Preparation of a correct Espresso means using the relatively low time needed in a professional and efficient way. Consider that the entire process from picking beans to roasting takes about ten months while preparing your coffee cup requires less than 40 second. It is commonly considered that 30 seconds can make the difference: when badly managed, they can ruin even the best blend, other than make you losing a client.
The traditional method consists in four phases:
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Grinding
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Pressing
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Dispensing
Let’s examine every step in details.
Coffee Grinding: the Grinder
Grinding is the process that transform the coffee beans, previously mixed in the desired blend by the producer, in a ground suitable for preparing the beverage with the machine. The specific item to realize it is called grinder. The grinder provides also the correct dosage and is equipped with grindstones that can be plain or conic.
On the top a hopper is located, with the shape of roughly a half-cone, to collect the beans before the production. Immediately below there’s a ferrule for grindstones control. Continuing from top to bottom there’s a box for holding and dosing the ground. Finally a lever and a screw give to the barman the control of the desired quantity. The lever must be put in on mode before weighing the coffee. The screw, the so called dosing star, provides calibration for the ground dosage (from 6,5 to 7,5 gr) while rotating it. A counterclockwise rotation has the result of incrementing the coffee dose. A correct calibration gives as a result 25 ml of espresso in about 30 seconds.
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Cleaning the dosing box is required before grinding the coffee beans. Use a rag damp with warm water, then dry it. The dosing star should be cleaned instead with a brush. Verify also the elasticity of it by pushing on with a hand. The hopper must be washed on warm flowing water and dried before the use. Don’t utilize abrasive materials or cleansers.
Ground Pressing
A vital but often forgotten part of the correct preparation is pressing the ground in the filter in a proper way. The filter must be then located into the filter-holder and connected to the coffee dispenser group of the espresso machine.
The ability consists in giving a compression that is enough but has also a good uniformity. Pressing in a wrong way means that the hot water from the coffee machine would probably gather only in a part of the ground panel, where density is lower. The result in this case is a weak coffee, lacking in flavor and strength. To avoid this before proceeding to press it’s important to level the ground in the filter and only after apply on the surface a pressure between 15 and 20 kg.
So far, the phases for a good pressing process are six:
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putting the ground on the filter
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levelling
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adjusting
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compressing
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cleaning of the border
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applying to the machine
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The main duty of a barman is using the coffee machine: on this point of view, the barman is a fundamental actor in the production process. His ability is essential to achieve a good result in the espresso served to the client, giving a great added value to the entire coffee making process. The coffee machine provides, in fact, to transform the ground in a cup of espresso. Let’s examine the specific parts of this equipment, postponing a detailed exam on the espresso making to the following, dedicated arguments.
The coffee machine is provided with a cup-warmer plain usually located on the top, having that coffee retains more its property while served in a warm cup than in a cold one.
In a full equipped machine there are three types of dispenser: First and mainly the coffee dispenser group, working with the filter inside previously filled with the pressed ground. It is the essential part for making the classical Italian espresso.
A water dispenser, a vapor dispenser turbo-steam and a nozzle for high-pressure vapor are also provided, required for different recipes in which espresso is used (cappuccino, caffelatte, ect.)
Below the dispensers and the work station proper a basin is located to collect residual liquids from the process.
Maintenance of the Coffee Machine
Keep in mind that the coffee machine is simply the business card of your bar. The quality of your service and place is determined by the care you put on the maintenance and cleansing of your equipment and your items. Do not forget that a dirty cup or water glass is enough to lose a client: your workstation mirrors your skill and passion for your job.
First, let’s see how to keep in a good state the coffee dispenser group. The so called “blind-filter” must be applied to the filter-holder. Then add a spoon of cleanser and connect to the dispenser group. Use the machine with the cleanser instead of coffee for at least three times. After it, remove the filter-holder and use again the machine without it: repeat until the water coming out from the group is perfectly clear. Pay attention to do this process for every single dispenser. Finally, clean with a brush (usually included in the machine items) all the gaskets of the groups. The filter and the filter-holder should be also cleaned alone under direct flowing water. Do not use abrasive materials.
The vapor nozzle must be emptied first to erase all milk remaining. The vapor bulb is cleaned with a wet rag. For the basin at the bottom of the machine use warm water and let it go to the drain to dissolve coffee and sugar residuals. Remember also in these case to avoid using abrasive products.
A timetable for the maintenance of your workstation
We can summarize all the operations required for a correct usage and keeping of your equipment with the right frequency of cleaning operations.
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After every use a cleaning is required for the vapor nozzle.
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Daily cleaning must be done for dispenser groups, filter-holders, filters and the basin.
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Weekly cleaning comprises the dosing box, the dosing star and the hopper for the grinder.
You must also control the efficiency of all the machines, weekly for the coffee machine and monthly for the grinder. In particular:
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Weekly controls for the coffee machine consist in testing pumping pressure, boiler pressure, and water regeneration in the boiler.
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Monthly controls for the grinder means to test the coffee dose and the grinding process with a proper calibration.
Machinery & Equipment
Maintenance of the Grinder
Pre-infusion and making: the Coffee Machine
