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Basic Extraction Concepts of Espresso Flavor: Does Espresso Machine Extraction Also Have Golden Cup Theory?

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style) When I first started learning the Italian espresso extraction method, I actually understood it quite quickly, all thanks to having already understood the basic coffee brewing principles. It's just that I didn't realize at the time how much impact coffee bean roasting has, and I never considered the ripening completion of coffee beans

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

Understanding Espresso Extraction

When I first started learning about espresso extraction, I actually understood it quite quickly. This was all thanks to having already understood the basic principles of coffee brewing. I just never realized how much impact coffee bean roasting had, never imagined that coffee beans could become so delicious after proper aging, and never thought that brewing could be so consistent.

Basic Brewing Elements

First, let's start with the fundamentals. We previously mentioned using taste to adjust espresso brewing methods, which is actually part of the Golden Cup theory of coffee brewing and also the most basic brewing elements.

The Extraction Process

However, we need to first understand how espresso flavors actually evolve from the interaction between coffee grounds and water to become a cup of coffee.

Substances within the coffee grounds are extracted through water infiltration and then carried out. Various substances will be released in different orders depending on temperature, coffee grind size, coffee particle shape, etc. The release rates will also vary - some will be released very quickly, while others will be released slowly and then accelerate. Therefore... flavors such as sourness, bitterness, saltiness, astringency, aroma, oils, etc. in coffee are released simultaneously. So how do many skilled baristas control coffee flavors?!

The release of substances from coffee grounds generally appears in sequence based on water contact time, but the main flavors will also vary depending on the surface area affected by water.

Flavor Extraction Sequence

First, the earliest flavors extracted from coffee are saltiness, followed by sourness, then sweetness. Continuing the extraction will bring out oiliness, astringency, and bitterness. Therefore, as long as you control it properly, you can control coffee flavors at will like a skilled barista. But don't forget that during extraction, all these flavors are actually being extracted simultaneously - it's just that these flavors have different release priorities.

Golden Cup Extraction Theory

The Golden Cup extraction for coffee is also established by measuring and statistically analyzing the flavors released according to these priorities, adding the parameter of "concentration" to create a standard for measurement ranges. However, this Golden Cup extraction chart was first established based on American coffee machine brewing standards and was later promoted and expanded by many coffee enthusiasts.

Espresso Machine Extraction

Will espresso extraction from coffee machines follow the same principles? Actually, the principles are almost identical. Coffee machines add pressure to extract coffee, making espresso flavors easier to extract and greatly enhancing the flavors ("enhancement" doesn't necessarily mean better taste - sensory adjustment is still needed). Relatively... even slight changes will result in significant variations.

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