Home and commercial espresso coffee machines are gaining popularity as more and more people want to have a coffee bar experience in their own home. Although making espresso is more difficult than making home brewed coffee, and it takes more time and practice to pull great shots consistently, people's love for it has not waned, but has spread all around the world. Aside from having a good machine, here are some of the important espresso supplies in order to make a good cup of this gourmet coffee.

Coffee Grinder

The coffee grinder is one of the most crucial espresso supplies to have to make a great cup of this intense coffee.

While it is overshadowed by the espresso maker, coffee grinds play a very important role in the brewing process. Having too large or too fine coffee grounds will have a negative effect on the quality of the drink. This is why investing in the best grinder you can afford is recommended. No matter how good your machine is, it cannot compensate for the problems associated with poor grind quality.

Among all the grinders available in the market today, the best type would be a conical burr grinder. These can grind coffee beans into an even, consistent, and very fine grind. Having a very fine grind means that more surface area comes into contact with the water, thus dissolving and extracting more quickly and shortens the brew time. Having an even grind allows all the coffee particles to dissolve and extract at the same rate, which is very ideal when making the gourmet coffee.

Coffee Beans

Espresso is coffee intensified in a small cup. To know what kind of blends suit you the most, you must try them out as brewed coffee first. The rule of thumb is that if there are coffees that you dislike brewed, you should avoid those when making it. Therefore, try out the different blends that are available to you, and try to learn and appreciate the differences between them.

Water Softener / Filtration System

Water that is used for brewing should be free of any odors and colors. Using a charcoal water filter is best to remove any impurities in the water, such as chlorine, iron, sulfur, sediments, and other contaminants that will have a bad effect on the odor and taste. However, if you live in an area that has excessively hard water, consider using bottled water as a cheap and more effective solution.

Tamper

Tamping is a technique, in which the barista takes a cylindrical press and using it to compact the coffee grounds in the grounds basket. This ensures that there are no gaps and cracks within the grounds and that those are distributed evenly. Having a tamper that fits securely into the basket is ideal; however, if the tamper is slightly smaller, a rotating motion or lightly tamping in the four compass directions before heavy tamping will do.

Thermometer

Here are a couple of well-known facts that show the relationship between water temperature and espresso quality. If the water temperature is too low, then you would get under extracted drink that tastes sour. On the other hand, if the water temperature is too high, then you would get over extracted espresso that tastes bitter.

This is why brewing water temperature is important as it affects the taste and the quality of espresso. As a rule of thumb, the ideal brewing water temperature is at the range of 185°F to 204°F.

Cleaning Agent

This is probably the most overlooked among the essential espresso supplies listed here. Poorly maintained machines will have a negative effect on the flavor of your gourmet coffee, no matter how good the machine, grinder, coffee blend, and your home barista skills are. Cleaning an espresso machine does not mean wiping down the exterior of the unit, but rather removing the impurities within the machine on a regular basis. While this task might be the most unspectacular one associated to making espresso, the reward from regular cleaning is more consistent and great tasting drink.

Did you know that coffee oils go rancid after 45 minutes? This is why regular cleaning is important, not just the machine, but the grinder as well.

Daily cleaning only consists of rinsing the dispersion screen to free any coffee grinds that got stuck and back flushing the machine. Then, wash, scrub, rinse, and wipe the portafilter and coffee basket.

Weekly cleaning consists of back flushing the machine with a cleaning agent, such as any coffee detergent (Urnex Cleancaf, Purocaf, and Cafiza, among others), and soaking the portafilter and coffee basket in a solution of coffee detergent and warm water for 30 minutes before scrubbing.

Cleaning the machine is not particularly difficult and it goes a long way. Not only does it lead to more consistent and great tasting shots of espresso, but it helps the machine in top working condition.