Merlo Coffee > how do you brew > brew it yourself

How to make coffee with an espresso machine (manual or automatic):

Espresso Machines

Fill the water tank with fresh filtered or spring water before you turn the machine on
When you turn your machine on, flush water out of the group head
Coffee should be ground specifically for your espresso machine. Let one of our Merlo Coffee experts know the make of your machine to receive the correct grind for your machine.
Fill the filter basket with coffee to the top and tamp lightly with a slight twist to ensure coffee is level
Fit the group handle into place and start the water
Your coffee should pour out of the handle like warm honey.
If it is pouring out quickly it will taste sour. To remedy this, have coffee ground finer.
Alternatively, if coffee is pouring out slowly or is dripping through, it will taste bitter and burnt. To remedy this, have coffee ground more coarsely.
The result of a perfect extraction should be a chocolate coloured shot with a consistent, thick layer of crema

Steaming Milk

Fill approximately 1/3 of a jug of fresh cold milk (never reheat warm milk)
Submerge the end of the steam wand under the surface, then turn steam on full. Slowly angle the jug lower until you hear a quiet sucking noise. This is air being sucked through milk to create foam. If you do not hear this noise then you are simply heating milk and not adding texture.
Hold the jug in the same place while steaming, you do not need to move the jug up and down
Use the palm of your hand to gauge the correct temperature; the jug should be hot tough and too hot to leave your hand there very long
When you have finished steaming the milk, swirl it gently to remove any air bubbles
Pour your milk into the centre of the coffee shot. Lift the base of the jug up higher as it reaches the top of the cup.
Your coffee is ready to serve.

Cleaning your machine

Did you know:

To keep coffee hotter for longer, fill cups with hot water for a minute before making coffee

Fully Automatic Coffee Machine Tips

Fully Automated Espresso Machines follow very similar guidelines to traditional espresso machines. Here are a few additional tips to consider.

Only fill the bean container with the amount of beans you’ll use in a day. Store your beans separately.
Adjust the finest of the grind of your beans as well as the quantity of ground beans used per serve to suit each blend you use. A stronger blend such as Forza will require different grind and quantity as opposed to a single origin bean such as Kenyan.