Making Espresso – Traditional & Alternative Brewing Methods

Espresso is a beautiful and complex beverage. For many coffee lovers, the essence of great coffee is best captured in the creamy, sweet syrup of a perfectly pulled shot of espresso. The popularity of espresso in most parts of the world, though, has dwindled under the onslaught of giant, super-sweet, milky drinks. A big part of the decline in espresso’s popularity is due to some fundamental misconceptions about this coffee preparation method.

Mainstream coffee culture has painted the espresso as a bitter, noxious potion with no purpose other than to deliver large amounts of caffeine quickly. When people are brave enough to order one in a coffee shop or restaurant, they often get a poorly made shot that reinforces this negative image. A well-prepared espresso should be sweet, smooth, and creamy, with just a hint of pleasant bitterness. To gain a better understanding of this much-maligned coffee drink, let’s take a look at some of the most common questions people ask about espresso.

What is Espresso?

The most common misconceptions about espresso are that it’s made from a specific type of coffee bean or that it’s a label for a particular style of roasting. The definition of espresso has nothing to do with the origin or type of coffee bean, and it’s not a roasting style either (we’ll talk more about this in a second). In reality, what makes espresso different from any other coffee is how it’s prepared. The official Specialty Coffee Association’s definition of espresso goes like this:

While that’s great for professionals in a lab setting or a high-end cafe, all you need to know is that espresso is a tiny, highly concentrated coffee beverage that’s brewed under high pressure in a short amount of time. The most important thing to notice about the SCA definition of espresso is that it doesn’t mention the kind of coffee used, the roast, or any requirements other than how the drink is prepared.

What Coffee to Use (Espresso Roast VS Drip Roast)?

Coffee roasting is a diverse and complicated process. The number of different roasting styles and methods is limited only by the number of different people who roast coffee. Most coffee consumers associate roasting with terms like dark, light, or bold. The problem is that none of these terms have any objective meaning. There is no accepted definition of what counts as a “dark” roast or a “French” roast. Even more meaningless is the commonly-used espresso roast” applied to coffee that is roasted very dark.

Espresso is a preparation method, not a roast, so this term is utterly meaningless. Worse, it has sown confusion among the coffee-drinking public and caused people to associate espresso with dark roasting. The darker a coffee is roasted the more bitter it will taste. When coffee is roasted extremely dark, as with most so-called espresso roasts,” it will taste just like what it is: charred wood fibers. In reality, the best espresso is made using medium-roasted, or even lightly roasted beans. At lighter roast levels, more of the oils and sugars are preserved in the coffee and this leads to a sweeter and more balanced espresso with a pleasing syrupy body.

How to Make Espresso

The first step to making espresso is to purchase an espresso machine. Unless you have serious engineering skills and access to specialized materials, there’s no way around it. A good home espresso machine can run you more than $3,000, but there are a number of good options on the market these days. Of course, owning an espresso machine will not make you an expert barista. Pulling great shots takes time, patience, and perseverance. Some people spend decades perfecting the craft of espresso extraction. To get you started on your path to espresso mastery, let’s take a look at the basic steps to pulling a shot of espresso.

     

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Other Ways to Make an Espresso Shot

There are many ways to make a cup of coffee, but there are few methods that will give you a genuine shot of espresso. These methods might sound more practical than others and you’ll want to know which ones are going to work the best. Here are some of the easiest methods to get excellent results each and every time. The trick is to follow these practical steps that can give you the kind of espresso you’ll love to drink by itself or in a coffee drink.

Aeropress

Aeropress is a great way to great a shot of espresso when you start with these steps:

1. Instead of one filter in your Aeropress, you’ll want to use two. If you use a screen or mesh filter, then use a regular mesh filter with a regular paper filter. The secret is to pre-soak the filter so it’s already primed. Once you’re ready to brew, get your Aeropress vessel ready for the coffee grounds.
2. The grind for making good espresso starts with having a grind that is similar to fine sand because the Aeropress isn’t going to act like a real espresso machine. Using fine powdery coffee grounds will simply clog your Aeropress, so don’t do it. Now add about 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds to your vessel, adding a bit more than you normally would add will increase the flavor intensity.
3. Now you add 3 ounces of clean and filtered water that’s been heated to 200F degrees. Mix your coffee as quickly as you can for 20 seconds allowing the coffee to bloom and off-gas. Now put in the plunger and using steady and hard pressure, extract the coffee into your mug. Be careful to not push like a madman since steady and substantial pressure will produce a great espresso result.

