Barista Practice

Today I have been practicing my barista skills with our coffee maker. Despite the frequently posted advice against making espresso, etc. at home (commercial machines do it better), I was curious to understand the techniques. Besides, a quick espresso in the afternoon is a welcomed break.

Aside from the obvious requirements of a good machine, freshly roasted espresso beans and clean, cold water, the technique to extract espresso takes some practice. "Tamping" the grounds into the portafilter requires just the right amount of pressure. Not enough pressure and there is too much air in the grounds and limited extraction. There is a pressure gauge on the machine to show if there is adequate pressure during extraction. I made a latte for Yoshiko once I got the technique in check and she gave it a thumbs up.

As for me, enough espresso for the afternoon and time to come down from the caffeine.