If you're new to making espresso at home, you might be wondering which coffee to use. Many people assume you need a specific type of coffee to make espresso, but the reality is, any coffee can be used for espresso. It's much simpler than some might assume. 

Blends are typically the most balanced, the most consistent, and they're the easiest to dial in, but single origin coffees can produce much more intensely fruity or bright flavors if you're looking for something a little more adventurous.
 
Grinder
You’ve invested in your espresso machine, but have you gotten a quality grinder? This is arguably one of the most important tools in making great espresso at home (aside from an espresso machine). If you need time to invest, you can easily choose your grind (fine/espresso) when purchasing our coffees in store and online. If you’re looking to purchase a grinder, go for a conical burr grinder. Unlike a blade grinder, it grinds the coffee between two burrs, creating a uniform consistency. A blade grinder chops up the beans, which sometimes causes drastic inconsistencies.
When using a burr grinder, be aware that any adjustments need a few seconds to take place. Run the coffee through for about five seconds before using the adjusted grounds, and save your transitional grounds for another brew method, or for your garden!
 
Storing Coffee
If you purchase pre-ground coffee, store it in the original bag at room temperature, not in the freezer or fridge! There’s a degassing valve built into the bag, so as the coffee releases gasses over time (coffee evolves and toots just like us!), the valve accommodates this process to ensure it stays fresh. Airtight containers prevent coffee from releasing gasses, contributing to coffee going bad: coffee beans contain  oils, so when your coffee can’t “breathe”, those oils build up and can cause the coffee to become rancid. If you’ve ever seen bulk coffee beans in the grocery store that look like they’re oiled up and ready to hit the beach…. Just walk away.
 
Blends
If you’re new to making espresso at home, you may to want to start out with a blend. This is because blends provide more consistency as you’re learning, so you won’t have to make quite as many adjustments from day to day.
Start out with 18-22 grams of coffee in your portafilter, tamp your coffee firmly, and pull shots at about 9 bars of pressure for 25-35 seconds shots, aiming for 2 ounces of espresso. Of course these parameters can vary, especially on home machines where you may not be able to adjust everything manually, but this is a safe starting point.
 
Single Origins
Single Origins can sometimes be finicky when brewing on espresso, but once you’ve got them dialed in, they’re definitely worth it. They can produce more unique flavors, such as citrusy, sharp notes, fruity flavors, or recognizable warmer notes depending on the coffee. Use the same parameters for single origins, and adjust as needed to find the flavor that feels just right to you.
Start out with 18-22 grams of coffee in your portafilter, tamp your coffee firmly, and pull shots at about 9 bars of pressure for 28-32 seconds shots, aiming for 2 ounces of espresso. Of course these parameters can vary, especially on home machines where you may not be able to adjust everything manually, but this is a safe starting point.
 
Troubleshooting:
Is your espresso consistently pulling at higher than 9-10 bars of pressure?
If you’re grinding your own coffee, make the grind a little more coarse. If your coffee is pre-ground, weigh out a little less coffee in your portafilter. Pulling at too high a pressure can damage your espresso machine.
If your pressure gauge is flying high with no gradual increase, act preventatively and stop pulling your shot, clean out your portafilter, and start again with a coarse grind or less coffee.
 
Is your espresso pulling at low pressure, and coming out watery?
This means your coffee is too coarse. Like above, you can either adjust your grinder to make a finer grind, or add more coffee to your portafilter if it’s pre-ground.