Should I use pre-ground coffee or coffee beans to make an espresso?

Ideally, you should be able to grind your coffee "à la minute", so we advise you to use coffee beans and to equip yourself with a coffee grinder or to have an espresso machine with an integrated grinder (also called a grinder).

For those who are not lucky enough to have this equipment, don't panic. We also offer in our online store already ground coffee that fits all espresso machines on the market, packaged in fully sealed bags that preserve the flavors and aromas of your coffee for several weeks.

- Our selection of ground coffee for espresso machines

- Our selection of coffee beans for espresso machines

Is espresso coffee more concentrated in caffeine?

By being sometimes darker, thicker and stronger in taste, we tend to believe that espresso is richer in caffeine than a filter coffee. However, this is not true. The main reason for this is the way each of these drinks is prepared.

Indeed, the more the coffee will be in contact with water during its extraction, the more likely it is that the final preparation will be full of caffeine.

In fact, an espresso requires less water to be prepared and the contact between the material and the liquid is faster. The espresso machine will increase the pressure and temperature of the water (8 to 9 bars and about 90°C) before extracting the coffee. The water then passes through the 7 grams of ground coffee in 25 to 30 seconds. The brewing time is therefore very short compared to a filter coffee which will brew for several minutes. It is estimated that on average a 3 to 5 cl espresso coffee contains about 80 to 100g of caffeine.

should I heat the cups before serving the espresso?

They must be hot, the seat more than the mouthpiece, to keep the heat and guarantee thermal inertia. The extraction will be done in two steps if your machine has a pre-infusion program or if it is manual.

Depending on the type of coffee, it is indeed advisable to pre-infuse the grind for a few seconds before applying pressure. Your coffee should flow between 25 and 30 seconds for a 5 cl cup. It should do so in a regular way from the beginning to the end, with a small trickle (mouse tail).

How to make a good espresso?

- Set the temperature between 90 and 95 °C, depending on the coffee;
- Check the pressure of the machine;
- Dose between 8 and 10 g;
- Distribute the coffee evenly in the filter holder and press;
- Extract in 20 to 25 seconds

Don't forget to choose a suitable water, avoid water that is too calcareous.

how to achieve a perfect grind?

This is one of the key points of a good espresso. There are several ways to tell if you are getting close to the right grind. When you pick it up between two fingers, it should start to settle without forming a small ball, or feel grainy. The other method is to make your coffee and check the quality of the flow.

However, the preparation will also depend on the tamping, which can temper the extraction time to the margin.

Our complete guide to milling.

how many grams of coffee to make an espresso?

This is a key point for professionals, as it determines their margin. In France, we have the record for under-gramming: 6.5 g per coffee, when there is no extra ironing. A high dose of Robusta allows your coffee to have taste no matter what. The Italians, on the other hand, go for 7 g.

The younger generation, who appreciate strong taste, systematically make a double shot per coffee, with a weight ranging between 14 and 21 g.

What temperature should the water reach?

This is a point that is sometimes overlooked, yet it is essential that the water temperature is ideal to carry all the oils contained in the material through the grind. It is estimated that the water should be heated between 90 and 95°C, depending on the coffee. You will find this information on each product page of our online store, in the "recipe" section.

What temperature should the water reach?

If you are looking for a machine to make your espresso, you have two options:

- Manual espresso machines: these are generally machines with a percolator and sometimes a built-in coffee grinder.

- Automatic espresso machines: They are also called "coffee bean machines" or "automatic coffee machines" because they all have an integrated coffee grinder and their simplicity of use requires no adjustment.