How to use your espresso machine
Familiarise yourself with your machine. Study both the machine itself and the instructions that were supplied with it. Make sure you understand the terms in this article, and most importantly be aware that some parts on the machine will get hot enough to hurt you. We're not talking about super high temperatures, just hot enough to make you flinch and say “ouch”, if you accidentally touch it.
Areas to avoid touching during use are: the grouphead and surrounding area, the portafilter body, the steam wand assembly, the pressure relief tube (if present).
Prepare your espresso machine BEFORE switching it on. First fill the reservoir with cold water. You may use filtered water if you prefer, but it is not vital. Filtered water tastes cleaner and contains less chlorine which will help reduce the build-up of lime-scale inside the boiler.
Make sure that everything is clean and in its proper place according to the manufacturers instructions. Place the filter basket into the portafilter.
If the machine is new, check every removable panel and make sure that no packaging or parts are left inside.
Warm-up. It is very important to "warm-up" your machine before using it. This normally takes around 5 to 10 minutes, though some machines will require longer. During warm-up, you should install the empty portafilter as this also needs to be warm. Place cups on the warming plate if your machine has one.
The "warm up" light will indicate that the coffee machine is ready to use.
Purge your machine. Once your machine has reached the correct temperature it must be purged. Purging pumps water into the boiler and out through the grouphead. It is important to purge, as your boiler may have air inside which must be removed before coffee making. Purging also removes any stale water that was inside the boiler which may have an unpleasant taste.
To purge the machine, simply switch the pump ON and collect the hot water in a cup (being careful not to scald yourself). You may find that steam comes from the grouphead. Leave the pump running for about 2/3 cup.
Note: If you purge the machine into the drip-tray, you will fill it very quickly! Some machines vent excess steam into the drip tray which can cause splashing and leakage if it is full!
Filling the Filter Basket. Now that your machine is ready to use, you can fill the filter basket with coffee. You should be using coffee that has been ground for an espresso machine if you are not grinding your own coffee beans. If you want to grind your own beans, please continue to the “Grinding Coffee Beans” section.
The amount of coffee to use for a standard double shot is 14g, and for a single it's 7g. If your machine came with a scoop you will probably find that one scoop holds around 7g of coffee.
To make a double: Tip two scoops (14g) of coffee into the filter basket (without pressing) and tap the side of the portafilter to help settle the grinds.
Tamp. Hold the portafilter in one hand, with the spouts on a sturdy surface such as a breadboard. With the other hand, take the tamper and place the disc onto the surface of the coffee that best fits the size of filter basket. Press straight down firmly onto the tamper with the palm of your hand. Do not apply lots of body weight, but do lean in and give a short, positive press. When you remove the tamper you will see that the coffee is flat and compressed. If there is coffee stuck around the sides of the filter basket, tap the sides of the portafilter to knock it off and tamp down once again.
You are now ready to lock the portafilter into the machine and try drawing an espresso.
Note: Espresso coffee is ground much finer than other coffees, as the flavours and aromatic compounds are extracted very quickly and under pressure. Coffee used in a French Press, for instance is very coarse as it needs to infuse the water and remain under the filter gauze. If you were to use espresso coffee in a French Press, the results would be musky, slightly bitter and dry, with fine silt in the bottom of the cup.
Grinding Coffee Beans. The coarseness of grind to aim for depends upon various aspects such as: the pump pressure, the filter basket, and the force applied to the coffee with the tamper.
An important part of coffee making is finding the balance between all these aspects.
Sounds a bit scary to a beginner, but it's just a case of trial and error. My advice would be to select the 1/2 way setting on the grinder and work backwards to the finest setting.
You will need to draw a few espressos and discard them before you get a really nice coffee, but if you drink espresso every day (like me) then it's not going to take you very long.
Note: Keep those coffee beans in an airtight jar or container and keep it closed. Coffee absorbs moisture and flavours very quickly, and will lose vital oils and aromas if left open. Coffee beans lose their best flavours after around 3 months. If coffee beans are kept in an open container, they will be ruined in less than 2 hours.
Drawing the espresso. Load the portafilter into the machine and ensure that it is securely locked into the correct position according to the instruction manual.
Now you are ready to draw an espresso and start the process of refining your technique.If you have two standard shot glasses, place them under the portafilter spouts and run the pump for 25 to 28 seconds.
- If you find that the glasses have overflowed before the time has elapsed and that the coffee is light in colour, this means that the grinds are too coarse.
- If the glasses are not full and the coffee trickled out very slowly, then the grinds are too fine.
A perfect shot is virtually black with a thick layer of reddish-brown crema on top, and will fill the shot glasses.Remember, the pump pressure is constant.
A great espresso is achieved by slowing the flow of water just enough to extract the correct elements from the coffee in the given time. The key is to find the perfect grind and tamp with consistent force.
