Skip to content

Have a question or just want to talk espresso? Check out the forum and its FAQs and Favorites!

The Professional Barista's Handbook An Expert's Guide to Preparing Espresso, Coffee, and Tea

Contents

Introduction Espresso Grinding for espresso Dosing and Distribution Tamping More...

Water Temperature

Brewing water temperature is very important because it affects flavor, brew strength, and flow rate. The "ideal" brewing temperature is determined by numerous variables, including the coffee used, the flow rate of a shot, and, most importantly, your taste. It is fair to say almost all professionals prefer temperatures in the range of 185°F-204°F.

A few established facts exist regarding the relationship between temperature and espresso quality.

• Excessively low temperatures produce sour, underextracted espresso.
• Excessively high temperatures produce bitter, acrid, and woody flavors.
• Higher temperatures result in more solids extraction and body.
• Higher temperatures result in slower flow rates.

Additional Sections in the Printed Edition:

Managing Brew Temperature
Managing Temperature on Multiple-Boiler Machines
Putting It All Together
Preinfusion
Espresso-Making Techniques in Italy Versus America
Pressure Interruptions During Espresso Brewing

Would You Like to Read More?

If you have found this excerpt helpful, you can read the rest of the book by ordering online: The Professional Barista's Handbook.

---

Read or Write Comments

---

Table of Contents

Available for purchase online

This article is an excerpt from Chapter 2, "Espresso". Below is the complete table of contents.

1. Getting Started

2. Espresso

   Espresso Percolation: a Primer
   Grinding for Espresso
   Dosing and Distribution
   Grooming
   Tamping
   Water Temperature
   Putting It All Together
   Preinfusion
   Espresso-Making Techniques in Italy Versus America
   Pressure Interruptions During Espresso Brewing
   

3. The Science and Theory of Percolation and Extraction

   Percolation Dynamics
   Fines
   Basket Shape and Extraction
   Espresso Brewing Ratios and Standards

4. Milk

   Milk Steaming
   Milk Pouring

5. Barista Systems

   Efficiency Enhancement Tools
   Workflow

6. Drip Coffee

   Freshness
   Drip Brewing Standards
   Grinding
   Temperature
   Turbulence
   Optimizing Different Batch Sizes
   Coffee Brewing Chart
   Setting Up the Filter
   Stirring: the Key to Making the Best Drip Coffee
   Programmable Brewer Settings
   How to Hold Brewed Coffee
   Brewing Drip Coffee to Order
   Coffee Filter Types
   Freezing Coffee Beans

7. French Press Coffee

   How to Make Great French Press Coffee

8. Water

   Water Chemistry
   Brewing Water Standards
   Water Treatment
   Descaling

9. Tea

   Basic Tea-Making Guidelines
   Preparation by Tea Type

10. Appendix, References, Glossary, Index

Contact Us

Legal disclaimer and copyright: This content and all its parts are copyrighted, all rights reserved. Content including all text and images in part or in whole may not be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission. Home-Barista, Home-Barista.com and related logos are trademarks of the site owner. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Overall speed: slow, current page: 0.1s, avg: 2.1s, max: 13.3s