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Espresso Martini recipe

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The Perfect Espresso Recipe

Serve: Hot

Recipe course: Classic Coffee Drinks

Total time (min.): 2

Complexity (1 to 3): 1

Espresso coffee is the Italian way of enjoying coffee: when perfectly prepared, a compact cream and a tiger-stripe pattern emerge. Finely harmonised acid and sour tones make for a strong and balanced taste. Length (from short – also called “ristretto” – to long) and aroma can be programmed as desired in all the De’Longhi bean-to-cup coffee makers.

Ingredients

Coffee beans - a good Italian espresso roast is recommended.

Glass: Espresso glass or Espresso Cups
Ice: None
Garnish: None

Method

The perfect espresso takes around 18 to 23 seconds (single shot) or 22 to 26 seconds for a double shot to extract, and uses around 7 to 8 grams of coffee beans for a single espresso.
If using a manual espresso maker, tamp the beans beforehand. Fully automatic coffee machines will tamp the grinds for you.
A De'longhi coffee machine features 15 bar pump pressure - this is the ideal pressure for a delicious espresso coffee with a good crema.
Enjoy your coffee, or, use it to create one of our many delicious coffee recipes.

Top Tips:

Keep trying new coffee bean roasts, even if you have a "go to" brand you love. You never know what you might discover!
Did you know that you experience different flavour profiles with each sip of espresso? It is definitely best savoured!
Beans go off very quickly, and this will affect the taste of your espresso. Keep them stored in an air-tight or vacuum coffee container if you are not going to use them within three weeks. Keep your unused beans away from heat, light and moisture. We do not recommend freezing your beans, as they can easily get exposed to moisture and other foods in a freezer, which again will affect the taste. If you find you are not using them quickly enough, try buying them in smaller lots.
If you are using a coffee machine, keep it maintained and descale it regularly. Your machine will last much longer and give you many more years of trouble free service as a result.
Your espresso contains mostly water. If your water is of poor quality, and you are using a compatible coffee machine - a water filter can help improve the taste of your coffee.

Making the perfect espresso

take a look at our video guide to find out more about making the perfect Italian espresso