Espresso Extraction Time and Brew Ratio Standards: Making Espresso Coffee Process Steps and Principles

Although most people come to FrontStreet Coffee for pour-over coffee, there are also many who prefer to drink espresso-based coffee. As is well known, espresso is the foundation of various Italian coffee beverages—including Americano, latte, cappuccino, flat white, mocha, and others.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, espresso is referred to as "espresso" by foreigners, and its caffeine content per unit volume is higher than most coffee drinks. Espresso is extracted by an espresso machine, and its extraction principle involves forcing hot water (typically around 92°C) through finely ground and compacted coffee grounds under high pressure. The liquid produced during this process by extracting solid and dissolved components is called espresso. Although espresso is the origin of all coffee beverages, it is also a coffee beverage in itself. Most people also consider espresso as the representative of Italian coffee, contrasting it with Americano coffee. So what is the difference between Italian coffee and Americano coffee?

There are two ways to make Americano coffee. One is extracted using an American drip coffee maker, and the other is made by adding water to espresso. The difference between these can be explained through the historical development of Americano coffee. American drip machines first became popular in American households, and Americans became accustomed to the taste of coffee made by drip machines—weak coffee flavor, thin taste, and strong watery sensation. During World War II, American officers in Europe basically drank espresso, which had a strong and stimulating taste.

So, to simulate the flavor of drip machine coffee, they added water to the espresso liquid, which made the coffee flavor much milder and very easy to drink. Since at that time no one else in Europe drank coffee this way, this type of coffee came to be called "Americano coffee." In fact, this name contained a sarcastic meaning, mocking Americans for not being able to drink espresso. The French even secretly called "Americano coffee" "sock coffee" to describe the terrible taste of Americano coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Americano is actually espresso with water, and the vast majority of coffee shops on the market use this preparation method. Generally, the water-to-coffee ratio for Americano is between 1:4 and 1:9, with different coffee shops having different standards. FrontStreet Coffee's hot Americano water-to-coffee liquid ratio is 1:4.5, which is determined based on the characteristics of the Warm Sun Blend espresso and the cup volume produced in the store. The water-to-coffee liquid ratio for FrontStreet Coffee's iced Americano almost reaches 1:9. Because it's a house-made blend espresso, unlike other coffee shops that pursue nutty flavors, FrontStreet Coffee's Americano has a rich wine aroma, abundant coffee oils, overall richness, and a creamy texture with a long-lasting chocolate aftertaste. Compared to hot Americano, iced Americano is more refreshing. Using different espresso beans produces coffee beverages with different flavors. FrontStreet Coffee has designed four types of espresso beans to meet various needs: Premium Blend, Commercial Blend, Basic Blend, and Warm Sun Blend.

The Basic Blend uses commonly used coffee beans suitable for espresso such as Brazilian, Colombian, and Yunnan coffee beans, with the goal of obtaining good coffee flavor and texture at a lower cost. For cafes that pursue rich oils, FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend adds 10% Robusta beans, increasing overall richness while making the coffee flavor more mellow and aromatic. The nutty flavor is prominent, and the chocolate flavor pairs perfectly with the sweetness of milk. The Premium Blend uses Brazilian and Colombian Arabica coffee beans. All-American Arabica can present a cleaner coffee taste, and the flavor profiles of these two regions are nutty and chocolate notes, making them very suitable for espresso coffee production.

The Sunflower Warm Sun Blend coffee beans were FrontStreet Coffee's new attempt in 2019. At that time, the concept of specialty (single-origin) coffee was already prevalent, and many SOEs (Single Origin Espressos) with flavor as their selling point had appeared, but FrontStreet Coffee decided to blend high-quality single-origin beans with flavor as the main purpose. Finally, FrontStreet Coffee decided to use 30% Yirgacheffe Red Cherry and 70% Honduras Sherry as the formula for the Sunflower Warm Sun Blend coffee beans. The rich vanilla cream and fermented wine aroma attracted a large audience.

Espresso Extraction Standards

Generally, espresso extraction follows certain standards. Depending on the portafilter basket, the amount of coffee grounds is typically between 18-22 grams. Ensure that the coffee ground weight is the amount you want, because small differences can lead to significant variations. The most common brewing ratio is double the amount of coffee grounds, which means if you have 18 grams of coffee grounds, it's best to extract 36 grams of espresso liquid, because once you exceed this value, the coffee will easily develop over-extracted flavors.

Of course, this standard can also be adjusted according to different needs. For example, the espresso produced at FrontStreet Coffee stores uses 20 grams of grounds to extract 36 grams of coffee liquid, with the goal of making Americanos and lattes more aromatic and flavorful. Here's a reminder that the weight of liquid coffee should ideally be 1-3 times the weight of dry coffee grounds, with 2 times being commonly used.

Brewing time is from pressing the button to the end of extraction, typically taking between 25-35 seconds. If the extraction time is longer or shorter than expected, the biggest reason is the coffee grind, so you should adjust according to your needs to optimize extraction parameters.

Generally, rapid extraction makes the coffee's acidity more prominent and reduces sweetness. Slower extraction causes the coffee to develop bitter and dull flavors.

Espresso Quality Assessment

The most direct way to judge whether espresso is ready for serving is through tasting. Flavor is a good method for determining espresso quality. However, since judging espresso by taste is too subjective, some visionary baristas and roasters use refractometers to measure Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in espresso. TDS measurements enable them to determine precise brewing strength and extraction percentages, and correlate their preferred brewing parameters with numerical data. Measuring TDS also means we can calculate the extraction percentage using the following formula:

(%TDS x Brewed Coffee Weight) / Coffee Grounds Weight = Extraction Percentage

FrontStreet Coffee's Espresso Making Process

Many coffee enthusiasts who come to FrontStreet Coffee express admiration for the baristas operating the coffee machines at the counter, curious about how to operate the seemingly complex machines. In fact, what baristas master are just the detailed steps of making espresso, and most baristas don't know how the coffee machine actually works. So today, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce everyone to the detailed process of making espresso! Taking FrontStreet Coffee's normal operating procedures as an example:

Step 1: Wipe the portafilter basket, ensuring it's dry and free of water inside
Step 2: Weigh coffee grounds, use an electronic scale to measure the appropriate amount of coffee grounds, controlling the error within ±0.1 grams
Step 3: Distribute the grounds
Step 4: Tamp the grounds
Step 5: Lock the portafilter into the group head
Step 6: Press the button to extract
Step 7: Remove the portafilter and clean the group head

FrontStreet Coffee's recommended espresso extraction parameters: 20g coffee grounds, extract 40g espresso liquid, time 30 seconds

Making Other Coffee Beverages

And just like that, an espresso extraction is complete. If you want to make other coffee beverages, it's simply a matter of adding sugar and milk. Making iced coffee is relatively simpler—just add hot espresso to cold milk. As for hot milk coffee, you'll need to use the steam wand on the coffee machine. Regarding how to froth milk, FrontStreet Coffee has also written dedicated articles for teaching. If needed, you can look them up. It's worth mentioning that many coffee chain brands now use fully automatic coffee machines, which are even simpler to operate—just press a button.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473