Tips on Fashioning Barista-Quality Lattes and Specialty Coffee Drinks Using Your Home Espresso Machine

Nothing beats the bliss of that barista-made latte. The rich, crema-topped, perfectly drawn espresso shot, mixed with frothy, steamed milk, forms a familiar and seemingly inimitable concoction. The quality is not entirely elusive however; there are a few easy steps you can take and changes you can make, to profoundly affect a positive turn on your own homemade lattes and specialty coffee drinks, using your inexpensive espresso machine. So, dig that mysterious contraption out of the basement, dust it off, and prepare to partake of extreme yumminess.

Over the years, I have witnessed some often-made mistakes concerning home espresso machines and drinks. Perhaps the biggest infringements stem from likening the entire espresso process to the more familiar regular brewed coffee process. Although in no way to I intend to discount the pleasures or nobility of traditional, regular brew coffee, for our purposes here, I will use an analogy: Espresso drinks are freshly squeezed orange juice to brewed coffee's Tang.

Let me emphasize that the analogy is not meant to demean brewed coffee, which I love, rather, it is meant as a device to separate it as an entity from espresso drinks. For our purposes here, espresso drinks and brewed coffee, although similar in flavor and spirit, like fresh squeezed orange juice and Tang, are entirely different in process, execution, and enjoyment. So, to make a great espresso drink, forget everything you know about brewing coffee. If not, you will end up with the flat, barely warm, watery drink that is so often the product of the espresso machine.

There are several factors and techniques that should be addressed and followed to get the most out of your machine. These are outlined and expounded upon below.

The espresso machine

One of the most important things you can do to ensure a quality drink is to properly maintain and use your machine. And although home espresso machines vary greatly in terms of quality, they all have the same basic components. The main components I will address are: the water reservoir, the porta-filter, screen, and the steam wand. There are two common types of water reservoirs in home espresso machines-one is a brewing -tank component into which the water is poured each time a drink is made, and one that is more of a holding tank in which water is kept for several drinks. Although the latter is much preferred by coffee aficionados, quality drinks can be made from the former type. The porta-filter is the entire, removable device with the handle, and the (sometimes) removable coffee basket. The steam wand is the little silver handle that (usually) sticks out from the left side of the machine. This is what is used to steam and froth the milk. The screen is the area on the middle-area-underside of the machine, from which the espresso is expressed from the tank into the porta-filter.

For exact instructions on using the espresso machine, follow the instructions included with your machine, or search the manufacturer online to find proper instructions. Instead of giving instructions for making the drinks, it is my intention here to give tips that may not be included in directions.

First, use only filtered water to make espresso drinks. This is important in both drink quality and flavor, and proper machine maintenance. Second, properly clean your espresso machine's components regularly. The basket, porta-filter, and screen are easily congested with coffee particles, and the oils from the coffee beans begin a rapid descent into rancidity after a mere 45 seconds. Although it sounds cliché to say "keep it clean", it is perhaps the most important thing you can do to improve the overall quality of your espresso drinks. The coffee particles block the miniscule filtering holes, and it is impossible to pull a quality shot. The old oils impart a rancid flavor, and spoil the shot's integrity. Use a small, bristly brush, or spongey brillo pad with water to clean the inside of the porta-filter, basket, and screen , before every use.

Some coffee experts advise against using dish detergents on areas that come into contact with the coffee. There are products that are made specifically for cleaning coffee makers, such as Purocaf, that can be easily found in your grocer's coffee section. These products should be used regularly.

The steam wand should be cleaned after each use. Improper mainenence of the steam wand is very common. Many people think their espresso machine is broken, when in fact, the steam wand is fatally clogged. This can be remedied by proper cleaning after each use. The wand should be wiped clean of all remaining milk, and then flushed after use. Flush it by simply expressing water out into a receptacle. It is a good idea too, to occasionally steam a cup of plain water. It is an equally good idea to occasionally express plain water through the screen and porta-filter. You may be surprised at the caramel colored water that is extracted. This is evidence from coffee particles and oily residue. Express plain water until is comes out clear.

