Choosing coffee for your ideal espresso
Espresso is especially popular in Italy and Spain, but coffee lovers across Europe increasingly appreciate it too. You can order it in a café or restaurant, or prepare it yourself. Which coffee should you choose to make an excellent espresso at home?
Espresso: a drink and a brewing method
When we order an espresso, we usually think of the drink. The name also refers to the method used to make it in a dedicated machine.
A traditional single espresso is a small, concentrated serving, often around 25–30 ml, produced by forcing water at roughly 90°C or above through finely ground coffee at around 9 bar. Recipes vary by coffee, machine and dose. The result is aromatic coffee topped with a dense hazelnut-brown crema.
Modern espresso developed in Italy around the beginning of the twentieth century. Luigi Bezzera was an important early innovator in espresso-machine design. The name is commonly associated with coffee prepared expressly to order, rather than simply meaning a very fast drink.
Espresso has many forms, including ristretto, corretto, lungo, doppio and macchiato.
Choosing the beans
Professionals assess espresso through appearance, aroma, taste and overall character. At home, you do not need to worry about a formal score, but you can still aim for café-quality results.
Success depends on the machine, preparation and, importantly, the coffee itself. Freshly roasted beans are a good starting point; many coffees are enjoyable within the first month after roasting, allowing suitable time to rest. In the original article, the roastery described roasting coffee after an order was placed.
Ready-made espresso blends offer a convenient starting point because the roaster has already combined complementary coffees. More experienced enthusiasts can also build their own blends from single-origin beans.
Which coffees work best? Sellers and baristas have their favourites, but many different coffees can make excellent espresso. What matters is whether the resulting combination of flavours suits you.
Experimenting is part of the pleasure. Our coffee descriptions outline flavour and aroma profiles to help you choose beans and create an espresso that feels personal.
The “perfect” flavour is subjective. You have plenty of freedom in choosing or blending beans, while the brewing itself benefits from careful, consistent control of dose, grind, temperature, yield and time.