What is the gold extraction method for espresso coffee? Why does a 1:2 powder-to-liquid ratio need to be used to extract espresso?

Question: what parameters should be used to extract a good espresso? When you throw this question, many veteran players will probably tell you to use a powder bowl with the same amount of powder, and then extract twice the liquid weight of the powder in a certain period of time. For example, with 20g powder, 40ml coffee liquid is extracted in 25 to 30 seconds, which is called "the golden ratio of espresso".

Then many beginners will follow the 1:2 powder-to-liquid ratio concept of this formula to debug espresso. When the extraction time exceeds the time range of this formula, or the taste is not so ideal (over-extraction or insufficient extraction), they will adjust the grinding coarsening or fine-tuning! But gradually people find that such a practice not only consumes a lot of materials, but also makes it difficult for espresso to taste good. So the formula is questioned: does the powder-to-liquid ratio of 1:2 have to be used in the extraction of espresso?

Must the 1:2 powder-to-liquid ratio be used for the extraction of espresso? Well, of course not! Espresso does not need to be limited to the 1:2 powder-to-liquid ratio, this formula is just a general standard category. By referring to this formula, we can better extract a cup of good espresso with high concentration and appropriate extraction rate, that's all, there is no need for a fixed ratio of powder to liquid. If the powder-liquid ratio is fixed, adjust the grinding according to the extraction time. Then it will not only consume a lot of coffee beans for grinding, but also easily lead to the concentrated taste which can be won the throne of delicacy in one step. So, Qianjie is here to share with you a little trick of making delicious and concentrated food! That is: lift the restrictions on the amount of powder and liquid weight, the amount of powder and liquid weight are also listed as an adjustable object!

The golden formula is still used as the standard, because espresso requires a high concentration and a relatively complete extract to make other espresso. Only on this basis, we can fine-tune by adjusting the amount of powder and liquid weight. Although the powder bowl will have the recommended amount of powder, but because there is room for the head (that is, the gap between pressed powder and the water diversion network), the amount of powder we use can be slightly increased or decreased in the recommended amount of powder. it depends on the roasting degree and grinding thickness of the coffee beans. In general, deep-roasted coffee powder can float about 0.5g (or even more in the recommended amount of powder bowl), while light-roasted coffee beans will have more.

How do you adjust it? For example: we currently use 20g powder to extract 40ml liquid weight for 24 seconds, which is a little short of the time in the formula. Although adjustment and grinding will be a good choice, but at this time we can taste the taste first! If you think the taste is good, but a little thin, then you don't need to adjust the grinding, you can increase the concentration by increasing the amount of powder. The concentration of coffee can be increased from 20g powder to 202g powder. If the extraction time is too long, for example, 20g powder extraction 40ml liquid can take 32 seconds, or the old rule, taste first! If the performance of the taste is lacking, but the concentration is high, then we can increase the extraction rate by reducing 0.2g powder. The same is true of liquid weight. When we think that the taste is a little underextracted or overextracted, we can fine-tune it by increasing or decreasing the liquid weight.

After increasing / decreasing the amount of powder and liquid weight, the extraction time will increase or decrease synchronously. What we need to know is that even if the extraction time is far beyond the scope of the gold formula, it doesn't matter! Because the extraction time is only a reference for us to test whether the degree of grinding is appropriate, and it is not absolutely to be controlled in any range. But there is still something to pay attention to! When the taste of espresso is right, but the concentration is not enough, increasing the liquid weight does not increase the concentration. Because the substance in coffee is limited, and not all of it is good, if you increase the liquid weight, it will only dissolve the bad substance into the coffee and make the coffee thinner. Therefore, the technical industry specializes in it, so it is better to understand the principle of each adjustment than to pursue the parameters one by one. Only in this way can we help us to make a good drink and concentrate more easily.

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