2. THE GRIND
BARISTA TRAINING
As well as the type and variant of bean, the strength of
your coffee will also depend on the degree to which the
coffee has been ground.
••
Espresso machines need coffee with a fine grind as a
coarser grind will affect the rate of extraction.
••
If you have a Dualit coffee burr grinder, try the third
spot on the courseness setting – you’ll know when
you’ve got it right because you’ll have a dense
2 - 3mm crema on the surface of your coffee.
••
A grind that's too coarse will under-extract, giving you
brown water but no flavour.
••
A grind that's too fine will over-extract, giving you a
bitter flavour.
••
If you are buying pre-ground coffee, make sure the
grind is suitable for an espresso machine.
••
Grinding with a blade burns the coffee and reduces
the oil content, thus affecting flavour.
12
Bottled or filtered water is best and will reduce the
frequency with which you will have to descale your
machine.
••
Remember to use fresh water; don't let the water sit in
the water tank for more than 12 hours or it will impair
the flavour of the coffee.
••
The perfect temperature for brewing coffee is just
below boiling point. Boiling water will burn the
ground beans and the coffee will taste bitter. A lower
temperature won't extract the oils or flavour
from the bean.
••
Your Dualit coffee machine will heat the water to the
perfect temperture every time you make an espresso.
3. WATER
