Brewing Home Espresso

Home espresso method:

Strong, efficient and extremely delicious, nothing beats espresso for the home cafe experience. We love espresso for its unique texture and intensity. Pair with steamed milk for the perfect latte or flat white.

You will need:

  • Espresso Machine
  • Tamp, scales and timer
  • Coffee roasted for espresso
  • Espresso grinder

Recipe:

Makes one double shot or two single shots.

  • 16-20g coffee
  • Adjust this to suit your machine, using the double shot basket provided. Most home machines will fit approximately 16g. Some will have a larger basket size of 20g or aftermarket options are available. 
  • 32-40g espresso yield 
  • Aim for a 1:2 ratio, double the weight of your ground coffee. 
  • 25-30 second brew time
  • 95°C water temperature

Remember, the best espresso is the one you enjoy drinking. Adjust the above parameters to suit your preferences.

Let’s get brewing!

Step One:

Remove group handle, ensure the basket is clean and dry.

Step Two:

Purge the group head with water to remove oils and any ground coffee.

Step Three:

Place group handle on sale and tare.

Step Four:

Grind your desired weight of coffee into the basket.

Step Five:

Distribute coffee evenly using your hand or lightly tapping.

Step Six: 

Use the tamp to press down on the coffee, ensuring it is level and there is 3-4cm space at the top of the basket.

Step Seven:

Place group handle in the machine and ready.

Step Eight:

Start your timer and begin brewing, stopping the shot when it is double the weight of ground coffee in the basket. Enjoy!

Steaming Milk

Steaming the perfect milk can seem really hard but here is some tips and tricks from the Redbrick team.

You will need:

  • Your favourite milk or milk alternative
  • A clean, dry milk jug
  • An espresso machine with steam wand

Let’s get steaming!

Step One:

Fill your jug with milk to the appropriate level, this should be just below the bottom of the spout.

Step Two:

Purge your steam wand.

Step Three:

Hold the handle of the jug in one hand, and lightly rest your palm on the side or bottom of the jug below the milk level.

Step Four:

Position the tip of the steam wand in the front half of your jug and slightly off centre to create a vortex.

Step Five:

Place the tip of the steam wand in your milk, about 1cm below the surface, and turn on the steam wand.

Step Six: 

For the first few seconds, keep the tip of the wand close to the surface in order to incorporate air into the milk. It should sound like tearing paper.

Step Seven:

Once you have let in air, raise the jug about 1cm  until it is no longer making the tearing sound. Ensure the milk is still spinning in a vortex.