 25 to 30 seconds, and it will run from a rich brown colour to a pale taupe colour as it finishes.

  8. Prepare your milk (For more info, check out our video explaining how to steam milk You can skip straight to it at 3:45.)

  9. Enjoy!

Remember, it’s your coffee!

At the end of the day, it’s your coffee. Our Espresso Brewing Guide is just that… a guide. If you find the ratio here too strong (or not strong enough) feel free to change it. If the grind size is too fine and the coffee is running through too quickly in your machine, grab a larger grind size. And if the grind is too coarse and the coffee is running through too quickly in your machine, fine up your grind until it drips out nice and thin like the one in our video (you can find it at 3:00 on our video)!

It’s all up to you! The only real rule is that you enjoy it! 

Our Brew Guides

If you liked our Espresso Brewing Guide check out our other Brew Guides. You can find out the specifics about other brewing methods, including all our tips and tricks.

We’ve got some excellent coffee beans ready for you – and we can grind them so they’re perfect for espresso brewing at home. Check out our shop today.