You’re craving a latte, and it just so happens you have the best espresso coffee beans from Yemen (specifically, Yemen Wadi Shaia'an Natural in espresso roast). You can almost smell its rich aroma and taste its dried fruit, stone fruit, berry, and chocolate notes.
There’s just one problem: you don’t have an espresso machine at the moment. Perhaps you’re travelling or your trusty machine is not in working order, or you are just about to acquire one.
No worries. There are ways you can make great coffee out of your espresso roast beans without an espresso machine. So go ahead and stock up on the best espresso beans in Dubai. We’ll teach you how to make espresso without a machine.
You can make espresso (or as close as you can get to espresso coffee) and espresso-based drinks four ways using only equipment you may already have at home.
Here’s how to make espresso at home without a machine.
1. How to Make Espresso on the Stove Using a Moka Pot
The Moka pot, e.g., the stovetop espresso maker, uses intense pressure to extract chemical flavour compounds from coffee. Heating the water in the base generates steam, which increases the pressure in the chamber and forces the hot water up and through the filter, infusing the coffee and, ultimately, rising into the coffee collection chamber on top.
Of course, the Moka pot generates only around one to two bars of pressure, while an espresso machine can exert around eight to 10 bars. Thus, while a Moka pot can produce exceptionally dark and intense coffee, an espresso machine can extract maximum coffee flavours using only an ounce of water.
Moka Pot Instructions
To make espresso on the stovetop using a Moka pot, do the following.
Prepare the Ingredients
Fill the bottom chamber with water up to just below the safety release valve. Next, loosely fill the coffee basket with ground espresso beans.
Level the coffee with your hand or a knife, but don’t shake the basket or tamp the coffee down.
Assemble the Pot
Pop the coffee basket into the base. Screw the top chamber tightly onto the bottom chamber.
Put on the Stove
Put the pot on the stove and apply medium-low to medium heat. Listen as the boiling sounds intensify and the expressed coffee flows up the chamber and into the collection pot.
Take Off the Heat
When you hear a gurgling sound, take the Moka pot off the stove and put the bottom chamber under the tap to cool it down and immediately stop the brewing process.
Tips
Remember the following tips for the best results.
Hot Water
Use hot water to minimise the coffee’s exposure to dry heat. Expressing hot coffee grounds can lead to unwarranted bitterness.
Grind Size
Grind your coffee to table-salt consistency (medium fine).
Moka Pot Cleanliness
Make sure your Moka pot is clean and devoid of coffee build-up, as this can make the coffee bitter and rancid.
Heat
If your Moka pot gurgles too early (before full extraction), try lowering the heat.
Flame
If using a gas stove, make sure the flame size is no bigger than the circumference of the pot bottom.
2. How to Make Espresso with an AeroPress
An AeroPress is a manual coffee maker that uses compressed air to force water through coffee grounds.
AeroPress Instructions
Do the following to make AeroPress espresso.
Prepare Your AeroPress
Remove the shallow paper holder from the bottom of the brewing chamber, put a filter on it, replace it at the end of the chamber, and then put the chamber on top of your carafe, jug, or mug.
Brew
Grind your coffee to the size of table salt (medium fine), then put it inside the brewing chamber.
Add hot water and stir the mixture gently for approximately ten seconds. Next, insert the plunger into the brewing chamber and slowly press it down for 20 seconds, making sure to apply consistent pressure throughout that time.
Tips
Remember these tips for the best results.
Coffee-to-Water Ratio
Increase your coffee-to-water ratio for a lighter roast and use a lower coffee-to-water ratio for a darker roast. In short, use more water when extracting darker roasts. A good ratio is 11 grams of coffee to 200 millilitres of water for lighter roasts.
Grind Size
Typically, a medium-fine grind size is suitable for an AeroPress. However, the lighter the roast, the finer you can go, even as fine as the grind size you use with an espresso machine.
Water Temperature
Use water that is between 85°C and 96°C. The lighter your roast, the hotter you can go; the darker the roast, the lower the temperature.
3. How to Make Espresso With a French Press
The French Press, like the AeroPress, is an immersion-type coffee maker.
French Press Instructions
To make French press espresso, do the following.
Prepare Your Ingredients
Put the right amount of coffee inside the press. Heat your water until just below boiling (around 96°C).
Brew
Slowly pour the hot water into the pot until the coffee is submerged. Stir, then leave the immersion for about four minutes.
Clean and Leave to Settle
After four minutes, stir just the foamy top with a tablespoon to induce heavier particles to fall to the bottom. Scoop out and throw away any particles left on top.
Next, leave the immersion for an additional five minutes until all the particles have settled at the bottom.
Filter and Pour
Attach the cover to the pot and then press the plunger down until it’s sitting just above the layer of coffee particles at the bottom. This will separate the coffee grounds from the liquid as you gently pour your coffee into your cup.
Tips
Remember these tips for making the best French press espresso.
Coffee-to-Water Ratio
A good starting ratio is one part coffee to seventeen parts water (1:17). If you want a more robust cup, reduce the amount of water.
Grind Size
French press ground espresso beans should be coarse and look like sea salt.
4. How to Make Espresso in a Pan
You can use your saucepan to make coffee out of your espresso beans in a pinch.
Pan Espresso Instructions
This is how you can make espresso in a pan.
Heat Water
In a saucepan, heat water and apply high heat to get it to nearly boiling (around 96°C). Turn down the heat to low.
Add Ground Espresso Coffee
Add ground coffee to the water, then stir.
Brew
Turn off the heat and leave the coffee immersed in the hot water for 10 minutes to give it time to brew and the sediments time to settle at the bottom of the pan. You may also leave the pan simmering over low heat for two minutes before turning off the heat and letting the pan sit for three to eight minutes.
Scoop or Pour
Use a ladle to scoop out the liquid gently from the pan, or tilt the pan to fill your cup. Just be careful not to agitate the coffee particles at the pan’s bottom, so you don’t end up with muddy coffee.
Tips
Uniform grind size is critical when making coffee in a pan; you don’t want extra fine sediments muddying up your coffee.
Experiment with grind size. Start with coarse to extra-coarse (especially if you’ll be leaving the coffee to simmer in boiling water).
Final Espresso-Making Tips
You can make authentic espresso by using an espresso machine. However, if you don’t have that, you may still enjoy your espresso stash by using a Moka pot, an AeroPress, a French press, or a pan.
Just remember to always start with high-quality roasted-for-espresso beans from a trustworthy distributor. Use freshly ground coffee and fresh, filtered water, ensure consistent grind size and adjust your coffee-to-water ratio according to grind size and the darkness of the roast.
If you’re wondering where to buy espresso beans, look no further than THREE Coffee.
We have the best coffee beans for espresso, including Ethiopian Supernatural Coffee, Rwanda Rugali Hypernatural and Yemen Wadi Shaia'an Natural.
Check out our Espresso Collection or find your coffee according to your preferred flavour profile.
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