How to make Espresso in 5 Different Coffee Makers

When it comes to making coffee, espresso is one of the most popular methods in the world. A part of that popularity comes from the fact that you can make using several different coffee makers.

Want to know more? Keep reading to find out how you can make espresso using 5 different coffee makers!

How Do You Make Espresso at Home

To make an espresso coffee at home, you first need to choose your preferred coffee maker. Some coffee-making methods are simpler than others but give you a less flavorful coffee. The good news is that you don’t need the best espresso machine under 500. As you’ll discover, a simple French press or Aero press will do the trick!

Here we’ll go over how you can make espresso coffee at home with the following:

• Espresso machine
• French press
• Aero press
• Instant coffee
• Mocha pot

Let’s get into it. 

Espresso Machine

Making espresso with a home espresso machine is one of the most popular methods in the world today. It is also coincidently the most expensive method of making an espresso coffee since espresso machines will usually cost you a lot more than other coffee makers.

Still, espresso machines are used by baristas at the coffee shop and for most, it’s worth the investment. Here’s how you use an espresso machine to make some coffee.

Step 1 – Take some coffee beans and grind them into a powder. You can choose between medium or fine ground for better flavor extraction. Generally, you need between 8-9 grams of coffee ground per cup of coffee.

Step 2 – Add the powdered coffee into the espresso basket, the basket is also called a portafilter. Add enough coffee grounds to form a small heap on top. Tamp the coffee into the filter firmly with the help of a tamper. Tamping the coffee helps extract more flavor out of the coffee ground.

Step 3 – Fix the portafilter with the tamped ground back onto the machine and start the brewing process. It usually takes an espresso machine a minute or two to heat the water for brewing.

Step 4 – If you have a semi-automatic espresso machine, you have to manually stop the machine once your cup is full. Automatic and programmable espresso machines will auto-stop once the required volume has been brewed. Once this is done, your cup of espresso coffee is ready!

French Press

The French press is a machine mostly used to brew coffee but you can also use it for espresso. Following the steps below will get you a cup of espresso using a French press.

Step 1 – Grind your coffee beans into a coarse or medium ground and set the preferred amount of coffee ground aside for use. A good rule is to use 8 grams of coffee ground per 4oz of water.

Step 2 – Preheat the French press with a bit of warm water and add the coffee ground to it. 

Step 3 – Pour boiling water on top of the coffee ground (4oz per 8 grams of ground added) and stir it. Place the lid back on the French press after stirring and leave it for 4-5 minutes. 

Step 4 – Press down on the French press plunger gently till it reaches the lowest possible point. Pour the espresso out of the French press and enjoy. 

AeroPress

AeroPress is an affordable and convenient way to make an espresso. Usually, it is a small plastic cylinder and can be used to make one cup of coffee. Here’s how it works.

Step 1 – Grind coffee beans into a fine ground. Place the filter under the AeroPress cylinder and add the coffee grounds on top. As usual, try using 8 grams of ground per 4oz of water. 

Step 2 – Add boiling water on top of the coffee ground into the AeroPress cylinder and cover it with the plunger. Leave it for a few minutes. 

Step 3 – Press down on the plunger lightly to pour the espresso into the cup/container and your espresso coffee is ready.

Instant Coffee

To make an espresso style drink using instant coffee then you’ll want it to be much more concentrated than usual. This is probably the simplest method as all you’ll need is a jar or packed of instant coffee.

Step 1 – For a double-shot of espresso, you’ll want to add around 5 teaspoons of coffee to your mug along with a quarter of a cup of hot water.

Step 2 – Pour hot water into the cup and stir till the instant coffee powder is dissolved properly. 

Step 3 – Add honey, sugar, or milk to taste and your cup espresso-style instant coffee is ready. 

Moka Pot

If you are a fan of rich dark coffee, the Moka Pot is the coffee maker for you. Moka pots don’t actually make espresso but Moka pot coffee is very similar in taste to espresso. To make an espresso-like coffee, you will need dark roasted coffee beans, a coffee grinder, and a Moka pot. Here are the steps.  

Step 1 – Finely grind the coffee in a coffee grinder. The 8-9 grams per 4oz of water rule stands here as well but you can add more or less to suit your taste.

Step 2 – Add filtered water to the bottom of the pot and fill it until it’s right below the safety notch. 

Step 3 – Fill the funnel with the coffee ground. Don’t add too much though and don’t tamp it down. Fix the funnel on top of the pot.

Step 4 – Now place the pot on the stove with medium heat.

Step 5 – Bring the water to boil and continue heating the pot for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 6 – Once the water boils, it will expand up through the funnel, brewing the coffee. Gradually, the brew will fill the coffee chamber. Once the chamber is filled, put the pot under running water for a bit to stop the brewing process. Pour your coffee into a cup and enjoy. 

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of ways for you to make a good cup of espresso coffee. Making espresso coffee using different coffee makers lets you control every aspect of the process to make the best cup of coffee for you. Regardless of what method you choose, with some experimentation and practice, you can make your ideal espresso coffee cup.