Detailed steps for grinding Italian coffee

1. Fill the ground coffee powder into the "powder bowl" (mostly a metal perforated filter with a diameter of 58mm or 52mm)
2. Scrape the coffee powder in the "powder bowl"
3. Use a "tamper" to apply a certain amount of pressure to press the coffee powder into a powder cake
4. Place the "powder bowl" into the "handle"
5. Screw the "handle" onto the "brew head" and secure it
6. Turn on the switch to allow hot water to rush through the powder at high pressure.
7. The coffee flows out from the diversion port under the handle and is poured into the coffee cup.

This is how the entire process of making Italian coffee looks simple... but the advantages will be magnified, the disadvantages will be magnified, and the differences will be magnified. In terms of the coarseness of the coffee powder, the grinding scale in the world of Italian coffee can no longer be measured with integers of 1, 2, and 3. The rotating disc of the grinder that specializes in grinding Italian coffee espresso does not have grids, just like digital and analog. If the rotating disc of the Italian coffee grinder is digital, it is like an analog, and it may be different if it is turned a little bit.

It is also worth mentioning that whether the beans are freshly ground or freshly ground can be easily judged from the state of the espresso flowing out, so whether the coffee is fresh and freshly ground and brewed is important.

During the tamping process, the loose coffee powder will be compacted and compacted, which means that the gaps between the powders will be reduced, the water flow path will be smaller, and it will be difficult for water to pass through, which means that the pressure can be maintained. However, with the same flow path size and the same flow rate, it may be "ultra-fine powder + light tamping" or "fine powder + heavy tamping". Although the flow rate is the same, the extraction degree is very different - so when adjusting the taste, the scale and the pressure must be considered at the same time!

Generally speaking, the pressure of the coffee machine is about 8-9bar. As long as the powder cake is not compacted to withstand the pressure of 8-9bar, the coffee can be extracted. In other words, it is possible that the coffee will not flow out. As long as the powder is fine enough and the pressure is strong enough, it is possible. Be especially careful at this time! If the espresso does not flow out or drips slowly, be careful that the hand is squeezed by the pressure and it is likely to get burned or break the handle.

In addition, when filling and pressing, you should pay special attention to whether the surface of the powder cake is flat or crooked, because high-pressure water will flow to places where it is easy to release pressure. Therefore, if the surface of the powder cake is not filled and pressed to be flat, it is easy to cause the water to not flow evenly through the entire powder cake, and the coffee that is uneven, astringent, and watery will be extracted. In simple terms, if the concentrated taste has a strong sense of burnt, bitter, mushy, astringent, and mixed feeling, it means that the extraction has been excessive. At this time, you need to fine-tune the grinding disc scale to coarser 0.5 grids and then test again.

If you see that the flow rate of the coffee liquid is a bit fast during extraction, you may still be able to get a cup of espresso with a standard extraction range of 36g-45g in about 25 seconds, but the taste is sour and the body is light, then you think that this cup of coffee is under-extracted, so adjust the dial to 0.25 grids. Perform the extraction test of the espresso again and use a stopwatch to time it.