Breville BES860XL manual Espresso Making Tips, Warming Your Cup Or Glass, Warming The Portafilter

ESPRESSO MAKING TIPS

WARMING YOUR CUP OR GLASS

A warm cup will help maintain the espresso optimal temperature.

Preheat your cup by holding down the one cup button and running hot water into the cups from the group head without the portafilter inserted and place the cups on the warming tray.

WARMING THE PORTAFILTER

A cold portafilter can drop the extraction temperature enough to significantly affect the quality of your espresso. Always ensure the portafilter is preheated by running hot water through it before preparing the espresso.

NOTE: Always wipe the filter and portafilter dry before preparing the espresso as moisture can encourage ‘drilling’

-this is when water bypasses the ground espresso coffee during extraction.

USING PRE-GROUND ESPRESSO

If using a pre-ground espresso, ensure an espresso grind suitable for espresso/ cappuccino machines is purchased.

THE RIGHT MEASUREMENT

It is important to use the correct filter for the amount of espresso. A single espresso is made with 1⁄3 ounce or 8g of ground espresso. A level measure of the coffee scoop is the correct amount of coffee for a single espresso and 2 level measures for a double espresso.

TAMPING CORRECTLY

Level the desired amount of ground espresso by gently tapping the side of the filter holder before pressing down firmly with the tamper. When packing for a double espresso it is important only to tamp after the second measure. Tamping between measures will create a layer in the ground espresso that can impede full extraction.

NOTE: Make sure to wipe off any excess ground espresso from the rim of the filter to ensure a proper seal is achieved under the group head.

PURGE THE GROUP HEAD

Before inserting the portafilter, run some water through the group head. It will ensure that your machine has a last minute ‘clean through’ and stabilizes the temperature prior to extracting.

BREWING YOUR ESPRESSO

The most common mistake in brewing is to over extract from your ground espresso. This results in a bitter beverage with visibly bleached crema. Crema is the caramel colored layer that floats on top of the espresso following extraction.

NOTE: The taste of your espresso will, of course, depend on personal preference and on many other factors such as the type of coffee bean used, the coarseness or fineness of the grind and the tamping pressure. We recommend experimenting by varying these factors to achieve the espresso taste of your preference.

NOTE: Always properly clean your machine after each use.

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