How fine should the Italian grind be? How can I adjust the correct espresso grind? This is a big problem for amateurs.
One thing we need to be clear about is that adjusting the Italian grinding size is not a one-and-done thing. Changes in the state of the coffee beans and changes in air humidity will often affect the extraction of Italian coffee. The grinder needs to be fine-tuned to accommodate these changes. Generally, every morning I will check whether the grinding degree is suitable for the extraction of this parameter. Sometimes the weather changes frequently, and the grinding degree adjusted in the morning will deviate in the afternoon, and it also needs to be readjusted.
I would like to make a special note here. Sometimes the extraction is unstable and the grinding needs to be adjusted frequently. In addition to force majeure reasons such as weather, another important reason is the freshness of the coffee beans. Coffee beans that are too fresh are rich in gas, which will make the extraction unstable and the flavor will be limited. The general cultivation period of Italian coffee beans is relatively long. If you want the beans to be more stable, it is recommended to cultivate the beans for no less than 2 weeks.
In fact, in addition to getting the grinding right when making Italian coffee, Front Street believes that choosing the right coffee beans is also very important, because it is the key to determining whether the coffee tastes good or not.
If you want to replicate the same style of espresso in a coffee shop at home, it is recommended to give priority to using medium-dark roasted blended coffee beans, because this will not only ensure a balanced taste and rich aroma, but will also be more suitable for American style or latte, and the success rate will be greatly improved.
If you are looking for rich oil and buttery sweetness, buy the medium-dark roasted Front Street. Front Street Classic Italian Blend, which is a combination of Indonesian Mandheling beans and Brazilian Italian beans. It has the wild aroma of Mandheling beans and the smooth taste of Brazilian beans. The taste plays a complementary and harmonious role. Front Street's classic Italian blend is based on the Mamba recipe and adds Robusta, which fully improves the oiliness of the coffee and makes the Italian coffee body stronger. It is very suitable for novices to try making for the first time.
If you want Italian coffee with a soft and balanced taste, you can choose Front Street. The Italian Moka pot coffee beans recommended by many baristas - Front Street Black Cocoa Blend, which combines Yunnan small grains and Brazilian Cerato, with the aroma of nuts and brown sugar, is the first choice for home-made rations.
Adjusting the proper espresso grind can only be done by brewing again and again.
Before grinding, we need to clarify a few goals. First, why we need to grind, because the extracted espresso does not meet our preset requirements, including extraction parameter requirements and flavor.
Second, when adjusting the grinding, you should keep other parameters as unchanged as possible, such as the skillful powder pressing technique, consistent powder and liquid volume, otherwise your grinding will be full of uncertainties.
Here is a simple and quick way to determine the grinding degree. First, randomly adjust the grinding degree (it seems to be the thickness of the flour). For example, the Q18 grinder in the Front Street Coffee Shop has a scale of 2.0. Then apply the basic formula "powder-liquid ratio 1:2, time 20-30 seconds" as the extraction parameter. The amount of powder is calculated based on the recommended capacity of the powder bowl. For example, a 20g powder bowl holds 20g powder, and an 18g capacity corresponds to 18g powder.
If the time exceeds 30 seconds, the next extraction needs to be coarser, about 0.5 steps. If the time is less than 20 seconds, the next extraction needs to be finer.
After controlling the extraction time to 20-30 seconds, we can fine-tune it by tasting the espresso. If the aroma of the coffee is insufficient and the overall taste is acidic, it needs to be adjusted finer; if the coffee is burnt and bitter and unpleasant, it needs to be adjusted coarsely until it has a good flavor.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
