Espresso

Espresso is a small amount of coffee that is extracted under pressure, typically by using a specifically designed espresso machine.

In our office, we use a La Pavoni Europiccola lever machine. This manual espresso machine has a steep learning curve but produces high quality espresso.

We recommend this machine because of both the relatively low cost and the high quality of espresso it produces. If your budget for an in-home or at-office espresso machine is under $2,000, the La Pavoni Europiccola our top choice. If your budget is $2,000 or above, feel free to contact us and we're happy to recommend other espresso machines that fit your needs.

Pulling a Shot of Espresso

Use these instructions for pulling a shot of espresso on the La Pavoni Europiccola. The goal with espresso is to have a two to one ratio, starting with 18 grams of coffee grounds and ending with 36 grams of espresso in your cup.
  1. Fill the boiler with filtered water and turn on the machine.
  2. Once the machine is hot, place your espresso cup below the group head.
    For machines with a pressure gauge, lift the lever once your machine reaches 10 psi.
  3. Lift the lever and hold for four seconds, filling the espresso cup with water.
    Filling the cup with hot water warms your cup and brings the grouphead up to an appropriate temperature for pulling a shot of espresso. If the grouphead is not hot, there will be too much temperature loss once the water enters the grouphead, and the flavor of the espresso will be negatively affected.
  4. Load the portafilter basket with 18 grams of finely ground coffee.
  5. Tamp down the coffee in the portafilter.
  6. Place your espresso cup below the grouphead.
  7. Load the portafilter into the grouphead and immediately lift the lever.
  8. Hold the lever up for eight seconds (this is called the pre-infusion).
  9. Pull the lever down, applying steady pressure.
    When pulling the lever down, do not apply more pressure if there is no espresso extracting. If the espresso does not begin extracting, change the grind setting to slightly more coarse and try again.
  10. Maintain pressure until there is no more espresso coming through the grouphead.
    If the yield in the cup is not 36 grams, lift the lever for three seconds and pull more water through the grouphead for more espresso.
Enjoy!