KitchenAid KES0504ER Use & Care Guide - Page 18

Great Tasting Water An often overlooked element of great espresso is the brew water. If you don't enjoy the flavor of your tap water, don't use it to brew espresso - use bottled, purified water instead. Since it doesn't take long for fresh water to acquire a "flat" quality and taste, it's also a good idea to change the water in the reservoir often and refill the boilers after a long period of non-use. Do not use mineral water or distilled water - they can damage the Espresso Machine. The Right Grind - and Grinder Espresso demands a very fine, very consistent grind. Blade grinders and inexpensive burr grinders usually fall short when it comes to producing the grinds needed for outstanding espresso. The best espresso requires a quality burr grinder which will maximize the flavor and aroma of espresso by producing an extremely consistent grind with very little frictional heating. Espresso brewing technique Brewing Temperature Water temperature and temperature consistency have a direct impact on the flavor of espresso. Great espresso comes from brewing at an optimum temperature, ideally between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Modern boilers and thermostats excel at producing and maintaining the right temperature, but there is a complicating factor that is a major concern for baristas: maintaining heat in the brew group. If water is pumped from the boiler at a near perfect 200° F, but flows into a portafilter that's at room temperature, the water will cool dramatically - and the actual brewing temperature will be far less than what the best espresso requires. If the water temperature drops below 195º F, the espresso might still exhibit good crema, but it will acquire a distinctly bitter or sour note. Proper Brewing Temperature: • Always attach the portafilter (with filter basket) to the brew head when the espresso machine is heating. This warms the filter. • Always wait until the boilers are fully heated before brewing - approximately 6 minutes. • Dose and tamp your coffee quickly, and brew immediately. This prevents the portafilter from cooling significantly. • Never rinse the portafilter with cool water if you are brewing additional shots. After knocking the old grounds from the filter, wipe leftover grounds from the basket with a clean towel. Make sure the filter basket is dry before adding more coffee. 18 • Keep the empty portafilter attached to the brew head when you're engaged in other tasks, like grinding or frothing. • Warm a cup or demitasse by placing it on top of the Espresso Machine before brewing. Cups can also be heated instantly with a shot of steam from the frothing arm. The Espresso Machine is designed to provide an optimum brewing temperature. Dedicated dual boilers eliminate the temperature fluctuations common with single boiler designs when alternating between brewing and frothing. The nickelplated brass brew group heats quickly, and is commercial-size for a very good reason: commercial-size groups retain heat better than smaller groups. The Espresso Machine does its part to provide the right brewing temperature. The rest is up to the barista! Grinding Great espresso demands the freshest coffee, and the freshest coffee is always ground immediately before brewing. The most delicate aromatic compounds in coffee go stale within a few minutes of grinding, so grind only as much as you intend to brew immediately. Dosing Dosing is the process of measuring ground coffee into the filter basket. A single shot of espresso requires 1/4 ounce (7 grams) of coffee - a double shot, twice that. If filled level with finely ground coffee, the scoop included with the Espresso Machine is a near perfect measure for one shot of espresso. Accomplished baristas usually don't bother making precise measurements when dosing: they simply fill the basket nearly to the brim