Teaching New Baristas How to Make Espresso Can Be Easy

Coffee can be complicated. In a beverage environment that is constantly innovating, old ways pass on, and new trends become industry standards. We’ve seen a lot of trends come and go in our 30 years as a wholesale coffee supplier, and our goal has always been to keep it simple, and encourage one and all to drink your coffee exactly as you like it.

The Evolution of Espresso: From Trend to Staple

The area of coffee preparation that has evolved the most over the years is espresso. It’s become the most popular ingredient for coffee beverages by far, and it seems like preparing it has gotten only more complex. It’s become the kind of thing that’s available everywhere, and yet the average coffee drinker couldn’t tell you what separates an espresso from a cup of black coffee.

Espresso Demystified: What You Need to Know

Espresso comes along with a slew of strange terms like “dialing-in”, “bar pressure”, “flow rate”, “grind consistency”, “channeling”, “crema thickness”, and on and on it goes. We want to demystify espresso. Simplify the brewing process so you can streamline your store’s operations. There will still be a few calculations involved, but once the basics are covered, everything will be set!

Coffee 101: How To Make Espresso

Have your new hires start with this: espresso is a 1:2 ratio of coffee to water, under at least 9 bars of water pressure. The amount of water, coffee, temperature, and bar pressure can all change and be adjusted to your particular recipe, but this is a very good jumping off point.

Typically, 1 shot of liquid espresso weighs 20g. That means 10g of ground coffee was used to make that shot of espresso. Traditionally, baristas fill the portafilter with 20g of ground coffee, use 40g of water, and then divide the shot into 2 – 20g shots of liquid espresso. These days, baristas on average tend to use 18g of ground coffee and 36g of water. Resulting in a ‘restretto’ double shot that is not split, and is used as the base for lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, etc. You can be sure that your coffee shop always has enough product by ordering bulk espresso here on our website.

There are a few important steps in making a good espresso! Luckily, we have a video for that! 

1. Grind your beans to the right coarseness.
2. Weighing correctly with a gram scale.
3. Leveling evenly with a distributor.
4. Tamping firmly with an espresso tamper.
5. Securing tightly into the group head.
6. Stopping the pull when you've reached the desired weight/time.

Once you've got these basics down, the sky's the limit!

Common Espresso Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

What happens if I use too little or too much coffee? What happens if I use too much or too little water? Great questions!

• Too little coffee and the espresso shot will pull too fast, resulting in a thin and sour tasting shot.
• Too much coffee, and the espresso shot will pull too slowly, resulting in a thick and astringent shot.
• Too much water? Your shot will be thin, weak, and have a very little crema on the surface.
• Too little water? Your shot will be thick, viscous, very bitter, and dark brown hue to the crema.

Caring for Your Espresso Machine

An espresso machine also needs adequate care and TLC to stay in working condition. That means regularly backflushing, replacing gaskets, and cleaning filter screens. Neglecting routine maintenance can lead to inconsistent shots and even costly repairs down the line. Keeping your machine clean ensures longevity and helps maintain the quality of each espresso shot. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about cleaning espresso machines already on our blog, so you can always reference that guide.

Time to Get Brewin'!

We know it sounds like a lot, but teaching new baristas how to make espresso doesn’t have to be intimidating. Once they start pulling shots, the groove will come, and so will the fun. By focusing on key techniques like grind consistency, accurate weighing, and proper machine care, your shop can offer consistently great espresso, every time. So, embrace the training process, keep it simple, and most importantly, enjoy the journey.

If you have any further questions on training coffee shop employees, or are interested in our consulting services for coffee shop owners, we're here for you.