Having a fresh espresso is pure bliss and when it is made perfectly, it’s just the icing on the cake. But it is not possible that every time you’ll get your PERFECT coffee. So if you can’t find your perfect mug at the local coffee shop, don’t worry because some tricks or you can say few small techniques can help you can to make your espresso at home.

All you need is your choice of coffee beans, espresso machine, and these tips.

So before you make your cup of espresso, there are some important things you need to take care of. Brewing variables are used while making any type of coffee, so here are these variables that are essential for an espresso. Let’s check it out.

1. Water

The foremost thing you need for your coffee is water, remember water that is without any unwanted minerals and sediments. The quality of water matters when it comes to good taste. If you are not sure about the quality of the water, you may get a water test kit from your local hardware stores.

2. Grind

Before you start the brewing process, your coffee beans need to get ground properly. For a good espresso mug, grind the coffee beans into fine powder same as the size of table salt. Once you get the right consistency, you’ll definitely notice the difference in the taste. Later on, you can experiment with the type of grind to attain different results.

3. Dose

18-21 grams of ground coffee will be enough for a double shot of espresso. This is the standard serving size. You can make adjustments to the amount of coffee. The more coffee you add, the shot will raise in body and intensity as well.

4. Tamp

Tamping is really a unique part for making an espresso. Tightly packed ground coffee controls the flow of water, letting the coffee and water interact. Begin with 30 pound-press, for this, you can even use a bathroom scale. A dense and even tamp is really important for better extraction.

5. Temperature

To make a good cup of coffee, water should be heated to 195-205° F and with some espresso machines for your home, you are even allowed to adjust and control the temperature. PID controller is the way how it is done. If your machine has this system, you can select the range you want. If you have never tried, lower temperatures make coffee slightly better and high temperatures can produce roasty flavors.

6. Yield

When you are making brewed coffee, coffee input and water input is measured. On the other side, while making espresso, coffee input and beverage output are seen. If you want a correct and measured amount of your shots, start with a 30-gram yield, rest depends upon your dose and basket size.

7. Time

According to the dose and yield suggested in above points, about half a minute will be enough for the whole procedure i.e. from the moment extraction begins to the end when your glass if full.