If you believe your steam wand or machine is broken, you can try this trick: Unplug your machine, and insert an unfolded, straightened-out paperclip into the steam wand's hole, as far as it will go. Move it around circularly, and straight up and down for a while, then remove it, plug your machine back in, and express plain water into a cup of water. I have seen disgusting, stinking brown-black chunks of rotted milk come shooting out. It isn't pretty, but it can miraculously 'fix' your machine. Make sure to flush the wand completely, to dislodge all traces of old milk and any other debris. The rotted milk is not a normal artifact in a properly maintained machine, so if you take new measures to properly clean the wand, it should not return.

The Selection and Grinding of Beans

The type of espresso beans used is a matter of preference. Espresso is traditionally made from a darker, bolder bean. There are many varieties of dark roasts available, and it may take some experimentation to find your favorite. Most beans labeled as espresso are a good choice. Some people prefer French or Turkish Roasts. Lighter and flavored roasted beans will impart more of a brewed coffee taste than a traditional darker, richer espresso flavor. It's interesting to note too, that although some espresso diehards claim burned, dark beans impart a truer espresso flavor, many believe there is a virtue lost with a too-dark roast. Obviously, as stated before, it is a matter of taste and experimentation.

One thing that is essential to an ideal espresso drink is the grind. Pre-ground espresso roasts or coffee should never be used. Always buy whole beans, and stay away from store grinders. As stated before, the oils begin their descent into rancidity, then go stale after a very short time. Whole beans have a less exposed surface area, so the oils and flavors contained in the bean are preserved, and freshness is retained until they are ground, and then imparted into your drink, instead of being lost into the ethers. Buy a good grinder, and get into the habit of using it each time you make a drink.

A proper espresso grind is very fine. It should look nearly smooth, and you should only barely be able to discern individual grounds, or pieces of coffee when it is done correctly. If you were to squeeze a proper espresso grind in your palm, it would retain a stiff imprint of your fingers when released. It's my experience that most people do not even approximate a fine enough grind. The amount of time it takes to grind the beans will vary depending on the amount of coffee being ground, the type and blade efficiency of your grinder. Don't hesitate to regrind beans if necessary.

Once you have a proper grind, break up any clumps, so that the texture is even throughout the basket. "Tamp" the mixture straight downward in the basket, using either an official tamp tool, or even a makeshift teaspoon tamp. If you use a teaspoon, make sure all areas are pressed down evenly. Use about 30 pounds of pressure to tamp. This tamping process, combined with a proper grind, is a huge key to success in fetching a proper and true espresso shot. The resultant compacted espresso that now sits in the basket is ready to provide enough resistance to the water pressure that will be forced through, which results in espresso's characteristic thick, bold texture, and delicate toffee-colored 'crema' that floats atop the espressed shot.

Pulling the Shot

A standard shot of espresso is called a 'double', and is ideally between 1.5 and 2 ounces. It should take about 21 seconds to draw this amount. Anything under 17 seconds and over 28 will most likely not have ideal characteristics. In most baristas, these non ideal shots are thrown out. If you are making a latte, or a drink that requires steamed milk, steam the milk before you espress the shot. The drink ingredients should be mixed as soon as possible, and as stated before, the coffee begins a quality descent rapidly. Drawing a shot then having it stand for a full minute while the milk is steamed will affect the drink's quality negatively.
So, a properly drawn shot should take around 21 seconds to generate about 2 oz. It should come out of the spout into the esspresso cup with the consistency of honey. It should have a surface cap of light caramel colored crema,

Steaming the Milk

It is ideal to use a small, stainless steel pitcher with a handle to steam milk. Also, a liquid thermometer is essential. Milk should be steamed until it is between 150-175 degrees. Use very cold milk. Generally, it is said that milk that contains less fat creates more foam. But, foam can be created with nearly any type of milk. Soy milk seems to be the exception. Most brand of soymilk create little foam, and soy milks with a less fat content, and that are thinner, create less, and sometimes no foam whatsoever. If you like soy lattes, by far the best brands for overall texture and foam creation are Plain Soy Dream, and Plain Silk Enhanced. To created foam, skim the surface of the milk with the wand, and after sufficient foam is attained, immerse the wand into the body of the milk to heat. For a latte, use approximately 4-6 ounces of milk (unsteamed) to compliment 2 ounces of espresso.

Mixing the Drink

A good rule of thumb when mixing a latte or other specialty coffee drink is that the least-amount ingredients go in first, and then in ascending order. Sweetner, syrups, espresso, then milk. When pouring the steamed milk into your cup or mug, use a butter knife or similar tool to strain the liquid, saving the foam for last.

Drink deeply!