How to Make Espresso at Home

Making real espresso at home is the most expensive and most rewarding home coffee project you can undertake. When you dial it in, the cup you pull in your kitchen can rival what a good cafe serves. This is not a guide for Nespresso. This is for the real thing.

What You Need

An espresso machine. Entry level machines that produce genuine espresso start around $300 to $500. A burr grinder — this is not optional. Espresso requires a grind so fine and so precise that blade grinders and pre-ground coffee cannot achieve it. Budget $150 to $400. Fresh coffee roasted within 2 to 4 weeks, whole bean only. A scale that reads to 0.1 grams. Total startup cost: $500 to $1,200 for machine, grinder, scale, and accessories.

The Pull

Dose 18 grams, grind fine (slightly coarser than powdered sugar), distribute evenly, tamp with firm level pressure. A standard double shot should produce 36 grams of liquid espresso in 25 to 30 seconds. If it runs faster, grind finer. If slower, grind coarser. Bitterness means over-extraction. Sourness means under-extraction. Your first shots will not be good. That is normal. Most people need 1 to 2 bags before their shots become consistently excellent.

When you want something a barista makes better, like a flat white with perfect latte art, go to your local shop. The shop and the home machine are not competitors. They are complements.

Keep reading: What Is Espresso, Nespresso vs. Real Espresso, How to Choose a Coffee Grinder.