Vetrano Espresso Machine
6
Brewing Espresso
First let me begin by explaining the three main variables of preparing great espresso.
1. Quantity of ground coffee
2. Tamping
3. The grind
Quantity of ground coffee -
Loosely fill the basket slightly mounding over the top. Then
lightly run your finger arched across the basket from left to right, right to left, front to back,
and then lay your finger flat on the basket and go from back to front to remove any excess
coffee. This technique helps fill any voids in the basket to help achieve an even extraction.
Tamping -
After filling the basket with coffee then use your tamper to apply 30lbs of
pressure evenly on the coffee bed. Then without applying any pressure lightly twist the
tamper on the bed of coffee to “polish” the loose grounds on top. Then lock the portafilter
firmly into the group head and then raise the brew lever to start the extraction. When it has
reached the desired level, lower the brew lever to stop the shot. It is very important to tamp
consistently with the same pressure each time or your shot quality and timing will vary.
The grind -
Adjust your grind so that when you activate the pump, the flow of coffee
coming out of the portafilter spout looks like the tapered tail of a mouse. It should take
approximately 25 seconds for a 2 oz. double shot. If it is coming out quicker then the grind
needs to be adjusted finer, if it is coming out slower or not at all then the grind should be
adjusted coarser. The grind particle size should look in between powder and salt. Not as
fine as powder, but not as coarse as salt. Getting the right grind is crucial to making
delicious espresso with thick rich crema.
Consistency -
The quantity of ground coffee and tamping pressure should always be the
same. Using more or less coffee or tamping lighter or harder will greatly affect the outcome
and timing of the shot. If the shots are not coming out properly then the only variable that
should be changed is the grind.
