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How to Make Espresso with Your Coffee Maker
Enjoying a fresh cup of espresso in the morning can be an energizing and refreshing experience.
Published November 24, 2021
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Daniel Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Enjoying a fresh, hot cup of espresso in the morning can be an energizing and refreshing experience that is second to none. Espresso is a small coffee beverage that has a concentrated amount of caffeine. It is an ideal, easy and quick way to start your day if you’re a coffee lover looking for something that you can drink on the go. Espresso is also used as a base for a variety of different popular coffee drinks including lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, cortardo, and many others.
Expresso or espresso? Definitely espresso. Compared to standard coffee, espresso is a beverage that is brewed differently. Rather than working with heat and slowly running water through the coffee grounds, espresso uses a much more forceful process. To make espresso, pressurized hot water is forced through the coffee beans, which are often finely ground for the best results, but can be thicker and have more loose sediments compared to other kinds of coffee. Espresso is a strong drink that is typically consumed in a small shot, and is an excellent choice for fans of dark roasted coffee.
Does Espresso Have Health Benefits?
There are lots of health benefits to drinking espresso that you might not have even realized you could get from your daily morning cup of coffee. One of the best things about espresso is that it is a low-calorie coffee option, with no need to worry about gaining weight when you drink this every morning. Since the high caffeine content in espresso can stimulate your metabolism, it’s no surprise that some experts believe that drinking espresso regularly can actually help you lose weight over time. Some studies have even found that it might be helpful for improving your long-term memory, and others have found it helpful for better digestion of your meals, making it the perfect drink to have with breakfast.
Most espresso shots will be rich in antioxidants, along with cafestol, which is known as an anti-inflammatory. Some people have even found that regularly drinking espresso helps them with working out more effectively or reduce muscle aching. Espresso also contains hydrocinnamic acids, which help your body with filtering UV rays and pollution throughout the day. It also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that can help to reduce your risk of disease.
Finally, any type of coffee, including espresso, will give you energy – which is a healthier option compared to drinking high-sugar energy drinks.
Popular Coffee Maker Types
If you enjoy coffee, you have probably already noticed that there are many different types of coffee makers available. Coffee makers can be found to suit every budget, home, and taste preference. However, if you are looking to make espresso in particular, some coffee makers, like a cold coffee maker, might not be the best option. Once you know how to use a coffee pot, you can determine if it is the right option for espresso. Some of the most popular coffee maker options available today include:
Stove Top Maker
These work in a fairly simple way, and are an easy starter option if you want to learn how to use a coffee pot. All you need to do is use the heat from your stove to provide power to the coffee maker. Then, put in your favorite coffee blend and add water.
Drip Coffee Maker
A drip coffee maker is a very popular option and it’s likely that you have one or know somebody who does. There are various models to choose from including convenient K-cup options or a standard pot and filter model. Some drip coffee makers come with a range of additional features like timers or smart connectivity, while others are basic push to start options. They work by running hot water through coffee maker to brew your pot, and can usually make a large quantity at one time.
French Press
French Press are another great manual option for making coffee that does not require you to plug anything in. These machines are designed to use coarsely ground coffee with hot water to quickly make a tasty and rich cup. All you need to do is grind the coffee beans to the desired level and brew in the hot water for a few minutes before moving the plunger down.
Espresso Machine
For making espresso at home, an espresso machine is your best option. While it one of the most expensive coffee maker options available, it does make a good cup of coffee, especially if you get a well-made and reliable model that is designed to withstand use and last for many years. Espresso machines will generally only make one or two shots at a time. It requires that you use fine grounds and is one of the quickest options for making a strong cup of coffee in the morning. Some are manual, requiring you to weigh out the coffee, get the temperature right, and determine how much water is needed. Others are automatic, which will do most of this for you, but you will be required to weigh out and tamp the coffee yourself. Super automatic espresso machines are generally used in commercial settings and do everything from grinding, weighting, tamping, and heating.
How to Use an Espresso Maker
If you have just gotten into making your own coffee at home, you might be wondering why your espresso doesn’t taste that great. The truth is that making espresso at home that tastes great can take some practice, and not everybody will be able to get it right first time. If you want to make a better cup of coffee at home, consider the following steps:
Prepare and Measure Out Your Coffee
Prepare your filter and place it in the machine as needed. Bear in mind that some machines use differently shaped filters, so check the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure that you have the one that works best. Once you’ve added the right filter, grind and weigh your coffee and pour it inside.
Measure Your Water
You should read the instructions that come with the coffee beans carefully to make sure that you are adding the right amount of water. If you make a mistake, you can rectify this by adding more grounds if needed, or adding more water. Once this is done, turn on your machine. An automatic espresso machine will shut off when the drink is ready, but you will need to set a timer for a manual option.
To keep your appliance working correctly and to make sure that your coffee tastes great every time, you should clean your coffee maker in between each use. Some coffee makers are more complicated to clean than others, while some models come with self-cleaning features that make it a breeze.
Can You Brew Espresso in a Coffee Maker?
Since the pressure is the main component when it comes to making espresso, brewing espresso in a coffee maker can be a bit tricker to do. A standard coffee maker is unlikely to provide you with the amount of pressure that you need to create espresso drinks the standard way. However, if you have a coffee maker and don’t want to invest in a separate espresso machine, the good news is that it is possible, but it will require a bit more work.
To get started, measure out and grind your coffee beans. You should stick to a ratio of two ounces of water for every two teaspoons of coffee. Place the coffee in a filter and place the water on the stove. Heat the water until it is just below the boiling point, before immediately pouring it over your coffee grounds. At first, pour a small amount of water before waiting around thirty seconds to give it a chance to be soaked up by your coffee grounds. Then, pour the remainder of the water into the machine, making sure that there is a cup or mug in place to catch the espresso. You can drink it as a shot, add more hot water to make an Americano, or add microfoam to create a latte.
How to Prepare Coffee Beans for Espresso
If you want to achieve excellent espresso then the best way to do this is by making your coffee beans from scratch. To do this, you will need to prepare your beans by roasting them until they are a dark color. If you’re not confident enough to roast your own coffee beans, you can buy many pre-roasted options. However, pre-ground coffee beans are never going to taste as good as beans that have been freshly ground, so it’s worth investing in a burr grinder to do this at home. To make perfect espresso, you will want finely ground beans, that resemble sugar. Once you have done this, the beans are ready to add to your machine.
Making delicious espresso at home is easier than ever with a range of modern espresso machines to choose from. With the right prep, you can achieve a tasty, energizing drink every time.
About the author
Daniel Hedlund
Working with the Era of We initiative and loves knowledge sharing and a really good cup of coffee.
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