Espresso Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations: Choosing the Right Coffee for Italian Espresso Machines

You Call Yourself a Barista Without Knowing How to Make Espresso?

Espresso may be the cheapest item on a café menu and the one ordered least often—sometimes it is not even listed. Some shops with lower standards would rather not serve it at all.

Yet for a barista, a single shot of espresso is not only a test of skill. More importantly, it reflects how well that barista understands coffee and how much they care about it.

A café that dares not sell espresso is not a good café;

A barista who cannot make espresso is not a good barista.

Equipment Needed

Espresso machine
Portafilter
Tamper
Coffee beans
Coffee cup
Grinder
Digital scale
Timer

Brewing Time

25-30 seconds

Background

Making a perfect espresso at home is no simple task. For a truly discerning drinker there is, in fact, no such thing as a "perfect" espresso—only shots that come close. Pulling a full-flavored coffee from an espresso machine is a little like skydiving with a worn parachute: you can try, but success is not guaranteed. Failures and repeated practice are part of the process.

What makes a good espresso? Opinions differ, but the taste has to be balanced and mellow, and it has to show the coffee's characteristic flavors clearly.

Step 1

Take the portafilter out of the espresso machine and set it on the digital scale.

Step 2

Run a small amount of hot water through the group head to clean and preheat it.

Step 3

Weigh and grind the beans. A double espresso needs 18-21 grams of coffee. The grind size can be adjusted to suit the bean, but it generally needs to be very fine. How well you grind has a major effect on the final balance of the shot.

Step 4

Level the grounds in the portafilter with your finger, working from top to bottom, then left to right.

Step 5

Set the portafilter on a clean, flat surface, then press down with the tamper to compact the grounds. You don't need excessive force—about 10 kilograms of pressure is enough. Hold the tamper by its handle when pressing, not with your palm, to avoid injury.

Step 6

After tamping, gently rotate the tamper to leave a smoother surface on the grounds.

Step 7

Lock the portafilter into the group head and press the hot water button. Place a preheated ceramic cup underneath to catch the espresso.

Step 8

The espresso will first drip slowly, then flow smoothly and evenly. The extraction takes about 30 seconds, after which the liquid gradually turns golden-yellow—that is the point to stop.

Some people drink the shot straight to taste its different layers; others prefer to stir it first. Either way is a matter of personal preference. If you are not happy with the taste, try again—and again, and again.

Recommended Espresso Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee roasts espresso beans to order, with dependable quality and brand consistency, so the crema and aroma are still at their best when the beans reach you.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For home espresso, begin with a blend built to pull clean, stable shots. The FrontStreet Classic Blend is designed for espresso machines and moka pots and delivers outstanding crema even on a basic home setup, following a traditional Mamba-style recipe with a full, rounded body that carries butter, nut, spice, dark chocolate, and toast notes. For a different direction, the FrontStreet Specialty Blend pairs Brazil and Colombia beans for almond, walnut, and cocoa with a gentle acidity, while the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend is 100% Arabica and leans toward creamy chocolate and balance. If you want fruit in the cup, the FrontStreet Costa Rica Blackberry SOE is honey-processed and medium-roasted, with blackberry sweetness that turns to cranberry cookie, raisin, and nuts once milk is added.