Pressure & Espresso
Pressure methods push hot water through a tightly packed bed of finely ground coffee. Espresso at around 9 bar is the best-known example, but the stovetop moka pot, lever machines and portable hand presses belong here too. The result is a small, intense, syrupy drink.
How does pressure brewing work?
Pressure brewing forces hot water through compacted, finely ground coffee. Espresso machines typically use about 9 bar to produce a 25–40 ml shot in 25–30 seconds, while a stovetop moka pot uses steam pressure of roughly 1–2 bar for a strong, espresso-like coffee.
Entries in this chapter
- No. 1669Barista Stovetop EspressoThe 9Barista is a stovetop espresso maker with two boilers.
- No. 170Alessi 9090The Alessi 9090 is a stainless steel stovetop espresso maker (moka pot) designed by Richard Sapper in 1979.
- No. 048Atomic Stovetop Coffee MakerFill the Atomic's boiler with water, fill the coffee holder with a fine grind (not espresso fine) and clamp it into the head.
- No. 046Bialetti BrikkaTo use a Bialetti Brikka, fill the base with water using the measuring cup that comes with it, then fill the funnel loosely and level with medium-fine coffee, without tamping.
- No. 139Bialetti Brikka InductionTo use the Bialetti Brikka Induction, fill the base with cold water up to the marked level using the supplied measuring cup, add ground coffee to the filter without pressing it, and screw the top on firmly.
- No. 137Bialetti Moka InductionThe Bialetti Moka Induction is a moka pot that works on induction hobs as well as gas and electric.
- No. 050Bialetti Mukka ExpressTo use a Bialetti Mukka Express, fill the base with water to level 1 for gas or level 2 for an electric hob, fill the funnel with ground coffee without pressing it, and pour cold milk into the top chamber up to its mark.
- No. 136Bialetti VenusTo use a Bialetti Venus, fill the base with water to just below the safety valve, fill the funnel with ground coffee without tamping it, screw the pot together and put it on the heat.
- No. 043Blooming EspressoBlooming espresso is a way of pulling a shot with a pause in the middle.
- No. 041Café AllongéA café allongé is the French long coffee, from allonger, to lengthen.
- No. 035EspressoEspresso is a small, concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water at about 9 bar through a tamped puck of finely ground coffee.
- No. 036Lever EspressoA lever espresso machine uses a piston, moved by a lever, instead of an electric pump.
- No. 040LungoA lungo is a long espresso: the same dose of coffee, but about twice as much water is pushed through it, so you get a bigger, milder cup.
- No. 037Manual Espresso PressA manual espresso press makes espresso with hand power: you heat the water in a kettle, pour it over the coffee in the brewer, then press a lever to push it through.
- No. 045Moka PotTo make moka pot coffee, fill the base with hot water to just below the safety valve, then fill the basket level with about 13 g of fine coffee without tamping.
- No. 038Portable Espresso MakerA portable espresso maker is a small, hand-pumped device for making espresso away from home.
- No. 039RistrettoA ristretto is a short, concentrated espresso: the same dose of coffee as a normal shot, but with about half the water.
- No. 044Soup ShotA soup shot is a modern espresso-style shot pulled at very low pressure, under 2 bar and by some accounts never above 1, with a much coarser grind and paper filters around the puck.
- No. 049Steam-driven EspressoSteam-driven espresso was coffee made on the first espresso machines, which used steam pressure from a boiler to push hot water through the coffee.
- No. 042Turbo ShotA turbo shot is a fast espresso made with a coarser grind than usual, often in around 15 seconds, and sometimes at lower pressure.
- No. 047Stovetop Pressure Brewer