Every barista (professional maker of coffee drinks) will have his or her method. Here’s mine…

The first thing to consider is the water you will use. You may not be aware of it but water can become stale when exposed to mildew or if it has not been filtered properly. This can dramatically affect the taste of your coffee. Also the water needs to be hot, around 203F, close to the boiling point.

When selecting a bean, choose arabica. This bean is grown at a higher altitude which gives them a better flavor. Fresh is important so if you do not grind the bean yourself be sure you buy fresh grounds. You can tell its freshness by the aroma.

The robusta coffee bean is excellent for a nice hot cup of coffee to give you a boost for your day. This is because of its high content of caffeine. But these beans should not be used for espresso.

You want your beans to be ground in a burr grinder and not chopped. And the beans should be a French or Viennese roast because these are dark roasts best for espresso.

Good grinding is important. You want your grounds to be like sand. If they are like gravel they are not ground enough. If they are powdery they are ground to fine. You do not want your coffee grounds to have too much exposure to the air or they will begin to absorb smells and particles from the air and this will change the flavor and aroma.

Finally a good espresso needs a good machine. You want to avoid steam machines that use steam to create pressure. The best machines have thermoblock and pump pressure of 9 bar or greater. This thermoblock heats the water as it travels through the machine to the pump. This process makes for a better espresso.

Now you have the basic elements. Next comes the process.

Start by running good clean water through the espresso machine to be sure it is nice and clean and to warm it up to get it ready for your coffee. Simply run clean water, no coffee, through the machine.

Put in your coffee and pat it down a bit. It should not be packed in to tight but it should not move around easily either.

Replace the coffee holder into the machine and secure it well. Then replace your warmed espresso cup into the machine and you are ready to turn the machine on to start the process.