ESPRESSO TEMPERATURE: THE IDEAL ESPRESSO BREWING TEMPERATURE
I’ll explain how espresso temperature affects your espresso flavor.
Making great espresso is not as simple as pressing a button and waiting for the magic to happen. You need to dial in every brewing variable to achieve true espresso perfection, including the espresso brew temperature.
This guide explains how to adjust the temperature for the most delicious shots.
What Is The Best Temperature For Espresso?
Let’s get straight to the point. The optimal temperature for espresso extraction is between 195 and 205°F (90 and 96°C). You might be wondering why it’s a range rather than a set value, and that’s because every coffee bean is unique.
Lighter roast coffees are denser, so as a general rule, they extract better at a slightly higher brew temperature than darker roasts.
Bean varietal also plays a role. Research shows that Arabica beans benefit from a slightly higher temperature than Robusta (1).
How can you regulate extraction temperature?
Brew water in an espresso machine is heated in either a boiler or thermoblock. Both are capable of achieving the ideal temperature, but boilers offer better thermal stability – an equally important factor.
The heating element is controlled by a PID or pressurestat sensor. PID temperature control is preferable, resulting in fewer temperature fluctuations. But pressurestats are more affordable and popular in many home espresso machines.
Higher-end machines often provide a means to adjust the temperature. In the best single and dual boiler espresso machines, this is usually a PID temperature controller. Heat exchange machines typically rely on cooling flushes, a hands-on method that takes a little practice.
The process is slightly different depending on the brand and model of your machine and how it works, so consult your user’s manual for specifics.
The Effect Of Temperature On Extraction Yield
Espresso water temperature plays an important role in espresso extraction because it determines the yield percentage – essentially, the amount of coffee that is extracted from the beans into your cup.
The yield percentage is calculated by dividing the weight of the brewed coffee by the weight of ground coffee and multiplying it by the percentage of total dissolved solids (tds), which you can measure with a coffee refractometer.
You don’t need to worry about doing the math. Just remember that water temperature determines yield percentage and, consequently, the coffee taste.
How Does Temperature Affect Espresso Taste?
A higher brew temp increases extraction yield while colder brew temperatures decrease the yield (2). How does that affect the taste?
“Taste-wise, hotter temps result in increased body and sweetness (with a greater chance of astringency and bitterness), while cooler temps emphasize less bitterness, body, and sweetness (resulting in a sour, bright shot).”
Pulling the best-tasting espresso shot is all about finding the right balance for your specific coffee beans.
But the link between temperature and extraction yield isn’t the whole story! Changing the temperature affects which soluble compounds in coffee are extracted – not just how much.
For example, ketones and aldehydes extract better as the temperature increases to about 92°C, yielding brighter fruit flavors. But go too high, and compounds like chlorogenic acid and trigonelline start to break down, resulting in bitter notes.
What About The Serving Temperature?
Espresso should be consumed as soon as it is made to enjoy its rich texture and crema layer. Some heat loss occurs between the grouphead and cup, so the serving temperature is typically around 165 °F.
This is different from coffee. The coffee brewing process occurs at the same temperature as espresso, but the desired temperature for serving is much lower – between about 120 and 140 °F to best appreciate its complex flavors.
What Makes a Good Espresso?
An espresso is a strong, highly concentrated black coffee. It is extracted rapidly by forcing a small amount of pressurized hot water through finely ground beans (3). A good espresso has crema, a dense layer of brown foam on the surface.
The perfect espresso recipe balances grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, optimal brew temperature and pressure, and correct extraction time.
Dialing in the shot
Searching for espresso perfection is known as “dialing in” a shot, which is the process of tweaking the brewing parameters to obtain the best flavor, aroma, and body. It’s important to only change one variable at a time as you dial in.
An under-extracted shot of espresso will taste sour and thin, and you can consider increasing the brew temperature for a higher extraction. Conversely, an over-extracted shot may taste bitter and burnt; try lower temperatures. Check out the salami technique to evaluate the flavors of your espresso like a pro barista.
Related: If you’re on the lookout for an espresso machine that suits your needs, here are the ones we recommend.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know espresso is sensitive to changes in temperature – and why and how – you have a new tool in your toolbox to optimize your shots.
Use the knowledge in this article to dial in that perfectly balanced brew when making espresso at home. Optimizing your extraction process is fun and informative, and that glorious sweet, bright, and bold espresso shot is the ultimate reward!
FAQs
The Golden Rule of espresso usually refers to the timing of an espresso that has been properly dialed in. It says that a single shot made with 7 grams of coffee should take about 25 seconds to produce 1 to 1.5 ounces of espresso. Similarly, a double shot made with a 15-gram puck of coffee should have a 25-second pull time to produce 2 to 2.5 ounces of espresso. But like most rules, this one is made to be bent.
The right temperature for steamed milk is between 135 and 155 °F. In this range, the fats and proteins in the milk are in the ideal state to form the bubbles that give frothed milk its structure, and the natural sweetness of the milk is enhanced. Avoid going over 160 °F. You risk scalding the milk, ruining both the texture and flavor of your latte (4).
There are traditionally 7 – 9 g of ground coffee in a single espresso and 14 – 18g in a double espresso. However, evolving modern tastes often see baristas packing as much as 22 g into the portafilter for a robust double shot.
Measuring coffee is important for perfect espresso: here’s a detailed guide.
- S Andueza, L Maeztu, L Pascual, C Ibañez, MP de Peña, C Cid, 2003. ‘Influence of extraction temperature on the final quality of espresso coffee.’ https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.1304
- Five Sense Coffee. (2015, April 8). Brew Temperature and its Effects on Espresso. Retrieved from https://fivesenses.com.au/blogs/news/brew-temperature-and-its-effects-on-espresso
- Sainsbury, B. (2016, June). How to drink coffee like a true Italian. Lonely Planet. Retrieved July 1, 2019, from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/how-to-drink-coffee-like-a-true-italian
- Klimanova, Y. (2019, February 6). What Should Your Cappuccino Milk Temperature Be? Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2019/02/what-temperature-should-your-cappuccino-milk-be/
