Any true coffee worshipper will tell you being served the perfect espresso can feel like a religious experience, so it makes sense that those in the industry refer to such a pour as a “God shot.” Thankfully, there’s a way to replicate such a shot, and Toby’s Estate Coffee educator Allie Caran is here to break it down step by step.
In the three-minute video from Business Insider, Caran details the methodical process by which anyone with a decent espresso machine, correctly calibrated grinder, and high quality coffee (not that blasphemous pre-ground stuff) can go DIY.
- Pull an 18-gram shot of freshly ground espresso into your portafilter. Make sure not to overpack. (This is where making sure your grinder is properly set comes into play.)
- Use your fingers to level off the inside of the filter.
- Apply even pressure to the top of the filled portafilter with your tamp (“tamping”) but do not tap the side! Yeah, we’ve all seen it done before by fancy-pants baristas, but turns out it actually disrupts the surface of of your grinds and will throw off your shot.
- Lock your portafilter into the grouphead and “pull” the shot (a.k.a. hit the button) to begin brewing. Watch for the stream to increase in velocity and develop a blonde color to judge how well you’ve mastered the process. If the color change happens between the 20 and 30 second mark (25, ideally) there’s a good chance you’ve pulled it off.
- Stir the cup with your spoon, drink a sip of water, then a sip of espresso, and then another sip of water to get the most out of the flavor palette.
Master the art of espresso making, and never look back.
[via Business Insider]
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