How To Make the Best Espresso Coffee Italian Style

One of the many things that I love about Italy is the espresso coffee. Now it is part of my day-to-day life. There is no way I start my day without it, and another one after lunch is mandatory!

Of course, not everybody likes espresso; Two days ago I was in Paris with one french colleague, and he told me: "when I pay for coffee, I expect to receive a big coffee, not that espresso!". It is like the size of the little cup is not worth what he paid for.

So this article is for real espresso lovers... if you do not love espresso, stop reading right now, because I am showing you how to make the best espresso coffee italian style!

The most important thing is to choose a good coffee; I have tried many of them, and I have found that the one I like the most (and also many of my friends) is this one: Kimbo Espresso Napoletano. If you can not find it in your supermarket, you can find it in Amazon.

Other very valid choices are: Illy, Pellini Top, Lavazza and Vergnano.

be precise on the water quantity

For me is pretty much a ritual now. I have gathered different techniques from many of my italian friends, and have applied them to my coffee making process. The result? Many of them after drinking coffee at my house say: "Wow Luis! this is truly a great coffee!"

First, take your well trained italian espresso coffee maker and add some water inside. It is very important that you do not use hot water. I use water from the faucet, as cool as it comes out. Hard water is not good for espresso coffee, so do not use it. There is a valve inside, fill it up until the water level is right below that little hole.

Keep it away from the sunlight!

I usually keep my coffee in a kitchen cabinet at room temperature, but away from the sunlight. I have heard from people that keep it in the refrigerator, but I personally do not like it; you can try that though, and see if it works for you.

I like my coffee to have a strong flavor. So, I take the funnel on my italian moka and fill it up creating a "little mountain" on it. Do not press it, just leave it that way.

Also, make sure that the coffee you are putting on the coffee maker is finely ground.

Not here? Add it!

Screw tight your italian coffee pot and put it on the kitchen burner. Keep the flame to a normal level, because if it's high, your coffee will come out before its time, and it will probably will have this burned taste. Our coffee needs its own time!

Also, keep the lid of the coffee maker up: it will prevent that the condensed vapor going back to our ground coffee, which may variate its flavor.

Excellent capability of enhancing the aroma of the coffee thanks to the bottom designed especially for this purpose. Numbered collection in hard porcelain, decorated in seven colors, embellished with a fine gold under glaze and taken from original drawings by the artist Laura Sala.

Actually... before it does!

Do not leave the coffee on the burner. A second before it comes up completely, take it away from the burner.

If you are using a 1-cup coffee maker, just pour it to your italian coffee cup, and enjoy!

Instead, if you have a bigger espresso coffee maker and you are sharing it with more people, take a teaspoon and stir it a little bit (5 times will suffice).

There you are: you have prepared your own espresso coffee italian style!

Buon caffè!

This lens was blessed by the following SquidAngels:

Photahsiamirabel on 09/23/2010.

CCGAL on 10/10/2010.

Pukeko on 10/27/2010.

MisterJeremy on 11/12/2010.

TravelingRae on 08/23/2011.

Thanks!