The Zen of Espresso-Making
When I purchased an espresso machine in early 2024, I didn't expect it to become a mindfulness practice. In this post, I explore how making espresso became a sort of ritual that helps me be present.
Last week, I wrote about meditation and the formal practice of it. Meditation doesn’t have to be so formal, though.
Espresso-making is one way I informally practice meditation and mindfulness.
Getting the Necessary Tools
I decided to purchase an espresso machine with my holiday bonus a couple years ago. A friend had purchased one for herself already, so I asked for recommendations. What I didn’t expect was how much went into making an espresso shot.
First, I had to pick an espresso machine. I already had a scale to measure out the beans. I needed beans of course – can’t have espresso without them. A dosing funnel was helpful so that I didn’t get grinds all over the place. Oh, I needed a coffee bean grinder (it’s better to have freshly ground beans). It’s nice to have a WDT tool, so I got one of those. I needed a tamper to press the grinds into the portafilter (don’t worry, the portafilter itself normally comes with the machine). On top of all that, it’s nice to have milk and a syrup, especially since I mostly wanted to make lattes.
Surely the number of things involved can overwhelm, but I approach it from another angle. Each tool serves a very specific purpose, and each one is equally important to the process.
Now it’s time to make an espresso shot.
Perfecting the Espresso Pull
For the beans, I prefer a medium to dark roast (bonus points if there’s a chocolatey note). Normally, I want a finer grind for the beans. I’ll start with a moderately fine level, but then I’ll adjust depending on the quality. Some beans like it finer for espresso; some courser.
Once the beans are ground, I turn on the espresso machine. I run hot water over the portafilter to get the system flowing and to warm everything up. Wiping it dry, I place the portafilter on my scale and attach the dosing funnel, which clicks into place with magnets. After zeroing the scale, I put about two scoops of grinds into the portafilter for a double shot. I’m aiming to get about 18 grams of grinds into the portafilter, but it’s ok to go a few grams above or below.
After the portafilter is loaded, I take the WDT tool and stir it gently around. The WDT tool’s purpose is to make sure the grinds are distributed evenly. The tool helps swirl the grinds around, providing for a more balanced pull.
Before I remove the dosing funnel, I gently tamp the grinds down. This won’t be the real tamp, but I don’t want grinds falling over the edge. With the grinds below the rim, I remove the dosing funnel and take the portafilter off the scale. This is where the real tamp comes in. The spring-loaded tamper I have applies about 25 pounds of pressure to get the grinds compact.
Loading the portafilter into the machine, I prepare to press the button for a double shot of espresso. I want the pull to last between 9 and 12 seconds, so I quickly pull up the stopwatch on my phone. I press both the start button and the button on the machine at the same time. I wait as the machine whirs to life again and watch the stopwatch tick up.
If everything is done correctly, espresso will begin to flow at around 10 seconds. I smell the roast and watch as the color change from a dark liquid to the tan cream that finishes off the shot.
The hard part is now over. The espresso is made.
Cleaning up is all that’s left. I take the portafilter out of the machine and knock the condensed espresso puck into the trash can. I don’t want a lot of grinds to go down the drain, so I wipe out the portafilter with a paper towel and rinse whatever’s left.
I run the espresso machine one last time to clear out any grinds that are stuck to where the water comes out.
With the machine clean, I’m finally ready to enjoy my espresso.
Espresso as a Ritual
Making espresso is an act that rewards you for being present. At this point, I could probably half-ass the process, but the espresso wouldn’t taste as good if I did just one part differently. And when I’m focused, I’m rewarded with a delicious shot of espresso.
It’s helpful to have a formal meditation practice, but we can be present in many parts of our lives. Espresso is one of those areas for me.
Maybe you try walking and focusing on the sensation of your feet on the ground. Maybe you listen to your favorite album while doing nothing else but laying on the floor. Being intentional allows us to explore a deeper layer to the activity we’re doing. It might even help us reach that ever sought after flow state.
Do you have informal meditation practices? I’m always looking for ideas. If you have one, drop a comment below, and thank you for reading.
Suggestion Sunday - What I'm Watching
I'm normally really bad about finishing TV seasons. This week, though, I binged through the entire season of Overcompensating, a new show on Amazon Prime.
I didn't know much about the show's creator, Benito Skinner, beforehand, but he absolutely nails the satirical elements of the college experience. The show is a funny comedy that highlights both the absurd and beautiful parts of college. I found myself remembering the little quirks I hadn't thought about in years.
The episodes are short, which makes it even easier to binge. I would highly recommend checking it out!
Benito Skinner absolutely nails the college experience in Overcompensating.
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Bonus!
No cute animals this week, but hopefully this quaint house on a hill is a decent substitute!
