Does the perfect homemade espresso really exist? Let's try to understand something ...

It's true, most people use instant pods or capsules to make a good espresso, is it perhaps because we are always in a hurry? I don't deny that they have their advantages in terms of speed and goodness, but do you want to put the taste and passion of making an excellent espresso with your own hands, from the grinding of the coffee to the cream in the cup? Mmmmhhh I would say no! :-)

Let's start by saying that the quality of the product, therefore the coffee used, is essential for the success of our ESPRESSO!

The freshness of the roasting and the integrity of the bean are two other elements of great importance to get the most out of our Espresso machine, in terms of aroma, taste, fragrance and integrity of the organoleptic characteristics of our coffee.

Why do I emphasize the freshness and integrity of the coffee bean? Simple:

1) once our beans are roasted, even if they remain in good condition even up to 1 year, if properly sealed, they will have the ability to guarantee maximum taste and organoleptic inalterability up to one / three months after roasting. .and this is why Kanuni has chosen to only sell fresh roasted coffee at the time of the customer order, never before and never older than 5 days from shipment.

For this purpose, it is always advisable to allow a few days to pass from the roasting of the bean to lose that excess of carbon dioxide that is formed during this delicate phase; to also guarantee a wide aromatic capacity, an adequate softness on the palate and uniformity of extraction, it is always advisable to open the package about ten minutes before its use!

2) Now let's talk about the intregrity of the bean, an equally fundamental phase as it keeps the freshness, fragrance and quality of our coffee unaltered! We are not saying that ground coffee will "suck", and excuse the rather strong term, but only that to taste an espresso coffee to its fullest potential (and not just espresso ...), it is necessary to follow a series of precautions that they will give an adequate guarantee of success.

Once we have chosen the coffee we have to choose whether to use a blend with whole beans or already ground!

Having made the above considerations, let's imagine now that we want to try a blend in grains, therefore whole grains, and having to go to the grinding phase to obtain the ideal "grain" for our Espresso; these are the steps to follow with a minimum of forethought and A LOT OF PATIENCE:

1) After purchasing a manual (very tiring but very satisfying ...) or electric coffee grinder, we will have to do a series of tests as the uniformity of extraction, the cream and the final taste will depend on the grinding and therefore on the size of the grain that we are going to obtain once the coffee has been ground! Based on multiple factors, which may also depend on the humidity present in the air and therefore in the coffee bean, as well as on its consistency, we will obtain very different results, but this will also depend a lot on the subsequent phases, remember!

2) Once we have obtained our refined blend or having it ready, we will first of all have to insert the right dose in our filter holder (the one where the ground coffee is inserted so to speak! Many take it for granted but it is not ...) , and here usually for those who have a machine at home, because this is what we are talking about, it is already equipped with a dispenser, but, and yes there is a but, I strongly advise you to weigh the dose because it will surely be about 7 gr, which is the recommended dose for a good Espresso, but it is not necessarily enough! What do I mean by this?

It is always good to evaluate an adequate dose of ground coffee, based on the type of blend and the brand of our coffee, as we can have a variation in weight between seven and ten grams that we will have to evaluate after dispensing.

That's right, it is not certain that at the first, nor at the second, but not even at the third brewing, you can get a good coffee! The uniformity of delivery, the cream, the more or less strong flavor and the presence or absence of aromatic nuances may also depend on this phase!

I won't tell you how many tests I did with my coffee machine and how many coffees I had to throw away in spite of myself, because you would insult me hehe but I assure you that to get an excellent coffee, very close to the fateful "bar coffee", I have made so many, but the satisfaction is priceless !!!

3) Once the right amount of coffee has been inserted into the filter holder, we must move it slightly to try to equalize it, then with our home TAMPER (usually the plastic one) or much better, with the more professional steel one (which you can find on different commercial platforms and soon also on our site ...), you will first have to press it lightly by turning our tamper to continue the coffee equalization phase, and finally, after placing the filter holder on a solid shelf and in a perfectly position horizontal, we will have to apply some pressure to create our "coffee cake"! There are no magic formulas to describe the exact pressure you will have to give at this stage, know that even in this case the only real certainty will be to carry out many tests, until the perfect delivery!

Certainly some of the key points are:

• quality and freshness of our blend
• grain of our ground coffee
• correct weight (from 7 to 10 gr)
• correct pressure of our "coffee cake"
• perfect flatness given by the pressure of the coffee (essential for uniform delivery!)

We now come to some phases that certainly have their importance to obtain or to get closer and closer to an excellent coffee:

• always make sure, after making a coffee and before making a new one, to run some water from our dispenser to rinse it from any coffee residues, otherwise it could lead to burnt or too bitter notes;
• always clean and dry all your accessories, including dispenser, filter holder and tamper;
• always try to use the filter holder and hot cups, as in this way you will not cause temperature changes during the delivery of the coffee in the cup, ensuring good uniformity and an excellent cream;
• if you have the boiler indicator, this must be between 1 and 1.5 bar (around 120 ° C), and the delivery in the filter holder, if equipped with an indicator, must take place between 7 and 11 bar of pressure .

 I tried to convey in the most detailed and simple way possible, what are the main phases and characteristics to obtain an excellent espresso within the walls of our home or why not, for those who could, in their own office!

Lastly, I would like to tell you not to give up on obtaining a good home espresso only because the first ten times, I have already said TEN, you cannot get an excellent cream or a completely balanced aroma, because, as I hope you have well including, this depends on MANY factors!

The roasting that the Kanuni Artisans carry out a few days before the order will always guarantee you a freshness and a fragrance of the bean that will surely help you on your journey !! 😁

Kanuni Coffee