If you’ve ever had a shot of espresso and found it too bitter to drink, you’ll appreciate that there is a science to making this dark, concentrated coffee.
The art of pulling a perfect shot of espresso combines timing, temperature, pressure, and technique. It may seem complicated, but once you know the steps, it is easy to replicate at home. Try it yourself and see if you can create the perfect shot every time.
Beginning the Perfect Latte or Cappuccino Like a Coffeehouse Barista
What’s at the core of any great cappuccino, latte, or mocha? The perfect shot or shots of espresso . Read on to learn how to pull a shot and what affects how a shot pulls.
Pulling the perfect shot of espresso isn’t as easy as the baristas at the local coffee shop make it look. Many factors determine how a shot will pull: the temperature and humidity level, how fresh the coffee beans are, the fineness or coarseness of the grind, how hard or soft the tamping is, and the seal made with the espresso machine.
Starting Fresh
The fresher the espresso beans are, the more flavor they’ll have, and the better they’ll yield to great espresso shots. Always grind the beans just before pulling a shot if possible: this will lead to the best crema.
Preparing to Pull a Shot
Heat the portafilter handle before pulling the first shot by pulling a blank shot (a shot without the espresso). Next, grind the espresso beans and dose espresso into the portafilter, slightly overfilling it.
Loosen the grounds by hitting the portafilter from the side a few times. After the grounds settle into the portafilter, add more grounds, if necessary, to fill the basket. Once the basket is filled, hit the portafilter on each side a couple more times to settle the grounds again.
The bottom of the portafilter rests on a level surface and tamp lightly down on the grounds. Tap the sides of the basket once more to loosen any stuck grounds, and tamp again, this time harder with a quarter of a turn clockwise to seal the espresso grinds.
Now the espresso should be tightly compacted and level. Remove any stray espresso from the rim of the portafilter by rubbing a finger around the rim to ensure a watertight seal forms against the machine.
Pulling a Shot of Espresso
Now it’s time to pull a shot of espresso (or two shots, depending on the machine). Lock the portafilter into the machine, ensuring a tight seal to prevent water from leaking out of the highly pressured machine.
Press the button on the machine designated for pulling the shot(s), and either wait or time the shot if the machine does not have a built-in timer. The perfect shot is between 18 and 23 seconds, but a good shot for a coffee beverage is between 16 and 26 seconds. The mark of a great shot is a golden-colored froth that separates on top of the shot — the crema.
Pulling a shot any longer or shorter will result in flavorless shots (too short) or highly bitter shots (too long). The shorter side of the acceptable shot range will result in a sweeter, less intense shot.
The longer a shot sits after being pulled, the more bitter it becomes and the more flavor it loses, so be sure to “save” the shot by adding it to steamed milk or flavoring or by drinking it within ten seconds.
Modifying Shot Length
If a shot pulls too quickly, use finer grinds and/or tamp harder. If a shot pulls too long, use coarser grinds and/or tamp lighter. Remember that many things affect the machine’s pressure, including temperature, humidity, and usage, so pulling shots can vary daily or hour to hour.
Pulling shots is as much a science as it is an art. Making espresso can be frustrating at first, but through practice and experimentation with different techniques, you too can pull great shots of espresso to begin a coffeehouse-style beverage.
Jay Kang
As a professional barista, it was more important for me to know the ins and out of what coffee means. So, I started this journey to unlock the appreciation and the love of coffee on my site.