Editing Espresso (section)

==Process==
[[File:linea doubleespresso.jpg|thumb|Espresso brewing]]
[[File:Fine espresso.png|thumb|Finely ground coffee for espresso]]
Espresso is made by forcing very hot water under high pressure through finely ground compacted coffee. There is no universal standard defining the process of extracting espresso,<ref>{{cite web|title=Today's Espresso Scene|url=http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide-todays-scene.html|publisher=Home Barista|access-date=29 April 2011}}</ref> but several published definitions attempt to constrain the amount and type of ground coffee used, the temperature and pressure of the water, and the rate of extraction.<ref>{{cite web|title=Espresso Coffee|url=http://www.coffeeresearch.org/espresso/definitions.htm|publisher=Coffee Research Institute|access-date=29 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=L'Espresso Italiano Certificato|url=http://www.espressoitaliano.org/doc/EIC%20-%20Eng%20-%20LQ.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060609024348/http://www.espressoitaliano.org/doc/EIC%20-%20Eng%20-%20LQ.pdf |archive-date=2006-06-09 |url-status=live|publisher=Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano|access-date=29 April 2011}}</ref> Generally, one uses an [[espresso machine]] to make espresso.

The act of producing a shot of espresso is often called "pulling" a shot, originating from lever espresso machines, with which a [[barista]] pulls down a handle attached to a spring-loaded piston, which forces hot water through the coffee at high pressure. However, it is more common for an electric pump to generate the pressure.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davids |first=Kenneth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qYrWAAAAQBAJ&dq=Espresso+electric+pump&pg=PT52 |title=Espresso: Ultimate Coffee, Second Edition |date=2013-10-15 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4668-5477-2 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Coffee tamping|Tamping]] down the coffee promotes the water's even penetration through the grounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coffeeresearch.org/espresso/tamping.htm |title=Espresso Tamping |publisher=CoffeeResearch.org |access-date=8 December 2013}}</ref> This process produces a thicker beverage by extracting both solid and dissolved components.

The technical parameters outlined by the Italian Espresso National Institute for making a "certified Italian espresso" are:<ref>{{cite web| title = Espresso Italiano Certificato| url = http://www.espressoitaliano.org/files/File/istituzionale_inei_hq_en.pdf| publisher = Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano| access-date = 15 February 2013}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parameter
! Value
|-
| Necessary portion of ground coffee
| 7 g ± 0,5
|-
| Exit temperature of water from unit
| 88&nbsp;°C ± 2&nbsp;°C
|-
| Temperature in cup
| 67&nbsp;°C ± 3&nbsp;°C
|-
| Entry water pressure
| 9 bar ± 1
|-
| Percolation time
| 25 ± 5 seconds
|-
| Viscosity at 45&nbsp;°C
| > 1,5 mPa s
|-
| Total fat
| > 2&nbsp;mg/ml
|-
| Caffeine
| < 100&nbsp;mg/cup
|-
| Volume in cup (including crema)
| 25 ml ± 2,5
|}

===Roasts===
Any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso. For example, in southern Italy, a darker roast is generally preferred. Farther north, the trend moves toward slightly lighter roasts, while outside Italy a wide range is popular.{{sfn|Illy|Illy|1992}}

===Variables===
{{See also|Doppio|Ristretto|Lungo}}
{{Refimprove section|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Doppio.jpg|thumb|Extracting a [[doppio]]]]
[[File:Doppio ristretto Chiang Mai.jpg|thumb|A double [[ristretto]] with the first half of the shot in the glass at the bottom of the image, and the second half in the glass on the right]]

The main variables in a shot of espresso are the "size" and "length".<ref name="hbbr">{{cite web|url=http://www.home-barista.com/tips/brewing-ratios-for-espresso-beverages-t2402.html|title=Brewing ratios for espresso beverages | website = Home-Barista.com|date=13 November 2006 }}</ref><ref name="gimmie">[https://web.archive.org/web/20091009163124/http://www.gimmecoffee.com/galleries/anatomy_of_a_triple_ristretto/ Anatomy of a Triple Ristretto by Jeremy Gauger, Gimme Coffee, 17 March 2009]</ref> This terminology is standardized, but the precise sizes and proportions vary substantially.