Moka Pot

You can always make a fine espresso from a Moka pot since the pressure is just right.

1. When you want to produce a smooth and tasty espresso blend, it doesn’t matter how powdery your coffee beans have been ground into, it will force the water through the built-in filter just fine. The best grind setting for a Moka Pot is medium-fine to finely ground coffee. Instead of adding the entire amount of water for a single serving, only use half the water.
2. Prepare your water by using clean filtered water rather than regular tap water. To get great results, preheat your water before adding it by warming it up in the microwave. Not only will this produce a double shot of espresso, but it also gives you the foamy crema that you’ll always get with real espresso machines. Another thing to remember with a Moka pot is to keep the heat on medium-low since the heat is not what makes it work.
3. The pressure that builds inside a Moka pot is sufficient enough to force finely ground coffee through the filter of any Moka Press. If you want to have a very fine espresso with no grit in it, requires that you add a small piece of coffee filter pressed into the area where your filter is sitting. Trim around the filter to cut off the excess paper.

French Press

A French press can produce espresso-like coffee if you follow these tips to get the best results:

1. Select the grind of your coffee beans to be a finely ground powder. Your French Press won’t have a filter that can keep the fine grip out of your coffee so you need to add a coffee over your regular filter. Wrap it around the filter and spring coil that’s inserted into the vessel. Use about 2 tablespoons of coffee that will go into the water.
2. Preheat your water in a kettle up to 200F degrees and add half a cup of water into your French Press vessel. Then add your 2 tablespoons (or more) of fine-ground coffee beans. Give this a good mix for at least 20 seconds, allowing it to bloom. Give it a final mix before you put the plunger on top.
3. The coffee filter that you wrap around your French Press filter is not so tricky, just be careful to keep the edges nice and uniform with no wrinkles along the rounded edges. This is then inserted into the vessel and the cap is secured. The real challenge here is to make a slow and steady plunge to the bottom. There’s more than enough clean-up afterward cleaning out your press, but the results are worth it.

Manual pull espresso machines

These manual level single espresso makers are showing up everywhere can also do the trick:

1. The biggest noob mistake you can make with these level espresso machines is not making the right amount of pressure while pushing down on the handle. it’s a single pump to get one single shot of espresso, so having the upper hand (so-to-speak) is the key to success. Put the machine on a table that is lower than your hips. A chair or coffee table will work perfectly.
2. Load up your filter chamber with finely ground coffee beans. Then pour in pre-boiled water that is 200F degrees in a kettle up to the waterline. Place the plunger on top and a ready cup underneath. Using a nice and steady single push, you can get the espresso coffee to filter through in a quick and even push downward. Optimally, you want to have at least 45 pounds of pressure working in your favor.
3. Because you are using gravity to your advantage, there is little or no straining and you’re using your body weight to give the force needed work to your advantage. This way, you can make several cups of espresso in record time for many people who want great tasting espresso. Always make sure your kettle has a thermometer to ensure the temperature is always 200F degrees when you pour it into the lever-operated machine.

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Devices to Make Espresso

9Barista Espresso Maker

Talk about a nifty gadget if you’ve decided to invest in a portable espresso maker. This is what you get when you have nuclear submarine-precision devices that are designed by guys like Alan Adler get funded on places like Kickstarter. You can actually buy this gadget too, which is based on the same premise as the Moka Pot. It uses precision pressure and mind-blowing filter technology to create espresso using very little heat. Don’t believe us, check out how well it works in this video.

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Portable Capsule Espresso Machine

There’s no way to escape the vacuum of space, but they did it anyway for everyone who likes to use capsule coffee. Most of the brands these days are vacuum-sealed to seal in freshness, so giving the right pressure can give you surprising results using this device. You might recognize this chap from the Hellraiser movies who had all the pins in his head. This portable espresso thermos is totally portable and can be brought with you anywhere!

