Espresso

• Espresso is made by forcing hot water at high pressure through finely ground coffee. This results in a dark, strong cup of coffee with a lighter brown foam, or crema, floating on top. A single serving of espresso is quite small, only 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of coffee. A cup of traditional Italian espresso is sweetened with sugar, although many Americans drink it unsweetened. Espresso is also the basis of a variety of other coffee beverages, such as cappuccino, cafe latte and cafe mocha.

Types of Coffee

• The type of coffee you choose to make your espresso has a significant impact on the overall quality of the finished beverage. Many varieties of coffee are marketed as "espresso" or "espresso roast." This means that they have been roasted to a moderately dark level to produce deep, almost smoky flavors. Much of the original character of the coffee bean is overshadowed by the dark roast, but arabica beans tend to produce a better crema than other varieties.

Types of Grinders

• Two types of coffee grinders dominate the home market. Blade grinders work by spinning a sharpened blade in a cup. These are designed to work like a blender or food processor. They are the most inexpensive type of home coffee grinder. Burr grinders crush the beans against a set of discs or cones that are adjusted to produce precisely sized particles. With this grinder, you simply select the espresso setting and the machine runs the appropriate length of time. This style of grinder is ideal for espresso, but its cost can make it prohibitive for casual home use.

Perfect Espresso Grind

• If you use a blade grinder, you can control the size of the finished coffee grounds by adjusting the length of time you grind. For espresso, you want the finest grounds you can get. They should look like a powder, with few or no noticeable chunks. The best way to tell if you have ground your coffee long enough is to listen. The coffee is ground finely enough when you no longer hear pieces of coffee bean rattling around the grinder cup. This can take anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, depending on how much coffee you are grinding and how powerful your grinder is.