i just got an espresso machine... now what??!?

[TeaghansMama]

i LLLOOOOOVVVEEE iced espresso drinks. i regularly find a reason to go out and about JUST so i can stop by a coffee house and get some sort of iced espresso drink... iced lattes, fraps, etc....

i just scored a mr. coffee espresso machine at the thrift store for $4 and really want to be able to make them at home. i downloaded the manual at mrcoffee.com but it doesn't really tell you HOW to make the drinks, just HOW to operate the machine.

so can someone please tell me how?!?! can i just use my regular ground coffee? i assume i need to get vanilla or caramel syrups? (my favorite!) i really have no clue how they make that cool, caffeinated goodness that i crave....but i love the idea of saving myself $4 a day by using my machine at home!

do it yourself links welcome!
help!

[althara]

A bunch of starbucks copycat recipes are here:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/copycat_starbucks.asp

I can't ouch for any of them though, I don't really do coffee.

You can also google for "espresso recipes" and find quite a bit of info online.

[lisalulu]

A lot of coffee comanies make a special espresso roast. And have it ground for espresso not a regular coffee pot.

When I'm too lazy to go to the cash and carry for syrup (about half the cost of the store) I just put sugar in my latte.

Oh do you have shot glasses with it-those are helpful for measuring the shot and not getting the yucky end-at least our machine will keep pulling the shot long past the point of it being the 1oz.

Have fun making coffee!

[wannabe]

Start here: http://www.coffeegeek.com/

Yes, you need a finer grind than for a drip filter, experiment to see what suits your taste and your machine.

And don't get discouraged by the first few tries. There's a learning curve, like any manual skill. Eventually you'll PREFER your coffees, I promise!

[fuller2]

Sometimes older (or cheaper) machines will lose pressure, or not have much pressure to start with, and so will not make good steam, which is a problem when you are foaming milk for cappucinos & lattes. So if you are getting wimpy milk, it might not be you...

I've noticed that 'ultrapasteurized' milk will NOT foam, no matter what I do. I have no idea why this is.

Ebay can be a good place to buy an espresso machine. Lots of folks out there with unused wedding presents etc.

[honeybee80]

I make myself an iced latte at home every morning Here's what I do:

-I like it really sweet, so I put about a tbsp and a half of turbinado sugar in the bottom of a coffee mug--it will dissolve better this way.
-Double shot of medium roast coffee on top (it depends on how strong you like your coffee--for me, medium is perfect)
-Fill a 12-16 oz. glass with ice and pour coffee/sugar in--my coffee usually fills the glass slightly more than halfway--you may have to play with the settings on the machine to get the right amount.
-Add milk to fill the glass.
-You can add syrup if you want--you'll probably want to play around with different flavors to find the perfect mix.
-Stir and enjoy

[velochic]

Congrats on the great find!! The wonderful thing about home machines is that not only do they save you money, but you know exactly what goes into them and now the sky is the limit.

First of all about the syrups. Most of those syrups have "artificial and natural flavoring". You can make your own simple syrup. There are many schools of thought about the best way to make this, but I'll give you mine. Mine is simply 1 cup of water to 2 cups of granulated (caster) sugar. Boil this together until the water turns clear. With this, you can literally make just about any flavored syrup. If you are using something alcoholic, like amaretto, to flavor your syrup, add that at the beginning and the alcohol will evaporate as the mixture boils, leaving behind just the flavor. If it's artificial flavoring, you can add that whenever.

The coffee needs to be espresso. Not ground coffee. Espresso is like a powder (though not quite as fine as Turkish coffee). Most stores sell espresso. You don't want "espresso roast". You want the proper grind and the proper flavor.

At this point, just follow your manual. Does it have a frother on it? On mine, I froth while the coffee is brewing, so it's not a hands-off operation. Good luck!!

[wannabe]

Originally Posted by fuller2

I've noticed that 'ultrapasteurized' milk will NOT foam, no matter what I do. I have no idea why this is.

Weird, it always foams perfectly for me. And ultrapasteurised cream won't whip. Are you using one of those gadgets like the pannathingyimajig on a Gaggia or that Krups attachment? For the best foam you want just the steam nozzle, those attachments give bad foam.