Espresso is a complex process of brewing coffee. When it is done right, it captures the aromatic and flavor complexities that no other brewing process can achieve.

Brewing espresso at home is fun and gratifying, but it can be challenging. Small espresso machines made for the home very seldom meet the needs for correct espresso extraction. However, with extensive testing of these machines, we have discovered a few things to remember when making great home espresso.

1. Let's just start with the easy part: great coffee. We can help you out with that. DancingGoats.com offers several excellent espresso blends to try, all with different taste profiles. Dancing Goats® Blend, Omar's Organic Blend, Bohemian Blend, and Vesuvio Blend are our top picks for the espresso machine. Click on one to read about its distinctive profile.
2. Controlled brewing temperature: Espresso tends to be very temperature sensitive, one degree of temperature change and you'll be able to taste the difference. Look for a machine with stable brewing temperature at about 200F for most of our blends.
3. Pressure: Espresso is a brewing process. What makes espresso different than other brewing methods is pressurized water. A traditional espresso machine brews with 9 bars or about 135lbs per square inch to extract a crema-laden coffee essence.
4. Dose: The dose is the amount of coffee in the machine's portafilter basket. Try to be as consistent as possible with your dose. We prefer a dose between 18-20 grams of coffee per double shot. (This may not be possible on some espresso machine's portafilter basket.)
5. Grind: Great espresso needs a great grinder. If you are going to spend some money on a home espresso set-up, do not forget the grinder. A grinder that is designed exclusively for espresso will give you more control and greater range for small adjustments needed to pull an amazing shot.

If you follow the instructions above, your espresso should literally ooze out of the spouts of the portafilter. It should look thick and syrupy showing a bit of resistance coming out, almost stopping but continuously flowing. Extraction should take somewhere between 20-30 seconds resulting in 1.5-2.0 ounces total volume. Drink immediately and savor the amazing qualities of this tantalizing elixir!