Popular Espresso Recipes

Espresso Drinks

Ways To Serve Espresso

The Espresso Shot

For best results, use this recipe with a good quality home machine or a commercial grade espresso machine.

  1. Preheat your machine, your portafilter, and your cup. Be sure that you have fresh cold water in the reservoir.
  2. After grinding your coffee, scoop 14 grams of coffee into the double shot portafilter, or 7 grams of coffee into a single shot portafilter.
  3. Now tamp the coffee with the tamping tool in a smooth even motion, applying 30 pounds of pressure. A slight twisting motion will help you get a smoother tamp. Brush off any loose grounds on the rim of the portafilter.
  4. Now, lock the portafilter into the machine and get your pre-warmed cup ready beneath the nozzles.
  5. Start the pump and begin your extraction as soon as the portafilter is locked in to avoid allowing the heat from the brew group to cook the coffee grounds. Stop the machine when you reach 2 to 3 ounces of beverage if you are brewing a double shot. Stop at 1 to 2 ounces if you are brewing a single shot.
  6. Your extraction time should be between 25 to 30 seconds. The brew will be quite dark as it first begins to pour into your cup, but it should change to creamy, golden foam towards the end when done properly. Serve immediately to experience the best flavor.

Espresso Doppio

Pour a double shot of espresso over one shot of fresh hot water.

Flat White

Pour two ristretto shots into a cappuccino cup, then fill with steamed whole milk.

Espresso Con Panna

An espresso with whipped cream added on top.

Espresso Lungo

Brew a single shot of espresso, but extract 2 full ounces.

Espresso Macchiato

An espresso with a dollop of warm frothed milk added.

Espresso Ristretto

Brew a single shot of espresso, but extract only 1 full ounce.

Espresso Romano

An espresso with a squeeze of lemon added.

Popular Coffee Shop Espresso Drinks

Continue reading through our espresso drinks guide, but before giving you step-by-step instructions on how to make these popular espresso drinks, let's begin with the art of steaming milk. For more information on this, check out our guide on making milk based drinks.

Simple Instructions on Frothing & Steaming Milk

    1. Begin with cold milk, preferably 1% or 2% low fat. Fill the chilled stainless steel pitcher to just under half full.
    2. Insert the steaming wand to about one half inch from the surface in the center of the pitcher. Turn the steaming wand on all of the way. It is best to do this as quickly as possible.
    3. Keeping the steaming wand at the same depth of one half inch, tilt the pitcher just enough to create a whirlpool effect with the milk. Lower the pitcher slowly as the froth forms.
    4. When you have enough froth for your beverage, raise the pitcher so that the steaming wand reaches the milk in the bottom. You will want to steam the milk until it reaches 140 degrees. Since some machines require you to turn the steam off before removing the milk and others require the milk to be removed prior to turning it off, be sure to check your manual before you begin.

Breve is a term added to the name of any espresso-based beverage that substitutes half and half for milk. For example, a Cappuccino Breve would be made exactly the same way as a regular cappuccino, except half and half would be steamed and frothed in the place of the1% or 2% milk.

Latte

  1. Start with a double shot of espresso in a larger cup.
  2. Pour the frothed and steamed milk down the side of the cup to cause the milk and espresso to swirl together. The resulting beverage should be almost marbleized in appearance. The amount of milk can be varied according to taste.
  3. You can also add ½ to 1 full ounce of flavored syrup for every 4 ounces of latte if so desired.

Cappuccino

  1. Begin with a single shot of espresso.
  2. Add an equal amount of steamed milk and froth. You should have 1 to 2 ounces of espresso, 1 to 2 ounces of steamed milk, and 1 to 2 ounces of froth in your final beverage.
    The key to the Cappuccino is that all of the parts are balanced. If you use a double shot of espresso, the amount of milk and froth should also be increased.

Café Mocha

  1. Begin with a single shot of espresso.
  2. Add 1 ounce of chocolate syrup.
  3. Add frothed milk until the cup is almost full.
  4. Top with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkled cocoa. As an alternative to the standard recipe, you can add the chocolate syrup to the milk prior to steaming to produce a chocolate froth.

Café Americano

  • Gently pour a single shot or double shot of espresso over 6 ounces of fresh hot water to produce an excellent gourmet coffee. The crema should rise to the top of the finished beverage.

Turkish Coffee

  1. Begin with the finest grind of coffee, almost powdery.
  2. Place your ibrik, or copper pot, over a medium flame.
  3. Pour in your water.
  4. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar per 3 ounces of water used.
  5. Add the coffee, 1 heaping teaspoon per 3 ounces of water.
  6. Just as the water begins to bubble, but before it begins to boil, remove it from the flame.
  7. Replace the pot on the flame, and then remove as it begins to bubble.
  8. Replace the pot and remove it one more time. This allows the foam to mature in the neck of the ibrik.
  9. Pour the coffee. Wait for five minutes to allow the sediment to settle before drinking. It is a strong, sweet drink.

Milk Shake

  1. Mix 1 ounce of flavored syrup with 2 to 3 ounces of milk and four scoops of vanilla ice cream in a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth.

Make Your Own Espresso Creations

Learning how to make espresso drinks at home is easy. You can now see that an espresso-based drink has 4 key elements:

  • Syrup Flavoring
  • Espresso
  • Milk, Cream, Water, or Soy
  • Garnish

With a little practice, you will get great results every time, especially if you follow our espresso drink guide! Buy the best espresso machines at our store!

More Recipes

Espresso

A small 1.0 to 1.5 oz. shot of pressure brewed Italian coffee. A cup of espresso requires between 6.5 to 7.5 grams of ground espresso coffee. Espresso is used as the coffee base in many of our favorite coffee drinks. Properly brewed, an espresso will feature a layer of rich crema on the surface. Espresso, while apparently a simple drink, is in reality a complex product. It is derived from 1500 chemical substances (800 volatile and 700 soluble), and when prepared correctly involves 13 independent chemical and physical variables.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino is made by combining equal parts of steamed milk, milk froth and espresso.

Americano

Espresso coffee poured into hot water.

Latte

Espresso mixed with plenty of steamed milk. Often flavored with syrup.

Mocha Latte

Espresso mixed with hot steamed chocolate milk.

Macchiato

An espresso (single shot or double) stained (or marked) with a large dollop of frothed milk.

"Corrected Espresso"

Shot of Cognac added to a shot of espresso.

Affogato Mocha

Ice Cream covered in espresso. In a small cup or bowl, 1 scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream, sprinkle with chocolate chips, pour over in shot of hot espresso and 1 shot of rum or brandy, serve immediately.

Crema Coffee

Pressure brewed like an espresso, but using a much larger amount of water, proportions vary, try 8 grams of coffee for a six ounce serving. A rich crema like that found on an espresso should be present. Super automatic coffee and espresso centers do a great job producing espresso or crema coffee.

Hot Chocolate

Warm milk mixed with sweetened Cocoa powder or Chocolate syrup. A little whipped cream doesn't hurt either. Using the frothing arm on your espresso machine to heat up milk for hot chocolate is a great idea.

Espresso Sundae

One scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream with a shot of espresso poured over it.

© 2002–2024 1st in Coffee, Inc. All rights reserved.