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Hand Pump Hybrid Espresso Maker

How about a bicycle-like pump that can handle real coffee grounds and capsule all-in-one? The good part about this single-serve espresso maker is getting the right pressure for espresso to be genuine. This nifty espresso maker can go with you on road trips, or when the electricity goes out at home. All you need is to warm up your kettle to get hot water, so your espresso comes out perfect each time. Check out this tiny espresso machine right here.

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GSI Outdoors Portable Espresso Maker

What’s the best way to make espresso coffee when you’re on the go? If you’re traveling on business, lugging your drip coffee maker on a flight is never feasible. Even more extreme, what’s the best coffee maker when camping? You can’t risk bringing a glass french press in a backpack.

GSI Outdoors is a unique company. They built their GSI Outdoors Espresso Maker with the “on-the-go” coffee enthusiast in mind. Here’s the sample they provided us and we’ll use it to give you our feedback on this portable espresso maker.

GSI Outdoors is one of the premier outdoor brands in the western United States. In 1985, three siblings from British Columbia made the trek down to San Diego and started the company. They don’t just focus on coffee gear, they focus on all sorts of outdoor kitchenware for the camping and hiking enthusiast. They are best known for their first product, blue enamel tableware.

Now based in Spokane, Washington and after producing thousands on items, they have ventured deep into coffee. They make excellent coffee gear that is ready for the trail, the tent, or the van. We’re reviewing the GSI Outdoors Mini Espresso coffee maker today.

DURABILITY

The first thing we noticed when unpacking the espresso maker is its construction. It is made of pure stainless steel and is extremely durable.

It comes with two main parts and a funnel. The bottom is a stainless steel canister that holds the water. The second part is the funnel filter that slides into the bottom canister and has a filter on top. The filter is where you put the coffee grounds when you are ready to make espresso. The third and final piece is the shelf and spout that spits out the fresh espresso. When we say spits out, we mean it. While we love this GSI Outdoors espresso maker, it does tend to spit and sputter at the end of the cup.

All said, we found the coffee maker to be extremely durable and ready for anything! We could envision ourselves taking this device camping, to a festival, or business travel.

COFFEE TASTE

We found the coffee taste from the GSI Outdoors mini espresso machine to be absolutely fantastic. While it is not going to rival a commercial or high-end espresso machine with 12-16 bars of pressure, it holds it own! We found it to be one of the best options possible when camping or compared to more expensive drip coffee machines.

In multiple taste-testings, a friend of ours could not tell the difference between the GSI Outdoors maker and a Nespresso machine. While it’s not exactly a scientific survey, it was very impressive. This friend was able to tell a french press vs aeropress, so we know there’s some validity to their taste buds.

The GSI Outdoors coffee maker taste is excellent for such a small device, and even discerning coffee fans will be pleased.

PRICE

Considering the design, build quality, durability, and coffee taste, this espresso maker is a great deal. Currently on Amazon, you can get the device for under $50 with two-day free shipping using Amazon Prime. We cannot recommend this machine enough if you are looking for great-testing espresso on a smaller budget.

Compared to espresso machines that are even twice the price, we think this machine has them beat. Unless we’re talking about high-end or commercial espresso machines, this maker holds its own. We recommend this device for any budget-conscious coffee lovers.

HOW TO USE THE GSI MINI ESPRESSO MAKER

1. Fill the canister base with water up to the air hole
2. Drop the metal funnel into the canister base
3. Fill the funnel with finely ground coffee up to the first groove on the side
4. Screw on the metal spout to the canister base
5. Put the espresso maker over fire or on a stove (gas or electric work, gas is quicker)
6. Heat on medium heat until the espresso starts to come out of the spout

FINAL TAKE

We highly recommend the GSI Outdoors Espresso Maker for any coffee fans who need espresso on the go. Whether you’re camping, at a festival, or traveling, this espresso maker will serve you well. We found it durable, well-made, and capable of making a great tasting cup of joe!