Frothing Milk for Cappuccino. Frothing milk is very much down to experience, though there are common techniques involved that can be applied to virtually all machines. The first thing to establish is that you have enough milk for the beverage that you intend to make. For instance, a cappuccino should consist of equal parts of: espresso shot, hot milk, and fine milk froth. A latte, on the other hand consists of: espresso shot, and lots of hot milk with a small frothy layer on top.
Make sure that the frothing attachment is installed onto the steam wand (if it has one). Take your frothing jug (stainless steel) and wipe the inside surface with a dry towel until shiny. Pour the desired amount of chilled milk into the jug. I use a 1 pint frothing pitcher half full to make two latte, and about one third full to make to cappuccinos. The size of the pitcher is just right as I can submerge the frothing attachment, and there is enough room for expanding the milk.
Note: The milk must be chilled, and must contain fats to produce froth. Skimmed milk will not produce the desired result, though semi-skimmed and full fat milk is easy to froth.
Prepare the machine by switching it to “steam” mode. Some machines require extra warm-up time for steam production, others simply produce steam straight away.
When the machine is ready, start the steam according to the manufacturers handbook and watch the steam until it makes a clean, hissing jet. Stop the steam and place the jug under the steam wand so that the end is well below the surface of the milk.
Note: If you lower the wand into the milk while it is steaming you may end up with a milky splash-out!
Start the steam again and try to position the wand so that the milk swirls round in the jug. Adjust the jug position when frothing to produce a better froth. If the milk is swirling to fast, try to direct the steam into the centre, or touch the wand onto the base of the jug. If the bubbles are too large, the froth will be poor. Try frothing using less power (if your steam wand has a manual tap) or keep the wand deeper down in the milk while frothing. When the milk is hot, be careful not to boil it. You will hear a muffled popping and rumbling noise come from the base of the jug if you boil the milk. Just turn the steam down or stop frothing if this happens. If your milk turns out a disaster, then try again with new milk and a clean jug. Just don't get crazy. You'll get the hang of it. Internet forums are a great place to find tips and advice specifically for your own coffee machine.
Remember to clean the steam wand and parts after using them, as the heat will bake the milk on. If you find that the steam wand or parts have accumulated hard milky crud, simply leave them to soak in water overnight and rinse thoroughly with water and maybe brush with an old toothbrush.
Making a Cappuccino. Making a cappuccino looks easy when you see them make it in a café and to be quite honest, it is easy. I normally make two cappuccinos at once so I'll run you through how I do it.
- Fill the filter for a double shot (14g) and tamp as described above.
- Take a 1 pint frothing pitcher and fill it about one third full with chilled milk. If you use a smaller pitcher, do the milk for each coffee separately.
- Lock the portafilter in place and draw your coffee straight into two warmed cappuccino cups. If you are still refining your technique, you may find it easier to draw the coffee into two shot glasses first.
- Froth the milk as described. You need loads of froth for cappuccino.
- When finished frothing, leave the milk for about 10 – 15 seconds to settle. Take the jug and knock the base down onto a tea-towel to disperse large bubbles. Use a spoon to hold back the foam and pour hot milk into each cup.
- When you have reached about two thirds of a full cup, spoon the froth onto each coffee up to the rim of the cup.
- Sweeten to taste, and finish with a sprinkle of cocoa, or if that's too bitter use sweetened drinking chocolate.
Care for your machine. Note: Never use detergent on parts that come into contact with coffee!
Your espresso machine must be cleaned and cared for regularly. After making coffee the portafilter should be removed from the grouphead. If it is left locked in position, the seal will be damaged.
Remember to clean the milk frothing parts EVERY time you use it.
Wipe the shower plate with a cloth and run the pump briefly to flush the head. If the shower plate is removable, it should be removed and cleaned weekly.
Check that the drip tray is not full.
Remove used coffee from the filter basket and rinse with water only.
Depending upon the hardness of the water in your area, it is recommended to de-scale your machine every few months. In hard water areas, de-scale monthly. Espresso machine descaler is great, though you can use normal kettle descaler. Just dilute it into 1L cold water in the water tank. Run the pump to fill 1/2 cup and leave for 10 minutes. Repeat process until the tank is empty, and immediately flush through with two full tanks of clean water to remove any descaler from the boiler.
Rinse the water tank periodically to remove particles and dirt as these can damage the pump over time.
Do not use harsh chemicals to clean the outside of your machine. Soapy water will do, just make sure you dry it thoroughly, and don't try to clean it when it's hot.
Now let's make some great coffee!
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- The coffee machine that I used to have was a Morphy Richards 47505 Espresso machine and at under 100 it is definitely not an expensive machine compared to the likes of most Gaggia, Dualit and Krups machines. It has a simple manual control on the front for selecting between main water pump and steam wand. It is fitted with the standard 15bar Italian pump that is fitted to most coffee machines, and the boiler is a fairly standard copper type module.
