How to Brew the Perfect Espresso at Home

June 30, 2024

How to Brew the Perfect Espresso at Home

There’s nothing quite like a rich, velvety espresso — and the good news is you don’t need a café to pull a great shot. With the right equipment, quality coffee beans, and a little technique, you can brew café-quality espresso at home. Here’s everything you need to know.

What You'll Need

Before you get started, make sure you have the following:

Espresso machine — a semi-automatic or fully automatic machine works well for home use
Quality coffee beans — freshly roasted espresso blends or single origins (ideally roasted within the last 2–4 weeks)
A burr grinder — consistency of grind is critical for espresso
A tamper — to compress the coffee in your portafilter
A kitchen scale — for accurate dosing

The most important factor is your coffee. Fresh, high-quality beans sourced from specialty roasters make all the difference — browse our espresso blends or explore single origin coffees from independent Australian roasters.

Step-by-Step: Pulling the Perfect Shot

Follow these steps for a consistently great espresso:

Weigh your dose — a standard single shot uses 7–9g of coffee; a double shot uses 14–18g.
Grind fresh — grind your beans immediately before brewing. Aim for a fine, sand-like consistency.
Distribute and tamp — spread the grounds evenly in the portafilter, then tamp with firm, level pressure (around 15–20kg).
Preheat your machine and cup — run a blank shot through the group head to stabilise temperature and warm your cup.
Lock in the portafilter and brew — a standard double shot should extract in 25–30 seconds, yielding approximately 30–40ml of espresso.
Taste and adjust — if the shot is too bitter, grind coarser or reduce extraction time. If it’s sour or weak, grind finer or increase time.

Tips for the Perfect Espresso Shot

Even small adjustments can dramatically improve your espresso. Keep these tips in mind:

Use filtered water at around 93°C — tap water with high mineral content can affect taste and damage your machine.
Clean your equipment regularly — old coffee oils go rancid and ruin flavour. Backflush your machine and clean your portafilter daily.
Rest your beans — freshly roasted beans benefit from 5–10 days of degassing before use.
Dial in every time you change beans — different origins and roast levels require different grind settings and extraction times.
Store beans correctly — keep them in an airtight container, away from heat and light. See our guide on how to store coffee beans for more.

Ready to Brew? Shop Espresso Coffee Online

The foundation of a great espresso is always the bean. myroast™ connects you with premium Australian specialty coffee roasters so you can find the perfect espresso blend or single origin to suit your taste. Whether you’re after a classic dark roast or something lighter and fruity, there’s something for every palate.

Browse all coffees on myroast™ and order fresh-roasted beans delivered directly to your door.