What Should Good Espresso Taste Like? What Defines a Good Espresso

An excellent espresso should have a balance of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. It should be smooth and creamy with a rich body. The flavor should be complex with hints of chocolate, caramel, and nuts. There should be no burned or bitter taste.
The taste of espresso resembles rich caramel. The perfect flavor is the result of carefully measured variables such as grind size, extraction time, and water temperature. Espresso should never taste sour. Any bitter flavor results from under-extraction.
The taste depends on the beans, the grind, the water, the machine, and the barista. Hundreds of bean types exist, each with its own flavor. Too coarse a grind makes weak, watery espresso.

Key Features of Espresso

An ideal espresso should have a balanced flavor with hints of sweetness and bitterness.
Espresso should pour between 25–35 seconds, with best results between 27–33 seconds. Making delicious espresso at home to rival coffee shops takes practice.

In general, espresso tastes very strong, slightly to quite bitter, and often a bit tart like lemon. If made properly, it should have a naturally sweet finish. If it tastes deeply bitter, sour, or watery, it probably wasn’t made correctly.

Espresso is the base for many other coffee drinks, but it can also be enjoyed on its own. A good espresso should be rich and have a thick crema (foam) on top. Here are some tips on how to make a great espresso: 1. Use fresh, quality coffee beans. Ideally, you should grind your own beans just before brewing.

Espresso is a concentrated dose of Italian coffee-making, typically served in either a 1-ounce single shot or a 2-ounce double shot. It can be enjoyed in small cups or used as the foundation for various espresso-based beverages such as the Americano, latte, and cappuccino.

Espresso is particularly cherished in Italy, its birthplace, where it’s typically enjoyed plain or with a hint of sugar.