I think I am following the steps correctly, but I am definitely new to this. In Italy I fell in love with getting straight espresso in the morning, but I can't replicate the richness I experienced there. The shots I got were rich like chocolate with almost no bitterness. All I'm getting is thin bitter espresso!

I am using a Ariete Cafe Prestige Espresso Maker (http://www.amazon.com/Lello-1375-Ariete ... B000E3ZF76)

I tried freshly ground espresso roast from Zabars which was the closest I've come, but even that was pretty bitter and within a few days got even more bitter. Then I ordered some vacuum sealed Lavazza Crema e Gusto ground espresso from Amazon as all the reviews described it as rich and creamy without bitterness, but I've had no luck with this! All I get is watery espresso with no flavor, or medium strength bitter espresso. It seems that within a few seconds the stream coming out turns from a nice brown crema color to tan water. I've tried many different ways: running a cycle through only water first, then pulling a shot. I've tamped every time, sometimes firm, sometimes a little looser, with different amounts of coffee (but always a good amount for at least a double-shot).

I know people say you should grind your own coffee, but I can't imagine pre-ground would be such a difference! Is that my problem? Everybody in Italy drinks vacuum sealed Lavazza and I don't remember having bad espresso there!

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!!


THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

Where to begin? Well, first of all you need to get a good burr grinder and some really fresh coffee. Yes, fresh ground does make a huge difference. Preground will be guaranteed stale, and you can't fine tune your grind to get the best possible extraction. This is why you're getting bitter, thin coffee right now.

Plus, buying Lavazza is never going to lead to good results, even if it isn't preground, since it's been sitting for months since it was roasted. There really is no way around it - there's no substitute for freshly roasted beans that are ground moments before use. There are lots of good roasters who sponsor this site. Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, Coffee Klatch, Stumptown, are among the ones most recommended. Do a search around this site and you'll find links for these roasters. They can ship you truly fresh, high quality beans that will make a huge difference in your espresso.

It's also very important to get a high quality burr grinder, which unfortunately costs a fair bit of money. Generally, you can't get a decent burr espresso grinder for less than $200, though if you don't mind grinding by hand, you can a nice hand grinder for under $100. Don't bother with those cheap blade grinders you find at the department stores - they won't grind fine enough or consistently enough for espresso. And don't waste your time with the cheap faux-burr grinders from Braun or Krups either. Again, they won't grind consistently enough for espresso. You really need at minimum a Gaggia MDF, Lelit burr grinder, Cunill Tranquilo, or something similar.

Sorry if this is all too much information or too much money, but making good espresso is pretty much impossible without a good grinder and good, fresh beans. You may want to review the FAQ's on this site, and particularly the articles on espresso basics and grinder reviews to get some idea of what you need to do to make your espresso as good or even better than what you had in Italia.

Good luck on your journey.

You're on the wrong forum for a pleasant answer.

The answer from us is you need fresh coffee, not something months old from Italy. You need to grind it fresh on a true espresso grinder. Then you need to learn how to make espresso shots. There are no quick fixes to what you're doing wrong. Here's the 101.

LOL! Yes, this maybe the wrong site for your question.
Why?

Imagine this site is for Ferrari lovers AND they work on their own cars.
You're asking how to drive a stick shift. In a Gremlin.

I know I'm just echoing what Jim and others have said, but fresh coffee is essential. It's not all that hard to come by. And, of course, invest in a good burr grinder- you won't regret it.

rflusser wrote:I know people say you should grind your own coffee, but I can't imagine pre-ground would be such a difference!

Yes, it would. As Jim suggested, the Home Barista's Guide to Espresso was written to establish the foundational knowledge necessary to establish a common vernacular for productive forum discussions. You may also find Randy's EASY GUIDE TO BETTER ESPRESSO AT HOME helpful. It covers many of the same topics in a pragmatic fashion.

Everybody in Italy drinks vacuum sealed Lavazza and I don't remember having bad espresso there!

Keep in mind that your expectations change over time (see Hall of Shame: ''What I did when I was a newbie...'' for examples). Yesteryear's "very good" is today's "barely drinkable".

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!!

Even the best equipment can do little to improve tired, stale coffee. If the coffee is not freshly ground and roasted within the last 7-10 days, the resultant espresso will invariably be as you describe: Thin, bitter, with a flat, dull flavor. The solution:

1. Freshly roasted coffee. Not "freshly scooped" or "freshly opened"... known roast date within 7-10 days,
2. Consistent grinder designed for espresso (search will find you many discussions of solid value-oriented choices, as does the Unabridged FAQs if you search on 'grinders'),
3. Espresso machine capable of delivering predictable brew temperature,
4. Motivated barista willing to experiment, study, and listen to the advice of others.

With capable equipment, good fresh coffee, and a bit of patience, espresso is not that difficult to master. Unfortunately, the bulk of the entry level gear offered to newbies is the most difficult equipment to master, if it's even possible. Moreover, newbies frequently make a mistake of buying "Best By" coffee with recognizable brand names (I did). While it's not impossible to pull a drinkable shot with such coffees, it's orders of magnitude more difficult than using truly fresh roasted coffee because the margin of error for past-prime coffee is razor thin.

rflusser wrote:I am using a Ariete Cafe Prestige Espresso Maker (http://www.amazon.com/Lello-1375-Ariete ... B000E3ZF76)

It's a thermoblock machine with a "crema enhancer." That's problematic right there.

rflusser wrote:I know people say you should grind your own coffee, but I can't imagine pre-ground would be such a difference! Is that my problem? Everybody in Italy drinks vacuum sealed Lavazza and I don't remember having bad espresso there!

Why do you think people say you should grind your own coffee? Because it DOES make that much of a difference!

Keep in mind two things. First of all, I don't know of a single café that -- even if serving LaVazza or Illy -- uses pre-ground coffee, either here in the US or in Italy -- or anywhere, for that matter. Secondly, how long do you think the coffee sits in a warehouse? how old is that coffee -- in other words, how long ago was it roasted by LaVazza, ground by LaVazza, packaged and shipped by LaVazza, and stored in the US by the master distributor before it gets to your market, sits on the shelf there before you buy it?

Keep in mind the "Rule of Fifteen":

• Green coffee beans need to be roasted within 15 months of harvest, or it goes stale;
• Roasted coffee beans need to be ground within 15 days of roasting, or it goes stale;
• Ground coffee needs to be used within 15 minutes, or it goes stale.

#1: Get a grinder!

#2: Get rid of that "crema enhancer" disc.

Cheers,
Jason

I had one of those machines away back. I actually did not use it for espresso, but for making a "crema coffee" with coffee pods. It didn't do too bad a job at that. It has a pressurized basket if I recall, but I don't know what size. You could look for a replacement. First, try getting some truly fresh coffee, ROASTED no more than 14 days ago. Get a grinder that is up to the task.