What makes a good or bad cup of espresso?

Question

What makes a good or bad cup of espresso?

Answer 1

poured into a cup of steamed milk & vanilla flavoring = good

eat'n park espresso = good

decaf espresso = bad

Answer 2

Everyone hit the nail on the head with the quality of your ingredients as well as the quality of your espresso machine.

But you also have to keep in mind how long the espresso sits in your cup before you drink it. The longer it goes without touching water or milk/cream, the worse it will be when you finally drink it.

Answer 3

Good Water, Good coffee, good brewing. And a personal taste. What is good for me, might not be good for you.

Answer 4

I think everyone said the basics, with having good filtered water, good clean machine, and talented Baristas.

If it taste burnt it could be that the shot is pulling in over 25 seconds. If it tastes all acidy and gives you heart burn this is because the shot is pulling under 20 seconds.  If the espresso shot sits for more than 10 seconds it starts to separate and will taste bad.  

I think the key is to just go to a reputable espresso stand and if you make it yourself remember to read the book that comes with your machine!

Answer 5

Are you asking about the mechanics of making it, or the attributes of the drink? You have already received some good answers as to the mechanics so I'll address the attributes.

Espresso should have a thick smooth mouth-feel and a very good portion of creme when it is first delivered by the machine. It has to be a sweet rendering of the bean or it is considered bad. Too many folks have the misconception that espresso is suppose to be bitter. These are the folks that never master the process.

When a new shop opens in my area the first thing I order is an espresso. If it is bitter I will point this fact out to the counter help. If they respond with "It's espresso, it suppose to be bitter." I never enter the business again.

Answer 6

Juliana is right. Not only does it depend on everything forementioned, (Decent machine, good beans, fine grounds, etc.) but the time espresso is left sitting on it's own is crucial. Now I'm not an expert on the subject but generally the longer the espresso is left sitting, the worse it's going to taste. I've worked at a few coffee shops and I've heard anywhere from ten to thirty seconds is the longest it should sit after brewing. I think thirty seconds is a bit much, I always add it to the milk as soon as I can.

Hope I haven't bored you with my long speech, but even more, I hope this helped.

Answer 7

To make a great shot of espresso you need:

1. Freshly ground coffee (grind just before you brew)

2. The grind should be fine and uniform (use a good burr grinder)

3. Freshly roasted coffee beans (not more than 2 weeks old).

4. Good quality water.

5. Good and clean espresso machine.

6. Good barista.

Answer 8

a barista..............

Answer 9

The quality of the coffee.

The amount you use.( must be measured)

The grind has to be very fine.

The machine or pot your using.

Making good espresso is an art.

Practice.

Answer 10

Good quality fresh grounds. Good water. Clean expresso machine.

Answer 11

It starts with the water, must be good water.

Then the extraction.  Over extraction kills the natural sweetness and causes bitterness.  Under extraction causes a weak 'watered down' taste.

Then the beans.  Espresso can be made with any beans, just find one you like and experiment.