Buying
When purchasing coffee, always ask when it was roasted. Many
common misconceptions exist when it comes to judging the freshness
and optimum time to experience a roasted coffee at its peak of
perfection. Generally coffee is best if used a day or two after
roasting, and if kept in an air-tight container, flavor should not
diminish significantly until after seven to ten days. Old coffee
beans may appear very oily, will have little or no aroma, or will
take on a somewhat unpleasant aroma.
Grinding
Never grind more coffee than you will need to use.
Once the beans are ground, the flavorful oils are exposed to the
damaging air. As these oils dissipate, so will the flavor of your
coffee. Once ground, coffee will begin to lose its flavor almost
immediately. Espresso requires an extremely
fine grind, almost powder-like with a slight grittiness. The key
to the proper espresso grind is the extraction time. After the
proper dose and tamp, one ounce of espresso should be extracted in
approximately 25 to 30 seconds. If the one ounce
extraction occurs in less than 25 seconds, grind your coffee
finer. If the extraction occurs in longer than 30 seconds, grind
your coffee coarser.
Dosage
For espresso,
allow 7 to 8 grams for a single shot, and 14 to 16 grams for a
double shot.