Espresso forms the base for many different types of coffee drinks. In terms of preparation, you'll want to start with a quality coffee bean. Use a fine grind. You'll use about 7-9 grams of coffee for a single shot of espresso, and twice that for a double shot.
For using capsules, first make sure your capsule machine is ready according to the manufacturer's instructions. Insert the capsule into the machine, close the lever and press the espresso button. Your machine will have different settings for ristretto, regular espresso, and lungo:
Ristretto
This is a very concentrated espresso shot (15ml or half ounce), with about half the amount of water as a regular espresso. If your machine has a ristretto setting, use that. If not, you'll just stop the brewing process early.
Regular
Espresso: A standard espresso shot uses about 1 ounce of water (30ml). Again, your machine will have a setting for this.
Lungo
This is an "elongated" shot, with more water than a regular espresso (45 to 60ml) but more watery and bitter. If your machine has a lungo setting, use that. If not, let the brewing process continue for a bit longer than usual.
Depending on the system you use, we recommend the following products
Traditional Espresso Machine
Nespresso Compatible Machine
Paper Pods Machine
