How to Taste Espresso (and Make it Taste Better)

You know espresso-it's that potent swallow of coffee, brewed hot and fast under pressure. It's luxuriously creamy, with a kiss of foamy crema and a lingering aftertaste. But what are you actually tasting? How do you distinguish the good from the bad?

In our latest post on the Blog, we consulted Cafe Imports' Meister to explore this topic and walk through exactly how to taste espresso, and how to use those tasting skills to improve the espresso you're making at home. In this illustrated post, you'll journey through tasting categories, learn to differentiate between good & bad characteristics, and gain some useful tips & tricks to practice tasting your espresso and ultimately improving the espresso you're brewing.

Check out our latest post and take your palate to the next level.

https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/how-to-taste-espresso/

We hope you enjoy!

-The La Marzocco Home Team

Thanks for posting the article!

I found this quote particularly helpful...

Too much bitterness and a long, lingering aftertaste usually indicate that the coffee is over-extracted, while too much aggressive sour acidity (i.e. actual face-puckering action) is a sign of under-extraction. In a balanced pull, your shot should have a bit of all three: bitterness, acidity, and sweetness, in complementary proportions.

La Marzocco Home wrote:How to Taste Espresso (and Make it Taste Better)
https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/how-to-taste-espresso/

-The La Marzocco Home Team

Glad you found it useful Charlene!

Nice article, makes sense to me.
Perhaps another thing to consider is that in many an espresso machine, both pump and lever, the first shot isn't always the best, due to the machine being not be ENTIRELY up to temperature. I usually watch the first shot, and toss it, unless I've allowed the machine a longer than necessary time to warm up completely. In that case, I pull a blank shot, then go for the gold!
Patience!