I often get people asking me what I look for in a coffee shop. The first place I usually start is their espresso-based drinks.
When I watch someone pull a shot in a place that I’ve never been before, I want to see that the coffee is being ground to order, that the grind particle size and dosage is being managed properly and that the barista is pulling the shot using a manual method. Here’s how you learn to quickly identify these elements.
Ground To Order
This is the easiest to observe, as you’ll see the barista engage the espresso grinder, level the coffee in the portafilter, tamp it and then begin pulling the shot immediately. Do you love the smell of freshly ground coffee? So do I, but everything you’re smelling is escaping and subsequently not making it into your cup, so you want that shot being pulled immediately.
Grind Particle Size/Dosage
Evaluating this can be trickier, though ultimately you should be able to judge it with your palate. As a rule of thumb, once the shot is engaged on the espresso machine, it should begin dropping within 3-8 seconds (depending on if the portafilter is ‘naked’ or if it has legs) and be done between 25-30 seconds. These days shops may use a pre-infusion, usually around 5 seconds, so that can also add to the shot time. Regardless, it should come through initially as a slow build, dripping out and then eventually coming together as a viscous, deep brown syrup. It finishes off slightly thinner.
Automatic vs. Manual
The shot should yield twice the mass of liquid as compared to coffee, for a double-shot, typically around 1.5fl oz. The highest quality shop will measure every step by weight (20g of ground coffee into the portafilter and 40g of water through) and will use a timer as a target to ensure that the 40g of water pull through between the 25-30 second target. They cut the shot based on the mass of water pulled through, and ensure that it did so within this time target. Mediocre shops will automate the process by having the shot pull through a fixed period of time, e.g. 27 seconds, cutting it either long or short. The poorest quality shop will use either method but won’t make any adjustments based on output.
Having observed how a shot is pulled, I then look at what kind of coffees they are carrying, e.g. single-origins vs ‘house’-blends, and how prominently they advertise the coffee that they’re using. The best shops display their coffee prominently and provide the consumer with choices and information to help them decide on which coffee they want.
If you can spot a well-pulled espresso shot and delineate coffee quality, you’re well on your way to spotting a delicious cup of coffee.