Cafés may have a standardized shot (size and length), such as "triple [[ristretto]]",<ref name="gimmie" /> only varying the number of shots in espresso-based drinks such as lattes, but not changing the [[Espresso extraction|extraction]]. Changing between a double and a triple requires changing the filter basket size, while changing between ristretto, ''normale'', and [[lungo]] may require changing the grind.

The size can be a single, double, or triple, using a proportional amount of ground coffee, roughly 7, 14, and 21&nbsp;grams; correspondingly sized filter baskets are used. The Italian [[Multiplier (linguistics)|multiplier]] term ''doppio'' is often used for a double, with ''solo'' and ''triplo'' being more rarely used for singles and triples. The single shot is the traditional shot size, being the maximum that could easily be pulled on a lever machine. Single baskets are sharply tapered or stepped down in diameter to provide comparable depth to the double baskets and, therefore, comparable resistance to water pressure. Most double baskets are gently tapered (the "Faema model"), while others, such as the La Marzocco, have straight sides. Triple baskets are normally straight-sided. Portafilters will often come with two spouts, usually closely spaced, and a double-size basket. Each spout can optionally dispense into a separate cup, yielding two ''solo''-size (but doppio-brewed) shots, or into a single cup (hence the close spacing). True ''solo'' shots are rare, with a single shot in a café generally being half of a doppio shot. In espresso-based drinks in America, particularly larger milk-based drinks, a drink with three or four shots of espresso will be called "triple" or "quad", respectively.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

The length of the shot can be ristretto (or ''stretto'') (reduced), ''normale'' or standard (normal), or lungo (long):<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/07/travel/fare-of-the-country-in-italy-espresso-is-the-elixir-of-life.html|title=Fare of the Country: In Italy, Espresso is the Elixir of Life|last=Hofmann|first=Paul|work=The New York Times |date=7 August 1983|access-date=25 March 2018|language=en}}</ref> these may correspond to a smaller or larger drink with the same amount of ground coffee and same level of extraction or to different length of extraction. Proportions vary, and the volume (and low density) of crema makes volume-based comparisons difficult (precise measurement uses the mass of the drink). Typically, ristretto is half the volume of ''normale'', and lungo is double to triple the ''normale'' volume. For a double shot (14 grams of dry coffee), a ''normale'' uses about 60 ml of water. A double ristretto, a common form associated with espresso, uses half the amount of water, about 30 ml. Ristretto, ''normale'', and lungo may not simply be the same shot stopped at different times (which could result in an under- or over-extracted shot), but have the grind adjusted (finer for ristretto, coarser for lungo) to achieve the target volume.<ref name="The World Atlas Of Coffee" />{{rp|103}} A significantly longer shot is the ''[[caffè crema]]'', which is longer than a lungo, ranging in size from {{convert|120|-|240|ml|impoz USoz|abbr=on}}, and brewed in the same way, with a coarser grind. Passing too much water through the ground coffee can add other, potentially unpleasant flavors to the espresso.<ref name="The World Atlas Of Coffee" />{{rp|99}}

===Machines===
{{Main|Espresso machine}}
{{Refimprove section|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Victoria Arduino - Athena Leva-edit.jpg|thumb|A manual Italian handmade espresso machine]]
[[File:EspressoMachine 20200223 151208.jpg|thumb|An automatic Italian handmade espresso machine]]

Home [[espresso machine]]s have increased in popularity with the general rise of interest in espresso. Today, a wide range of home espresso equipment can be found in kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors, and department stores. The first espresso machine for home use was the [[Gaggia]] Gilda.{{sfn|Bersten|1993|page=131}} Soon afterwards, similar machines such as the Faema Faemina, FE-AR La Peppina, and VAM Caravel followed suit, with similar form factors and operational principles.{{sfn|Bersten|1993|pages=132-133}} These machines still have a small but dedicated share of fans. Until the advent of the first small electrical pump-based espresso machines, such as the Gaggia Baby and Quickmill 810, home espresso machines were not widely adopted. In recent years, the increased availability of convenient countertop fully automatic home espresso makers and pod-based espresso serving systems has increased the quantity of espresso consumed at home. The popularity of home espresso making parallels the increase of [[Home roasting coffee|home coffee roasting]]. Some amateurs pursue both home roasting coffee and making espresso.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}