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TECHNIQUES OF A BARISTA
• Never rinse the portafilter with cool water if you are brewing
additional shots. After knocking the old grounds from the filter,
wipe leftover grounds from the basket with a clean towel. Make
sure the filter basket is dry before adding more coffee.
• Keep the empty portafilter attached to the brew head when
you’re engaged in other tasks, like grinding or frothing.
• Warm a cup or demitasse by placing it on top of the espresso
machine before brewing. Cups can also be heated instantly with
a shot of steam from the frothing arm.
The PRO LINE™ Series Espresso Machine is designed to provide an
optimum brewing temperature. Dedicated dual boilers eliminate the
temperature fluctuations common with single boiler designs when
alternating between brewing and frothing. The chrome-plated brass
brew group heats quickly, and is commercial-size for a very good
reason: commercial-size groups retain heat better than smaller groups.
The Espresso Machine does it’s part to provide the right brewing
temperature. The rest is up to the barista!
Grinding
Great espresso demands the freshest coffee, and the freshest coffee
is always ground immediately before brewing. The most delicate
aromatic compounds in coffee go stale within a few minutes of
grinding, so grind only as much as you intend to brew immediately.
Dosing
Dosing is the process of measuring ground coffee into the filter
basket. A single shot of espresso requires
1
⁄4 oz (7 grams) of coffee –
a double shot, twice that. If filled level with finely ground coffee,
the scoop included with the PRO LINE™ Series Espresso Machine is a
near perfect measure for one shot of espresso.
Accomplished baristas usually don’t bother making precise
measurements when dosing: they simply fill the basket nearly to
the brim and sweep any excess coffee from the filter with their
fingers, leaving exactly what they need. After you’ve had some
experience dosing, leveling, and tamping your coffee, you’ll be able
to consistently dose your coffee by sight, just like the pros.
If you’re dosing coffee without the aid of a measuring scoop, it is
important not to overfill the filter basket. Coffee needs room to
expand when brewing. If the coffee is crushed against the shower
screen, it will prevent an even dispersion of water across the filter,
leading to uneven extraction and poor espresso.
Here’s how to tell if you’re overfilling the filter basket:
1. Fill the basket, level the coffee, and apply a good tamp (see the
next section, “Tamping”).
2. Attach the portafilter to the brew head, then remove
it immediately.
Continued…