Caffè
Espresso
Un caffè
The short answer
Italian espresso is 25 to 30 ml of coffee pulled in 25 to 30 seconds from 7 grams of finely ground beans at about 9 bars of pressure.
- Style
- 25–30 ml, thick crema
- Glass
- Small pre-warmed porcelain cup
- Strength
- None
Where it comes from
Patented in Turin in 1884 and perfected by Milan's Gaggia lever machine in 1948, which produced the crema everyone now judges a shot by. In Italy an espresso is a 90-second transaction standing at the bar, not a seat and a laptop.
What you need
- 7 g (single) or 14 g (double) finely ground coffee
- Water at 90–96°C
- 9 bars of pressure
- Optional: sugar, stirred in — normal in Italy, not a crime
How Larry builds it
- 01
Warm the cup. Cold porcelain drops a shot ten degrees before it reaches the table.
- 02
Dose and tamp level. 7 g per basket, tamped flat and firm. An uneven bed channels water and the shot turns sour.
- 03
Pull 25–30 seconds. You want 25–30 ml with a hazelnut crema. Faster is sour and thin; slower is bitter and burnt.
- 04
Drink it within a minute. Crema collapses fast. This is why Italians drink standing up.
Larry’s rule: If you just say “un caffè” in Italy, this is what arrives.
Variations worth making
Ristretto
Same grounds, half the water. Denser and sweeter.
Lungo
Double the water, more caffeine, more bitterness.
Macchiato
Espresso 'stained' with a spoon of foamed milk.
Corretto
Corrected with grappa, sambuca or brandy.
Questions people ask
How much caffeine is in an espresso?
About 60–80 mg per single shot — less than a mug of filter coffee, which uses far more water and grounds.
Why is Italian espresso so short?
It is built as a concentrated hit to drink in two sips at the bar, not a cup to nurse.
Do Italians drink cappuccino after dinner?
Almost never. Milk drinks are a morning thing; after a meal it is espresso, full stop.
What to eat with it
More from Caffè
← All 67 Italian drinksQuoting or citing this drink? Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” and link to https://unclelarryadventures.com/beverages/espresso.