hi to everyone
can anyone help me with two questions I have?
Q; what is the key elements needed before making a perfect coffee?
Q; The key steps to make a perfect espresso?
Q:what blend do you recomend?
Gourmet Coffee is one of the tastiest coffees in the world. Gourmet coffee is widely available and purchasable via many specialty coffee shops, groceries, coffee shops, and restaurants.
Producing the perfect shot of espresso is all about controlling the variables of extraction. The variables you control are: grind, dose, tamp pressure, and extraction time. A good piece of equipment will control the other variables: water temp, and pressure.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (www.scaa.org) and its international variants define espresso as a 1 oz to 1.5 oz beverage that is prepared from coffee through which clean water at 192-198 degrees F is forced through the grounds at 9-10 atmospheres where the grind of the coffee restricts the flow time between 20 and 30 seconds (not an exact quote, but close in definition). What does this mean for producing great espresso?
Missing in this definition is the coffee which you start with. The coffee you choose will determine the potential of the end beverage. I recommend checking out the Coffee Review (www.coffeereview.com) for an unbiased opinion on the various blends available. Coffee Review is like Wine Spectator except it is for coffee; rating each submission on a scale of 1-100.
So to answer your question, you need all of these components. My personal preference is toward lower extraction time (20-24 seconds) producing 3/4 to 1 oz shots (or 1.5 oz-2 oz for a double shot).
