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How To Make An Espresso

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How To Make An Espresso

Top UK barista Robert Henry shows you how to make the perfect espresso using a domestic machine. Delight in your new skills, and enjoy the espresso. Top UK barista Robert Henry shows you how to make the perfect espresso using a domestic machine. Delight in your new skills, and enjoy the espresso.

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Heat the water

Different models may vary, but make sure you pour enough water into the tank of the machine so that the pump pipes are fully submerged. Turn on the power and the pump to pump water into the boiler. Turn on the boiler to heat the water. The handle that holds the coffee is called the group handle and this should be locked into the machine. The light on the machine will go out when the water is at the correct temperature. Turn off the boiler and press the dosage button to let water flow through the handle for about 10 seconds. This will clean it through and heat it to the same temperature as the water.

Step 3: Add the coffee

Your machine should come with a dosing spoon to measure out the coffee. For a single shot of espresso you will need one spoonful of coffee (7 grams), and for a double shot you will need 2 spoonfuls (14 grams). Put the correct amount in the filter basket and tap it to create a level surface. Use the tamper provided to compact the coffee. This will ensure the water doesn't flow through it too fast.

Step 4: Filter

Lock the group handle into the machine and put an espresso cup underneath. Turn on the dosage button. The coffee should take 14-18 seconds to filter through for a single espresso and 20-25 seconds for a double. If it is filtering through too fast, add a bit more coffee and compact it more firmly. If you are grinding your own coffee beans, grind them more finely. Turn off the dosage button and serve.

Done

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Tips & Comments
  1. imzadi

    Does anyone know an easier way of removing wet coffee grounds without banging the dispenser on the side of the bin as mine is beginning to crack using this method,?

  2. thiscoffeekid

    Hmn. The Silvia isn't steam driven. Never use preground, always grind right before tamping/pulling. Finally, the espresso shots shouldn't have bubbles in the crema, and while satisfactory to some, the color of the crema shouldn't be blonde. It should be a dark caramel for good shots, and dark mahogany/almost reddish for great shots. Also, last time I checked James Hoffman was the UK Barista Champion. (Although he may be replaced now.) I definitely doubt it's this guy.

  3. casemaker

    I just wanted a quick update on my manual espresso machine and this was helpful. There is also so much criticism that all I can add is that this was definitely (that's right,, there is no "a" in the word definite) interesting.

  4. Anonymous

    The horror......THE HORROR!!!! How can anyone drink something like that, and say all the wrong things? Ok, you do need the stuff they said you need, to make an espresso. But than again, if you don't know you need coffee to make espresso, you just might be a bit on the slow side. Please do make better videos, with right information about equipement you use next time. Maybe read manual, so the wrong buttons aren't turned on at wrong time of process...

  5. Anonymous

    roflmao, wow. He does not know how to use that machine and he's definitaly not a conisseur from what i can tell. Pre-ground coffee in a bag

  6. Anonymous

    Fraud!! Steam driven machine!!! No, no, no, no. You guys should be punished for disinformation.

  7. Anonymous

    At least he has a decent tamper...that's the only good thing in the whole video.

  8. Anonymous

    Steam driven? It's a pump driven machine! Espresso is not made with steam. Why has he got the steam button on? Why has he got the hot water button on aswell as the brew button when he's pulling the shot? This guy does not know how to use this machine at all. Those espressi look horrible. They should take 25-30 seconds to produce, the streams should be thick and brown, and the crema reddish-brown. Pre-ground coffee doesn't work for espresso, you need a grinder and beans that are less than 10 days out of the roaster. No wonder he looks in pain when tasting it.

  9. Anonymous

    omfg i just watched this again, he turns on the steam button when he turns on the machine and then proceeds to turn on the "dosage button" way to cook a machine, also a single shot of espresso should also take 25 secs no matter what, if your making a single you should be using a single basket not a double

  10. Anonymous

    haha as a professional barista this video is a joke, the advice offered on this video is stupid, the espresso machine he is using is not steam powered it is a pump base machine called a rancilio silvia, i should know i own one