For establishments serving premium Viennese blends, espresso is more than just a menu item. It’s an act of high hospitality. When a guest orders an espresso, they expect perfection. Every mistake—overheated water, a dirty holder, or an old grind—destroys the entire concept of premium quality and the 160-year history we strive to convey.
This guide will help your team transform coffee preparation into a calibrated process that always results in a perfect cup.
Part 1. Philosophy and Preparation
- The Golden Rule of Cleanliness
Coffee is an organic product rich in oils. These oils tend to oxidize and turn rancid. If you brew a new coffee in dirty equipment, your guest will experience the taste of an “old cupboard” rather than the refined notes of Espresso Spezial, Poesia, or 1862 Vienna.
Host (porta): Must be pristinely clean. After each use, don’t just beat it out, but wipe it with a dry, clean cloth. Moisture and old grounds are the enemies of a fresh taste.
Group: Before each extraction, drain the water (2-3 seconds). This removes coffee particles from the shower screen, releases steam, and stabilizes the temperature.
- Water Preparation
Espresso is 98% water. In Uzbekistan, careful filtration is crucial. Hard water “locks in” the flavor, making it flat and dull. Use only professionally treated water to bring out the sweetness of the beans. The standard water hardness for coffee is 100-120 TDS.
Part 2. Technical Process: Step by Step
Step 1: Grinding and Dosing
Coffee begins to lose aroma 15 minutes after grinding. That’s why we grind beans only to order in our premium segment.
Dosing: Use a scale or a precisely adjusted grinder programmator. A double espresso (standard quality) typically requires about 18–20 grams of ground coffee (depending on the basket).
Distribution: Pour the ground coffee into the holder in a mound. Using light hand movements or a special tool, smooth the ground coffee so that the surface is perfectly horizontal. Any voids inside the “coffee puck” will cause channeling—the water will pass through them too quickly, resulting in weak and acidic coffee.
Step 2: Tamping (Shaping the Puck)
This is where the barista demonstrates her skill.
Position: Stand sideways to the holder, with your arm at a right angle.
Pressure: Apply firm and even pressure. Horizontal precision is more important than force. If the puck is at an angle, the water will flow to one side.
Result: After tamping, gently rotate the tamper around its axis (“polishing”). The surface should be glossy and dense. Step 3: Extraction (Birth of the Drink)
Instant Start: As soon as you’ve secured the holder in the group, immediately start the brew. Every second of delay “roasts” the ground coffee in the hot group, imparting an unpleasant burnt bitterness.
Visual Inspection: The first drops should appear after 4-6 seconds. They should be thick and dark, like melted chocolate. Then the stream becomes thinner and lighter, resembling a “mouse tail.”
Time and Volume: The classic standard is about 25-30 seconds to extract 30-40 ml of drink. If it flows faster, the grind is too coarse. If it flows slower, the grind is too fine.
Part 3. How to Evaluate the Result (Organoleptics)
Before the waiter brings the cup to the guest, they should evaluate it with their eyes.
Crema (Foam): This is our pride. Espresso Spezial or 1862 Vienna blends should have a dense, finely dispersed foam (without large bubbles), the color of a hazelnut with a tiger-like pattern (dark veins).
Body: Espresso should be syrupy and viscous. If it looks like black water, it’s faulty.
Aroma: You should smell freshness, chocolate, flowers, or spices (depending on the blend chosen), not ash or burnt aromas.
Part 4. Serving and Presentation
Premium espresso requires the appropriate accompaniment:
Crockery: Only thick-walled porcelain, preheated in a coffee machine. A cold cup instantly kills the 10-degree temperature and destroys the structure of the crema.
Water: Serving with a glass of clean, still water at room temperature is essential. This allows the guest to cleanse their palate before the first sip.
Speed: “Espresso” literally means “quick.” It should be served within 1-2 minutes of preparation.
Part 5. Storytelling for the Guest
The waiter doesn’t simply place the cup; they complete the ritual.
“Your espresso is based on the 1862 Vienna blend. We’ve prepared it with a thick crema to preserve all the essential oils. Please first slowly stir the crema into the espresso, then take a sip of water to fully appreciate the deep chocolate notes of this coffee.”
BARISTA’S CHECKPOINT: RULES FOR THE PERFECT ESPRESSO
(Can be printed and displayed in the preparation area)
- PREPARATION (Before each order)
Clean cup holder: Discard the grounds and wipe the portafilter with a dry cloth.
Group pour: Drain the water from the group for 2 seconds before inserting the portafilter.
Cup: Make sure the cup is dry and hot.
2. DOSAGE AND GRINDING
Grind the beans only before brewing.
Dosage: 18–20 g (for a double holder).
Distribution: The coffee grounds in the basket should lie flat, with no air pockets.
- TEMPERING
Press evenly and perpendicularly.
The surface of the “tablet” should be perfectly horizontal.
Brush off any coffee residue from the “ears” of the holder to avoid damaging the group seal.
- EXTRACTION
Insert the portafilter and immediately press the button!
Brew time: 25–30 seconds.
Beverage yield: 30–40 ml.
Stream: Thin, elastic, the color of dark honey.
- QUALITY CONTROL
Crema: Dense, without holes, nutty.
Aroma: Bright, clean, without a burnt smell. Serving: With a glass of water, serve within 1 minute.
DO YOU SEE A FAULT? DON’T SERVING! If the foam is white, too dark, or disappears quickly, re-make the drink. We don’t sell coffee; we sell tradition and impeccable taste.
Contact us for a consultation on training your staff.