American Ristretto
Hello Espresso Geeks,
By far the most common misconception I see with folks making espresso outside of Italy is passing too much water, too quickly, through the packed coffee. It seems to be a cultural phenomenon where the people are used to drip coffee or French press, they want to reproduce that with an espresso machine. When shots are made this way the result in the cup is a sour/astringent flavor profile and no body or mouth feel. Coffee made this way is not nearly as flavorful as a well-made cup of drip or press coffee.
The beauty of caffe espresso is the ability to preserve the fragrance of the roast, and caramelized sugars, through the brewing process into a thick chiffon with a silky mouth-feel. But these rewards are only offered with very specific extraction standards, equipment, and technique.
With my thirty-two years of experience improving espresso at Vivace in Seattle, I would like to propose extraction standards I call American Ristretto.
Fresh ground coffee: 20 grams
Shot volume: 20 to 25ml
Extraction time: 27 to 35 seconds
Here is what it looks like:
Enjoy,
David S.