Which coffee to use to make espresso?

Whether you have it for breakfast, after lunch, as a booster or as a taster, espresso coffee is one of the most important drinks in your daily life. A real star, this coffee has its own certification and an institute committed to defending its quality. However, the production of this elixir rich in aromas is not the prerogative of baristas. It is also possible to master the codes of espresso making at home. In order to make a successful espresso, you need to know the types of coffee you need to make it, the amount of coffee to use, how long you need to expose the ground coffee to the hot water, etc.

For this reason, in the following lines, we will look at the coffees to be preferred for a successful espresso. What are the characteristics of special espresso coffee? How do you grind your coffee to obtain a successful espresso? Let's zoom in on the coffees to use to obtain a tasty espresso.

What is espresso coffee?

An espresso coffee, or espresso in Italian, is a coffee obtained by exposing coffee to pressurized hot water for less than 30 seconds. In terms of appearance, espresso coffee has a dark brown color and is distinguished by the layer of creamy foam on top. This has a reddish brown color. This foam or crema remains visible on top of the beverage for several minutes after it is prepared.

Also called short coffee, espresso coffee differs from long, strong or filter coffee in the following ways:

the preparation method (pressure, temperature, pressure time, etc.);
the type of coffee used: fine grind for espresso and thick grind for filter coffee;
caffeine content;
the appearance of the coffee obtained.

Espresso coffee is a very strong coffee and is appreciated for its strong aroma. Finally, it should be noted that a coffee called espresso must be prepared with a quantity of roasted coffee evolving between 7 and 10 g at least.

Which coffee variety to choose for your espresso?

When buying coffee, it is possible to find three varieties of coffee mainly:

Arabica coffee;
robusta coffee ;
blends (also called mixtures).

Arabica coffee contains less caffeine than robusta. It also has a milder and less pronounced taste than robusta. Robusta coffee can be recognized by its full-bodied, bitter and sometimes even woody taste. As for the blends, they are actually mixtures of Arabica and Robusta coffee, in different proportions.

Robusta coffee is generally the most popular for making espressos, as it is very well suited to the needs of people who want to enjoy a strong, tight drink. Finally, since Arabica coffee is more expensive than Robusta coffee, it is only natural that Robusta is preferred in the preparation of espresso coffee.

What are the different coffees to use to make an espresso?

Espresso coffee can be prepared by hand or with the help of specially designed machines. Various utensils and machines are available on the market to prepare espresso coffee at home. Each of them requires the use of a coffee packaged in a specific form:

coffee beans for machines with integrated grinder or mill;
ground coffee and espresso coffee for machines without integrated grinder;
coffee in the form of soft or hard pods;
etc.

In this context, it may be wise to look at coffee beans. Indeed, the latter offers various advantages, as much in terms of taste as in economic and ecological terms. Coffee beans can be used in machines equipped with grinders or be ground just before the preparation of theespresso using a coffee grinder (manual).

Which ground coffee to select to make espresso?

The preparation of an espresso coffee requires the selection of a suitable grind for this type of hot drink.

Choosing your grinder: the criteria

Espresso coffee requires the use of ground coffee marked "Special Espresso". The quality of the coffee grind has a direct impact on the taste and aroma of the espresso coffee. Because of the short time the coffee is exposed to water (about 30 seconds) when making espresso, it is necessary to use a finely ground coffee (fine grind). The fineness of the grind increases the surface area of the coffee exposed to the water and facilitates the brewing of the coffee and the extraction of its aromas.

It should be noted, however, that too fine a grind can cause blockages in espresso machines. Extra fine grinds are reserved for oriental coffee makers. The medium and thick grinds are to be used for cold or filter coffees for example. These follow a preparatory mode that allows the coffee to be exposed to water for a longer period of time and facilitates the infusion and extraction of the coffee's compounds (oils, aromas, etc.).

How to grind your coffee beans

Instant or minute ground coffee provides a richly flavored drink. Indeed, ground coffee is very sensitive to oxidation and its compounds are very volatile, hence the interest in selecting a perfectly conditioned ground coffee or grinding coffee beans just before preparing your espresso.

The coffee beans can be introduced or arranged in automatic espresso machines (with integrated grinder) or ground manually with a coffee grinder. The objective is to obtain a homogeneous grind to facilitate the passage of water during the extraction of the coffee. Afterwards, it is necessary to grind the coffee beans for a period of 20 seconds with several pauses.

Mastering the coffee grinding process requires several trials. Thus, to judge the quality of the grind obtained, it is sufficient to observe in particular:

the quality of the flow of the drink. The beverage should start flowing within 6 seconds after the machine is started;
the cream obtained should not be dark, but brown;
the final drink should not be too bitter.

In the end, to obtain a successful espresso coffee, you must select a ground coffee specially designed for this purpose, or use coffee beans with a coffee machine with a built-in grinder, or own a coffee grinder to grind it yourself.

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Selection guide: selecting coffee to make espresso