Traditionally, espresso is prepared by a master coffee maker, or barista. To enhance the quality of espresso, a trained barista is generally concerned with four things:

The Machine:

Because the espresso machine controls the temperature and pressure of the water as it passes through the coffee, it is important that it be clean and in good working order.

The Blend:

A blend is any combination of “single-origin” coffees. Because few single-origin coffees provide all the flavours and aromas necessary for good espresso, baristas often blend several coffees together to achieve the taste they desire.

The Grinder/Doser:

The coffee grinder/doser crushes the beans into small particles for brewing. However, there is no “ideal” particle size; the barista must decide how coarse to make the ground in order to achieve the flavour desired.

The Hand:

The skill of the operator is of great importance in espresso making – even with today’s technically advanced machines